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Year: 2016

Top 5: Songs to Mourn 2016

1. ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’ by David Bowie

Although ‘Lazarus’ could have been the obvious choice here, this bittersweet anthem has the air of celebratory farewell to it. 2016 heralded the end of Bowie’s lifetime, but not his legacy as an influential and important musician.

2.  ‘False Hope’ by Laura Marling

If you are feeling bitter and mournful, Marling is your perfect companion. Pulsing guitar adds an urgency to this rockier version of her usual folk style, yet she still retains her heart-wrenching lyrical style.

3. ‘Losing Grip’ by Avril Lavigne

Perfect teenage angst from a 16-year-old Avril to transport you back to those days when you felt like the whole world was against you. Sing along to this without a care that it’s 2016 and sk8er rock is no longer acceptable.

4. ‘Clockwatching’ by Stornoway

“Time drags on”, Brian Briggs sings, and 2016 certainly did. This manic brass extravaganza could have been the inside of my brain whilst watching the referendum results rolling in live on TV.

5. ‘Exit Music (For a Film)’ by Radiohead

Featured in an ending scene in the new series of Black Mirror and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. Sad, powerful and poignant — we’re ending this year lower than we began it, but with plenty to reflect upon for the future.

Remembering George Michael

This Christmas Day will forever be remembered as the day 2016 took another one of our musical greats. After the losses of Prince, Bowie and Cohen, we’ve now lost a man who was one of the most important figures in music and LGBT rights, and a prolific charitable giver, and it’s stung us hard. George Michael died peacefully at home at the age of 53.

It is impossible to look at the 80s without coming across Wham!, the iconic duo with their boyish charm that beat many of the more well-established, grown-up bands of the time, such as Duran Duran and Culture Club, to many of the top spots in this decade. George Michael met future band-mate Andrew Ridgeley at school, where Wham! was formed after their ska band The Executives failed to find fame.

When the release of their debut single ‘Wham Rap!’ was met to little fanfare, their 1982 follow-up ‘Young Guns’ shot to fame from outside the Top 40 to No. 3, in just two months after their last-minute booking on Top of the Pops. Michael instantly became one of the most recognisable performers of his time with his curled hair, flashy style, bright earrings and tricks such as stuffing his pants with a shuttlecock during live shows(!).

Wham! went on to release two worldwide number one albums which showcased the duo’s talents as well as introducing Michael as a solo artist for when the band broke up in 1986 after the release of their final number one, ‘The Edge of Heaven’, and a worldwide sell-out tour. Michael went on to win many awards as part of Wham! and as a soloist, particularly for his songwriting, including BRIT awards, MTV VMAs and Grammy awards.

During the early stages of his career, Michael was put under a lot of pressure over his sexuality. He will be praised for his unapologetic approach to the subject that so many shied away from. Of course, it is widely known that he feared that people would not accept him or his music due to his sexuality, but after years of depression and anxiety, he eventually found happiness and acceptance within himself, stating in 2011: “I have never and will never apologise for my sex life!” Michael became a role model to so many others in the same situation and proved himself to be a key figure in the movement toward gay rights, and a heavy philanthropist for HIV charities such as the Terrence Higgins Trust.

George Michael will be remembered as one of the most charitable people of our time. His contributions to the Band-Aid hit Christmas single (which knocked his own song to the number 2 spot that year) sparked the beginning of a line of selfless acts, such as performing at charity gigs, donating proceeds from songs, and speaking at Gay Pride events.

However, this line continued further out of the public eye. He most notably donated to release exhibits at the Beatles Story Museum, as he believed it was “not the type of thing that should be in storage… it should be seen by people”, gifting us an experience for which people across the world will forever thank him.

As a child of a generation that idolises the ’80s, we can only be grateful for what this decade produced. Michael’s music library is available to us instantly, but back when he was topping charts and carving his place in the music industry, fans would have to patiently yet eagerly await his next release. We are lucky to have access to such a rich history of music which guarantees his fanbase will continue to grow for years to come.

George Michael is one of the biggest selling British acts of all time with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. He leaves behind a legacy of instantly recognisable music and tracks that defined a generation, and inspires us to push the boundaries of everyday life and be the best we can be by helping those around us. Our loss this year gives a whole new meaning to the song ‘Last Christmas’, so rest in peace Mr. Michael: the world of music won’t quite be the same without you, and we will never forget all that you have done for us.

Review: An Evening of Puccini

Having never seen any Opera myself, I was wary of being inadequate to the task of reviewing The Opera Shack’s inaugural performance, ‘An Evening of Puccini’, their own version of the comic opera, ‘Gianni Schichhi’.

However, given their aim of taking Opera from its elite background and reintroducing it to a wider audience, I was apparently perfect for the job. Every barrier that had made opera so inaccessible to the average person had been broken down. Out were the posh, stuffy, regimented venues, the huge price tags, and the compulsory formal dress code; though funeral attire was advised, in keeping with the story.

Instead, they hosted the event at The Islington Mill, an excellent venue for a performance like this; an empty space, barely furnished, with metal beams conveniently placed to circle the performance area, giving the freedom to use the space as they desired. The seating situation was as relaxed as could be as we were told to sit on whatever we could find; sofas, stools, benches, and boxes, all contributing to the carefree attitude of the night.

The inaccessibility also often comes from the ubiquity of the Italian language in opera, and the sparsity of its knowledge in the majority of the British population. Therefore, we are forced to either look up the story beforehand, ruining the ending, or piece together our own version of events given what we can work out, which could go well for some but poorly for many.

Thankfully, this version of ‘Gianni Schichhi’ had none of these issues given their fantastic use of spoken word to fill in the gaps. But it was much more than this. Written especially for the performance by the narrator, evident from the topical Trump reference, the spoken word used was not just a means to an end, it added to the performance brilliantly, breaking the fourth wall and loosening up the audience

Using the informative narration, I know that the story of ‘Gianni Schichhi’ is a farcical tale, involving the will of a deceased man and many characters doing their utmost to profit. The performance itself was one of an outstanding ensemble, most evident when all came together in a chaotic scene, each singing about their right to the will as they darted around the stage emphatically.

Despite the language barrier, the actors evoked laughter throughout, showing how language barriers can be broken using the necessary operatic technique of being incredibly over the top in their expressions.

As well as the comedy, the story involved a classic love story between a rich man and a poor girl who ended up together, of course.

These two roles were played incredibly, with much of the crowd visibly moved by the voice of Lauretta as she sang of her love for Rinuccio. Her singing was an experience I’d never heard before, amazed that something so powerful and emotive could come from one person.

There was clearly a unanimous reaction from the crowd as they applauded with enthusiasm. Though I don’t know how many were already opera enthusiasts, I expect this performance has opened many minds to the opera. The Opera Shack are onto something special here and I would love to see more of this kind of thing in the future.

KCL lecturer calls LGBT+ campaigners the ‘Gaystapo’

A lecturer in mental health at King’s College London has reacted to the removal of a picture on campus of a former Archbishop of Canterbury by referring to LGBT+ students as the “Gaystapo”.

This wordplay, likening the campaigners to the Nazi secret police force, the Gestapo, has been widely condemned. The Nazis were responsible not only for killing 11 million people, but also for torturing and murdering tens of thousands of LGBT people in concentration camps.

Reacting to the university’s decision to remove the picture from its display, the lecturer, Dr Niall McCrae, co-wrote an article with Reverend Jules Gomes on the site Conservative Women, in which he compared LGBT+ campaigners to Nazis and called them “sanctimonious petty Napoleons”.

The picture in question formed part of the ‘wall of fame’, a series of pictures of notable alumni of the university, which included a display at the Strand campus featuring Lord Carey of Clifton, a former Archbishop of Canterbury. Lord Carey is known for his opposition to same-sex marriage, and for his endorsement of conversion therapy, a supposed ‘gay cure’ which aims to convert LGBT+ people to heterosexuality.

In the article, McCrae writes: “Carey is not homophobic, but his name has been tarnished by a ‘Gaystapo’ that refuses to acknowledge that a clergyman cares for all, while maintaining a traditional view of marriage.”

President of the Students’ Union at King’s College London, Ben Hunt, has led the campaign for the removal of Lord Carey’s picture for several years, and pledged to remove the portrait in his manifesto when running for LGBT+ Officer, calling Carey’s views “outdated, hurtful and offensive”.

Mr Hunt said in a statement: “When I was LGBT+ Officer I carried on a campaign that had been running at King’s for several years to make the window representation at Strand more representative of the King’s community.

“LGBT+ students over several years had been concerned with the portrayal of Lord Carey of Clifton as an alumni who should be celebrated due to his views expressed during the debate regarding gay marriage.

“A petition was signed asking for his removal by hundreds of students several years ago, as well as policy being passed through our democratic system endorsing the Union to take this stance.

“Motivated in part by this campaign, but also by a desire to ensure that the diversity of students and alumni at Kings was represented, I worked with the University on the digital display content which currently shows images about the past achievements of King’s, our present student and staff community and what mark King’s wishes to make in the future, in service of society.”

He adds: “To employ language like ‘gaystapo’ which has very negative connotations for LGBT+ groups, as well as for people of colour and the Jewish community, is hurtful and harmful and creates a tone of division which this project does not represent.

“The intention was never to create a climate of division in the King’s community, instead, to emphasise all of our strengths in accepting and supporting each other.”

