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Month: July 2014

Festival: Beat-Herder

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Music.

18th – 20th July

The Ribble Valley

9/10

Set amongst Lancashire’s rolling hills over a tropically hot weekend, Beat-Herder was a fantastic and memorable affair.

Upon entrance to the arena, it was immediately clear that this festival was something special. It’s littered with quirks and clever little touches: a system of underground tunnels; a fire pit; a stone circle. But the best part was that 30 minutes after opening a large crowd was already dancing to thumping music. Listening to a remix of ‘Born Slippy’ on a great sound system in a large fort can only be described as good vibes.

Now in its eighth year as a festival, Beathearder originated as the free party ‘Toil Soundsystems’. Thankfully, it has managed to retain a non-corporate atmosphere. Food was cheap and incredibly and there was no limit on alcohol allowed into the arena. Security was relaxed, unobtrusive and even friendly. The punters were of varied age and everyone I met, from Dave the 62 year old pub owner to Kevin the 16 year old festival first timer, were having a whale of a time.  Saturday’s ‘H’ themed fancy dress was met with enthusiasm, with a cracking array of outfits on show.

To be frank, the line up for this festival did not send me running from stage to stage in the hunt for specific acts. Sure, big names such as Hot Since 82 and Eats Everything attracted large crowds, with their breed of house well suited to the festival.  But it was the unknown DJs that I have no chance of remembering that proved to be the most memorable part of the festival. Arriving at a buzzing stage with a view over the Ribble valley after a journey in an underground tunnel typifies the ‘Beats and Barminess’ that the organisers promised and delivered.

By Thomas Bearpark and Ben Glover

Warehouse Project – The Return To Store Street

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

There aren’t a whole lot of students left in Manchester who were there to experience Store Street the first time round. The crop of first years, myself included, that arrived in Manchester alongside Warehouse Project’s move to Trafford in September 2012 are now set to begin their third, and in most cases final, year.

Yet Store Street has remained prominent in the collective memory of Manchester students during its two year absence: be it openly through the accounts of its superiority to Victoria Warehouse from older friends or subconsciously in the fleeting feeling of annoyance at how much more convenient a city centre location would be when forking over twenty quid for a taxi back to Fallowfield – felt just before the need to get home immediately and cocoon yourself on your sofa kicks in and quashes any qualms. All in all, it feels like there’s unfinished business with Store Street, so it’s very good news indeed that Warehouse Project will be returning to their “spiritual home” for the 2014 series.

So, good venue – check. But who have they got playing? The answer is, of course, most of the best names in the game across all areas of dance music. With the variation on offer, if you’re interested in pretty much any form of dance music there’ll be at least one night that looks tailor made to your taste.

The series kicks off on September 27th with a killer house and techno offering headlined by Seth Troxler and also featuring names such as Carl Craig, Tale Of Us and Leon Vynehall. The 11th October sees Ape vs Ram Jam unleash a drum & bass, garage and reggae filled extravaganza with a bill including the likes of heavy hitters Andy C, Wilkinson, DJ EZ and David ‘Ram Jam’ Rodigan MBE.

Beaters and sunglasses at the ready – Jamie Jones and his Paradise crew on are in town 24th October. The following night I fear for the structural integrity of Store Street with Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Lone and Jackmaster & Oneman’s Can U Dance all playing undoubtedly hyperactive and explosive sets.

Let’s hope it’s still standing at the next weekend because Four Tet and Caribou are back after their highly successful curation last year. As we enter November, Resident Advisor are providing my personal highlight of the calendar. Chilean master Ricardo Villalobos heads the bill with Nina Kraviz, a tantalising Hessle Audio three way b2b2b and Joy Orbison also appearing in Room 1. Then over in Room 2 you’ve got 3 hour sets from each of Jackmaster, Moodymann and Underground Paris. I’m looking into whether dividing myself into two parts is a viable option for this.

James Blake and his 1-800 Dinosaur project play on the 8th November. There’s more live music on the 21st as Bonobo and his band make another stop on their North Borders tour. Maya Janes Coles curates her first WHP night on 29th, with Heidi, Ten Walls and Dense & Pika in tow this will be a debut to remember.

December opens with 3 hour sets from legends The Chemical Brothers and Andrew Weatherall on the 5th. Speaking of legends, Fatboy Slim performs on December 19th. If soaring, blissful house is your thing then get yourself to the Innervisions night on December 13th, featuring none other than RA’s No. 1 DJ in the world – Dixon. This also falls nicely right at the start of the Christmas holidays.

There’s plenty more too beyond that, see http://www.thewarehouseproject.com/calendar.php for full details. Be sure to keep an eye on those TBA line ups, especially the consistently staggering New Year events.

Preview: Beacons Festival

Written by Alex Fenton on . Posted in Music.

7th-10th August, 2014

Skipton, North Yorkshire

The charming Yorkshire countryside will surely provide a kind backdrop to an eclectic range of music at Beacons Festival. Weaving together local arts, culture and fine ales alongside a strong line up it poses a fine alternative to the other local, but outsized Leeds Festival.

Jon Hopkins’ Immunity was voted the Mancuion’s album of last year and his presence draws attention immediately. Combining the ambient with the out and out intense his live show will undoubtedly be a highlight. Darkside will surely warrant attendance also. Following Psychic last year, and a recent Manchester set that rivals the finest to have graced the city, their experimental electronic sound cannot be overlooked. Daniel Snaith also appears in the form of Daphni, whose progressive house album Jaiolong was nominated for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize. The addition of East India Youth also offers more in the form of dream pop and spatial synthesiser sounds, whilst Erol Alkan is a worthy addition after his 2013 Illumination EP.

