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Day: 3 December 2014

Live: La Roux

Written by Alex Daniel on . Posted in Music.

The Ritz

16th November

7/10

La Roux hasn’t come on all that much over the last few years. She’s still making catchy, melodic and entertaining electro-pop, she still appeals to pretty much everyone and she still has a majestic ginger quiff. As far as her live show goes, this is great news for all concerned.

After near enough five years off from shovelling her powerful hooks into the ears of both the mainstream and otherwise, the scene has changed somewhat, but she seems to be the perfect fit, with the dance and electro resurgence in full flow. The audience seemed to agree, with apoplectically excited twenty-somethings dominating the floor. La Roux, now officially just Elly Jackson after her split with writing partner Ben Langmaid halfway through producing this album, shared in this energy, showing no sign of nerves on her first tour as a completely solo outfit. She danced, she jumped, she ran and she revelled in the madness that was generated amongst her phenomenally enthused fans.

It wasn’t only the old hits which struck a chord though – the new ones generated a surprising amount of buzz amongst the majority of a crowd who almost certainly came for the prestigious name on the ticket, not for the recent musical output. Despite this, there was, like on record, no one track which could really match a pure floorfilling anthem like ‘Bulletproof’, and the chances of walking out of a gig on this tour saying “yeah, that new one was good, that one with the bass line” or “that one with the big chorus” are slim.

La Roux’s live show is energetic, enigmatic and still chock-full of those great tracks which everyone knows from 2009, however there is still something missing. She won’t be able to trade on past glories forever, but they’ll do for now, for a souped-up comeback tour.

Live: Sharon Van Etten

Written by Cordelia Milward on . Posted in Music.

24th November

Manchester Cathedral

5/10

The Manchester Cathedral would seem like the ideal venue for the haunting folk rocker Sharon Van Etten. Yet from the very first song it was clear she was relying heavily on the pre-existing atmosphere inherent in this celestial building, with her performance lacking any of her own emotion. Whilst Van Etten’s vocals were spotless, they flowed so effortlessly from her mouth, it was as if she need not try. As the band dispersed for Sharon to perform the chilling ‘Keep’, which she announced as her father’s favourite song, the sentiment really did feel genuine. Supported only by the simple picking of her acoustic guitar, Sharon’s voice was laid bare, taking time to elaborately draw out each note. Yet these moments of sincerity were fleeting, and the band returned to play a poor attempt at a dance tune with ‘Our Love’. Disrupting the tenderness, that had been so elegantly produced prior to the band’s return, meant that this forced, upbeat synth seemed inappropriate and stifling.

The harmonies throughout flowed naturally, but often the backing vocals were overpowering and any obvious lead was indistinguishable. This competition of voices on ‘Nothing Will Change’, drew ironic attention to the lack of variation between songs. Van Etten’s voice is like a perfectly smooth chocolate mousse, but as everybody knows, there’s only so much mousse you can spoon inside you before you begin to feel a bit sick. In no way does Van Etten evoke nauseous tendencies, but what was once sweet and angelic, became dry and at times plain boring. By the last song, ‘I Love You But I’m Lost’, Van Etten’s grand and swooping vocals were reduced to a whine, which when placed over a loop of distant moaning, made a fairly unsatisfactory closure to a somewhat lacklustre performance.

Rare 17th century map found in John Rylands Library

Written by news on . Posted in News.

A unique 17th century map of Lancashire has been placed on display for the first time in 400 years, after being found by historians in the John Rylands Library.

The map had been in the Library’s records for 35 years; however experts were not aware of its existence until last month. They were alerted to the fact by Alan Monks, a friend of the map’s previous owner, Leonard Penna. A collector from Cornwall, Mr Penna had bequeathed the document to the library. It had been transferred to the archives area upon his death, in 1979.

The Elizabethan hand-drawn map shows towns and villages of what now constitutes Greater Manchester, including Didsbury, Gorton and Stockport—although it also proves that the settlements were known by different names at the time (Diddsbury, Garton and Stopford). The design shows the rivers Tame and Irk in detail and includes districts such as Ordsall (Wordsall), Agecroft (Edgcroft) and Prestwich (Prestroich).

