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Day: 10 November 2016

Interview: The Japanese House

Written by Calum Pinder on . Posted in Music.

Club Academy, 2nd November

“[Club Academy] is a big venue and we’ve sold a lot of tickets. It’s nice to know your audience is there for you,” enthuses 21-year-old Amber Bain. She is  certainly not wrong. She walks onstage to cheers from a bustling crowd, many of whom have been patiently stood at the front since the doors opened to get the best view for her performance as The Japanese House. Sitting on the sofa in her dressing room three hours earlier she is remarkably laid back. Although being relatively new to the touring circuit she seems to have taken packing out venues in her stride.

Bain views her career as somewhat of an inevitability. “My father was quite musical so there were always instruments around the house. I always wanted a guitar and maybe to look like Avril Lavigne.” Her first performances started young, she recalls “being that asshole at school who would play in assembly, or on the playground. Other kids would be like ‘shut up!’”

Despite the tough critics she has done very well for herself. After a stroke of fate involving Matt Healy chasing after her mate, she was able to play the 1975 frontman some of her music which he then took to Dirty Hit Records. Unsurprisingly, they in turn quickly signed her up. After touring in support of The 1975, and releasing a couple of EP’s with Dirty Hit, The Japanese House are now heading their own tour.

Amber tells me she enjoyed the experience of supporting The 1975, but is mostly excited about touring in her own right. After a show in London she is heading off to Europe and then on to America. Having been touring for almost a solid year now, including playing packed out shows at Reading and Leeds, it is amazing she is still going. I wonder whether the diet cokes and pitta and crisp sandwiches that litter the dressing room hold the key to endless energy.

Supporting her tonight are London-based bands Fake Laugh and COLOURING. “They both have the voices of angels!”  declares Bain. She’s not wrong: apparently ditched by the rest of his band, Fake Laugh front man Kamran Khan puts on a charming acoustic set. His voice really is great and accompanies the toned down indie rock he plays. Following Fake Laugh, COLOURING’s hazy electro pop was plenty of fun, and got the already-receptive audience moving.

Finally The Japanese House entered. Opening with the Imogen Heap-esque ‘Clean’ she contrasts an ethereal soundscape of layers of vocals and soft synths with a clear impatient electric guitar. This contrast underpins the evening. Lush synth melodies, vocal harmonies, and hi-hat dominated drum lines are cut through by Bain’s guitar.

Playing with ease the band coast through their collection with the crowd reacting warmly to singles ‘Sugar Pill’ and ‘Cool Blue’. Given the limited instrumentation, The Japanese House’s small discography does begin to feel a little repetitive in a live setting. However, newer tracks like the upbeat, guitar-focused ‘Good Side In’ break the trend and help to dispel this feeling.

Earlier in the evening, I asked Bain about her songwriting. A lot of her music relies on careful production and layered vocals — were the songs written with this in mind? “The lines are very blurred between production and songwriting; the two just go hand in hand for me”.

Following from this I want to know whether the soft dream pop genre that underlies the Clean and Pools To Bathe In EPs was something The Japanese House wanted to stay loyal to. “I never really think about it. I kind of just do what sounds good for each song, rather than applying a genre to a bunch of songs. The album will have strange things in it”.

I certainly hope so. So far The Japanese House have been making considered and warm dream pop, but it can sound a little formulaic at times. However, the singles from her upcoming EP Good Side In are starting to stray from the soft melancholic style she has established in a great way.

More upbeat and funky grooves appear on ‘Good Side In’ whilst the beat on ‘Swim Against The Tide’ sounds like some strange collaboration between Mike Milosh and Aphex Twin in his more lucid periods. Fingers crossed the experimentation continues when the album drops.

Back onstage the band close their set with crowd pleaser ‘Still’. Bain gives a shout out to her mother who has come tonight, and walks offstage. I am reminded that she is only 21 and already playing her third time in Manchester. With 2 EPs and an album in the pipeline and no signs of slowing down, we have got a lot to look forward to from The Japanese House.

Preview: Louder Than Words Festival

Written by Roma Havers on . Posted in Books.