ROAR, the King’s College London Students’ Union newspaper, ran with the headline: ‘Archbishop removed from wall five years after success of LGBT campaign’. However, King’s College London have denied claims that they removed the picture in light of this campaign, instead telling Buzzfeed News that the picture was to be replaced by a new digital display reflecting “research breakthroughs”, “student and staff successes”, and “our renowned alumni”, and not in response to accusations of homophobia.

In a statement, a King’s College London spokesperson said: “It was agreed that the current static displays, which are costly to maintain, or change, did not capture the diversity of our university community and that this should change”, adding that other portraits had been removed at the same time.

The Mancunion has approached King’s College London for further comment.

Review: Snowden

Oliver Stone may go down as the greatest historical documenter in cinema history. Most noted for his trilogies about the Vietnam War (Platoon, Born on the 4th of July, Heaven and Earth) and American Presidencies (JFK, Nixon, W.) respectively, Stone once again sets his sights on political controversy with his depiction of Edward Snowden’s incredible journey from soldier to whistleblower. A vital telling of a story that should be more widely recognised and understood, for the issues it tackles impact the very way we live our lives. Before viewing, one can predict Stone’s bias. A vocal defender of Julian Assange and Wikileaks, going so far as to visit him in the Ecuadorian embassy. Nevertheless, this is a thoroughly gripping film which flourishes with a fantastic performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the lead role.

Snowden begins where it ends, with a meeting between a couple of highly regarded journalists and a very nervous looking Edward Snowden, in a small hotel room in Hong Kong. There the optimal method to making the public aware of the NSA’s actions is debated, until a filmed interview is seen as the most desired option, alongside multiple online and printed articles. From here the story splits into three very different but equally engaging arcs.

The first of these details Snowden’s discovery and later use of multiple highly invasive government programs. This causes him to take increasingly drastic steps to protect his privacy such as taping his webcam in order to stop anyone unwanted from viewing. The second story arc centres around his turbulent relationship with girlfriend Lindsay Mills (Shailene Woodley) which increasingly suffers the deeper the involvement with the NSA becomes. Lastly, the aftermath of the documents being passed onto the journalists, the effect it has on Snowden personally and the world as a whole.

Despite the deeply complex issues being dealt with, Stone assumes absolutely no knowledge allowing the most unenlightened to follow. Even people familiar with Snowden’s story will be horrified at the sheer extend the US government could access your data as demonstrated in this movie. Your text messages and emails, your family photos on your personal hard-drive, even your turned off laptop’s webcam. Nothing is safe from the prying eyes of those with seemingly limitless power. The age old argument of ‘nothing to hide, nothing to fear’ is often raised by those unopposed to government surveillance, with Snowden himself arguing that it ‘is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say’.

Coming two years after the release of the exemplary documentary Citizenfour, this movie could never match the immense tension or edge of seat drama of its predecessor. It does however, provide an unfaltering glimpse into the personal sacrifices made for the perceived greater good. With a spattering of recognisable faces in minor roles such as Scott Eastwood and Nicholas Cage, Snowden demands to be seem, if only to form an opinion of one of the most influential men of the 21st century, for better or worse.

Review — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Before sitting down in your local multiplex, it would be very easy to approach Rogue One with the view that this is just a cash grab by the executives at Disney. The fact that the film takes its starting point from a few lines in the opening title crawl of the original 1977 Star Wars adds to this sceptical mind-set. But any cynicism present is soon blasted away faster than a star-ship travelling through hyperspace, once the film presents its reason for existence. That the actions of the characters in this film will echo into the lives and shape the destiny of the saga’s heroes Luke, Leia and Han. The anthology film takes place directly before the events of A New Hope. Rogue One therefore effectively acts as a back story, adding unexpected clout to a film that precedes it by nearly 40 years. Knowing the end does not diminish the experience of watching the film, but instead the endeavours of our new heroes have an added pathos and appreciation, which is testament enough for the necessity of the film. Rogue One is the Star Wars film you did not know you needed.

Much of the success of the film lies in the introduction and development of this fresh group of characters. Our main protagonist is Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones with a steely ruggedness, who is also the daughter of an Imperial science officer. Jyn’s father is integral to the construction of the infamous Death Star. The Rebel Alliance uses this association to coax Jyn to help their cause against the looming tyrannical threat of the Empire. Joining Jyn on her rebellious adventure is Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, a rebel spy who has acted questionably in the name of the Alliance. Cassian is symbolic of the morally grey texture of the movie, which is in stark contrast to the black and white characters of the past. In this way the film demystifies the idea of heroes, instead presenting these soldiers as damaged human beings, many of whom have made mistakes.

Another character of a similar vein, trying to right past wrongs, is defected Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook played by Riz Ahmed, who claims to have a message from Jyn’s father. Boasting a multicultural cast, seeing a hero like Bodhi in a blockbuster film that looks like myself, someone of Pakistani ethnicity, provides hope that Star Wars can be a template for organic diversity within Hollywood movies. Furthermore Rogue One includes one of Chinese cinema’s biggest stars and martial arts legend Donnie Yen. His character Chirrut is a blind swordsman devoted to the force, which fondly embraces the religious influence of Star Wars. Special mention must also go to K-2SO, an Imperial droid with a delightfully sardonic wit, who inevitably steals many moments.

Director Gareth Edwards’s nostalgic love for Star Wars seeps through every fame. He manages to pull off the impressive double act of allowing Rogue One to pave its own unique story beats whilst retaining the Star Wars look and aesthetic. There are enough call-backs (or call-forwards) and clever nods to keep the most die-hard fans pleased. After the jovial and celebratory tone of The Force Awakens, Rogue One is a much darker, more grown up and rough-edged picture that considers what it means to be at war. There are real stakes and peril, as characters are not protected by plot armour or the need to be present for upcoming sequels.

The film is as much inspired from the Star Wars canon as it is from cinematic representations of The Vietnam War. The epic climax is on par with the most stirring and pulse racing set pieces from any film in the series. The multi-layered third-act attempt to steal the Death Star plans, which takes place on the tropical planet Scarif, juggles a dizzying number of threads without ever losing focus on the movie’s central theme — that every sacrifice made by every single rebel is vital. Rogue One truly puts the war into Star Wars.

Almost immediately after leaving the cinema it became clear that Edwards and his team had done what even George Lucas had been unable to do, create a prequel to be proud of. Oh and with one scene alone, make Darth Vader a complete bad-ass once again. Rogue One remains a beautiful love letter to the mythology of Star Wars.

4.5/5

APOEL Nicosia’s miracle of 2012 – and how their legacy has lived on

In the football calendar, the year 2016 has been a year of the underdog.

Leicester City against all the odds won the Premier League title, the clubs first ever top division triumph.

The Portuguese national team also touched upon unprecedented ground as they won Euro 2016, toppling hosts France in the final — beating them 1-0. This was Portugal’s ever international trophy.

Football throws up some truly great stories, but one from four years ago, is one some will never forget.

The 2012 UEFA Champions League final in Munich had parallels to the Euro 2016 final in Paris. The underdogs Chelsea won the final at the expense of Bayern Munich, beating the German side on penalties. This was despite the fact Bayern played the match at their home ground — the Allianz Arena.

The 2011/12 season may be remembered for Chelsea’s heroics in Germany, but many football fans forget the even bigger fairy tale of that season — APOEL Nicosia’s run to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Yes, believe it or not, they are a real team…

They may only earn £8.5 million a year, and their squad in 2011/12 was only worth £1.3 million, but the Cypriot minnows advanced all the way to the last eight, where Real Madrid finally stopped them in their tracks.

On a hot, humid night in the Cypriot capital, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid won 3-0 thanks to a brace from Karim Benzema along with a goal from Kaka.

It was not all plain sailing for Mourinho’s Galactico’s though, they were held to ransom for 75 minutes by APOEL’s stubborn back line and rigid team set-up.

APOEL then went on to lose the second leg 5-2, but they displayed yet another resilient performance against Real Madrid’s £500 million squad of players. An 8-2 aggregate win perhaps flattered Los Blancos a little.

A run to the UEFA Champions League quarter-final certainly didn’t flatter APOEL though. They showed everybody what can be achieved in football, even with limited resources.

Playing Real Madrid was far from the minds of the APOEL players, especially after a 0-0 draw in a UEFA Champions League qualifier against Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia in July 2011. APOEL would advance though, following a 2-0 win in Cyprus a week later.

The next round would be the play-off. APOEL went down 1-0 to Wisla Krakow in Poland, before beating the same opponents 3-1 in the return leg to book their place in the UEFA Champions League group stage. This alone was an incredible achievement for APOEL, but what followed was truly extraordinary.

In a group containing themselves, Zenit St. Petersburg, FC Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk, APOEL finished top to progress to the round of 16. They became the first Cypriot team ever to compete in the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League.

Before their glamour tie with Real Madrid, APOEL were drawn against Lyon. The minnows unexpectedly toppled the French semi-finalists of two years previously, beating them on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate score line over two legs.

APOEL coach Ivan Jovanović stuck to his principles throughout the tournament, using a compact 4-4-2 formation. This counter-attack based formation is deployed regularly in the modern game.

The way the game is played today is at times negative. Time and time again last season and during Euro 2016, we have seen teams win games with less possession and sitting men behind the ball. This is no criticism, it is a style of football which has proved to be effective in achieving success on a large scale.

Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City won the Premier League averaging 42 percent possession throughout the season.

In last year’s UEFA Champions League semi-final between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich, Atletico won the tie averaging 29 percent possession over both legs.

Portugal won the Euro 2016 final against France with only 43 percent of possession.

