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Day: 27 September 2015

Singles Selection

Written by Sam Harrison on . Posted in Music.

The Dead Weather – ‘Cop and Go’ from Dodge and Burn

Third Man Records

The release of this single serves as a sigh of relief to those who are chronically nostalgic about the old Jack White. ‘Cop and Go’ from The Dead Weather’s forthcoming album Dodge and Burn exudes that raw tenacity we so dearly missed in the form of rolling basslines and savage guitar riffs. Mosshart’s vocals are particularly ravenous in the chorus as she snarls “please, would you give a little back to me?!” As the song nears an end, a crescendo of howls and a venomous guitar lead serves as a clear indication of the kind of ferocity we can expect on this long-anticipated release.

 

Floating Points – ‘Silhouettes (I,II &III)’ from Elaenia

Pluto Records

This three-part epic is punched into existence with a deep horn subsequently followed by a gradual jazzy breakbeat which has become common practice in Mr Shepherd’s music. As the song materialises, cello and piano begin to weave their way enticingly through the musical landscape. There’s a beauty in the way Shepherd is able to still remain true to his sound without becoming too orchestral. The best example of this is the breakdown wherein a harmonious and quite breathtaking collation of voices and strings ticks over that trademark Floating Points-esque beat. This track is a wonderful demonstration of Shepherd’s eclectic taste and highlights his unique twist on electronic music.

 

Battles – ‘FF Bada’ from La Di Da Di

Warp Records

‘FF Bada’ opens up in typical Battles fashion. The imposing organ sound that has become somewhat of a trademark of theirs in recent years, bellows over some jittery guitar-play. The New York math-rock trio then plunge their way into a crisp, intricate groove; the highlight of which being John Staniers’ tub-thumping, resonant drums. Regardless of the pleasant interplay however, ‘FF Bada’ seems to lack personality due to the mechanical nature of them being an instrumental outfit. The loss of frontman Tyondai Braxton in 2010 is a void that still, based on this track, is yet to be filled.

Hundreds of foreign students gather outside Barclays to set up accounts

Written by Joe Astill on . Posted in News.

Recently, hundreds of students have gathered outside Barclays banks across Manchester in order to set up new bank accounts. One queue in particular attracted attention as it was so long that it looped around St. Ann’s Square in Manchester city centre several times.

Barclays have given international students the chance to set up current accounts in just a few minutes upon arrival to a branch as long as they present the required documentation that includes a proof of identity, a proof of address and a proof of study.

Barclays bank are the only bank that have the new technology. Head of corporate relations in the North West for Barclays is David Bruce, who explains that recent investment in top-range technology has allowed the bank to overtake others in terms of setting up accounts for international students.

This has meant that Barclays have had a huge influx of international students who have been able to set up accounts without the stress of waiting to get an appointment with other banks.

Unfortunately though, this has had the knock-on effect of meaning that Barclays have had to turn some people away because of overwhelming demand. And with no other banks offering the speedy service some students could be waiting over a month for an appointment.

Ivy Church: Providing students with a friendly face

Written by Alex Daniel on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Halls can be tricky, nights out can be daunting, and the new workload can overwhelm even the most committed fresher by the end of week three. In short, every now and then one just yearns for a friendly face and this is what Ivy Church can provide for students in need.

Based in Didsbury, this Christian faith group have been unremittingly standing outside Owens Park every evening during Freshers’ Week, and will continue to offer care and support (for those so inclined) for as long as it is required. Their mission towards students is simple. They seek to provide refuge for those who are finding that the start-of-term whirl of beer pong, freshers’ excitement and Fifth ecstasy more difficult than expected.

They hope that those who are struggling with the intensity of weekly seminar reading, early morning lectures and fast-approaching coursework deadlines can approach them for advice. It is important to remember too, that for most freshers, this is the first prolonged stretch of time that they have spent away from home. This only compounds the issue when it becomes difficult to cope with your new life. Some turn to alcohol to deal with these problems, while some go into their shell and find themselves feeling alone. Some even turn to drugs. Ivy Church is there to help with any problem, big or small.

Ivy Church maintains that the most important thing you can ever learn is “How much God the Father loves you, because Jesus Christ has done everything necessary for you to live an amazing and powerful life, now and forever.” You don’t need to shell out nine grand a year for that piece of education either.