This weekend the Louder Than Words festival is taking place across the 11th to the 13th of November. This is a genre-based literary festival focussing on the music industry, including oral and written work with a relation to music. The festival, co-curated by Jill Adam and John Robb, is in its fourth of incarnation and prides itself on being the only festival that “interrogates the enduring love affair between music and the written word”.  Held at The Palace Hotel in Manchester it will celebrate the relationship between words, music and writing and the crossovers that so often occur.

The festival consists of a large selection of events including an opening party on the Friday, panels, discussions, performances and readings, as well as a book launch, Thunder’s ‘Giving The Game Away – The Thunder Story’. The panels cover a wide range of topics including  ‘Sleeve Notes’ ‘The Aesthetic of our Anger – Subculture Network’ and ‘Punk’, these names don’t reveal but seem to present some fascinating points of discussion on the cross-overs of writing and music. The variety of events occurring certainly seem to crossover to all sorts of genre, with a Poetry Slam on the Sunday and some commentary on music journalism. Artists such as Wolfgang Flur from Kraftwerk; Kristin Hersh from Throwing Muses; Brix Smith from The Fall; Steve Ignorant and Penny Rimbaud, Woody Woodmansey (following the death of David Bowie, the last surviving Spider from Mars) and key authors such as Barney Hoskyns, Matthew Collin and Mick Middles will all be in attendance.

The full weekend pass costs £60 but each individual event is ticketed, so you can pick and choose whatever takes your fancy, with some events being free and others as little as £5. There is a huge amount of events going on. To book tickets and find out more go online to their website here and look out for our review of the weekend in the upcoming weeks.

An eyewitness account from the union bar

Written by Chloe Hatton on . Posted in News.

Trump’s victory was a surprise to many, even his own supporters who were draped in American flags and Trump hats, grouped together in the Students’ Union. Before polling closed the atmosphere was electric — people laughing and chatting and playing drinking games, gearing themselves up for the long night.

It soon became clear that the vast majority of students attending were pro Hillary, or at least ‘not Trump’. During this memorable night, the effects of the most divisive election in recent history could certainly be seen.

As the votes started to roll in, many dismissed the early lead Trump was taking, given that his first victories were traditionally Republican states. There were huge cheers whenever the projections showed a Democrat state, and equally huge cheers from the comparatively small in number, but very loud, Trump supporters at a Republican one.

What they lacked in numbers they certainly made up for in enthusiasm, a trait which has been shown time and time again throughout this election. It soon became clear, however, that their presence was causing some friction, with small arguments taking place, directed at those wearing the very recognisable red caps.

They were met with withering looks and a curt “sit down, you’re embarrassing yourselves”. It was certainly difficult to try and talk to them, but eventually an explanation from what seemed to be the epicentre of this group, a cap-wearing student draped in the American flag, was given. According to him, “the fact is Hillary’s corporation is corrupt — Trump wants to lower taxes for hard-working americans and he is better for Britain as he would put us first in a trade deal, whereas Hillary used to be under investigation from the FBI”, which was promptly met with the rather eloquent retort of “[expletive]”. It certainly seemed as though tensions were running high.

However, it seemed that some individuals were using Trump not just as an ideal President but as a reason to get under people’s skin — something he himself is obviously very adept at doing, with some claiming “I’m just here to troll people”. It certainly seemed as though nobody was actually expecting him to become America’s 45th President.

As the night progressed however, it became clear that Trump wasn’t just winning safe Republican states, and this was the point when everybody started to either fear or hope that he might just edge ahead. The excitement evaporated fast whilst the tension increased. There was less cheering and less laughter, everybody just waiting for the next prediction to be made.

Hillary was not managing to keep all of her hope for Democratic states, instead surrendering them to Trump. The final blow, however, came as Florida was announced at 4:30 AM. The news was met with looks of both shock and glee, but all with the same question — how did this happen?

All predictions had shown that if Florida had gone to Hillary, then Trump’s chances of Presidency would have been very slim. However, his 49.1 per cent of the vote to Clinton’s 47.8 per cent ensured his path was free, and it was at this point that it became clear that he was the probable winner.

The majority of students watching being anti-Trump, this obviously caused some problems.