Portugal along with Leicester and Atletico virtually mirrored APOEL’s team structure. The Cypriot side might have set in stone the principles of how underdogs go about achieving success today. Possession is now clearly less influential. How times have changed.

The old football cliché was that ‘possession is nine tenths of the law’. This no longer stands as teams are winning by sitting back and playing on the counter-attack, just as Leicester and Portugal have demonstrated this year how effective it can be.

This was also a tactic used by APOEL in their successful 2011/12 campaign in the UEFA Champions League. While it is an astonishing story, if we were to link APOEL’s incredible achievement with the way football is played today, it should come as little surprise to football fans that the Cypriots advanced so far.

If you’re not in it, you can’t win it. This was the approach of APOEL’s heroes in 2012. It was an approach that helped them go far beyond what they thought they would ever achieve in their wildest dreams.

Currently, Cyprus are 44th out of 54 teams in the UEFA Coefficient seeding list. They are below the likes of Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Latvia.

England meanwhile, are currently situated third in this list behind Spain and Germany. In 2011/12 they were second only behind Spain.

Remarkably though, Manchester City and Manchester United (England’s top two teams of 2011/12) both managed group stage exits in the same year that APOEL historically went on to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Manchester United’s leading goal scorer in 2011/12 was Wayne Rooney, who managed 35 goals in all competitions, while Sergio Aguero was Manchester City’s leading marksman with 30 goals.

By contrast, APOEL’s top scorer with 13 goals that season was Argentine striker Esteban Solari, who has played for 15 clubs over the course of his career. Their second top scorer and record signing Ailton Almeida, cost only £600,000.

They may have had the lowest budget in the competition in 2011/12, but it did not stop APOEL competing with Europe’s finest.

As we see still today, money is not everything in football. If there is one team to look to for inspiration it is APOEL Nicosia, who in 2012 put Cyprus on the football map by reaching the last eight of Europe’s premier club competition.

Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal: offsides, tributes, and Octopussy

If this game was a film

Octopussy

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

I have been told that perhaps I should curb my innuendos, so surprisingly for this little segment I will not make a single sexual innuendo with the word ‘octopussy’. Instead, this 80’s Bond film was chosen because Fernando’s nickname is Octopus at the Club, and he had a fantastic game. It’s been a good month for Fernando as he is displaying just why Manuel Pellegrini brought him in to the Club last season. He had a rough start last season, but he was solid against Arsenal.

He isn’t the kind of player that’s going to do fourteen step-overs, flick it over his own head, and shoulder it through the ‘keeper’s legs and into the net (although he did have a cheeky little run deep into the second half), but he will sit there in midfield and mop up after any failed attacks, and that was vital in the second half. City were relentless in their attacking for the first thirty minutes of the second half, and that simply would not have been possible without the Octopus breaking down any attempted Arsenal counter-attack.

Sidenote: Octopussy is a horrendous film, with a misleading title.

Gündoğan Tribute

Silkay Ilkay Gündoğan will be out for six to eight months with an injury he sustained in midweek against Watford. Gündoğan has been crucial to most things that City have done well in the last few weeks, and he has really started to hit his best form. In a nice tribute, the City players came out of the tunnel at the beginning of the game with their shirts on back-to-front and ‘Gündoğan’ written across them. It was beautiful, it was emotional, it was… a little bit trolled all over social media for being a bit dramatic.

It did highlight just how close the team are this season though. This season there is a lot more togetherness, and this solidarity can only be a good thing. After each game, Pep Guardiola makes the whole team come out onto the pitch to clap the fans, and you can see the whole team getting along and having a good chat – not the segregated team of years in the past where you’d find Robinho and Elano only talking to each other.

Although it must be said, Gündoğan did not lose his leg in this challenge. Next week the team are coming onto the pitch with ‘Bowie’ written on their tops.

Offside Goals

Arsène Wenger after the game, in his post-match interview, said “moan moan moan, not my fault, offside, moan moan moan” or words to that effect. City’s two goals are slightly controversial because of offside calls.

The first goal came curtesy of Leroy Sané on the 46th minute. The German got his first goal for the Club as he ran behind the defence and the wizard that is David Silva lifted the ball over the defence and at the feet of Sané. Sané then sent Petr Čech the wrong way and slotted the ball into the net. There is argument as to whether Sané was offside — some say he was on the line, other’s (correctly) say that he was just off. Either way, it was a very close call, and the benefit of the doubt always goes to the attacker in football. Sorry Arsène.

The second City goal came from England winger and the nation’s scapegoat, Raheem Sterling. Sterling took some time out from pissing the nation off by buying expensive sinks and drinking half a shandy, to score a beautiful goal. Kevin de Bruyne played a classic no-look inch-perfect Fifa-17 half-volley across the field for Sterling to control on the complete other side of the pitch. It was beautiful. Sterling then did all that fancy stuff that wingers do with their feet, cut inside, and slotted home. Wenger however called for offside, as David Silva was stood in an offside position and may have affected the keeper’s line of site. This is plausible… if Petr Čech’s eyes are located just below either ear. The goal was fine.

Comeback

Manchester City channelled their inner Craig David to bring about an exquisite comeback. They fell behind initially in the first half to a fourth minute Theo Walcott goal. Otamendi was playing Endless Lake on Facebook Messenger, and missed the Englishman run behind him to tap the ball in the net from a Sanchez chip. Otamendi went on to have a pretty solid performance and played some delightful through balls from centre-back, but he won’t want to see that goal again.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

But from there on, City improved and brought about a high tempo, high energy game. Yaya Toure time-travelled back to 2012 and controlled the whole midfield. He was like Geppetto pulling the strings all over the place. Kevin de Bruyne was darting here and there, playing some great balls. But the real stars were the two young wingers.

After his goal, Leroy Sané grew in confidence. As it’s the festive period, it was nutmegs for everyone from the German! His speed and skill is improving each and every game. Raheem Sterling, despite his age, looked like one of the most well accomplished players in the team and he easily won the Man of the Match award. He played up front, on the left wing, and on the right wing (not all at the same time, he’s not that good), and was effective in each of these. Both of Arsenal’s full backs are currently throwing things at a small dog that they’ve named Raheem.

No dogs were harmed in the writing of this report.

Huaxia Supplementary School’s 20th Anniversary

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Huaxia Supplementary School. Huaxia runs on Sunday mornings at the University of Manchester and is supported by both the council and the university. The teachers are all volunteers, many of whom are students at The University of Manchster. To celebrate this milestone achievement an event was held on the 11th of December at University Place, with speakers from Manchester City Council, the University of Manchester and the Chinese Consulate.

When the school began in 1996 there were only around 20 students. Since then it has grown substantially to approximately 400 and has a long waiting list for places each year. Cantonese supplementary schools did exist prior to 1996 in Manchester, but Huaxia was the first to teach Mandarin and simplified characters (the official language of mainland China). Headmistress Theresa Teng joined in 2003/4 when her son began attending classes and said that the school is “very strong in Mandarin and simplified characters,” and that today in many Chinese families “even if the first generation speaks Cantonese, they want the next generation to speak Mandarin.”

The school has won several awards for their excellent standard of teaching. In 2006, Huaxia was one of the first two schools to be granted a Supplementary School Quality Certificate by Manchester City Council. In addition to this, in 2009, Huaxia became one of the first three Chinese schools in the UK to be awarded Overseas Chinese Language Education Model School status by the Chinese State Council.

Most of the teachers don’t plan on pursuing teaching careers but instead come to the school with the aim of promoting Chinese heritage, culture and language. They are often university students who work with the school during their studies but after completing their degrees may get full time jobs or return to China. As a result of this, there are recruitment drives three or four times a year to combat the rapid turnover and part of the school’s success is with its training program.

Theresa said that they have an in-depth procedure for recruiting teachers including; “induction, probation and observation periods,” alongside yearly in-house training and support for teachers who want to attend other training sessions elsewhere in Manchester. They’ve also developed a resource bank where more experienced teachers contribute well-constructed and detailed lesson plans as a means of helping new starters to quickly adjust to the school’s teaching methods. Many of the teachers have no formal teaching experience so this kind of resource is invaluable for helping them to settle in and gain confidence in their ability and it’s clearly been very successful.

Nancy Guo works as a teacher during the week as well as at Huaxia at the weekend and her son Xingye Chen was one of the hosts at the event. She said that seeing the children improve their language skills was the most rewarding aspect of working in the school.

The school is not only for pupils with Chinese heritage but also welcomes other ethnicities with an interest in Chinese. This kind of approach is an excellent way of promoting understanding and interest in their multi-cultural landscape. It is run with a community-minded spirit and many former pupils return as teachers and helpers for events such as the one last Sunday.

The Chinese Consul General, Dr SUN Dali, gave a speech in Mandarin to mark the 20th anniversary. He said that in China the panda is considered a national treasure and so all the children at Huaxia are like pandas because they too are China’s treasure.

Jenny Patterson, the Safeguarding Lead for Education at Manchester City Council, had high praise for both the pupils and their teachers at Huaxia. She said that national research shows that children from supplementary schools “get better exam results,” not just in the language that the schools teach but in other subjects as well. She added that this is because schools such as Huaxia help pupils to gain self-confidence and pride in their language and heritage. She finished by saying that the council has “worked with [Huaxia] for the past twenty years and hope to be working with [Huaxia] for the next twenty years, at least.”

Also speaking at the event Yaron Matras, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Manchester, said: “Language opens up all the roads and entry points to the world and it is one of the most important skills that you can have.” Having a family or community connection to a multilingual environment is a big advantage in helping to cultivate that skill.