It is thought that the map was produced by cartographer Herald William Smith, between 1602 and 1604—long before Manchester became a prosperous industrial metropolis. The Lancashire design is believed to have been part of a planned England atlas, for which at least twelve counties were mapped.

Dr Ian Saunders, an expert from Lancaster who has researched and collected maps for thirty years, said: “It is a full-size design for a copper plate to be engraved in Amsterdam by Jodocus Hondius, who was the finest map engraver of the period.

“It is thought that the county series was never completed due to Hondius taking on the commission for engraving a new atlas by John Speed, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain, which has been celebrated for 400 years as one of the world’s most popular cartographic treasures.

“Speed openly acknowledged his friend Smith’s influence on his own maps and it is probable that his publisher George Humble bought the twelve plates and stored them away to prevent their use for a competing publication.”

Housing 250000 printed volumes and more than a million manuscripts and items, some say it is possible that other unknown treasures lie in the John Rylands Library’s shelves, but that only time will tell.

Dr. Saunders worked with John Hodgson, a manuscripts and archives manager and Donna Sherman, who is a map librarian at the Library, to bring the Lancashire map to light. University staff members have now digitized both sides of this map for the purpose of it being more closely examined. Experts will be studying its content as well as 17th century printing techniques.

After laying effectively untouched in the library for nearly four decades, this fascinating glimpse of Mancunian past is now on public display at the John Rylands library and will remain so until December the 22nd.

Eco Machines: Designing the cars of the future

Written by Andy van den Bent-Kelly on . Posted in Features, News, Science & Tech.

“If General Motors had kept up with technology like the computer industry, we would all be driving $25 cars that get 1000 miles per gallon.”

It’s an iconic quote commonly attributed to Bill Gates, although it’s fairly unlikely that he actually said it.

Whoever did say it, though, was certainly raising a valid point. Cars have significantly improved since the Model T first rolled off the production line, but compared to many other industries and technologies, the advances haven’t been as impressive as you might expect.

True, the world is more mobile than it has ever been, but at what cost? The environmental and social impacts are colossal—emissions are through the roof and congestion is a recurring nightmare across many parts of the world.

Four experts from the automobile and racing industries presented their views on the future of the automobile industry in an event hosted by the intellectual debate forum Intelligence Squared.

Amanda Stretton, a racing driver and leading motorsports journalist, was the first to speak.

As she took to the podium, the host asked her to specifically address one particular question—what has motor racing got to do with future energy challenges?

Stretton began by stating that road cars need to become more specialised and that developments in the world of racing will lead the way. She emphasised that we can’t keep burning fossil fuels and that unless something changes, motoring costs could skyrocket.

Upon hearing all this, a sceptic might say, “so why is motor racing acceptable? All you’re doing is burning valuable fuels for no reason.”

The truth is, there’s so much more to motor racing than that, and Stretton proceeded to tell the audience exactly why racing is acceptable and why it could be instrumental in shaping the future of the automobile industry.

“Racing is all about efficiency,” she emphasised. “To win a race, you’ve got to be efficient.”

She then spoke about two different branches of motor racing—the famous 24 hour race in Le Mans and Formula One.

To succeed in Le Mans, endurance and efficiency are paramount. A fine balance must be struck between speed, aerodynamics and the longevity of the car’s components.

In F1, the cars must be quick and light. Care must be taken not to wear out the components.

One thing that both events have in common, Stretton stated, is that there is no compromise regarding the design of the cars in either of them. The cars are highly specialised and designed to outperform their competitors. “This competitive edge always results in innovative thinking,” she said.

Stretton went on to say that the world of motor racing is a hotbed for testing new technologies. Le Mans has seen both hydrogen fuel cell cars and electric vehicles trialled there over the past few years, whereas F1 is a groundbreaking environment for engines.

The purpose of this is not just to win the race. This testing is done with the aim of developing new technologies for normal road cars. After all, why else would the likes of Renault and Mercedes-Benz be investing in it?