As his supporters became more rowdy, tempers flared and things really got heated, with a fight breaking out between groups of supporters.

This was swiftly broken up and, as a result, the footage was cut off in what may seem to some to be a rather anticlimactic end to what was certainly a roller coaster of a night.

PlayStation hacked again

Written by Stephen Lewis on . Posted in Games.

Over the past few days, and possibly even before that, it has begun to appear that Sony’s PlayStation Network has been hacked in some form, but this time limited to the UK. Reports have come in of users getting locked out of their accounts as it no longer recognises either their email address or password. Following this, large sums of money have been taken out of associated bank accounts and placed into their PlayStation Store wallets, with values in the region of £120 being claimed in some instances, according to game news channel The Know on YouTube.

This is not the same as the PSN outage back in 2011, as that took the service itself offline, and affected more than just the UK. It also included the leaking of approximately 77-million account details to malicious hackers, one of the largest data security breaches in history, and the largest breach of any gaming network ever. As a response to the 2011 incident, Sony had a sort of compensation campaign which included a choice of free games and a free 30-day subscription to PlayStation Plus. This situation is nowhere near as large in scale, but the effects are still troubling, especially if you become one of the gamers affected.

A brief look at the PSN UK support account on Twitter (@AskPS_UK) shows the sheer volume of support requests that have come in regarding this matter. Whilst Sony isn’t exactly covering up the situation, they are responding to all support request and trying to fix the issue, this story has not been covered as widely as perhaps it should be. If you own either a PS4, PS3 or are one of the few PS Vita owners, I strongly urge you to change your account password as soon as possible, regardless of whether you brought consoles to university or not. If you own a PS4 you can also take an extra measure by enabling two-step verification from the settings menu. This is also possible on PS3 and Vita but can only be enabled from either a PS4 or the PlayStation website. On these older systems you will instead be shown a single-use code to enter into your password box upon login, after already entering your email and password as usual.

Confidence in Sony has been hurt in the past by such security failings, but there is still strong support from amongst consumers, as shown by the stellar sales the PS4 has enjoyed over its lifecycle so far. With the release of the PS4 Pro on the 10th of November, this hasn’t come at the best of times for Sony, but hopefully this issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

The US Election result exposes our ignorance

Written by David Moseley on . Posted in Opinion.

It seems that many people woke up on Wednesday with the foggy headache and the sickly unease of a post-election hangover, regardless of whether you stayed for the self-medicating and drinking, or tried to sleep through the storm. Waking to the news of a Trump presidency made a grey Manchester that bit greyer. There was a post-Brexit type heaviness; an atmosphere of mourning.

Throughout the day following the election, there emerged an expected slew of articles about how the world will end, how Americans are all preparing to run for the Canadian border, and the suggestion that Queen Elizabeth will reclaim sovereignty of the US. Facebook. If it looked anything like my feed, it was riddled with disbelief, outrage, disappointment,  and comparisons to the day Hitler won a majority in the German Reichstag, amongst other predictable responses.

It was a day of knowing looks, unfortunate grimaces, and the difficulty of starting a conversation with the unavoidable whiff of President-elect Donald Trump in the air. The topic of the result seemed to act as a suction machine to all other conversation. Once you start down that path it’s difficult to talk about anything else. Everyone felt like they had to say something, despite there not being an awful lot to say, apart from: what the Trump just happened?

If you thought we were clear of a Donald-dominated media, you share in the misguided idealism of a Bernie Sanders voter. Whilst this election cycle — which arguably began as long ago as March 2015, with the first candidacy announcements — is over, the speculation is only just beginning. Now that we have somewhat recovered from the shock, the internet is flooded with both ‘end of the world’ doomsdayers and the ‘don’t panic’ camp.

What the surprise victories of the US election and Brexit show is that our societies are not what we thought they were. Many of us believed that a Trump victory or leaving the EU were impossible because everyone we knew voted against them, or would have. And by “everyone” I mean the people we know on Facebook, the friends we have, other students in the mostly left-leaning liberal university bubble. To come into contact with a Brexiter or Trump supporter are relative novelties at university.