At the event pupils performed dances, poems and idiom stories, all in Mandarin starting from a beginner’s level up to AS and A2 (with translations given to the audience). Every pupil in the school took part in the performances, which Theresa highlighted as important, stating that she didn’t want it to become “a talent show for a small number of children.” This inclusive attitude is really at the heart of Huaxia and is tied in with helping pupils to express themselves in meaningful ways.

Two pupils led the school through the day’s programmes with confidence and enthusiasm. Xingye Chen and Sue Di announced the acts before they came on and provided running commentary between the performances to a lecture theatre packed with 400 of their fellow pupils and their parents and teachers (a task that most adults would shrink away from!) Despite the large and excited crowd they held their cool and delivered a well received commentary. They told The Mancunion that there hadn’t been much preparation on the day but there had been “a lot of learning of the script” beforehand. Although they played down their role, Headmistress Theresa assured us that they had gone above and beyond with all the lines they had to remember and the hard work that they had put in.

There were two prize draws strategically placed in the middle and at the end of the event and a menagerie of teddy bears, beasts and birds were given away to lucky raffle winners. The two that really caused a stir were a metre high teddy bear (taller than many of the children) and an equally sized panda teddy. The pupils, parents and teachers can rest assured that it was a roaring success and a shining example of community-run education at its best.

MUFC Player Ratings: West Bromwich Albion vs Manchester United

A yardstick for the success of a football club in a domestic season is their consistency. Over the last three years, Manchester United fans have had to realise that positive consistency is a luxury, and not the norm, as it may have seemed with the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. Under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal there were numerous false dawns in which United looked like a team with purpose and quality. Each glimmer of hope, however, was quickly stubbed out, with some of the most memorable stubbing-outs at the hands of West Bromwich Albion.

United had not won at the Hawthorns in their three previous visits, losing two and drawing one. To make matters worse for the Reds, the Baggies had won three consecutive home games and were sitting just three points below United before kick-off. With Jose Mourinho at the helm of United and Tony Pulis behind West Brom’s steering wheel, one could easily envision a dull, low scoring match.

Unfortunately, for the neutral, the game played out pretty much as expected. United opened proceedings with a goal through Zlatan Ibrahimović in the 5th minute before taking their foot off the gas to absorb West Brom’s push for an immediate equaliser. The Reds created a couple more opportunities before half time, but, more importantly, solidified their defence against the potentially dangerous attack of Nacer Chadli, Matt Phillips and Salomón Rondón. The Venezuelan striker, who scored a hat trick of headers just three days prior, nodded West Brom’s best chance of the match over the bar before half time.

@WikimediaCommons

The second half, too, failed to live up to the Premier League’s glowing standards of excitement. United, though, did the one thing that they have failed to achieve against many of their opponents this season; consolidate a win by adding a two goal cushion. Zlatan grabbed the second with a nice piece of individual skill followed by a luckily deflected shot past former Red, Ben Foster. Mourinho’s men sat back for the remained of the game and saw out all three points.

It is now four wins in a row for United in all competitions, a feat last observed at the beginning of the season. That run of wins came to an end with the visit of local rivals Manchester City. This time, United face Sunderland and Middlesbrough at home, two very winnable games. With this new found momentum and belief, Manchester United genuinely have a chance of breaking into the top tier of the domestic league if any one of the current top five have a wobble.

Player Ratings

GK: David De Gea: 6

A very calm day at the office for the Spaniard. Was not called into any serious action throughout the whole match due to the solidity of the organised defence in front of him. His distribution was good: one lobbed-through-ball goal kick found Rooney impressively on the left wing.

RB: Antonio Valencia: 7

A stereotypically robust performance from the Ecuadorian right back. His physical attributes (his strength and pace) gave West Brom issues defensively and offensively with neither Allan Nyom nor Phillips being able to deal with Valencia. Played a brilliant through ball to Jessie Lingard which led to the opening goal. The one mark that can be put next to his name was his inability to stop Phillips’ cross which Rondon headed over. Other than that, it is all gold stars for Mourinho’s golden pupil.

RCB: Phil Jones: 8

Finally living up to Ferguson’s prophecy, the ex-Blackburn Rovers defender looks like the centre back which United have been looking for since Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić left the club. Only lost one header against the towering Rondon and marshalled West Brom’s attacks efficiently. Made an impressive eight clearances too, showing his no-nonsense outlook towards defending.

LCB: Marcos Rojo: 9

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

While you can argue, “West Brom did not offer enough to merit Rojo a 9/10”, you would be ignoring the purity of the Argentine’s performance. Rojo put in, without doubt, his best performance in a United shirt against the Baggies. Fourteen clearances, 100% tackle success rate, 100% aerial success rate and a very impressive (for his capabilities) 87% pass accuracy. While Rojo was lucky not to pick up a red card against both Everton and Crystal Palace, the Argentine defender put in a squeaky clean performance in his one-on-one duels with Rondon, despite earning a ridiculous yellow card when the Venezuelan striker slapped him.

LB: Matteo Darmian: 8

Much more convincing defensively than against Tottenham Hotspur. Darmian is a typical Italian footballer: very solid and well drilled in the dark arts of defending but poor in the more technically demanding final third of the pitch. Against West Brom, however, Matteo put in a good shift going forward, supporting Rooney well whenever the skipper cut inside on his right foot. Made an assuring eight interceptions, three more than the whole of the Baggies’ defence combined.

CDM: Michael Carrick: 8

A directing performance good enough to earn an Oscar. Carrick pulled all the strings in the game, putting his foot in to stop West Brom attacks and adding composure to United’s build up play with his incisive passing and nonchalant body language. Six interceptions, four clearances and a passing accuracy of 92% show his importance to Mourinho’s starting eleven.

RCM: Ander Herrera: 7

Like Valencia, Mourinho’s other reliable student is the hardworking Spaniard from Bilbao. His industrious running helped United retain possession and pull West Brom’s (normally very organised) midfield all over the shop. Three tackles and five interceptions illustrate Herrera’s role as the energetic box-to-box midfielder.

LCM: Paul Pogba: 8

Glided over the pitch so gracefully that Ferguson’s description of Giggs’ running style could have been aptly appropriated to the Frenchman. Dictated United’s attacking play and whipped some very appeasing cross-field passes to Valencia on the right wing. A few long range efforts could have been more accurate but Pogba’s all round game was enough to bring United the three points.

RM: Jessie Lingard: 8

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

So often criticised for not being enough quality for Manchester United, Lingard once again showed how integral he is to Mourinho’s squad. His brilliant half-volleyed cross put the ball on a silver platter for Ibrahimović for United’s opener. The Mancunian’s runs behind the defence stretched West Brom and allowed the creation of plenty of chances, most notably his lay off to Rooney whose shot was saved onto the crossbar. While he skied a very good opportunity to put United 2-0 up before the break, Lingard’s tireless running gave the Reds another dimension in the attacking third which helped pry open Pulis’ well-drilled defence.

LM: Wayne Rooney: 7

Mourinho has managed to find a very suitable role for United’s skipper of late. On the wing, Rooney’s work rate can be harnessed while his passing and goal threat are still visible. His snap shot, which Foster tipped onto the crossbar, was a typical thunderous effort which Rooney is still capable of producing.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimović: 9

Critics claimed that the mercenary striker would not be able to tuck away goals in the Premier League like he did in Ligue 1. While Zlatan is not hitting the same goal-to-game ratio that he was at Paris Saint Germain, he is clearly a suitable match to the English physicality. His brace against West Brom, a formidable header followed by a deflected effort, takes his domestic goal tally to 11 in 17 matches; a similar level to the likes of Diego Costa, Sergio Agüero and Alexis Sánchez.

Subs

Marcus Rashford: 7

Came on for the tiring Lingard and added frightening pace to United on the counter. Had to be wiped out by Chris Brunt when the youngster had the chance to burst into West Brom’s half unopposed.

Marouane Fellaini: N/A

Was cheered and applauded by United’s travelling support after the grim reception which the Belgian experienced at Old Trafford the previous weekend. Took Rooney’s place and helped solidify all three points for United.

Chris Smalling: N/A

Replaced Herrera in the dying moments of the game to waste some time and add further steel to United’s defence. Is unlikely to break into the first team given the form of Rojo and Jones.

Patience is a virtue

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have had a rollercoaster first few months together. The first ten games of the season were exceptional as Guardiola got the perfect reaction to his new style from the City players. The new manager had always persisted that he would need time to get his philosophy instilled in the City team, but it all seemed to piece together quicker than he expected.

He made the goalkeeper vital to every attack and gave a new lease of life to players like Raheem Sterling and more surprisingly Alecksander Kolarov. The team went on a ten-game winning streak. Since then, though, the Blues have slightly slipped down to fourth place.

Big wins over Manchester United and Barcelona will see the City faithful happy, and they are only a few points off the top spot. But with Chelsea in full swing with their new manager, Mourinho picking up some steam at Old Trafford, and even Arsenal not bottling every single game they play this year, the City fans may be tempted to panic a little after a string of less convincing results. But this is a transition period, and they should not panic — patience is a virtue and this team are gelling slowly. There are two main causes of concern for Manchester City: the back three and the goalkeeper. Watch, as I put your mind at ease and allow you to relax over this festive period.

Back Three

It is almost as if Pep was too effective for his own good. His back four did excellent for the first part of the season, so he saw fit that it was time to bring in the Guardiola back three. This has worked at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but even there he did not bring it in this early. Injuries to Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta, and Gael Clichy may have slightly forced his hand also.