Another key point that Stretton mentioned was the fact that we need to think more about what efficient motoring really is.

“An automobile needs to be a way of getting from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible,” she said. It really is that simple. Road cars have to become specialised in the same way that race cars have.

While she believes the so-called “family” car will still thrive in rural areas, vehicles that operate solely in urban areas will change drastically. She hopes to see the use of driverless cars increase in cities.

Her final statement was that in the future, cars will be designed for a specific job. “Racing cars have always lived by that doctrine,” she concluded, “because inefficiency loses you the race.”

Norman Koch, the Global Technical Director of Shell Eco-marathon, was the next to present his ideas to the intrigued crowd. As he rose from his seat, he was asked by the host why Shell were so interested in fuel efficiency.

“Shell has been selling energy for over 100 years,” he answered. “And if we want to continue selling it for another 100 years, we have to do something about it.”

He went on to talk about the world’s rapidly growing population and the fact that every year, more people grow out of energy poverty.

The number of cars on the road is constantly increasing, as is the number of people wanting to drive them. It’s an enormous global challenge and, in the words of Koch, “the only answer is efficiency.”

He spoke about the Shell Eco-marathon, a global challenge in which student teams are tasked with building the most fuel-efficient vehicle possible. Whoever can travel the furthest on the least amount of energy wins.

Koch stated that whilst at first glance it might resemble Wacky Races, the reality is that the Eco-marathon is engineering in its purest form.

The event is all about creating ideas with a specific goal in mind. Teams apply engineering principles to absolute perfection, giving equal attention to all parts of the vehicle.

The winning team at last year’s Eco-marathon managed an astonishing 3300km on just a single litre of fuel. When I’m back home, I quietly celebrate if I manage to get over 60 miles per gallon in my beloved Volkswagen Up. The Eco-marathon winners could make over three trips across the United States on the same quantity of fuel.

When asked by a member of the audience how the winning designs were applied to everyday engine manufacture, Koch stated that a large proportion of the 5000 students who enter annually go on to join a related industry.

They bring the ideas and imagination that they displayed in the competition with them, which can only have a positive effect.

“Companies do not innovate,” he concluded. “People innovate.”

The third member of the panel was Jason Barlow, a well-known journalist and broadcaster in the motoring world. Having presented Top Gear prior to its relaunch in 2002, he now acts as editor-at-large for the BBC Top Gear magazine.

From the start it was apparent that he was an old-school car enthusiast with a deep passion for anything that revs. He wasn’t afraid to boast about his love for engines and his fascination with their operation. Incoming EU regulations will result in the downsizing of all new engines, but although Barlow was visibly disappointed by this, he emphasised that the future is very bright for the industry.

“This is an amazing time for innovation,” he explained. “We are on the cusp of an amazing new era.”

Barlow stated that this calendar year will go down as the tipping point for hybrid and electric cars and he believes that the move towards sustainable personal mobility is accelerating.

The Toyota Prius was the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, although in Barlow’s eyes it was never really an option when it was first introduced worldwide in 2000.

Fast forward 14 years, however, and the story is completely different. “This year, there are loads of hybrids that I want,” he said.

There has been a crucial convergence of brand and technology, which has resulted in vastly improved vehicles that have the capability to enhance everyday life.

He mentioned the surprising fact that Porsche sell more hybrids than anyone else in the UK and described the electric BMW i Series as “hero cars.”

The next major focus will be the emission of nitrous oxides. “It gets no easier for the industry,” Barlow joked. He concluded by stating that this is a very good time to be entering the motoring world. “Meeting these challenges means there’s never been a more exciting time for automobiles.”

The final person to speak was, in the words of the host, “the one who we would rush home and tell all our friends about.” Richard Noble, the Scottish entrepreneur who held the land speed record for 14 years following his 634mph drive in Thrust2 in 1983.

He spoke about his latest project, BloodhoundSSC, a supersonic vehicle which his team hopes will be able to surpass the 1000mph barrier. It’s a car with the same power as an aircraft carrier.