Electronic music is well represented, though Daughter’s addition poses a stark contrast, but a welcomed one. Last year their heart-wrenching folk album If You Leave was well received and the genre seems appropriate to the Yorkshire setting. Moreover Nightmares on Wax is one of Leeds’s own and offers a chilled vibe in the downtempo genre. If the intensity of other acts is too much, these acts will be the haven. However, The Fall and Metz mean the heavier guitar is not far away.  Pains of Being Pure at Heart also provide a sound reminiscent of The Smiths and so clearly Beacons can cater for many tastes.

With local pale ales by the barrel, scale and quality appear impeccably balanced. Old Local Kirkstall Brewery and Five Points mean the quality of beer will be by no means suspect. Alongside English tea and homemade Yorkshire cakes, this has the makings of a sublime weekend.

Album: Real Friends – Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing

Written by Donald Spencer on . Posted in Music.

Released 22nd July

Banquet Records

6/10

The Pop Punk scene has certainly made somewhat of a revival in the past few years, with bands like The Wonder Years, Handguns, The Story So Far and the U.K’s own Neck Deep dishing out relentless live shows and unforgettable records. Chicago’s pop-punk titans Real Friends are no exception, their previous E.P’s are invaluable to the genre, but their debut full length falls just short of the mark.

By that I do mean just short, Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing is a solid pop-punk record, it’s full of catchy hooks and melodies and is a good record to stick on for a night of pizza consumption. The twelve songer opens with the title track which is a little out of place and unnecessary, we hear frontman Dan Lambton yelling the words of the title in his signature ‘’just got dumped by my girlfriend’’ style.

Luckily, the album picks up at this point and we are treated to the best portion of the record in the first half, including the two lead singles both of which have had music videos released. Track 2 ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ is Real Friends at their most formulaic, with repetitive themes and lyrics we have heard on previous releases such as Everyone That Dragged You Here , a very safe bet. It works and the band get away with it, but one can’t help but be a little cringed out by some of the overcooked lyrics ‘’I’ll keep sleeping sideways in my empty bed to fill up the lonely space,
I’m just a kid with too much lonely space.’’ The lead single ‘Loose Ends’ has a very similar feel to Everyone That Dragged You Here and the listener is treated to a nod to their previous glory.

The problem with the remainder of the record is that Real Friends seem to have regressed, both lyrically and in terms of their musicianship. The third single ‘Sixteen’ is one of the softer tracks on the album and is an emotional open letter of sorts for bassist Kyle Fasel who writes the lyrics, it’s a nice slow track to interlude an otherwise fast paced album but it lacks the wow factor we have seen in their previous 5 E.P’s.

I don’t want to sell Real Friends too short, they are an incredible live band and are capable of some fantastic feats, but it seems that their finest material has been and gone in the years preceding Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing. It might be a grower and could become an album we grow to love in time, but on first impression we are treated to potent nostalgia and some solid tracks but not much else.Maybe this album is the all same and needs to change.

Album: Handguns – Life Lessons

Written by Donald Spencer on . Posted in Music.

Released 8th July 2014

Pure Noise Records

When The Story So Far released their ground-breaking second album What You Don’t See in 2013, the bar for modern pop-punk music was raised. It seemed 2014 would be an opportunity for new blood to take their place in the foreground of the genre, with bands like Neck Deep, Real Friends, State Champs and Handguns grappling for recognition.

Handguns have yet to garner a true following outside of the U.S. and are yet to embark on even a headline tour in the U.K. but have extensively opened for legends The Wonder Years, and their new record should propel them into the stratosphere. Life Lessons is not a departure from 2012’s deeply treasured debut Angst, but is a fitting sequel that has continued its momentum, and should see the cult following of Handguns increase to a wider spread fan base.

The epic tour de-pop-punk opens with ‘Anvil’ a 1:21 cracker that throws you straight into the deep end of fast paced and emotional melody, the listener is treated to the angst-ridden feels of Angst and is then moved onto the lead single ‘Sleep Deprived’ where the lyrics and song structure continue to reflect their debut but with a slightly cleaner production value, but not too overcooked. So far we’re happy.

The mid-section of the album successfully encompasses a good balance of pop-punk clichés ‘’I can’t seem to shake this feeling of always staring at the ceiling’’ and accessibility as well brutally honest lyrics which is always pleasing to listeners who look for a catharsis in music, and front man Taylor Eby delivers with unparalleled intensity. Something that must be understood about this record is that it does not bring anything new to the table, it is not innovative nor is it particularly intelligently crafted, but it is an absolute blinder of a record, especially considering the pressure it had on it to equal the success of Angst. Delightfully memorable hooks and choruses bring the listener gleefully through the album, with songs like ‘Heart Vs Head’ and ‘The Loved Ones Who Hate Us’ carrying a happy-sad juvenility that can’t help but be adored.

It is interesting to note that the latter half of the record actually holds some of Handguns’ finest material to date, and ‘Queens’ is the best song they have ever churned out, blistering energy should make this one to look out for in live shows and should definitely be considered for a single.

There are a lot of generic pop-punk bands that are bringing a certain redundancy to a genre that is simple by nature, but Handguns are holding the flag high for hopeful young bloods looking to earn a name for themselves. Life Lessons remains one of the most enjoyable releases of 2014, and will be a favourite for many. Watch out for Handguns.

Review: El Capo

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Food & Drink.

For most Brits, Tequila conjures up flashbacks of  ritualistic style initiation ceremonies involving salt, lemon and several shots of the much-feared substance, taking place somewhere on a tacky, beach holiday – not exactly the best premise for a classy Northern Quarter situated bar.

Despite this reputation, El Capo is setting the record straight, bringing the craft, passion and experience of one of the world’s most infamous drinks to Manchester. Bar manager, Adam Sr. has plucked four highly trained and innovative staff to bring El Capo’s vision to life. Providing authentic tequila and tapas cuisine has already proven a hit, surpassing targets for their first year in only four months, a feat partially due to the hugely successful opening night which saw 10 crates of tequila polished off.