It was a big change, when you consider that City were playing with a brand-new style of football (passing it around, instead of the Pellegrini pass-to-Navas-and-run-down-the-bloody-wing), and that both John Stones and Claudio Bravo were new to the team. Not to mention that Kolarov was playing in a very new position, as he was very much an attacking full-back last season instead of a centre-back.

This is the stage of this article where Tommy from the Red Lion puts down the paper and stands on a chair. “Aye! That fancy fella in the fancy coat may look alright, but this back three stuff is too fancy. It might’ve worked in Barce-bloody-lona, but this is the North! Stop fannying about!” Tommy, however, is short-sighted. The back three could work great at City, and is proving very successful at Chelsea at the moment. Also, Guardiola loves the back three and it generally works well with him.

There is an argument that the back three may have been installed a little bit too soon. But, the quicker that Guardiola can put in place his way of thinking, then the quicker City can get used to it and get playing the way they should be. City fans should ride the wave with this one.

Claudio Bravo

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

We all love a good moan, don’t we? City fans have been complaining for years about Joe Hart’s kicking, and now that he has left City fans are adamant that he could have adapted to Guardiola’s style of play. Guardiola was announced as City manager in January, but only took over in June; Joe Hart knew for a long time that he would need to impress with his feet, and he was given the summer. Unfortunately, he did not. Claudio Bravo came in and has been great with his feet.

However, that does not mean that Bravo has had a good time of it so far, this season. He has been at fault a couple of times and even managed to get himself sent off for a handball in the middle of the pitch (that, I admit, is very difficult to defend).

This may be a good time to remind readers that David de Gea’s first season at Manchester United was abysmal, he is now the best goalkeeper in the league by a country mile. This may also be a good time remind readers that Claudio Bravo was exceptional at Barcelona. Barcelona!

I get it, the headteacher sacked your favourite teacher because he wasn’t really teaching very well, and you are mad about it. That is fine, be mad. But maybe don’t take it out on the new substitute teacher that isn’t half as bad as you are making out.

Bravo is not as good a shot stopper as Joe Hart, and probably never will be. But he will be good enough if given time, and he starts so many more attacks than Joe Hart could. Some of the passing this season from Bravo has been fantastic, he forces the opponents to push right up and close him down, he then rides the pressure, and passes to a now free central midfielder who can turn and go score a goal. It all sounds very simple on paper, of course, but that is what he does so well. Thierry Henry recently said: “When Pep has a plan, respect the plan.”

So, do not worry! This is not Tommy from the Red Lion managing Manchester City — it is Champions League winner Pep Guardiola, and he knows what he is doing. Do not worry that Guardiola “won’t adapt to the Premier League”. Guardiola changed his style as he moved from Barcelona to Bayern Munich because of the league, using wingers an awful lot more. Guardiola is not a polar bear that has been thrown in the Sahara — he will adapt but he can do so in time, and the League will also somewhat adapt to him.

(Feel free to tweet me a link to this article if Pep Guardiola gets fired at the end of next season for finishing 12th after playing with a back three the whole season.)

MUFC Player Ratings: Crystal Palace vs Manchester United

After proving that they have the quality to compete with the best against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United urgently needed to show some consistency by beating Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Facing the Eagles, however, would not be easy. In their previous three fixtures, the London Club had scored ten goals but conceded eight, illustrating that they can be dangerous when prompted. United, on the other hand, have not scored more than a single goal in a Premier League match since they thumped Swansea City 3-1.

Jose Mourinho, due to the injury of Henrik Mkhitaryan and the suspension of Antonio Valencia, was forced to make changes to his starting eleven. Eric Bailly and Daley Blind held down the right and left back positions respectively with the steady partnership of Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones making up the back four. The trio of Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba filled the midfield for United while Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Juan Mata capped off an excruciatingly slow starting eleven.

Photo: WikimediaCommons

The lack of pace in United’s team could be seen from the first minute to the last; the creation of chances from both sides was low and while the Reds dominated the possession, they spent most of their time camped on the edge of Palace’s box. United’s goal just before half time summed up the game; Ibrahimović elbowed the ball to the offside Pogba who passed the ball past the hapless Wayne Hennessey. With all the talk of unluckiness surrounding Old Trafford, United were lucky to be one up at the break and still have ten men — Marcos Rojo should have seen red for a two-footed challenge in the 38th minute.

In the second half the game opened up with Palace seeking an equaliser. A nice move involving Joel Ward, Damien Delany and James McArthur split United’s defence open and allowed the Scot to fire a shot past the helpless David De Gea to bring Palace level. The Reds pushed for a winner in the final 20 minutes and were rewarded when Pogba repaid the favour to Ibrahimović by slotting the big Swede through to lift the ball past Hennessey.

While this may not have been United’s most convincing performance, the three points will be gladly welcomed by Mourinho who has taken the Reds to three points behind the European places. United are unbeaten in nine matches now, winning the last three, and are developing the slightest sense of momentum. Whisper it quietly, however, as their next fixture is away to an in-form West Bromwich Albion side who are sitting three points behind the Reds.

Player Ratings:

GK: David De Gea: 7

A quiet game for the Spanish international. Had to keep his wits about him, however, when McArthur whipped a fantastic curling effort towards the top corner in the 62nd minute. Could not have done anything about Palace’s goal which was well worked to leave the Spaniard stranded.

RB: Eric Bailly: 7

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Was reintroduced to the side at right back so not to disrupt the strong partnership of Jones and Rojo and looked comfortable; he spent much of his time on the right side of defence when with Villareal last season. Comfortably dealt with Lee Chung-Yong and gave Ward some things to think about when the big Ivorian pushed forward. Suffered a nasty foul from Lee towards the end of the first half which saw him substituted just after half time. It is now likely that United will not see Bailly on the pitch again until after the Africa Cup of Nations.

RCB: Phil Jones: 7

Had the tough task of dealing with the physical presence of Christian Benteke but passed with flying colours. Won five headers which was only bettered by Pogba in a United shirt. Was caught out by Delany’s back heel for the goal but otherwise enjoyed a solid game.

LCB: Marcos Rojo: 6

Not as convincing as his centre back partner. Only won three out of his seven attempted headers but otherwise kept Palace sufficiently quiet. The Argentine, like against Everton, should have seen red for an excessively aggressive two-footed lunge in the first half. Despite that, Rojo set up Mata with a good header but unfortunately the Spaniards goal was chalked off for an offside flag. He also missed a good opportunity to put the Reds ahead in the 77th minute when his header flew over the bar.

LB: Daley Blind: 7

A quietly solid game for the Dutchman who has been in and out of Mourinho’s starting eleven since the beginning of the season. Won four tackles (more than any other United defender), four interceptions (more than any other United player) and made four clearances. Was not sufficiently challenged by McArthur, who drifted inside often, and Martin Kelly did not push much further than the half way line.

CDM: Michael Carrick: 7

Another silky smooth performance from United’s go to midfield anchor. Dictated the attacking tempo from deep and helped the defence keep its shape when Palace looked to counter attack. Played a Barcelona-esque dinked-through ball to Pogba at the end of the first half which drew a good save out of Hennessey.

RCM: Ander Herrera: 7

Buzzed around the pitch with his usual intensity but his technical ability was not as high as the Spaniard has shown in recent weeks. Often picked up possession on the edge of Palace’s box with no idea what to do with the ball. Did play an important part in the retention of possession, however, with the former Athletic Bilbao player winning more tackles than both Pogba and Carrick combined (4).

LCM: Paul Pogba: 8

@WikimediaCommons

A man of the match performance from the Frenchman who seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. Popped up in the box to tuck home Zlatan’s knock down at the end of the first half and played through the Swedish striker in the 88th minute to seal all three points. His chip over the Palace defence for Rooney was the first good opportunity of the match and a sweetly struck left footed volley forced Hennessey into an important save. The Frenchman did find himself the wrong side of McArthur for Palace’s equaliser but the transfer record player redeemed himself with his attacking performance. Won more dribbles than all of the United players combined (4).

RM: Juan Mata: 6

One of those quiet games for Mata who suffered from the lack of pace around him. Bailly’s reluctance to bomb forward (unlike Valencia) and Herrera’s substandard attacking impetus left Mata isolated on the right flank. The Spaniard was, however, unlucky to be pulled back for offside when he made a good run and tapped the ball past Hennessey.

LM: Wayne Rooney: 7

A decent performance from United’s skipper who has been rotated into the side when needed. Missed a good opportunity to put United ahead in the third minute when he headed the ball over the bar. Forced Hennessey into two good saves either side of half time. Looks generally quite suited to a wide forward with his good defensive tracking and dangerous whipped crosses.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimović: 7

Another goal for the Swedish hero takes his tally in the League to nine in fifteen appearances. His aerial success was not as formidable as usual up against Scott Dann, with the United man only winning 38 per cent of his duels. Zlatan did, however, show some good hold up play to set up Lingard for his chance in the 78th minute. His finish was perfectly lifted over Hennessey and the Swede was humorously put in midfield after his goal to stop Palace lumping the ball up to their strikers.

Subs

Matteo Darmian: 7

Came on at right back for the injured Bailly and played well. Was completely duped by Ward for Palace’s equaliser but the Italian redeemed himself with a good cross to Rooney five minutes later which the skipper fluffed. Made some important tackles in the final five to stop Palace seeking another equaliser.

Jessie Lingard: 6

Replaced the ineffective Mata at right wing and added more movement to United’s forward play. Got on the end of a good Ibrahimović pass but fired his shot straight at Hennessey.