As interesting as the project is, it almost contradicted the theme that had been established by the previous speakers. Noble acknowledged the huge problems that the world faces regarding fuel efficiency and admitted, “we don’t have the solution.”

However, just as Amanda Stretton was quick to point out the huge importance of racing technologies, Noble was also able to justify his latest endeavour.

Inspiration was the key word. It’s no secret that many branches of science and engineering are in desperate need of more young people and Noble is keen to attract more children and teenagers into these industries.

Noble expressed his desire to make BloodhoundSSC the world’s first global STEM programme in a bid to reach out to the next generation. He believes the problem lies in primary schools and stated that children need to be inspired from an early age.

He spoke about the so-called ‘Apollo Effect’ that occurred between 1961 and 1972. The Apollo missions enthralled the general public to such an extent that the increase in applications for Ph.D.s in physics was enormous. Noble hopes that BloodhoundSSC can have a similar effect.

He stated that school teachers shared his desire to inspire the younger generation, but were adamant that every single bit of data from the BloodhoundSSC project should be released. If you want to persuade them to follow in your footsteps, why hide anything from them?

Noble agreed. Whilst many other similar industries can’t release all their data, the BloodhoundSSC project will.

An interesting Q&A session then followed. The prospect of driverless cars was raised, which seemed to split the panel. Amanda Stretton was adamant that they have a place in the future of automobiles, whilst Richard Noble wasn’t convinced. “It’s a bloody nightmare!” he laughed, explaining that there was simply no way that both normal and driverless cars could share the roads together.

Public transport was also mentioned, as was the concept of choosing energies in the future, rather than choosing the design of a car.

This is a defining era for the automobile industry. Manufacturers have already started focusing on moving towards a world with greater fuel efficiency.

This is a huge global challenge, but after listening to these experts speak and seeing for myself what students are capable of, I’m confident that we will find a way.

National HIV Testing Week

Written by Edward Bains on . Posted in News.

Last week saw National HIV Testing Week take place across England. The high-profile campaign, organised by the government-funded HIV Prevention England (HPE), aims to raise the levels of HIV testing among the country’s most affected groups; specifically gay and bisexual men, and people of African origin.

It also seeks to increase awareness of the facilities available for HIV testing within these groups and challenge the social stigma surrounding getting tested.

As part of the campaign, numerous outdoor ads have been displayed on billboards, buses and bus stops across the country in areas related to these target groups. Some of these can be seen in and around the Manchester Gay Village, featuring the ‘I’m testing’ slogan that champions the main drive of the campaign.

Adverts have also appeared on social media, TV and same-sex dating apps, and the campaign has been endorsed by celebrities such as Graham Norton. Additional testing services have been set up by HIV Prevention England, and free home test kits can be ordered from the Terrence Higgins Trusts at tht.org.uk/itstartswithme. Last year’s National HIV Testing Week saw a significant increase in the number of HIV tests performed at GUM clinics, and it is hoped this year’s week will have built upon this success.

It is estimated that up to a quarter of all people living with HIV are completely unaware of their infection, and these people risk unknowingly passing the virus on to others if they have unprotected sex. The longer the virus is left untreated, the more havoc it can wreak with the body, cutting the survival chances of infected individuals.

Early treatment can dramatically improve life expectancies, allowing people who are diagnosed with HIV today to live normal-length lives without ever experiencing the onset of AIDS—the terminal stage of the disease. It is hoped that by encouraging early diagnosis through testing, the campaign will help reduce the spread of the disease and allow those already infected to begin treatment.

The campaign is especially relevant in Manchester, which last year had the highest number of HIV cases anywhere in the country outside of London. Manchester further had the highest number of new cases and the highest levels of infection via dirty needles used for injecting drugs of any city in the North West of England.

14 per cent of these new cases—the equivalent of two every week—were in young people aged 15 – 24. The two groups targeted by the campaign together make up around three quarters of all new HIV cases. Gay and bisexual men are particularly at risk, accounting for half of all new cases, and as many as one in 17 gay and bisexual men nationwide are believed to be infected with HIV.