These protest votes for political ‘outsiders’ is largely to do with the phenomenon of globalisation. Many of us students have the resources and time to travel and study abroad. For us, globalisation means opportunity, now and in the future. But in truth, large swathes of Britain and America feel disenfranchised by this process.

Take Boston in Lincolnshire, England, as an example. This borough voted 75.6% for ‘Leave’ in June and has the highest population of Eastern Europeans outside of London. It was reported in the New Statesmen that white British residents in the town feel unwelcome due to the density of Polish, Latvian, and Lithuanian shops and restaurants. To them, open borders and immigration isn’t Erasmus grants and Full Moon beach parties on your gap year travels through Thailand; rather, it means not recognising your own home town and the languages being spoken around you.

In the same way, white working-class Americans (who constitute the bulk of Trump’s supporters) feel displaced in a global economic system in which jobs move abroad and the competition of international markets drive down labour costs. In the post-industrial Mid-West, there is a feeling that the world is moving on and leaving America behind.

On this point, in a recent Guardian piece, Thomas Frank argued that economic concerns were more important than racist motivations, and that, unfortunately, many people have formed their own simplistic ideas of what Trump supporters think. The illogic of fringe bigots makes a better 30 second slab in your news feed than the economic anxiety of a blue-collar worker.

We do ourselves a disservice by so easily writing off supporters of populist movements as racist. In doing so, there is a risk of ignoring the rest of their concerns. Bigoted attitudes are not limited to the ageing relatives who talk fondly of a pre-EU Britain; nor are they confined to that Facebook friend who shares Britain First posts while everyone else is bashing out Mic and Vice pieces. Many of us have withdrawn into our own internet enclaves and dismissed the views of a large social group. Now, we pay the price for our ideological blind-spots.

There are a myriad of reasons for Tuesday’s result, which other commentators probably understand better and can express more concisely than I have here. As I see it, one of the greatest lessons to be learned is that there is a great deal of ignorance to the range of opinions within our societies. In the wake of Brexit, Alexander Betts gave a TEDtalk in which he observed that the vote to leave the EU, “suggested that people like me who think of ourselves as inclusive, open, and tolerant, perhaps don’t know our own countries and societies nearly as well as we like to believe.”

In any case, we now face the inundation of predictions and guesswork about what all of this means for the US, for us in the UK, and for the wider world. In the meantime, life goes on. Mr Trump, the initial joker candidate and now-President-elect, will continue to be part of it.

 

Manchester Fashion Weekender event

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Last weekend saw Manchester launch their first Fashion Weekender event hosted at the Arndale Centre.  Visitors had the chance to learn about the hottest new trends set to take Autumn/Winter by storm and also hazard their luck on getting their hands on the huge selection of freebies that were on offer. The event collaborated with top make-up brand Kiko Milano who’s make up artists were on hand to spruce up your daytime look with a full makeover or simply touch up your lippie before you continued on with the rest of your day.

The event included a game of Style Spinner, whereby shoppers had to match the three catwalk models from the same retailer which were displayed on the screens. Not only was the game a bit of fun, there were also amazing prizes up for grabs. Even the losers got to choose from a selection of Kiko’s nail varnishes, while the lucky winners received vouchers to spend anywhere in the Arndale Centre. I am happy to say that I was a proud recipient of both prizes and cannot wait to take a cheeky stroll down to Topshop and get money off my next purchase.

Now freebies aside, we were also enlightened about the hottest trends that are about to hit the stores this season. The lovely Arabella Greenhill of InStyle magazine informed us of what styles we should be currently coveting this Autumn/Winter. Arabella revealed her journey to success, breaking into the industry as a model before going on to work as an assistant, an editor and now to her current role as fashion director at InStyle. Her credentials also include working at some of the top fashion magazines in the industry from Marie Claire to Vogue. Fresh from the fashion weeks, Arabella gave us the scoop on what trends stormed the runway. Velvet is back in a big way, turtlenecks are as chic as ever and our bags need to be miniscule, only leaving room for our ultimate accessory: our iPhones.