Experienced owner Peter Skelton wants the customer to feel like a guest in his home, a place where everyone and anyone can bring their friends and do some serious consuming. With over 70 tequilas and mezcals on the menu, the later shouldn’t be a problem, with flavours ranging from chilli-infused concoctions to rich caramel and cinnamon tequilas; smoked in-house and served in style. Speaking crassly, the reason cheap tequilas are positively repulsive is due to the fact they scrimp on the most important ingredient – the blue agave plant. Find yourself a reputable brand and not only do you have yourself an authentic taste of South America, but also a jimadors blood, sweat and tears in there too (not literally of course).

This spirited, old fashioned toil brings me to perhaps the most rewarding aspect of drinking tequila – the rich tradition and culture  that surrounds it. With a hand painted, skull shaped bottle, Peru’s Kah Tequila can seem a little daunting, even before you discover it’s 55% proof. The theme stems from Mexico’s Day of the Dead tradition, where prayers are offered to Satan as most of the mining population spend their days in the depths of the earth, far from the glow of the heavens. But it’s not all doom and gloom as this reposado is wonderfully smooth and oakey, with fruity high notes that round the edges of this potentially intimidating tipple. And if you can’t handle the hard stuff then mercifully there is a vast selection of imaginative cocktails as well as a healthy selection of bottled beers.

El Capo is forging its own path based on the quality of its product and service, with ambitious owners and a niche stance it seems set to draw custom from the stagnating Tiki bar trend, which appears to be losing its magic. If you’re looking to be informed, surprised and delighted that there’s drinkable tequila out there,  look no further than this Northern Quarter hidden-gem.

12 Tariff St. NQ Manchester

https://twitter.com/ElCapoNQ

Festival: Glastonbury

Written by Matthew Staite on . Posted in Music.

25th – 29th June

Worthy Farm

Having got tickets through the ruthlessly competitive ticketing process, I finally got the opportunity to go to what is perhaps the most well known festival in the world. 5 days was not nearly enough to explore all the hundreds of hidden gems the festival has to offer while trying to see all of the bands I had to come to see. Looking back, the festival has a completely unique atmosphere; artists are genuinely excited to play here, and collaborations or special guests are common; the annoying flags spread throughout the crowd blocking the TV cameras actually create a pretty cool atmosphere; and the nightlife simply never stops with the Beat Hotel, the silent disco and Shangri La running until the early hours. Its a festival that definitely needs to be experienced.

Wednesday

Wednesday involved waking up at 5am in order to get the direct train to Glastonbury from London and join the masses of people attending the festival. Even though we arrived at the site by 11, space in the most popular campsites was already starting to become scarce. The music doesn’t technically start until tomorrow, so we took the opportunity to explore. Watching the sun set over the sea of tents from the hill above The Park really was a treat.

Thursday

Again, the music didn’t start properly until the evening, so we used the day to explore and to tuck into the warm crate of beer we had carried across the country with us. The hippies were already in full swing over at the healing fields, and browsing the menagerie of stalls was a fun way to kill a couple of hours. A friend had got wind of two secret sets over at the Williams Green stage. Hacking our way into the very busy tent, we were forced to endure an hour of whining from The 1975, who only succeeded in proving themselves to be utterly lame. Their inventively named songs such as ‘Chocolate’, ‘Sex’ and ‘Girls’ sums it up really.

Making up for the waste of air who had come before them, Metronomy came on stage and blew the crowd away. Their set had a heavy focus on the more electronic and dancey songs from their first albums, and the atmosphere in the tent was of pure excitement (the opposite of how it had been when I saw them recently at an academy show in Birmingham).

Friday

Friday arrived, and so did the torrential bursts of rain. Still running high from the secret Metronomy set we saw last night, we made sure we were at The Other Stage nice and early for the secret set marked in the program (which in 2011 had seen Radiohead take to the stage). Unfortunately it turned out to be the Kaiser Chiefs. Their lad rock definitely hasn’t aged well, but in their defence they managed to put on a good show, and were able to work a slightly hungover crowd into a relatively angry finger pointing mass. 80’s legends Blondie came on next. Debbie Harry and her boys definitely have still got it, and played a hit laden set including the likes of ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, ‘Atomic’, and ‘One Way or Another’ with an energy which surprised most of the audience.

Hip hop heroes De La Soul arrived on the main stage shortly after three o clock. Helped by the baking hot sun, their set was actually one of the liveliest of the whole weekend. Crystal Fighters once again did not disappoint over at the John Peel stage. Their shows are a unique cross between a gig and a rave, and their barmy mix of percussion instruments really was a treat for the ears. Torrential rain and thunder put a stop to the music festival wide for an hour. Slacker rockers Parquet Courts took to the Park stage after this was over and impressed the crowd with rapidly paced songs from their new album ‘Sunbathing Animal’, which thankfully matched up to the energy of second album ‘Light up Gold’.

Friday night headliners Arcade Fire played the most spectacular set of the weekend. The two hour show in which Arcade Fire showcased tracks spanning across their four albums was described by the band as “the biggest moment of [their] career”, this is surely the gig that promotes Arcade Fire from being just another alternative rock band into a household name. It was a real treat to hear songs from the Suburbs as well as from Reflektor, and the band’s passion and enthusiasm blew the 100,000 strong crowd away.

Saturday

More rain arrived on Saturday, but our spirits were raised with a cheerful set from Circa Waves. Lana Del Rey made one of her few festival appearances on the hallowed Pyramid stage after lunch. After having read a few duff reviews of her previous performances, I’m happy to say that I was utterly blown away by her performance. Her voice was perfect, and while it was a rather static performance it more than made up for it in atmosphere.