Indeed, if you’re a Christian looking for a new community, they recommend that you approach them as they are a “going” church. On their website, they state: “We want to see Jesus’ love reach the last, the least and the lost both in the UK and to the ends of the earth.” Whether you’re a Christian or you’re just looking for a new community, they will welcome you with open arms. They are also missionaries, willing to spread their message beyond the confines of those already committed to Jesus. If you need advice on faith or a new direction in life, it is as simple as talking to those friendly people at Ivy Church, who have been stationed outside your new home every evening this week.

If you are struggling with your first few weeks at the University of Manchester, or have encountered new problems at the beginning, second or even third year and beyond, go and have a word. They will listen to what you have to say, and you never know where it might take you.

Overheard on Campus

Written by Alice Williams on . Posted in Lifestyle.

“But how would they know there’s no semen in the Ali G sleeping pods? I wouldn’t want to lie in semen.”

-Overheard in Ali G

 

“This carpet is the carpet I’d give my Sims when I was going to kill them.”

-Overheard in Samuel Alexander

 

“Russell Brand would definitely let you do what you wanted with him.”

-Overheard in Owens Park

 

“That would be the title of your autobiography—Lights Off, Clothes Off, Turned Off.”

-Overheard in Withington Sainsburys

 

Kick the Habit with Stoptober

Written by Aj Mal on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Lingering smells, brown teeth and fingers, and less money in your pocket. There have never been more reasons and more ways to give up smoking. As well as the obvious benefits to anyone standing nearby, giving up could reduce the risk of heart disease, gum disease, and cancer.

Whilst smoking has been banned from bars and clubs, this has led to some rather appealing outdoor smoking spaces and pub gardens. However, there is no need to avoid these as they can be a lovely place for an alfresco drink or meal on the odd sunny Manchester day—it does happen!

The fantastic Stoptober campaign offers help and advice in stopping smoking. This year’s campaign features a variety of well known comedians, including Al Murray, Shappi Korsandi, and University of Manchester Medical School graduate, Lee Nelson (Simon Brodkin).

As well as television adverts, there will be live comedy performances, roadshows and a website full of tips on how to kick the habit. Advice includes ways to make giving up easier, including nicotine patches. Taking up a new hobby is also recommended as a way to keep your hands and mind occupied, with suggestions including waving at friends or making heavy metal hand signs!

If you and a few of your friends wanted to get involved, evidence has proven that ‘social quitting’ can dramatically improve your chances of successfully stopping for good. In fact, you’re 36 per cent more likely to quit if your friend does with you. On the flip side, the research also shows that you are 61 per cent more likely to smoke if your boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend does, showing the powerful effect that your peers have on your own smoking behaviour.

Over a quarter of a million people across the country signed up to Stoptober last year with more than half making it to 28 days. This year, it is expected the campaign will welcome the millionth sign up. By stopping smoking for 28 days you are five times more likely to stop for good.

So check out the campaign for help to quit, and a lot of laughs at the same time, and let’s make this a successful and smoke free Stoptober!

How you can get involved with Manchester’s theatres

Written by Elise Gallagher on . Posted in Theatre.

Many of you reading this article might want to work within the theatre industry one day. Some of you might be wondering how to go about getting vital work experience or how to approach working in a particular field. With an abundance of university societies advertising hands-on experience, here’s how you can get involved inside Manchester’s theatres.

Contact Theatre is leaps and bounds ahead of its neighbouring theatres in regard to enticing younger audiences and participants. Encouraging minority groups to get involved is something the company particularly champion.

This week Contact Theatre is holding two taster music workshops specifically aimed at women aged 13 – 25. The workshops, running on the 28th and 29th, take place in Contact’s recording studio and will focus on participant confidence, music production techniques, and will provide an introduction to skills such as producing and recording. Regardless of ability and experience, these sessions are open to everyone in the age bracket, and they are completely cost-free. Just make sure you book.

Contact also offers ‘Young Identity’ workshops. Young Identity is Manchester’s young writers’ collective, which started off in Moss Side in 2006. This community-based writing project specifically for young people performs locally, nationally, and internationally. 
The first project is ‘Young Identity at 6’, which is a weekly creative writing workshop run on a Tuesday, seeking to aid new, budding writers in the development of their craft and performance skills. It is encouraged that you attend these as an introduction to the Young Identity Project. 
The Young Identity workshops operated at Contact gravitate towards poetry and spoken word workshops, which are suitable for 13 – 25 year olds. These workshops are free.