Manchester Campaigns Bazaar: ‘Local Activism in the Age of Austerity’

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

The Greater Manchester Campaigns Bazaar which took place last Thursday was an opportunity for campaign and community groups from across Manchester to get together in one space and to build their profile and gain support.

The Bazaar showcased just how many diverse campaign groups exist and are taking action across Manchester.

The night, organised by Manchester Mule, introduced guests to groups such as: Greater Manchester Stop the War Coalition, Manchester Living Wage Campaign and World Development Movement, to name just a few.

University of Manchester student societies were also involved with campaign groups such as: Save Our NHS Manchester, Manchester Young Greens and Living Wage campus campaign.

The main event of the night however was the panel debate, titled ‘What’s Left? Local Activism in the Age of Austerity’.

On the panel chaired by Kevin Gopal, editor of The Big Issue in the North was Women’s Officer Jess Lishak, Stephen from World Development Movement, Steve from Salford Star and Penny Hicks from the Manchester People’s Assembly against Austerity.

The panel explored the state of local and national activism, questioning first whether they were optimistic about the state of the campaigns and movements against austerity and cuts.

This led to a discussion as to whether the plurality of the left wing campaign movement against austerity was a good or bad thing.

The general consensus was that the diversity of the discourses of left wing campaigns is an integral part of the movement.

However Penny Hicks suggested that for the issues raised by the campaigns bazaar to have a real political impact they would have to find some form of unity on one or two key issues.

Penny celebrated the fact that so many students are showing solidarity with strikes and campaign action across Manchester. She commented that it was a new thing and should be replicated, the unity of movements should spread.

The panel also debated, in response to a question from the floor, the role that social media plays within this generation of campaigning.

The panel’s consensus was that social media is an essential tool to spread the messages and get people listening, however it cannot be the only tool.

As Steve from the Salford Star highlighted not everyone has access to social media and the mainstream media still holds more credit as a source of information; therefore getting into this media still holds more power.

Finally it was also posed how the panel felt was the best was to get responses from politicians.

Recommendations from the panel included; letter writing, going to local MPs’ surgeries and writing for local newspapers’ ‘views’ sections.

Jess stressed that registering to vote, even if to only spoil the ballot paper, is essential in order to get even recognition from politicians. She argued that no one will listen unless they believe they are accountable to you.

A video of the panel debate will available to view on the Mule website shortly.

“Blame the system, not the victim!”

Written by Jessica Weiss on . Posted in News.

Students from Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester have gathered together to protest against sexual violence towards women.

A march was held to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a day aimed at highlighting violence against women around the world.

Students marched through both campuses on Tuesday at around 2pm.

The march was also organised in solidarity with Emma Sulkowicz, a University of Colombia student who was raped in her university bedroom during her second year.

In protest to the university’s decision not to expel her rapist after a hearing in which three other victims came forward against her rapist, Sulkowicz began a performance art piece in which she carries her dorm mattress with her wherever she goes.

Sulkowicz will continue her performance art piece until her rapist is expelled.

Her case has led to a media storm in the United States surrounding the sexual harassment and violence on university campuses and in wider society.

78 universities in the United States, including Harvard, are now under investigation for mishandling cases of rape and other cases of sexual violence on their campuses.

Last week The Mancunion reported that Greater Manchester Police have launched a new anti-rape campaign aimed at students. This came after a reported spike in the number of rape cases reported in Fallowfield in comparison to last year.

On average one in every three women will be raped or suffer some form of sexual or physical violence in her lifetime and every nine minutes a woman is raped in the UK.

Zoology student Georgina Lake, one of the protesters, said in regards to the problem of sexual violence, “many don’t realise how many women it affects on a daily basis.”

University of East Anglia protests against tax on sanitary products

Written by Anna Phillips on . Posted in News.

The University of East Anglia Students’ Union will be the first student’s union in the UK to sell sanitary products for no profit after a Union Council motion was passed almost unanimously.

The shop will sell tampons, sanitary towels and mooncups for the same price the university pays to buy them in, which will halve the cost of some items.