Having read earlier that the HAIM sisters were playing a secret show over at the field of Avalon, we raced over after Lana’ s set ended to try and catch it. With security being tight on the numbers allowed inside we were lucky to squeeze in. We were even luckier however when after a few excellent songs, the four members of Mumford and Sons emerged onto the stage to play four rowdy cover songs with HAIM. A true Glastonbury moment of madness. Jack white, one of rock and rolls largest enigmas, played prior to Metallica’ s headline slot. Songs from his new album Lazaretto translated well, but he ultimately too much time was spent fiddling with amps and creating sonic mess. He played a couple of cracking White Stripes covers though.

Spurning the crock of shite that was Metallica, I headed to go and see surf psyche band MGMT play on one of the smaller stages. With the crowd only knowing first album ‘Oracular Spectacular’ the show was a little flat as a whole, but that didn’t stop big songs like ‘Electric Feel’, ‘Time to Pretend’ and ‘Alien Days’ being great to see live.

Sunday

The Preatures and their crossover Fleetwood Mac/Blondie sound was an ample reason to get up and attempt to shake off the Sunday morning hangover. For a band who haven’t even recorded a debut album they sounded pretty impressive. Having missed The Kooks playing a secret set over at the John Peel stage, I made sure I was early for Bombay Bicycles set in the evening. Previous female vocalists Lucy Rose and Rae Morris joined the band on stage for their respective songs, and new material from So Long See You Tomorrow (especially ‘Feel’) sounded great.

Over at the Pyramid Stage, The Black Keys played a set to a ridiculously large sea of people. They proved to be the perfect band to wind down the weekend, and the slickness of their show made it easy to envisage them as future headliners one day.

Feeling a little burned out by this point, I mustered up all my remaining energy and saw Disclosure headline at the West Holts Stage. Having seen them play a couple of times I knew I was in for a treat. Their set was pretty seamless, and getting together all the original guest vocalists from the was a nice touch. If I had once criticism it would be that their set was a little sterile, but all in all it proved a great way to finish the weekend. Now it was time to leave the festival and rejoin normal society!

Live: James

Written by Samuel Higgins on . Posted in Music.

11th July

Castlefield Bowl

8/10

Following on from a well received set from Pixies the night previously, it was a substantial and just as highly expectant crowd that packed Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl on Friday. The closing night of the Summer in the City festival saw Stockport band Blossoms start off proceedings followed by a reunited Starsailor playing support to a headlining set from local heroes James.

Whilst still a far cry from the masses present for the main event of the evening, up and coming five-piece Blossoms were received well amongst the early goers. The thirty minute slot was defined by a noteworthy psych sound underpinned by distinctive organ melodies alongside resonating lead vocals from laidback front man Tom Ogden. Particular comment must go to tracks ‘Blow’ and ‘Madeline’ which once up and running whipped the small audience into a relative frenzy.

Following on from Blossoms came the moment that many within the confines of the Bowl had been waiting for. Spontaneous, rigorous applause almost completely drained out the welcome given by front man James Walsh as Starsailor graced the stage after a five year hiatus. Despite such a break, the Post-Britpop Lancastrians appeared more than comfortable. “Thank you for waiting for us Manchester, it’s been far too long” uttered a visibly excited Walsh before kicking things off with ‘Four to the Floor’ from their 2003 album Silence Is Easy. With the crowd fired up and in good spirits, the set list which included hits such as ‘Tell Me It’s Not Over’, ‘Poor Misguided Fool’ and ‘Silence Is Easy’ seemed to go down well, maybe even too well when at times the appreciation displayed by the crowd led to lyrics being drowned out by deafening screams of enjoyment. All in all though it was a strong return for the band, evidently still capable of drawing and entertaining a crowd.

As nine o’clock approached and with the sun just beginning to fade in behind the stage, it was time for headlining act James to embrace the 8,000 strong audience and bring the festival to a close. The unmistakable figure of lead singer Tim Booth was greeted with rapturous applause and it did not take long before Booth’s infamous, eccentric dance moves accompanied by the familiar guitar stylings of Larry Gott and the rest of the Manchester band had the attention of those in attendance.

Armed with their newly released album ‘La Petite Mort’ the band’s latest material was particularly well received, most notably ‘Moving On’ and ‘Frozen Britain’, the former of which judging by reaction was the most popular song of the set. As expected though, diehard fans were not left disappointed as a rendition of classic tracks including ‘Sometimes’, ‘Come Home’, ‘Laid’ and the essential James anthem ‘Sit Down’ echoed from front to back serving as proof of continuing popularity and longevity.

In short, it would be hard to disagree that there was a better place to be than Castlefield Bowl on this particular Friday. Summer in the City brought music lovers of all ages together and from the reception of all three acts, one may have problems finding anyone who thought it wasn’t worth the money.

Interview: Jim Jefferies

Written by Sam Dumitriu on . Posted in Features.

Australian comic Jim Jefferies is returning to the UK to do a limited run of shows including a show at O2 Apollo on August 2nd. Known for his controversial sets he caught up with the Mancunion ahead of the tour.

On settling down and whether we can expect the same brand of dark comedy

It’s the same show that you’re always going to get. I’ve just recorded a DVD of it, the new show is probably I would say somewhat more extreme actually. Since I’ve had a child because it’s been a lot of my take on having a baby, but it’s not like I’ve become Ray Romano, if you’re wondering.

I don’t think I’ve slowed down at all. In fact I think I appreciate being on the road a lot more. I used to hate being on the road, staying in hotels and flying–now I can cut free a little bit because I’m so well behaved at home.