Marcus Rashford: N/A

Came on for Rooney in the 79th minute and instantly looked dangerous and direct. Was important at holding up the ball in the final five to waste time for Palace who were seeking a late goal.

2016, psychedelia and The Beatles

Even if we put the claim that 2016 has been the worst year ever to one side for a moment, we can agree that the year has been characterised, especially for the young and liberal, by the fading belief in truth.

It seems that this year the simmering tensions of a digital age have came to the fore — the post-Cold War liberal agenda faced a searing conservative backlash, the post-Arab Spring Middle East continues to burn while swarms of its victims are swatted away by a crumbling European Union — while individuals’ interactions with the world are shaped by the distorting veils of online filter-bubbles and the murky threats of Russian hackers and fake news.

‘Post-truth’ is the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year. As we interact with our world socially, politically, and even emotionally through virtual mediums, it seems hard to escape the sense of an Orwellian disintegration of reality into a digital sludge of Trump memes. We struggle to tell truth from half-truth, fact from fiction.

Inevitably, there has been a cultural response — the youth culture’s dizzying nostalgia for the past is exemplified in the revival of 90s fashion and music, while creative online movements reflect our collective confusion by mashing together a queasy tonic of old video game music and clips from The Simpsons into a dystopian echo of our childhood years. This digital haze appears to in many ways resemble the blur of late-60s psychedelic culture.

The parallels between the 1960s and the present are clear: as brought to life in the V&A’s recent Revolution exhibition in London, domestic and international political uncertainty, racial tensions and a vibrant boom of creativity characterise both ages. However, where I propose that we might find a close relationship between the ages is in our common questions of perception and reality — especially in music. This conversation of reality can be traced to the mid-1960s when popular culture drew upon west-coast hippie movements, and, fuelled by LSD and loosely political utopianism (helped by an English World Cup victory), British counter-culture, led by its music, defined the decade.

Nowhere were these concepts entertained and expanded more in popular culture than in the music of The Beatles. In their psychedelic period, The Beatles sought to tear down all that mop-top Beatlemania had achieved, evolving both lyrically and sonically to change (or rather, blur) their focus, disorientating their listeners and invite them into a different reality. They uniquely used techniques of tape-looping and modification of sound in the studio (as well as the introduction of foreign instruments and forms). In fact, some Beatles records from this time sound genuinely modern (Baby You’re a Rich Man), while others are still fresh and exciting despite their typically 60s aesthetic (She Said She Said).

Where these recordings relate to 2016 is in their common discussion of hazy confusion in an unclear reality. While “Tomorrow Never Knows” borrows loose Buddhist themes, its commentary is coldly political when applied to the 21st century — the iconic ‘turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream’ is relevant in our context of constant digital contact and blaring TVs. Meanwhile, its loose contemplation of the different realms of perception relate to our modern grapples with anchoring our identities in the pace and fluidity of a digital life. The themes of the simplistic “All You Need is Love” are strikingly relatable to the modern cosmopolitan outlook adopted by the young and left-leaning. For example, Barack Obama’s claim to being a ‘citizen of the world’ in 2008 is an increasingly popular rhetorical answer to the puzzle of globalisation, and echoes the communitarianism of 60s counter-culture. The experimental use of backwards recordings (“Rain, I’m Only Sleeping”) acts as a sonic translation of the dislocation we can feel in modern society, its incoherent language an echo of the almost-reality of the 24-hour news that forms the white-noise backdrop of 2016 living.

Indeed, the hazy chaos of “Blue Jay Way” and “Only a Northern Song” appear as natural predecessors to 2016 online trends of vaperwave and the blaring dystopianism of contemporary avant-garde artists. For instance, Hype Williams’s vague online identities appear as submerged in doubt and disorientation as the aesthetic of their music. In this period, The Beatles truly created not only a broader, more abstract scope in their lyrics and themes, but produced a unique aesthetic of blur and confusion in their more experimental recordings. While other titans of psychedelia, such as Hendrix and The Doors, were capable of incredible feats of colour and musical innovation, “I Am The Walrus” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” create a unique combination of exciting possibility and haunting distortion that our digital world promises in equal measure.

Somehow, the otherworldly opening to the titanic “A Day In The Life” seems eerily relevant to today’s context of the digitally warped news-media. Drenched in haunting delay and delivered in John Lennon’s characteristic rasp, ‘I read the news today, oh boy’ is a cultural landmark, appearing to echo the very 21st century melancholic sensation of being afloat on an ocean of information without feeling any nearer to ascertaining truth. 1960s psychedelic culture, driven by The Beatles, and in particular the aesthetic of haze and disorientation in art, were essential to expressing feelings of confusion and distance in a tumultuous 2016: as we enter the year of Trump’s coronation, it is surely here to stay.

University of Manchester Students’ Union backs BDS

The Students’ Union’s final Senate meeting of the year passed one of their most hotly debated motions to date, as the delegates voted to officially endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, in front of a packed and vocal audience.

Unusually for Senate, the vote was conducted under secret ballot rules, and the organisers placed extra emphasis on student safety during the debate.

However most students will probably still be unaware of what the BDS campaign actually is, and why it is proving so controversial. To its supporters, it is the most effective means of ensuring peace in the Middle East, and its most ardent critics regard it as impractical or thinly veiled anti-Semitism.

The BDS campaign was founded in 2005 with the aim of ending Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.  They declared: “We, representatives of Palestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era.”

Supporters of the campaign believe that this will be the only way to force Israel into negotiating a peaceful solution to a conflict, which dates all the way back to the 1940s, and they have garnered some significant support from celebrities and rights campaigners.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Photo: Joshua Wanyama @Flickr

Archbishop Desmond Tutu stated in 2014 that: “I know first-hand that Israel has created an apartheid reality within its borders and through its occupation. The parallels to my own beloved South Africa are painfully stark indeed.”

Prior to the Students’ Union adopting BDS, it had been endorsed by a number of other organisations in the trade union community. The NUS, the Trades Union Congress, and Unite have already declared their support for the movement in the last couple of years, along with other such groups around the world.

However, this campaign is not without its controversies, as was evident at the Senate debate.

One area of contention is the precise nature of the boycott. Many British organisations that have endorsed BDS — including all the unions mentioned above — have stated that they only wish to “boycott the goods of, companies who profit from illegal settlements, the Occupation and the construction of the Wall”. The University of Manchester BDS campaign said in a Facebook video after the vote that they were calling on the University to “fully divest from all the companies associated with Israel’s war crimes.”

This is very different to a total boycott of Israel, which lots of groups see as delegitimising the state of Israel, which many in turn would argue is anti-Semitic.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has also endorsed a partial boycott of Israel, saying in a speech in South Africa in 2013: “No, we [The Palestinian Authority] do not support the boycott of Israel… But we ask everyone to boycott the products of the settlements. Because the settlements are in our territories. It is illegal.” This halfway position often means there is dispute over his position. As evidenced by the fact that the anti-BDS leaflets handed out at Senate contained the first part of the quote, and a pro-BDS speaker read out the second half of the quote.

President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The reason this is controversial is because the global BDS movement — as is shown in their founding statement — wish to boycott Israel in a “similar [way] to those applied to South Africa”. The boycotts against South Africa were a total boycott of all products, therefore this also implies a total boycott of Israeli products.

As one anti-BDS speaker pointed out in the debate, the Senate motion was also “to endorse the BDS movement”, so any assurances to Jewish groups that it would only be a partial boycott could be seen as being contradicted by that statement.

On the same day as Senate passed the motion endorsing BDS, Germany’s largest political party — Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union — officially opposed BDS.  “Who today under the flag of the BDS movement calls to boycott Israeli goods and services speaks the same language in which people were called to not buy from Jews. That is nothing other than coarse antisemitism,” the CDU said to The Jerusalem Post.

Angela Merkel’s party publicly opposed BDS last week. Photo: Philipp @Flickr

The Anti-Defamation League — America’s largest anti-Semitism watchdog — have also denounced the boycott of Israel. They state that: “The delegitimization of Israel is at the heart of contemporary anti-Semitism. BDS is one of its most visible and dangerous manifestations.” The ADL further added that: “ADL is committed to…working to strengthen the democratic, pluralistic Jewish state.”

One anti-BDS speaker at Senate argued that “participation in BDS will make me personally, and other members of JSoc [the University of Manchester Jewish Society] feel unsafe,” and another said that “a lot of Jews on campus don’t feel comfortable saying ‘I am Jewish’.”

The BDS campaign do, understandably, refute that they are prejudiced in any way, and state that they are welcoming and inclusive.  The leader of the BDS movement at this university Huda Ammori, who put forward the motion, claims the movement has “mass support from members of the Jewish community” and that there are Jewish students on the BDS committee.

Moreover, a pro-BDS activist ran for the Presidency of the Union of Jewish Students this year, coming last in the ballot, winning 89 out of the total 1,049 votes.

It is also, of course, entirely possible to also be supportive of Israel and still be treated with suspicion by Jewish communities. Jonathan Freedland wrote in The Guardian in November that despite Donald Trump and Norbert Hofer’s vocal support of Israel, they are being given a very cautious response by Jewish groups. Writing that: “European Jews learned long ago: that nasty rightwing nationalists can be pro-Israel — for reasons utterly alien to Jews’ own feelings about the country.”