Whether your interests lie in art, film or theatre, HOME offers a ‘Young Creatives’ scheme, open to anyone aged 15 – 25. Every year the group puts on a series of workshops and projects—which are again completely free—as well as commissioning countless opportunities that are led by industry professionals. With a multitude of events and opportunities lying in exhibitions, cinema, theatre and festivals, HOME could be giving you the perfect leg up into your creative career.

Finally, the Royal Exchange Theatre offers a variety of ways to get involved. The theatre advertises opportunities to get behind-the-scenes experience, to be a part of community projects, as well as professional development and training opportunities.

‘Discover Young People’ have plenty to offer. For example, ‘Young Company’ is the resident company for anyone aged 14 – 21. Each year, 130 people join theatre staff in the hope of developing their skills in their chosen area. 
Similar to this is the ‘Truth About Youth’, which is the Royal Exchange Theatre’s programme made in partnership with the Co-operative Foundation, which is designed to challenge the negative connotations attached to people aged 14 – 21.

If you’d prefer experience behind the curtain, the theatre also offers a programme specifically-designed to appeal to wannabe theatre makers. The ‘Young Leaders’ programme is a training and development scheme for aspiring producers and event managers aged 16 – 25. Each year, the theatre recruits 12 young leaders to work with the theatre themselves, giving you, if you are selected, guaranteed sought-after experience.

The theatre has really got all bases covered. For example, if English is not your first language, the ‘World Wide Workshop’ is a project aimed at adults in order to motivate individuals to meet new people who share an interest in theatre, whilst developing their English skills. On top of all of this, the Royal Exchange openly welcomes queries regarding work experience, training, and volunteering.

Concerning awards, the Royal Exchange’s ‘Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting’ is one of the most popular, with the competition being inundated with over 7,000 entries. This biennial playwriting competition is open to anyone who has written a play and who lives in the UK. The competition was inspired by bilateral ambitions: “to encourage and uncover new writing, and to build a national platform for exciting new talent.”

Since it began in 2005, the prize has grown into a nationally-recognised competition. With 15 prize-winners and £160,000 of prize money, it is clear why it has become the largest playwriting competition in the UK. The anonymous nature of the competition means that submissions are judged solely on their content. Winning plays have gone on to be staged not only at the Royal Exchange but at the Lyric Hammersmith and Soho Theatre with past judges including Michael Sheen and Maxine Peake.

Does your student house have ‘Britain’s ugliest carpet’?

Written by Eve Chaplin on . Posted in News.

As students move into their new accommodation, a competition has been announced, one that could be an easy win for students across Manchester.

Posh Flooring are looking for “Britain’s Ugliest Carpet” and are offering a prize of a £150 Red Letter Day voucher to the winner.

With student accommodation being notoriously outdated, students should have a high chance of making the list.

On their website, Posh Flooring announce that “even people who have made a changeover to tiled or laminate flooring in their kitchens, bathrooms and hallways still have garish carpets lurking around in studies and spare bedrooms. Everyone who lived through the 1970s has certainly made a few home improvements that they wish they could take back, and we want to find the worst offenders!”

You are almost certain to find a less-than-flattering carpet somewhere in the midst of student central, Fallowfield and Withington. There is bound to be some ugly flooring lurking somewhere in Manchester student accommodation.

According to Posh Flooring, “spiralling flowers, art deco designs and patchwork colours adorn our floors around the UK, but not everyone agrees they make a fine addition to the home.”

Posh Flooring are inviting everybody to submit “Britain’s Ugliest Carpet” and whether it’s your own pride and joy, or if you wish to name and shame a friend’s carpet, simply send in any entries that you think deserve a mention on the Britain’s Ugliest Carpet list. More information can be found here.

To enter, submit your picture and a short background explaining why you think that this carpet is particularly dreadful to @poshflooring.

Cash or No Cash?

Written by Eva Katz on . Posted in Lifestyle.