Moving away from high fashion, Arabella revealed which looks have been translated onto the high street and that were available to buy from shops in the Arndale. Starting with coats, puffa coats are a wardrobe staple, with Topshop doing a sophisticated twist on the classic design. Pale pink, longline and satin, this coat is surely a winner and should have a firm place on your upcoming Christmas wish list. The next coat up was the black, shearling flight jacket available from Warehouse, one of my particular favourites and also up for winning. This style is dominating fashion this season and for one lucky girl the Warehouse beauty is now hanging in her wardrobe ready to face Manchester’s freezing winter. Finally, the print we should all be rocking is cat print. It’s time to unleash your inner cat lady and embrace this trend for the coming winter.

A fantastic event promoting the Arndale Centre and all of the fabulous shops it has to offer. From freebies to fashion top tips, this event is not one to be missed and should have its place in every Mancunian fashion lover’s diary.

 

 

Hispi

Written by Miriam Mizzi on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Hearing a new restaurant is opening nearby always fills me with a slight nervous excitement. In October, Hispi, a new bistro brought to us by Gary Usher, opened its doors to the keen residents of East Didsbury. Gary’s previous ventures include The Sticky Walnut in Chester and Burnt Truffle in Heswell, which both continue to have outstanding reputations. Therefore, my usual nervous excitement was pushing on to a more urgent fidget.

Despite some awful delays caused by the 142 bus being somewhat infrequent this evening, the genuine front of house waitress welcomed us in and beckoned us to a candlelit table. I was finally sat in Hispi’s exposed brick, relaxed yet chic, dining room. My initial feeling was that I was actually back at home, in leafy Surrey, in one of my friends’ homes where I feel more than comfortable putting my feet up on the sofa while sipping on a much needed, end of week glass of wine. The wall, which is decorated with a large mirror, boasts the names of the people who contributed to this crowdfunded project, it shows the respect Hispi has towards their help. The gentle hint of tasteful classic music immediately allowed my ‘being late’ stress to float away and my attention to turn to the simple sheet of paper that was presented in front of me and the thick, well-filled drinks menu. We ordered some Italian white wine, which I deem a must, and began to mull over the food options. The menu was littered with seasonal ingredients, especially truffle, which was fitting due us being in the depth of truffle season. We felt the need to venture into all corners of the menu in order to gain a real insight into the themes and flavours Hispi wants to bring to South Manchester.

We started by sharing the truffle potato salad. A small introduction into just how well Hispi can make simple ingredients dance on your tastebuds. This rich, creamy, oniony dish was scraped clean in seconds. Next, came our mains. I chose the Gressingham duck breast, due to duck being one of my go to meats when indulging. My plate was artistically splattered with celeriac puree, confit garlic, crisped young onions, a vibrant green parsley sauce, roasted shallots and a single spring onion, which all worked together to push to view the beautifully pink slices of duck.  Each carefully engineered element to this dish was necessary and added to the dish in a unique way, my favourite being the softened hearty pockets of garlic and the texture of the crispy onions. My eating partner opted for braised featherblade beef with grilled broccoli, truffle and parmesan crisps. Despite looking a little less elegant than the duck dish, the hearty flavours were unmatchable, this dish really was ‘no-frills attached’ good food. Our experience of the savoury parts of Hispi’s menu was definitely one to remember and to pass on under our breaths to fellow Manchester food lovers.

Although neither of us are renowned for having a sweet tooth, Hispi’s desert menu can tempt even the strongest dessert cynics. We decided to share the parkin (a rich gingerbread flavour cake) which came with a butterscotch sauce and a creme fraiche sorbet. Its intense flavour reminded me of my favourite childhood school dinner desserts. Some might think of their school’s food as horrifying, but the desserts were always a winner in my eyes. This dessert balanced the extremely sweet, perfectly with a quenelle of slightly sour crème fraiche, and worked to finish off our dining experience in an impressive manner.

Hispi’s atmosphere is what I’d like to call refined homeliness. Somewhere that feels special, yet you can relax in. Hispi’s food is what I’d like to call elegant heartiness. Somewhere that serves visually perfected food, which still warms your insides with flavour.

@hungoverhabits

Review: Rocky Horror Show

Written by Elise Gallagher on . Posted in Theatre.

I feel there needs to be an important disclaimer to this review: my only experience of Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show was the song Time Warp, and I thought that was all there was to know. How wrong I was.