On his new material

At the moment I’m doing a routine on Gun Control, which is obviously a big thing with all the school shootings over here. Obviously doing my kid, I do a bit on Oscar Pistorius, and a few more stories from my life. It’s very hard to say what material I’ll be doing by the time I’ll get over there [to the UK] in August. I’m writing a few new bits as we speak, so we’ll see how the show looks when we get there. The show will normally be hour and a half with a couple support acts, so better value than driving up to the Edinburgh festival.

On getting punched in the head at the Manchester Comedy Store

The story isn’t as exciting as the video, I was basically on stage, someone on one side of the room heckled. I put her down a few times, I said something maybe about her being molested by her grandfather or something. I think there was a guy on the other side of the room, that might have had some issues with his father or grandfather or something. Then 15 minutes later, when he hit me I was doing routines about genitalia, it came right out of the blue.

The put-down to the heckler was simple “I’m going to leave you alone now, like your dad did. It’s a shame your grandfather never did”. Which is a pretty mundane thing to say to a person, but this guy had some issues. He waited till he had finished his drink and just ran up on stage and punched me.

The more exciting story is what happened afterwards, they tackled him, the audience came up to help, they put him in the dressing room and he sat there crying going “please don’t arrest me.” The cops took him, put him in the drunk tank for a night, and I didn’t press charges. Because even at the time, I remember thinking “I’ll make a lot of money out of this”. 

On his TV show Legit getting cancelled

I would like to make a movie of it. I’ve got all these scripts that I’ve written for season 3. I’d like to tie all the characters up because the way season 2 ended is pretty unsatisfying. It wasn’t a cliffhanger but all the characters at the end hated each other. You know I went off on my separate way, Billy went back into the home, and Steve joined the army. I had this instant way for them all to get back together in the first episode on season 3, but as it stands when the show got cancelled the characters weren’t getting along and I kinda think that’s sad. I’m still getting over the show getting cancelled. So maybe if I take another six months to sit back and reflect, maybe I can figure out what I want to do with it.

Apart from that, I don’t know if I’ll be selling another TV show anytime soon. I’m just going for a few auditions at the moment to see if I can get on someone else’s TV show. But it seems that Hollywood doesn’t really want me to act in something if I didn’t write it myself. 

On Legit’s portrayal of disability

We had one disabled character because the whole show was based on that story of me taking a friend with muscular dystrophy to a brothel. So we had one character, who was from my own life, who had muscular dystrophy, we had to put him in a home to get him out of. As soon as you put someone in a home, you’ve got to populate the world with disabled people. 

There’s an acting school in Hollywood, that just takes care of disabled people and they do plays there. It sort of gives them something to do, it’s not a charity thing, these people are cast in actual shows. We rang them up and we said give us all your actors. So we had, several different people with different disabilities come in. It was never my intent to be this Pied Piper for disabled people. 

Once we got them all in, I started to realise there was a lot of comedy in these guys if you weren’t being mean about them and also if you weren’t making there story lines sappy. If you just treated them like normal guys. Normal guys talk about sex, they talk about drink and drugs. If you have these people drinking and having sex and other stuff. It’s just funny right away. Then I realised there’s never been this many disabled guys used in a comedy. Usually they’re used for PSAs, or they’re used in shows like 7th Heaven where there’s a poor disabled child who is picked on at school until the nice kids stick up for them. 

One of the main guys Nick, who played Rodney, I still talk to him once a week and he comes over to my house for barbecues with us. For me that was the saddest thing, telling Nick when the show was cancelled. 

On comedians getting more creative control on TV

I think it’s become like a trend a long time ago and people are only starting to notice it now with Louie. A comedian in charge of a show is no new thing, Seinfeld did it, but then you have like Bob Newhart and Sarah Silverman. Everyone’s playing themselves, its pretty common. As for people getting complete creative control like Louie, look Louis CK is a fantastic comedian and I’m a huge fan. There’s just something about now, where people are writing about him as if he’s the only person doing something. The fact that he’s brought out a special every year of new material, I’ve done that for the last four years as well, but I’m not bragging about myself. If you go up to the Edinburgh Festival you’ll see comedians who’ve been doing that for the past 10 years. This isn’t a new thing, a comedian writing about their life, or a comedian getting a fair amount of creative control over their show. 

I think the difference is now the cable channels are starting to rival the networks. It used to be that every comedian had a sitcom on network TV, and if you did something on cable it’d get seen by like ten people and it wouldn’t get an Emmy nomination. Now these shows are being ranked against each other and we’re starting to see cable shows as good if not better than the network shows. I think the cable networks for years have been giving people a lot more creative control.

On whether he gets different reactions for his atheist comedy in the UK and the States

It actually gets a bigger response in America than it does in the UK. In my experience most people in the UK are atheists, so it’s more preaching to the choir in the UK. But when you do it over here in America, it’s people who grew up probably very religious, but now have rejected it. So they get a little bit more excited about the whole idea of atheism. So if you go “There’s no god.” they all whoop and holler like no one has said that before and I’m just trying to get a joke up and running.

On the Daniel Tosh rape joke controversy and whether any subject should be off-limits

Standup is a mathematical equation. The more offensive a joke is, the funnier it’s going to be. Far too often you see these young comics getting on stage and they’re saying these horrible things about paedophilia and rape, and they just don’t have the charm or the material to get away with it. Now, the next problem is when you get too famous like Daniel Tosh on TV, then you become a target as well. I think you should be able to joke about anything, along as it’s super funny. If you’re going to make a joke about something like that, you better make it good. 

For me personally there’s not really a topic I’ve stayed away from, I’ve never been someone who’s considered to be a racist comedian, but if I could find a joke that I thought was good enough, that I could get away with something I might say it. That doesn’t mean that’s my intent as a human being, I don’t think that because Daniel Tosh made a joke about rape makes him a rapist either.