A student job can either be a lifeboat in the storm that is university life, keeping your bank balance afloat above £0, or it can be the anchor that drags your attention and time from the whole reason you’re here—to study. The big question is: Can you achieve the balance between student employment and everything else that a university student has to juggle?

With work comes sacrifice, that is unless you have some awesome magical unicorn job which fills you with eternal joy and slots snugly into your life in the clouds. It’s simply a question of what you’re the least attached to: Your social life, your studies, your sleep, or keeping out of your overdraft. Chances are you’ll have to miss out on a few parties or hours in the library in order to earn some extra dollar.

As you make your way through the years of university, your priorities should hopefully change. Time management is an essential life skill which, if you haven’t already mastered, university will teach you. However, to some this does not come naturally. If you are unfortunate enough to be one of these people, a job alongside your studies is probably not the best idea.

Another dilemma is finding the right job for you and your capabilities. Ideally, you want something that will fit in around you. However we live in the real world so achieving this (particularly as a student) is unlikely. Saying this, Manchester, being the bustling city that it is, holds some casual work opportunities that most students can only dream of.

Check out the job opportunities at the Manchester Arena or Old Trafford if you think you may need a cash injection every once in a while. On the other hand, try to find an opportunity that will compliment your studies whether that be some holiday work experience or some freelance work for a relevant company or brand. Keep track of new skills that you learn to really boost your CV.

Unfortunately, not all of us have access to the same level of financial support and therefore for some, getting a job is mandatory to fund the expenses of student life. The kind of job you choose could impact your studies in a different way. If you’re a bit of a night owl, guilty of watching television into the early hours of the morning and deliberately choosing lectures that don’t start until after midday, a bar or restaurant job could be for you.

Those of you who prefer the light of day, on the other hand, may prefer a role in retail, but be prepared to sacrifice those weekend house parties in favour of an early start in the Arndale Centre! But don’t be fooled into believing that student jobs are limited to the retail or hospitality industry, you can do anything you like—as long as it fits around your lectures!

Piggate and the darker side to university initiations

Written by Jack Howell on . Posted in News.

An unofficial biography of David Cameron written by the former Conservative Party donor Lord Ashcroft made headlines this week after making some of the most bizarre allegations in recent political memory.

The book, to be published serially in the Daily Mail, not only claims the Prime Minister was aware of the peer’s offshore tax status before the 2010 general election, but also asserts that he was involved in drug taking and a somewhat unconventional initiation ceremony involving a dead pig during his time as a student at Oxford University.

Co-written by award winning investigative journalist Isabel Oakeshott, the biography claims to have seen photographic evidence of the hog-related incident from its only source. Number 10 refused to comment but, inevitably, bemused journalists, politicians and commentators competed on Twitter and in papers to make the best pig-related puns.

‘Typical!”, Paddy Ashdown tweeted. “David Cameron once again hogging the headlines at the Lib Dem Conference.” Even the Russian embassy rose to the occasion, following @CameronPig—a spoof account which had amassed almost 20,000 followers by Tuesday morning.

Of course, ceremonies like this are not exclusive to Oxbridge dining clubs. Students across the UK are familiar with initiation horror stories which are, although perhaps less disturbing, similarly humiliating and degrading. In April 2014, The Independent reported at length how a student in the Midlands was made to eat fish heads and drink spirits from a pig’s heart during an initiation ceremony.

Similarly, a Welsh university’s rugby team was reported to have forced their players to eat dog food and drink milk until they vomited into a bucket, the contents of which—after being urinated into—was then fed back to them. Even more shockingly, students at Welsh universities have been forced to eat tampons which had been inserted into their teammates’ anuses, according to a report from the Huffington Post earlier this year.

Stories like this are disgusting, degrading, and numerous. It is also often the case, especially with male sports clubs, that such ceremonies are also sexist or homophobic. Last year, a leaflet distributed to freshers by the LSE Men’s Rugby Club described women who play sports as, among other things, “beast like,” and claimed that the club would “not tolerate any homosexual debauchery.”  The incident received wide coverage and the club was disbanded.

Similarly, in November 2014, The Guardian reported the suspension of Oxford’s Pembroke Rugby Club following the distribution of an email entitled ‘Free Pussy’, which encouraged players to spike the drinks of female freshers during an initiation party.