Something swept over Manchester on that frightful night, as we approached Manchester Opera House brightly coloured wigs dotted nearby pedestrians, every now and then until we made it to the stage door, we were in a sea of sequins, corsets, red lip stick, and suspenders.

My friend and I have been attending plays for many years, ranging from the quirky and sometimes frankly odd productions above pubs to West End musicals. So when audience members began to shout out “gang bang” and “blow job” at the night’s narrator (Charlie Condou) my friend turned white. Before we realised that this was a part of the show audience members thrung themselves on their feet to dance to the Time Warp (again) — it went against every theatre etiquette rule in the book and I loved it.

The interuptions got too much for Condou however to the point where he had to re go over his lines on stage, at one particular instance he started his whole paragraph again complete with exit and re-entrance. But I feel that’s the beauty of this show, it is fun and it is hysterical. I was absolitely exhausted when I’d left but the thrill of seeing men, top half clothed by the stereotypical office shirt and tie to slowly peer down to see their legs donned with fishnets, garter and high heels I wouldn’t even attempt to stand in.

One person I refuse not to let go without note is Kristian Lavercombe as Riff Raff. Lavercombe has performed in the Rocky Horror Show nearly a thousand times, most notably for the UK’s 40th Anniversary Tour, the New Zealand and Asian Tours, and also the recent Australian Tour – where he performed alongside the shows creator and original Riff Raff — Richard O’Brien. I still now to this day have his verse from There’s a Light Over at the Frankenstein Place  — trust me, you’ll know when it’s his verse.

Another cast member, who of course had to steal the show, was Liam Tamne as Frank N Furter arguably new to the Rocky Horror Show tour, Tamne confessed he didn’t actually know much about the show until he got the part but easily embodied the charasmatic role.

Although some have said there isn’t much of a storyline and that what there is serves as a mere vehicle for fluff and filthiness, I believe the comedic nature of the narrative is a breathe of fresh air for audiences. It is fun viewing, not strict blink and you’ll miss it. The point of the show isn’t the nature, it’s the fun of being there experiencing it all. Every song hits the right note, every cackle, heckle, and scream satisfied the audience. The song Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me performed by Hayley Flaherty (who plays the role of Janet brillaintly), was by far the most fun and catchy.

If you like a bit of fun, and it doesn’t have to be the kinky kind, it is impossible not enjoy this show. I’m looking for a ticket now.

The luxurious four

Written by Tarun Daryanani on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

1)    DIOR: The classic Parisian label has undergone constant reinventions since Christian Dior passed. Many creative visionaries have nurtured the label, expanding the brand’s portfolio but retaining key pieces, including the Dior Bar Jacket. The clinched-in waist exudes a sexiness that is subtle and elegant. The versatility of the fine tailored jacket enables it to be a key evening and day piece; the one that empowers the seductive, modern-day, working woman. Another key piece is the Lady Dior bag. The boxy square frame accentuates a certain gracefulness about the woman carrying it. Whilst Dior seemingly conveys the image of Princess Diana turned mod, it does also sustain the level of grace that flows through the DNA of the label.

The brand has evolved throughout the years and constantly transforms its aesthetic. Galliano was a key successor, developing the brand’s vision to include dark, romantic sheer gowns oozing sex appeal with low cleavage cuts and slashed side panels. Micro-short skirts paired with seductive boots reinvented the Dior woman into one who could confidently strut down a Parisian street, inevitably turning all heads. Raf Simons followed this, combining a modern Futurism with the elegant roots of the brand. Most recently Maria Grazia Churi has taken over the creative helm, presenting a refreshed Dior palette; one that channels vulnerability whilst staying true to the brand’s famous aesthetic as set by its founding designer. Therefore despite a constant change in creative direction, Dior’s key pieces are rooted in history and retain craftsmanship of the finest quality that would (hopefully) set the modern fashionista Dior crazy.