On his comedic influences

When I was little kid it was Eddie Murphy, then it was Richard Pryor. But then as I got into comedy it became George Carlin, for me George Carlin was the best comedian that ever lived. But then with modern day comedians, I’m a big fan of Andrew Maxwell in the UK, and I’m a big fan of Brian Regan in America. Brian Regan is comedian that doesn’t even swear. So they don’t all have to do what I do. I think they’re the two best comics in the world right now. Bill Burr is a very good comic as well.

Jim Jefferies is performing at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on August 2nd. Tickets are available online at http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/jim-jefferies-manchester-02-08-2014/event/36004C88C13C432B?artistid=1166621&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=51 

Alternatively you can call the Box Office on 0161 273 6921

Review: Birds Eye Inspirations Launch Event

Written by Adam Fearn on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Charming and relaxed, The Picture House, located just off Canal Street, offers a unique fine dining experience. Pioneering a new payment method – tweets, statuses, and Instagram snaps – the restaurant is the first pay-by-picture eatery in the world, allowing customers to pay for food and drink by uploading images of their dishes to social networking websites with the hashtag ‘#BirdsEyeInspirations’. Last week, The Mancunion were invited to experience The Picture House, and we were pleasantly surprised by the food’s high quality, the venue’s intimate ambiance, and the friendly, approachable staff that added to the night’s success.

Ourhai and Zoe, the first of a number of the event’s focused and attentive staff that we met, were quick to get us seated and settled in, and their colleagues at the restaurant quickly took our food and drink orders. The service was professional and measured; the night ran smoothly as the food and wine were swiftly delivered.

The presentation of The Photo House venue and the food that it served were quirky and fun. The bread was presented to the table in a minimal but fashionable bag, desserts were served in recycled jam jars, and paper menus were ditched for a more stylish interactive iPad app. All of the food was cooked in an open kitchen in the side of the restaurant, and the chefs were happy to engage with the members of the public that passed them, offering cookery tips and suggesting complementary wines that would best suit each dish.

Throughout the meal, we were actively encouraged to take pictures and upload them to our social network accounts, and all related messages were displayed on a big screen through a streamed newsfeed; a interesting feature that added a social aspect between the diners within the venue. We appreciated the effort that the organisers had made with the live stream, and enjoyed looking at the other pictures that the other guests were taking.

The venue was small but quaint. The dining experience was low-key and intimate as The Picture House catered for only a few people at a time, adding to the event’s overall sense and feel, which was further complemented by the room’s lighting.

My friend and I both chose the garlic and herb chicken breast from Bird Eye’s new Inspiration range, and were pleasantly surprised by both the portion’s size and taste. The piece of breaded chicken was large, set on top of a bed of flavoursome peas. The initial cut into the breaded chicken breast released the meal’s garlic paste, which provided adequate moistness to the rest of the dish. Furthermore, both desserts that were on offer (a chocolate mousse with blood orange and ice cream, and strawberry shortcake with lemon sorbet) were delicious.

Overall, The Picture House offered a unique and wholly enjoyable dining experience. The venue’s atmosphere was calm, its staff kind and helpful, and its promotional products tasty and fulfilling.

Atmosphere – ****

Service – *****

Food – ****

The products in Birds Eye’s new Inspirations range can be found in all major supermarkets at currently discounted prices. Free samples of their range and the opportunity to experience the world’s first pay-by-picture restaurant can be attained through the company’s website at: http://picturehouse.birdseye.co.uk/

Album: Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

‘My most personal record yet’… the overriding tagline of Damon Albarn’s press campaign for new album Everyday Robots, and it must be said he has delivered. Every song you sense is personally crafted, each lyric considered, and the result is a stunning collection of songs, lifting of the veil on one of England’s most celebrated songwriters.

The album’s title track introduces Albarn’s preoccupations, a sample of bebop comedian Lord Buckley stuttering, ‘They didn’t know where they was going, but they knew where they were wasn’t it.’ The album is evoked thematically, and perhaps Albarn, entering middle age and fatherhood, is reflected? The song itself is beautifully arranged with a striking string arrangement that sweeps throughout.

‘Hostiles’ has a slow burning introduction, reflective of Blur’s ‘Out of Time’, and continues the albums complete absorption with the idea of communication, or lack of it. ‘Hoping to find the key to this play of communications, between you and me,’ Albarn breaths. ‘Lonely Press Play’, an album highlight, seamlessly moulds Albarn’s Africa Express influence and his own sentimental English song writing.

‘Mr Tembo’, which prompted the elephant about which it is written to ‘shat itself’ according to Albarn, further evidences Albarn’s love for his Africa Express project before ‘Parakeet’ an entertaining if hollow interlude leads into ‘The Selfish Giant’. At first difficult to place this develops into a classically heartfelt song concerned with lovers battling the modern age. Albarn’s voice, nicely exposed, delivers the fantastic lyric ‘it’s hard to be a lover when the TV’s on and nothing’s in your eyes.’

The strongest songs on the album however are ‘You and Me’ and ‘Hollow Ponds’. Here Albarn is totally exposed, evoking such universal sentiment that to not be dragged in would, to me, render you heartless. He alludes to the heroin rumours of the 90’s while drawing on the imagery of Modern Life is Rubbish in a fantastic ten minutes of music.

‘Seven High’ is another interlude which serves to break up long songs and ‘Photographs’ contains a vocal melody that on lesser album would be a highlight.

‘The History of a Cheating Heart’ benefits from scare instrumentation and single ‘Heavy Seas of Love’ is a euphoric end to a slow burning but intense and truly brilliant album. Everyday Robots is a collection of stunningly crafted songs, with great instrumentation befitting of such carefully selected lyrics.