‘Rape banter’ and pressure to engage in overtly misogynistic and predatory behaviour like this appears to have become integral to not only many initiation ceremonies at British universities, but the very functioning of some of our sports clubs and societies. With one in seven women having suffered sexual assault according to the NUS, and as many as 90 per cent of rapes going unreported according to Rape Crisis England & Wales, many believe the attitudes and ignorance such ceremonies reflect and encourage is simply unacceptable.

Jess Lishak, University of Manchester Students’ Union Women’s Officer, said: “We take lad culture and sexual harassment very seriously and have a zero tolerance approach to any form of harassment, discrimination and bullying, whether that’s through initiation ceremonies or in everyday student life.

“With the ‘We Get It’ campaign, we have developed an online report and support tool, so that you can report such behaviour either anonymously or for further support.”

If you are concerned or worried about any behaviour you’ve witnessed or experienced you can contact Jess at [email protected] or speak to the confidential and independent Students’ Union Advice Service.

TV Binge: Narcos

Written by Barney Weston on . Posted in Film.

Netflix is the primary way to engage in any TV binge, especially when what you’re watching is a Netflix Original TV Series. Despite having seen a trailer for Narcos go viral on YouTube, I hadn’t come across anyone declaring this show a must-watch. Having now waded halfway through Season One, I still don’t understand why I haven’t found anyone with whom I can share my passion for this incredible show.

Narcos is a take on Pablo Escobar and the efforts of the Colombian authorities and US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents to stop him. A notorious Colombian drug lord, regarded as the wealthiest criminal in history with an estimated known worth of $30 billion, the ‘King of Cocaine’ is often regarded as the reason why life in Colombia was, and is, so bloody.

The series’ violence reflects this brilliantly. Each episode is filled with dramatic, tension-filled stand offs where friends will be talking menially, before pulling guns on each other; DEA agents are continuously raiding cocaine labs; drive-bys are frequent (leaving you nervous every time a conversation takes place in a car); and assassination attempts come out of nowhere, leaving the series with a kill-count that puts Game of Thrones to shame.

The truth behind each of these scenes of violence also makes the series stand out. Archival footage is mixed into the plot to emphasise this and it is refreshing to see an actual photo of Pablo Escobar instead of the man who is portraying him (something that is unfortunately not done in almost any other form of entertainment based on a true story nowadays). This footage, as well as the use of the main DEA agent’s narration, played by Boyd Holbrook, are both extremely well-woven into the series threads, taking time to inform viewers of the specific details, instead of throwing them away.

The characters, too, are well integrated into the series. Drug lord José Rodriguez Gacha, played by Luis Guzmán, and another DEA agent, Javier Peña, played by Pedro Pascal, are both to be lauded. Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar, as well, is fantastic. It is difficult not to like this man, and the show does well to test whether you’re comfortable with this or not.

All of this fits into a different narrative in regards to the drugs scene of the 1970s and 80s. One far away from the cocaine-filled streets of Miami and instead closer to the cocaine labs of Colombia. Here, macho men drug lords reminiscent of Al Pacino’s Scarface, as well as some of the characters from Breaking Bad, rule both the day and the night, and they always speak in their native language, leaving the series littered with extremely satisfying scenes full of Spanish (don’t worry, there are subtitles).

Luckily, viewers are slowly catching on to this fantastic series and the fact that Season Two has already been confirmed for next year assures me that Netflix is committed to producing great content.

All ten episodes of Narcos are available to stream on Netflix. The release date for the show’s second season is yet to be revealed.

HOME Pick of the Week: Mistress America

Written by Georgia Welch on . Posted in Film.

Mistress America is the second project of writer, director and frequent Wes Anderson collaborator, Noah Baumbach, working with eccentric actress and writer, Greta Gerwig. If their 2012 collaborative debut, the inspiring and wickedly entertaining Frances Ha, was anything to go by, then Mistress America was set to be a real triumph.

While it failed to challenge the effortless charm and whimsical feel of its predecessor, Baumbach and Gerwig demonstrated multiple comedic moments, and a kind of connection with one another as co-writers, which can, at times, be likened to that of Diane Keaton and Woody Allen. This comparison has been made several times before, and with good reason. The use of New York City as a character in itself in Mistress America mirrors that of Allen’s Manhattan, a film that possesses similar themes of isolation, narcissism and existentialism.