Photo: perspexstream @Flickr

2)    VERSACE: Sex Sells. This statement has proven to be true, especially for the modern day seducer and attention grabber. Gowns with slashes to the upper thigh teamed with 6-inch platform sandals place the Versace wearer apart from the crowd. The brand injects a high volume of sultriness that presents the Versace woman as one to be slightly feared but lusted after nonetheless; female empowerment is at the label’s forefront. Italian craftsmanship makes the brand one of the luxury giants, whether it be Swarovski-adorned straps or golden Medusa heads embellishing the buttons of body-hugging blazers. Sexiness is a term most identifiable with Versace and the brand dresses the woman who moves as if she were on a catwalk 24/7. The ubiquitous influence of a Versace-clad individual is all down to the power of each provocative piece.

Photo: vpickering @Flickr

3)    ALEXANDER WANG: People say that the modern day hipster cannot have the edge over everyone else; they are too “basic”. Wrong! Wang can make a youthful fashion rebel grungy whilst keeping her fashion savvy. Fluffy beanies and leather skirts teamed with metallic emblazoned boots epitomises a streetwear-inspired punk, whilst staying true to high fashion conduct. Lambskin leather and cashmere fuse to form dresses and oversized sweaters that place the WANG girl ahead of the fashion times, and mismatched fabrics make for the ultimate statement piece.

Photo: georgp @Flickr

4)    CHANEL: The name immediately springs to mind classics: tweed suits, pearls and the 2.55 bag. Chanel is a juggernaut in the fashion world as a leader of undeniable quality and design. The classic 2.55 bag always whets the fashion hungry appetite, with everyone lusting after it. Made of the softest leather paired with the gold lock makes the Chanel item one of the most coveted. The fact that this bag increases in value with age makes it a necessity. The tweed suits also exemplify the elegance and heritage of the label. It transforms our silhouette from ordinary to chic, providing a visionary woman who would undoubtedly obsess over Sauvignon Blanc and some black truffle at the Ritz.

Photo: banyan_tree @Flickr

The ‘Left’ and the working class

Written by Sam Glover on . Posted in Opinion.

It is depressing that many people will go to see I, Daniel Blake, declare it a masterpiece, and then continue to despise the kind of people the film is about. For years, many on the left have secretly disliked the people they pretend to care about. They send their kids to elite private schools so there is no chance that their Percivals and Penelopes will mix with the Darrens and Debbies. In private, they make jokes about chavs, sneer at the kind of clothes that the poor wear, and mock the way that the working class talk. I know this to be true not because I am some wacky conspiracy theorist, but because I have heard many times how the rich, and especially the “left-wing” rich, talk about the poor.

In times after the EU Referendum, this kind of cruelty and unpleasantness has become even more common. Not only that, it is positively encouraged. You are free to say that anyone who voted Leave is an imbecile, or that they were tricked and beguiled into voting the way they did. Going even further, you are free to say that the reason people voted Leave was because many of them are on the dole and resentful of immigrants who have jobs.

People who pretend they are left-wing are now openly mocking the unemployed. However, if it is even faintly suggested that most Remain voters weren’t aware of the nuances of the debate, or that they were lied to, there is an immediate outpouring of fury and scorn. Never mind the fact that the Remain campaign lied whenever it felt compelled to (Did that Brexit budget ever happen?) and never mind the fact that the latest polling by BMG Research shows that Remainers now lead referendum regret rates, at four to Leave’s three per cent. Fact and reason don’t matter, all that matters is that Remain’s lie machine marches on unabated.

Most people who voted Leave were not tricked; they did not fall for some terrible swindle. The official Leave campaign might have had its share of hucksters but most ordinary people are actually thoughtful, intelligent, and critical. If I offered you a pint of lager and told you that it had some magical healing property, you might well accept the lager, whilst acknowledging that the reason I said you should take it was nonsense.

This is what happened with regards to most leave voters. Very few people were taken in by the lies of the Leave campaign, in the same way that very few people were taken in by the (less publicised) lies of the Remain campaign. Many Remain voters have somehow got it into their heads that all Leave voters fell for some nasty con, when in fact they didn’t.

Patriotism is a dirty word. Allegedly, if you love your country, you don’t understand the fact that nobody chooses where they are born and it is foolish to be proud of it. Unless of course, you are declaring your love for Europe or the European Union. In that case, of course your patriotism is justified and righteous, mon amie!