Live: Kanye West @ Wireless

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

4th July

Finsbury Park

9/10

Bursting onto the stage with vigour amongst the throbbing bass and sampled screams of ‘Black Skinhead’, Kanye West immediately makes up for his delayed arrival.

Sporting a designer mask made from jewels that obscures his face, West bounds around the stage confidently exhibiting all the star qualities that make him one of hip hop’s biggest names. The crowd hangs on every word of his dextrous wordplay, shouting back with fervour the choruses to hits like ‘Clique’ and West’s remix of Chief Keef’s ‘I Don’t Like’.

The energy levels that reach a summit through ferocious renditions of ‘Power’ and ‘Stronger’ suddenly screech to an abrupt halt in the middle of ‘Runaway’ as the music takes a backseat for West to address the crowd with a signature 20 minute monologue.

West’s words are enlightening, covering topics from media intrusion to dishumanisation, a word he “just coined… maybe”. His delivery is passionate and engaging, laced with visceral emotion: “Fuck my face!” he exclaims at one point before laughing and continuing, “That sounded wrong, this isn’t about my face.”

The majority of the crowd however don’t seem to share this viewpoint: boos ring out in abundance; beer begins to fly forwards; and people shuffle backwards to the exit. Perhaps a headline slot at one of Britain’s most notoriously commercial festivals isn’t the time nor place to turn preacher, but with Kanye West the music is inseparable from the personality. His refusal to be constrained by expectation is amongst his most valuable traits.

Anyway, it’s their loss, West is soon back to reeling out the tracks that have earned him his headline status tonight, resuming with assurance and good humour. “We’re going to play something extremely underground,” he declares just before the triumphant horns of Rihanna-featuring ‘All Of The Lights’ start up to wild cheers, “Oh you know this one?!” he laughs with mock surprise. Never change, Kanye.

News: Demantel launch third Sole Selectors video – Ben UFO

Written by music on . Posted in Music, Uncategorised.

Following Antal and Mr Ties, Hessle Audio honcho Ben UFO is the latest DJ to be profiled in Dekmantel’s Sole Selectors series – a consistently engaging interviewee.

The 6 minute video focuses primarily on London pirate radio, alongside discussion of his DJing origins and motivation.

Dekmantel Festival takes place on August 1st – 3rd in the Amsterdam Bos, read our preview here.

Live: Selective Hearing presents Ben Klock / Rødhåd / Vakula / John Roberts

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Music.

30th May

Sankeys

7/10

Selective Hearing served a true techno feast to Sankeys. Packed with post-exam students, four courses of 130 heavyweights quickly set aside any lingering worries about the imminent debt, dole and a Desmond.

Rødhåd was the first big name in the Basement.  Providing plenty of hands-in-the-air moments, the Berlin-resident grinned his way through a well-received set. Weaving in Recondite’s ‘Cleric’, his selection was tailored to be just the right, light side of dark for a crowd more used to house.

A disappointing Ben Klock performance followed. Lacking the energy or direction I expected, his selection failed to grip me. By the end, I felt that I had witnessed the Berghain veteran being eclipsed by that club’s newcomer who played before.  An online apology for a “low flow day” may provide an explanation.

Upstairs at the more pleasant and spacious Spektrum, Ukraine’s most valuable house export Vakula took to the decks. Dropping Syclops’s rifftastic bomb ‘Where’s Jason’s K’ early in the set had the crowd grooving from the off. Playing records in a relaxed, confident manner, the better sound upstairs allowed me to get lost for a varied three hours. Renowned for an impressive catalogue of releases, his performance showed why he’s gathering an equally strong following for his DJing.

Sadly, Sankeys stopped a good night becoming a legendary one. London drinks prices, one-in-one-out for the toilets and woefully quiet sound downstairs all do their damage. Pointing towards the brawl to get to the loo, I heard an astonished foreign visitor remark “this in a superclub!” I was equally taken aback by him giving this club that label. If Sankeys wants to be mentioned in the same breath as Fabric, DC10 or any other true “superclub”, it needs to spend a lot of money on a proper soundsystem and start making its club clubber-friendly.

Interview: Gary Numan

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

Do you think you could have evoked such drama and been able to set your dystopian scenes [in early albums like Replicas] as a straight up punk band, or is the guitar too confined as an instrument?
Some of the songs on Replicas are more guitar than synth strangely enough but, overall, I don’t think the albums would have been anywhere near as effective without the synths. I love the guitar, and it can be processed in ways that can make it sound very unusual, but it can’t compete with synths for sound design. It was the synth that allowed me to expand ny sound beyond the punk band that I used to be.
What are your thoughts on the statement that The Pleasure Principle gave birth to 1980s? And how does that make you feel looking back on that decade?
I had Replicas and The Pleasure Principle both go to Number 1 in the UK in 1979 so electronic music was given a high level launch into the public’s consciousness via those two albums. It  encouraged all the big labels to start signing electronic acts when they hadn’t been overly interested before, it encouraged people to start making electronic music of their own and it opened up doors of opportunity for those people that were already dabbling with it. In that sense I suppose I paved the way for some of what came along in the 1980’s and beyond. It’s something to be proud of I but, in truth, I don’t really think about it. I have never been one for looking back, either on successes or mistakes. I have always been almost obsessively focused
on where I’m going next. Tomorrow is exciting, yesterday is over and done with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu6MDdxBork
How did the Saturday Night Live performance change your career, and did you know before the show it would have such immediate effects?
It made me an overnight star in the US so it had an enormous effect. I went to America essentially unknown, I did that show and the next morning it seemed that everyone in America knew who I was. It was incredible. I knew before I went there that it was a big show but I had no idea just how powerful it was.
Thinking of tracks like Metal, those warm synth bass lines are becoming very fashionable once again – do you think an 80s ‘revival’ to some extent is on the cards?
I hope not. I hate revivals. Music should be about creating new things, and that’s especially true of electronic music. I have never seen any point in looking backwards for inspiration if all you do with it is to repeat something that’s already been done. Surely we should be trying to
create new sounds and come up with new ideas, things people haven’t heard before. I find it almost depressing to think that music may actually go in cycles where every few decades we repeat an older one. Whatever the truth of that it holds no interest for me. My reason for being a songwriter and musician is to keep moving forward musically, to keep coming up with new ideas, new sounds, and using new technology.
On the face of it, Splinter is a very heavy, industrial and quite dark album in places; why did you write such a record? And does From A Broken Mind reflect where you were at the time of writing?
I was diagnosed with depression in 2008. I didn’t write a song for over three years and things were falling apart somewhat, career, private life, pretty much everything really. The cure was almost as bad as it sucks you into this permanent state of ‘couldn’t care less’. So, you’re no longer ‘depressed’ but now you don’t care about anything so you still don’t work. It took a few big shocks to make me begin to realise that I needed to come back to the real world. When I did the urge to start writing again came back and the most powerful thing that had happened had been fighting the depression, so I wanted to write about that. I was broken in a very real sense and it took a long time to fix. The album title is very accurate.