Mistress America follows the experiences of step-sisters-to-be: Lonely college undergraduate Tracy and the glamorous and seemingly self-assured Brooke, played compellingly by Lola Kirke and Greta Gerwig respectively, who exhibit truly believable on-screen chemistry. The screenplay was competent. It was occasionally philosophical. But most of all, it was relatable, from both Tracy’s and Brooke’s perspectives.

Despite this, many attempts at being profound often felt overwritten, leaving a feeling of awkwardness rather than poignancy. In addition, the naturalistic style in which the dialogue is written and delivered is definitely an area of potential disagreement between viewers, because I feel this aspect will either strongly appeal to or offend the viewer’s tastes.

One particularly admirable element of Mistress America, however, is its two character arcs, which expose radically different sides to our protagonists than those to which we are initially introduced: “You are much more of an asshole than you initially appear.”

The effective and carefully-thought-out characterisation of both Tracy and Brooke ensures a great deal of thematic depth in what could have easily been a film that merely overcompensates for its lack of a payoff. The pacing of the film accelerated considerably in the second half, which lent itself well to the dynamic, almost frenetic feel of both the city and its complex characters.

Mistress America should definitely be praised for its valiant efforts at humour, having created some hilarious moments. The addition of Orange Is The New Black’s Michael Chernus to the cast elevated this even further. The film manages to create simultaneously narcissistic and self-loathing characters, a technique that is perhaps capable of resonating with anybody who writes, paints or produces art.

If not for the script trying too hard at times to capture the same magnetic charm of Frances Ha, this film would likely prove just as successful as the former. In spite of this, Mistress America does indeed capture the difficulties of developing original ideas, struggling with criticism and mediocrity, and finding your place in the world, and it should be praised for doing so. Lovers of all things quaint and quirky will undoubtedly appreciate this film, but for a wider audience it may just miss the mark.

3/5

Classic Review: Rashomon

Written by James Moules on . Posted in Film.

The cinematic legend that is Akira Kurosawa exploded onto the world stage in 1950, and Rashomon is the film responsible for this. Even people who haven’t seen it know the premise—one murder in the woods, and four contradictory accounts as to how it happened. No answers or hints are given to suggest which version of the event is true—we, the audience, are merely left to speculate. It is simple stuff on paper. But when a genius like Kurosawa is behind the camera, even the simplest of plots becomes a fascinating and complex study of the truth and, more specifically, how our characters will distort it to their advantage.

The course of events that everybody can agree upon are thus: a samurai (Masayuki Mori) and his wife (Machiko Kyō) are travelling through the woods, when they come across a bandit named Tajōmaru (Toshiro Mifune). He leads them into a grove in the woods, claiming that a stockpile of weapons is there. A conflict ensues in the grove, and the samurai ends up dead.

What happened in the grove? A fair question, but we will never know the answer. The three characters involved each offer contradicting testimonies (including a chilling sequence in which the samurai’s story is told through a medium). Each testimony conveniently presents its respective narrator in the most favorable light; but also giving testimony is a wood-cutter (Takashi Shimura) who claims he saw the whole thing happen. We might assume that this story would be the most objective, but we soon realize that even his account has problems.

Kurosawa never told the actors which version of events was true. To do so would have undermined the entire point of the film. It is a film that shows us, with tragic beauty, what happens when a person’s obsession with their own agenda obstructs the search for the truth.

For this reason, many will find Rashomon a frustrating film on a first viewing. With most narrative fiction, it is generally expected that all loose-ends in a plot will be tied up. Kurosawa doesn’t just break this rule, he makes a point of breaking it. If what they say is true, that humans are infinitely curious beings who revel in discovering new truths, then Rashomon is a reminder of what happens when the ego gets in the way. We cannot know the truth of what happened to the samurai, and we cannot assume that any one of the four accounts is true. Many people will try – and have tried – to argue otherwise in an attempt to find satisfaction with the film. They are missing the point.

Like other great humanist dramas, Rashomon presents us with a vision of humanity at its most pathetic, but also gives us a flicker of hope as we depart. It is incontrovertibly one of the most influential films ever made, and it remains among the most beautiful and powerful portrayals of humanity’s relationship with the truth in any artistic medium.