The government classes these items as luxury, non-essential items and poses a five per cent VAT on sanitary items, and this boycott aims to minimise the cost of having a period.

The motion, proposed by Women’s Officer Dolly Ogunrinde, was met with applause and passed almost unanimously at UEA’s Union Council.

Dolly said: “It is a disgrace that sanitary products are being taxed at the rate of a ‘luxury item’ when they simply are essentials for so many women. I am proud to say that the University of East Anglia is now selling them at no profit and feel that other Students’ Unions should follow suit!”

The UEA Feminist Society hopes that the move will be the first in a trend among university unions and encourages other unions to join the boycott on taxed essential items.

Committee member Briony Hannell said: “Not only is it financially beneficial to the students that purchase sanitary products on campus but it is also a highly significant symbolic gesture that recognises the harmful implication of the tax.”

She said: “It would be incredible to see other University Unions taking action against the taxation of sanitary products and joining us in recognising that sanitary items shouldn’t be treated as ‘non-essential’.”

Society vice-president and secretary Bee Bishop also said: “Just like we get contraception for free we should be able to get basic health products at an affordable cost, though free would be preferable. People having to pay for having a vagina has gone on too long.”

This also follows a petition set up earlier this year by two students from Goldsmith’s College, University of London who set up a petition calling for George Osbourne to axe the five per cent tax, and the petition has gained almost 50000 signatures.

Graphene Week 2015 will be hosted by the University of Manchester

Written by Elena Losavio on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Manchester is the home of graphene, as it was from here that the first isolated graphene flakes originated in 2004. This discovery has great importance because this new material has a lot of interesting properties and it can be used to develop several revolutionary technologies.

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is the first 2D material ever known and is also the finest one on Earth. Compared to a human hair, it is 1 million times thinner.

It is the strongest known material, harder than diamond and about 200 hundred times stronger than steel. In addition, it is extremely conductive, as well as transparent and impermeable. It can easily take any form you want because it is stretchable and flexible.

These unique properties make it useful in a wide range of fields and industries, such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy storage, cooking, paints, communications, solar power, oil and many more.

In recent years, Manchester has been at the centre of this scientific revolution. In 2004 Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, two researchers at The University of Manchester, discovered the first crystal of graphene, using a very simple but successful method—ordinary Scotch tape.

Since 1859 many scientists were trying to achieve this goal, but without significant results. Andre and Kostya were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics for the importance of their research. This made them the 24th and 25th Nobel Laureates in the university’s history.

Now the University of Manchester has a key role in this field of research. A lot of students and postdocs from all around the world come here to study the properties of graphene and its multiple applications.

Graphene Week 2015 is a great opportunity for the university and for the city of Manchester as well. Hundreds of academics are expected to participate and join the debate about new technologies originating from graphene.

The main annual event of Graphene Flagship, one of the biggest research projects of the European Commission, will be the most important international conference of the week. In the last years it took place eight times in European cities and once in the USA.
During Graphene Week 2015, for the first time the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute will be opened for visitors.

Speaking at the Graphene Week handover ceremony in its previous host city of Gothenburg, Sweden, Dr Cinzia Casiraghi, Lecturer at The University of Manchester and Chair of Graphene Week 2015, observed: “We feel that with the opening of the National Graphene Institute in spring 2015, it is appropriate to invite the global research community to one of the top institutions for graphene research.

“They will be the first people to see the completed facility, as well as seeing first-hand the leading edge research that is being undertaken at our university.”

James Baker, Business Director of Graphene@Manchester, stated: “It is fitting that such a prestigious event as Graphene Week should be held in Manchester, the home of graphene.

“The conference will follow on from the official opening of the NGI which will be the national hub for graphene research and commercialisation in the UK.”

A considerable economic benefit is foreseen for Manchester, thanks to this international event. It is believed that it will be about £700000.

Andrew Stokes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, added: “We are thrilled that the prestigious Graphene Week 2015 will take place in the city where the material was isolated and we look forward to welcoming scientists from across the world as they share their latest research and discuss emerging applications.”