What made you want to become a stunt pilot?
I have always loved aeroplanes and I learnt to fly when I was quite young. As in most things I have an obsessive tendency, due to my Aspergers Syndrome I expect, and so with aeroplanes I wanted to learn how to control them to an ever greater degree. That took me into historic
aeroplanes and then in to aerobatic and then formation aerobatic flying. I became an Evaluator at one point for the Civil Aviation Authority. Part of it was the simple pleasure of being able to handle aeroplanes well; good enough to be a display pilot for about fifteen years, but also it was dangerous and so very exciting. Unfortunately most of my friends were killed in various accidents over the years so, when my children started to be born, I decided to
stop display flying. It seemed too reckless a thing to do as a hobby once I had a family of my own. I do miss it though.
I’d like to end on a broad, slightly philosophical question if you don’t mind: How has fame affected you; are you grateful for your time in the limelight or has it been overwhelming?
It was pretty overwhelming when it first happened. It was very sudden and I became globally massive almost overnight. It’s a lot to take in and you can only adapt to such huge changes over time. These days I can barely remember what it was like before the success, I’ve been doing this my entire adult life so I don’t know another way. I don’t think it’s affected me that much at all though to be honest. I’m very grounded, very down to earth. I have no diva in me, I’m polite, I don’t expect anyone to run around for me, I treat everyone fairly, I just think of myself as being very lucky; just that, lucky, not special. There are so many pop stars and rock stars and great songwriters and performers, we really are a very disposable thing. So many people can do what we do, we should never think of ourselves as being special because we’ve been lucky enough to sell a few records now and then.

Album: Jamie Jooste – The Man is Always Right

Written by music on . Posted in Music.

Born into a family of singers, it’s no wonder Jamie Jooste’s sound on The Man Is Always Right, pays homage to such a breadth of iconic R&B and Soul legends. The material draws upon six relationship scenarios with each story from a different perspective, be it that of a child witnessing their own parents troubles, or as an experienced woman who becomes a mistress type figure in the eyes of her man.

The EP is alive with warm electric and pulsating beats, giving Jamie’s soulful voice and diva-like persona a fresh and contemporary feel. The tracks on this record are littered with sophisticated pop hooks, pouring with emotion and drama; bringing these tales to life.

Fusing all the elements together is rapper and producer Jay Picasso; supplying bars and a more importantly a male voice to the table. The combination of these two artists has culminated in a vibrant and bold selection of songs, with Jamie Jooste’s intricate melodies and harmonies at the core. At only 25, the progression of this South African born, modern-day diva is one to pay close attention to.

http://www.jamiejooste.com/

News: Final Dekmantel lineup announcement

Written by music on . Posted in Music.

Dekmantel Festival’s stacked bill has just got even bigger after they revealed the final additions for the August event.

One of the new names is Âme, you can read our interview with Kristian Beyer here.

Dekmantel have also released the next video in their Sole Selectors series, this time the subject is HOMOPATIK resident Mr. Ties.

 

 

Live: Pangaea – The Summer Of Love

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

5th June

UoMSU

7/10

The spirit of ’67 was alive and well inside the Student’s Union at this year’s ‘Summer Of Love’ edition of Pangaea Festival. The vibrant and colourful theme matched the atmosphere within the packed, sold out event.

Karma Kid was one such name that truly brought the fun. Playing behind a VW Camper Van styled booth, his set had everyone in Academy 2 dancing with a grin with selections like Justin Timberlake’s ‘Rock Your Body’.

This provided a tough act to follow, and unfortunately Shadow Child failed match it, causing a sharp dip of the energy in the room. His considerable popularity is ever perplexing and I bid a hasty exit shortly into his very safe and dull drop orientated set.

Making my way outside I was met the brassy tones of Riot Jazz, particularly delighting with a medley of Hudson Mohawke covers. The outdoor stage was a very welcome addition, not previously present at January’s Pangaea in which this area was just a large smoking zone. Coupled with the dry weather and decent sound system the new stage meant everywhere you stood at Pangaea the party atmosphere remained bubbling.

Around the other side of the union in the outdoor tent Todd Edwards was spinning a classic garage filled set that proved the highlight of the night. I was hoping we’d hear an airing of Daft Punk’s ‘Face To Face’ which features Edwards’s vocals, and when he did play it he sang the vocals live down the mic, perfect.

Of course, no Pangaea is complete without wandering around all the rooms of the union hosted by local promoters. Bank & Mekka residents in Room 2 kept me in one place the longest with thumping house and techno, and NXNW residents closed the night joyously in the Union Bar with plenty of disco.