Protests during Donald Trump’s AIPAC speech in March, Photo: Susan Meikisethian @Flickr

Dr Jean-Marc Dreyfus of the University of Manchester’s Centre for Jewish Studies summed up what he saw as the nuances of the whole issue. He stated that “obsessive anti-Zionism can be similar to anti-Semitism, can replicate old antisemitic patterns and measures”. However he also added that: “anti-Zionism remains to my view different from anti-Semitism but it is the responsibility of pro-Palestinian activists (some of them being of Jewish origins) to clarify. Which they fail to do at the moment, I am afraid. Which is for the greatest benefit of the Israeli nationalist right, who is always eager to use this argument to disqualify pro-Palestinian groups.”

All of this shows that Israel-Palestine conflict is of course a very complex issue, and this is very much the tip of the iceberg.

During the Senate debate, as is common at most BDS events, comparisons were made by pro-BDS speakers between Apartheid South Africa and Israel. BDS often use the slogan “Boycott Israeli Apartheid” and organise the Israel Apartheid Week.

As has already been mentioned, many within the BDS campaign see the struggle in Palestine and South Africa as broadly very similar, and therefore warranting the same approach.

Veteran anti-Apartheid campaigner Ronnie Kasrils commented in The Guardian in 2010 that “the boycott and sanctions campaign ultimately helped liberate both black and white South Africans. Palestinians and Israelis will similarly benefit from this international non-violent campaign.”

Photo: Wall in Palestine @Flickr

However, opponents see this is as unhelpful oversimplification of one of the most complex conflicts in human history. Many activists, including Israel’s highest ranking Arab Israeli Army officer, Major Alaa Waheeb, have spoken out against the Israel-Apartheid comparison: “Forget for a second (BDS supporters would like you to forget permanently!) that 20 percent of Israelis are non-Jewish, have full rights, and are represented throughout society,” Waheeb wrote in The Jewish News in March 2016.

The academic boycott of Israel has also caused some concern from those opposed to BDS.

The official BDS policy on Israeli universities is that: “For decades, Israeli universities have played a key role in planning, implementing and justifying Israel’s occupation and apartheid policies, while maintaining a uniquely close relationship with the Israeli military.”

The Manchester BDS campaign also stressed their commitment to campaigning for the re-twinning of the university with An-Najah University in the West Bank.

Though the only Israeli university mentioned in the motion was Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, some argued during the debate that by publicly endorsing BDS, they were also endorsing the total boycott of Israeli universities.

Some have argued that this boycott will also stifle healthy debate, which they believe will hinder the peace process. Joanna Williams, Education Editor of the free speech journal Spiked, wrote that “BDS campaigners assume that challenging the denial of rights to Palestinians trumps academic freedom. This falsely assumes academic freedom competes with, rather than complements, other rights.”

Dr Dreyfus shared a concern about the motion shutting down debate: “In a time of political and economic uncertainty, we need more debates, more open discussions, more exchanges. Campuses, and especially European campuses, where we are far away from the conflict and priviledged to live in peace, should be spaces for discussions, even if they are sometimes difficult [sic].”

A number of opponents of BDS have also called into question how practical a boycott would actually be.

Companies specifically cited as being the focus of attention for BDS include Allianz, Intel, G4S, and Hewlett-Packard (HP).

A leaflet handed out by the BDS campaign at the Senate debate.

Of those companies, the one which immediately seems impractical to boycott is Intel.  The vast majority of computers use Intel processors, and the company had an 87.7 per cent share in the processor market in the fourth quarter of 2015. Most of the computers in the Students’ Union — including all of those in The Mancunion office — use Intel processors. Replacing every single computer in the Union could be seen as a very costly and disruptive endeavour.

The Manchester BDS campaign do admit that this would be impractical, and that for this, the focus would be in divestment over boycotting. They stress that it is the institutional and investment links with the companies that they are opposed to. Similarly in relation to HP, Ammori said that “we [Manchester BDS] are not calling for the dismantling of every HP printer”.

The closure of a SodaStream factory in the West Bank was also hailed as one of BDS’s major victories. The company had been operating a plant in the West Bank, and had come under fire from groups for their links with the area. Most notably, Scarlett Johannson was dropped as an Oxfam ambassador after she appeared in an advert for SodaStream during the 2014 Super Bowl.

However, anti-BDS campaigners have taken issue with this, pointing out that many Palestinians lost their jobs when the factory was moved over the border to Israel. “BDS is hurting us; many of us can’t get work in the West Bank and wages are so low. We need this work,” one Palestinian who managed to keep his job, told Al Jazeera.

As far of the future of BDS at the University of Manchester goes, the Students’ Union’s Trustee Board still has to approve and lay out how the decision will be implemented.

On the issues surrounding BDS they provided this statement to The Mancunion: “Here at the Students’ Union there is no place for any form of racism, oppression or discrimination. We have zero tolerance to all forms of harassment. As part of our commitment to creating a welcome and inclusive university community we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the student movement is fair, liberated and safe for all.

“For any student that has been affected by any of the issues raised above; our free and confidential advice service is available to everyone, located on the ground floor of the Students’ Union.”

The Mancunion contacted the University of Manchester Jewish Society, who were not available for comment.

Project invites people to submit the strangest gift ideas

Manchester creative agency The Neighbourhood are spelling out people’s most extravagant imaginative gift ideas on a billboard on their rooftop in the Northern Quarter.

The campaign is a part of The Neighbourhood’s annual Christmas project in aid of the children’s charity Wood Street Mission, which helps children and families living on low incomes by alleviating the impact of poverty and improving children’s life chances.

Photo: The Neighbourhood

They hope to encourage people to donate presents to families who cannot afford to buy any for their children this Christmas, through building a community spirit through the campaign.

Every day The Neighbourhood will donate a gift to the appeal and local businesses and neighbours are also being invited to place presents under their Christmas tree at 24 Lever Street.

On their website they offer people the chance to “tell Manchester what you really want for Christmas. Predictable presents are out. Wave goodbye to novelty socks, gift vouchers and hideous Christmas jumpers.  We’re looking for some truly creative gift ideas. The weirder the better.”

People can submit their gift ideas online and they are encouraged to be as extravagant, beautiful, inventive and heartfelt as possible. The most inspiring are handpicked and placed for all to see on their rooftop.

There will also be daily illustrations of the gift ideas posted on their website and social media. Top Manchester artists are involved including Stanley Chow and Kim Thompson.

Some of gift ideas that have already appeared include: ‘A presidential disco bra’ accompanied by the dancing naked gif below, and ‘half a wheel of stinking bishop and Bowie’s ghost’.

Photo: The Neighbourhood

Supporting Wood Street Mission’s Christmas campaign is an annual tradition. Last year, an advent calendar was created on the side of 24 Lever Street’s Grade II listed home in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

The Neighbourhood’s Creative Director and Founder, Jon Humphreys, said: “Typeofxmas.com has already been inundated with hundreds of hugely inventive suggestions, ranging from pet unicorns to marriage proposals, so it’s possible some may be more achievable than others…

“Our main aim is to creatively connect with the community, whilst helping to make Christmas a little brighter for some of the families in Manchester that are most in need, so we’re looking forward to meeting new friends and neighbours as they come in to donate.”

Photo: The Neighbourhood

The campaign will be running until Christmas Eve and you can submit your own ideas here.

The devilish web

Many now demonstrate disaffection towards politics and the news in general. Many of us have been rendered apathetic, especially towards the lies we are perennially told by the greatest producers of fiction in modern history: the news corporations. Yes, many on this planet simply now do not care for truth anymore. Instead, many either a) coil themselves in deceitful tales in order to hide from or reason with their misfortunes, or b) have absolutely no interest or compassion for current circumstances — most likely due to desensitisation, or as Adam Curtis would put it, ‘hyper-normalisation’.

Both the Brexit and the Trump campaigns have arguably proven that for, most of us, facts no longer matter in politics. We must overcome this majority. We must vanquish this naivety and disillusionment and begin to better the planet for, rather than borrow it from, future generations. In this post-truth era, it is imperative for us to ‘turn on, tune in, drop out’. It would be a travesty for our generation to be remembered by a stagnation of collective action, lack of true expression, and pool of political lies. This zeitgeist is nothing new, and these propensities are likely to never disappear. Nevertheless, it has unfortunately festered for far too long and warped into a stark new form, inconceivable before. We now augment ourselves to the virtual reality of the internet. Most of our time in the twenty-first century is spent in front of a scintillating screen, forever gazing into the most blissful fictitious facet of the web: social media.

Social media is a safe space in which one stares into a mirror of themselves. Many of the recent political upsets have only been quite so shocking to the liberal left because of this. People have been blinded by their own views in the online mirror, and fail to perceive much thought outside their own because Facebook and the like feed you based on what content you most commonly look at. Narcissus gawped at his own reflection in the mirroring water and marvelled at it, not realising it was merely a phantasmal echo of himself. Unable to detach himself from his beauteous reflection, he stared at it until he died. Do not be like Narcissus. Peel yourselves from your screens. The time to express yourselves in the real-world is here. We cannot wither away into a plastic domain.

A dainty online response to everything has become the norm. This delays any form of true change. Change is active, it needs substance in order to proceed. It is as physical as much as it is psychological. Whilst entangled in this online web, we seem to have forgotten the palpable tendencies that are necessary for the very nature of change to exist. Get off your arses and do something.

Witnessing the anti-fascism protest held outside the Samuel Alexander building on Monday 14th November was agonising; not just because of the efforts of those who turned up, but because of those who did not. It was an event of preaching to the converted and a reaffirmation of pre-existing ideals. It was shocking to see the hundreds that walked by express near to no interest in affairs that concerned them and their own moral compasses. The lack of amplification and poor efforts to source from the foot traffic that passed by seemed like a fault on the organisers’ and the attendees’ behalf. The crowd were not a lively process to entice those walking by. It was a motionless, inaudible gathering, exclusive only to those who originally intended to participate.