If anyone wants more information about graphene as a material, about the research project and the University’s policy on this issue, they should visit www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk. Here, more details can be found about events such as Graphene Week 2015 and how to get involved in it.

Black Friday turns Mad Friday with Tesco crime spree

Written by Lauren Gorton on . Posted in News.

Black Friday had a grim start for Tesco chains across Greater Manchester as police were called to seven Tesco stores following disturbances at their ‘Black Friday’ sales events. The chain had been advertising the Black Friday sales and its ‘amazing deals in store and online’ with the tag line ‘limited stock—when it’s gone it’s gone’.

However at 12:40am on Thursday, officers were called to Tesco Extra on Barton Road, Middleton, following reports that around 200 disgruntled shoppers would not leave, despite being told stock had all gone. Doors had been locked but they refused to leave. No arrests were made.

Further, at 11:37pm on Thursday 27th November 2014, officers were called to Tesco Central Park, Wigan after reports of several hundred people trying to enter the store. Two men were ejected before control was regained.

Officers were also called to Tesco on Ashton Road West at 11:40pm yesterday, after more than 500 people attended the store.

The Tesco store at Ellesmere Shopping Centre in Walkden was closed down after a crowd of more than 500 people attended. Shoppers were asked to leave.

The Tesco Extra in Stretford was closed after fights broke out between shoppers trying to get their hands on sale stock. A woman suffered minor injuries after being hit by a falling television and an ambulance was called. The store was closed at 12:36am, just over half an hour after the sales event started.

Shortly after 1:05am on Friday 28th November 2014, police were called to Tesco on Woodrow Way, Salford. One man was arrested on suspicion of assault after his conduct in store was challenged by staff. He threatened to “smash” a staff member’s face in.

Shortly after 12:05am on Friday, police were finally called to Tesco Extra on Stockport Road, Hattersley, following reports of fighting in store. Approximately 300 people were present in store and staff were advised to close. One man was arrested for a public order offence.

Speaking on the early morning incidents Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Peter Fahy, said: “The events of last night were totally predictable and I am disappointed that stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty.

“This created situations where we had to deal with crushing, disorder and disputes between customers.

“It does not help that this was in the early hours when police resources are already stretched.

“Across Greater Manchester large supermarkets already make significant demands on policing through calls to shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and thefts of fuel from their petrol stations—much of which is preventable.

“We just ask these stores to work with us to reduce the demands on policing and reduce the risks of disorder and crime.”

Club: Tribal Sessions presents Boddika

Written by George Scrafton on . Posted in Music.

14th November

Sankeys

9/10

Tribal Sessions & Content’s 5th Anniversary, bolstered by the prestige of the chosen venue Sankeys, attracts a diverse, all-ages crowd ready to hear Boddika’s unique production showcased by the respected master himself. On the night, the Sankeys interior is typically understated but is brought to life by the swampy, techno-heavy sets in the main room and the healthy contrast of disco-house flavoured vibrancy upstairs.

The appearance of the main attraction is preceded first by a series of techno tools primed for elevation. As they are dropped one by one, anticipation builds to palpable levels, pupils dilate and limbs begin to move restlessly and rhythmically in time with the pounding percussive noise. Boddika’s arrival on stage is heralded by his typically trademark sound of murky bass and ruthless driving beats, textured by electro and indebted to the forerunners of the entire dance music spectrum, from garage to breakbeat. As Inner City’s ‘Big Fun’ Detroit synths cut through the pulsating fog of sound during Boddika’s introductory movement, the atmosphere spirals to ecstatic realms.

From behind the decks, the London-based face of cutting-edge orchestrates a barrage of dirge-driven bangers, interrupted occasionally to bring the crowd teases and excerpts of his phenomenal work with fellow experimental vanguard Joy Orbison. As the dark roars of Boddika’s ‘Mercy VIP’ blast through the sound system the crowd screams in appreciation and as the set draws to a close it’s handshakes all round for Boddika and nearby audience members.

Boddika’s current output, amongst that of contemporaries, is aiding experimental dance music’s outreach into new and exciting territory, and on the night, the sound of London’s underground is brought to Manchester with electrifying results.