Demonstrations like these need to be loud and regular, not impalpable one-off occurrences that fade into the wind. Action needs to become a physical and oral monument that amalgamates to the mind; it is not to be passed through and forgotten in thought. Holding an online placard to express your anger and angst does nothing. Protests and physical gatherings are the only way to direct change.

The disillusionment and desensitisation that has cursed our generation is truly harrowing. With current times having a shock factor of zero, the arts and many other sectors of society are suffering also. The mass production that fuels the capitalist world has engendered a generation that is unable to truly and freely express themselves without constant comparison. The consequences are a stagnation in artistic expression and vast amounts of lost, anxious people. This is all aided by the decadent, devilish internet. The online world has created a cultural coma — react against its inertia.

Manchester Enterprise Centre launch Venture Further 2017

The Manchester Enterprise Centre has just launched its next competition, Venture Further. The competition is looking to find the next big startup from the University of Manchester.

Students and recent alumni are invited to submit a business proposal to be judged by a panel of enterprise and business experts.

Technical, professional and engineering group Jacobs, analytical science instrumentation and software manufacturer Waters and Manchester Science Partnership, the UK’s largest science park operator, are sponsoring the Venture Further 2017 initiative.

Successful entries have the chance to win a £10,000 cash prize to ensure their business gets off the ground.

As well as the cash prize the competition entrants have the opportunity to receive expert advice on their startup ideas.

The competition consists of four cash prize categories: business, startups that have commercial potential; social ideas that will improve people’s lives; digital, businesses that use digital technologies; and research, plans that will use university-based research to address real-world problems.

Dr. Martin Henery, Venture Competition Director, said: “Venture Further is a great opportunity for students across the university who are serious about starting a business.

“Venture Further is the perfect platform to put your plans to the test. We are here every step of the way to help you take your idea and turn it into a viable business; many past entrants — not just the winners — have gone on to launch and sustain successful ventures.

“By the same token, many of our students already have their own business, and Venture Further is here to give them a boost and take their enterprise to the next level.”

Previous winners and finalists of Venture Further have included: craft beer company Shindigger Brewing Co., kangaroo childcare business Joy and Joe and online payments system MishiPay.

The deadline for applications for 2017 competition is 29th March.

More information can be found here.

Live: Peter Doherty

7th of December at Albert Hall

7.5/10

It’s 21:30, and quips about whether Peter Doherty will even appear have become legitimate concerns. His support, Jack Jones of Welsh band Trampolene, started his set of hilariously surreal spoken poetry (topics ranging from ketamine to Poundland) by reassuring fans that Peter was here, in a not-so-subtle reference to the Libertines frontman’s infamously unreliable past. Regardless, the crowd is restless.

Doherty eventually appears and one thing’s certain: he’s drunk. As he stumbles to the microphone and begins mumbling acoustic ‘She Is Far’ from latest album Hamburg Demonstrations, one fan exclaims, “exactly how I like him!”. This is the unique appeal Doherty has: fans don’t want him sober and totally coherent – they want a performance, and Doherty, launching into fan-favourite ‘Albion’ and joined by his band (including Jones and Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell), is happy to oblige.

Excluding one unfinished anecdote, he doesn’t talk to the audience, instead joking with each band-member, attempting to play glockenspiel (used spectacularly in ‘I Don’t Love Anyone’), drumkit (playful in ‘The Whole World Is Our Playground’) and violin to various degrees of success. Jones comes across as the proud son vying for a father’s approval and the sense of comradeship within his entourage is obvious.

Libertines song ‘You’re My Waterloo’ is a real highlight. A beautiful song anyway, but in this dimly lit, intimate venue it feels ethereal. ‘Hell to Pay at the Gates of Heaven’, a contrastingly upbeat tribute to the Bataclan attack victims is one of Doherty’s strongest performances of the night. Between his own songs, Doherty causes fervour, teasing the opening of classic ‘What Katie Did’ and covering multiple tracks, notably a fantastic medley intertwining The Velvet Underground’s ‘Ride into the Sun’ and Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’. A two-line cover, startlingly, is of 50 Cent’s ‘P.I.M.P.’

Occasionally, the noodling threatens to kill the mood, but this danger is quickly extinguished as an encore featuring ‘Black Boy Lane’ and ‘Up the Bracket’ causes all hell to break loose as a mosh pit forms. The evening concludes with an intense, unintentionally acapella version of ‘Fuck Forever’ – Albert Hall’s curfew had been reached – but Doherty, clearly delighted with a brilliant crowd, has one more surprise, as he crowd-surfs in a throwback to the ‘good old days’ of early Libertines gigs.

Was Doherty in control throughout? Possibly. This was a messy, chaotic, unstructured gig, no more evident than when he decided to throw his mic stand into the crowd, initiating a minor brawl for memorabilia. It was unnecessary, childish, potentially dangerous and something we don’t see enough of anymore in an age of health and safety. This is rock ‘n’ roll. And nobody is more ingrained into its spirit than Peter Doherty.

Review: The Infinite Monkey Cage

If you are a scientist of any kind, or a middle-aged married couple in your 50s, then you will likely know of the prize-winning radio program The Infinite Monkey Cage on Radio 4. The show is hosted weekly by renowned rockstar-turned-physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince, and is known for bringing complex topics relating to physics and other sciences into the comfort of people’s homes in relatable and simple ways.

The show has recently taken to pre-recording in scientific sites around the UK and was recently at the Museum of Science and Industry, where Cox and Ince were joined by comedian Russell Kane, physicist Dr Helen Czerski, and engineer Professor Danielle George. This week’s topic surrounded domestic science, and how people can bring science into their own home with simple household objects.

The overall tone was that everyone needs to realise how much science is in our daily lives. For example, Helen Czerski showed how simple it is to teach kids about Archimedes’ Principle and “bubble physics” using only raisins and a bottle of lemonade to create a budget lava-lamp which can distract you from your essay deadlines for hours.

Russell Kane brought a breath of comedic fresh air when things got a bit too physics-y, discussing the prospects of household technology and how the iPhone 7 “can’t plug in headphones, but makes a nice espresso with an app you can download”. But underneath all the jokes, he makes an interesting point that we are “spoiled brats of technology living in a disposable society”, and that the average person has no clue how our phones and other gadgets work. For example, did you know your iPhone contains over 50 per cent of the elements on the periodic table?

However, Danielle George defended humanity, claiming that with new games a technology such as the Raspberry Pi and Minecraft, were starting to teach kids to peel back the layers and start to love science again. She also brought along with her an awesome “Floppy Disk Orchestra” which played different tunes, such as the Imperial March (or Donald Trump’s song as Brian claims), just to show that something as seemingly boring as motor movement can actually be rather awesome.

It was great to see the show in action, and once you Google what entropy is to remind yourself of your GCSE Physics, it is a brilliant show that brings science into the public sphere in a way anyone can understand, whist giving us a great laugh in the process.

Album: Childish Gambino – Awaken, My Love

Released December 2nd via Glassnote

7/10

Donald Glover has flourished in 2016 with his casting as Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars spinoff alongside his critically acclaimed show Atlanta. Now, Glover — aka Childish Gambino — is back with a brand new album. Straying away from the almost juvenile rap of his previous projects, this latest effort is heading in a new direction.

Although hinted at in his Stn Mtn mixtape, Awaken, My Love is straight vintage funk. Gambino carefully creates a unique and easily distinguishable barrier between himself and others reviving seventies funk of old such as Chance the Rapper. There is clear inspiration drawn from the likes of Eddie Hazel and Bootsie Collins, the latter of which he samples in the track ‘Redbone’. Perhaps the worst aspect of the album is that it might make up the subtotal of his escapades in the genre.

Even though Gambino is toying with an older sound, he approaches it with new production using electronic elements such as autotune, which is applied very tastefully. The instrumental talent is notable, using clean percussion beside funky bass riffs, as well as some exceedingly well-executed solos. Overall the music production is spotless, but also very diverse, with the sensual ‘Redbone’ among darker songs such as ‘Zombies’ and ballads like ‘Baby Boy’.

The flow of this album is worthy of praise with a distinct separation in tone between the first and second halves. The first half, with its energetic and punchy songs contrast beautifully with the deeper and more emotional tracks on the second. Gambino seems to be heading towards a more developed sound than his previous material, however the two are not entirely comparable due to the change in genre. The lyricism especially has seen a large shift in maturity, from references to issues for black men in today’s America on the track ‘Boogieman’ to talk of the crumbling relationship with his child’s mother on the track ‘Baby Boy’.

Nevertheless, there are some flaws with the album, primarily the track ‘California’. The vocals are strained and overly autotuned leading to an irritating moaning sound which is disappointing due to the potential in the funky keyboard and bass riffs. Furthermore, Gambino sometimes overwhelms the accompaniment in songs such as ‘Boogieman’ in a manner which is reminiscent of his previous work and the track ‘Riot’ seems underwritten and ends suddenly, which throws away the initial promise it creates.

Awaken, My Love demonstrates the versatility of Gambino in entering a new genre. Whilst not being perfect, there is ground to believe that this project is able to hold its own against more established funk and soul artists such as Anderson .Paak. There is a solid basis for expansion in future work and it would be a crying shame if we see this genre abandoned in his return to rap.