Flying a Union Flag or St. George’s Cross is deemed to be the mark of a plebeian. The flag of the EU is, of course, a wonderful symbol of international co-operation and peace on the continent. This sentiment is not confined to the EU. Huge numbers of “left-wing” people cannot stand the idea that the working-class won’t do as they’re told or think what they’re supposed to. If you’re a working class person who supports the idea that who goes to the best schools ought to be decided by an exam rather than a bank balance or a post-code — which is a proxy for a bank balance — prepare for the left’s Twitter hate mobs.

It goes further even than politics. There are pernicious tropes in popular culture that serve to attack the working class. The reason that footballers are held in such contempt for their huge salaries isn’t that they are rich. Rather, is because many of them are from working class backgrounds. It is because, instead of spending their money on expensive paintings, they buy practical things like cars. Of course, the rich have created code words so that you can attack footballers without revealing your class prejudices.

Many people say things such as, “Why should these guys be paid so much for kicking a ball around?”, or “footballers waste all their money on vulgar rubbish”. What they mean to say is, “The reason I dislike millionaire footballers but like millionaire comedians is because the footballers are from poor backgrounds”.

Not all left-wing people think these things, and not all the people who think these things are left-wing. But there are hordes of liberal Europhiles who take up left-wing causes not because they actually care about the poor, and not because they think they can take action to improve peoples’ lives, but because they think that it is simply what people like them ought to do. They couldn’t possibly vote Conservative. But do not be absorbed by their rhetoric; they despise the poor just as much as, if not more than, the Conservatives do.

Review: Black Mirror, Men Against Fire

Written by Danielle Kosky on . Posted in Film.

You know when you feel so anxious with anticipation about something but you know you have to wait a while for that event to happen and you feel so frustrated because, for God’s sake, why can’t it just happen now? The world is an extremely unfair place and for it to have withheld the new season of Black Mirror for such an abominable amount of time is an almost grotesque act of unkindness.

However, this feeling is now over and all I am left with is this sense of horrible disappointment. I realise the vast majority of people are singing their praises and saying how Charlie Brooker has smashed it yet again, but I could not disagree more.

Men Against Fire in particular was high on my list of failures by Brooker. Now don’t get me wrong, the plot was exciting and fast-paced, but it lacked originality. The message Brooker tried to give off was way too transparent and the atmosphere was nowhere near gritty enough. Dark it certainly was, and cleverly futuristic? Yes, that too. But it wasn’t anything I hadn’t seen before.

Where was the more subtle political message from The National Anthem or Fifteen Million Merits? What Brooker has attempted to achieve is to add variety to the season by adding more diversity in the genres for each episode however in doing so he has lost any distinctive creativeness or excitement that was prevalent in the first two seasons. To me, it seems as if he is trying to appeal to a wider audience (namely the American one) and in doing so he has lost any ability to surprise us.

Men Against Fire deals with the theme of refugees and war and how the media and the government manipulate the way we view them. In typical Brooker fashion, he sculpts the entire plot around a futuristic technological aspect. Malachi Kirby, our star of the episode admittedly plays an outstanding performance as the hero, Stripe. He skilfully portrays what it means to be truly human, the way in which we strive to be good people but ultimately, under the right circumstances we fail and it’s this failure that we aim to forget at all costs.

What is meant to be the most distinctive aspect of the episode is the fact that the enemy are made up to be disfigured humans and referred to as “roaches”, an obvious allusion to the way we treat current refugees or victims of war in other countries, such as Syria. Madeleine Brewer from Orange is the New Black revives her role as an addict, but this time, she is addicted to a different kind of shooting. One particularly haunting line, and perhaps the only one that made any impression on me is when she comments to Stripe (after having killed multiple “roaches”) “You know if I got two in one go, I would want to come for like an hour!”. This to me sums up Brooker’s intention with the episode. The way we perceive refugees and victims of war is similar to the way we view cockroaches.

Unfortunately however, this message only comes across as familiar and whilst the moral of this story needs to be told and understood considering the tragic and urgent crisis currently going on, in terms of plot and style it left me yearning for the old, messed up Brooker, who left your mouth literally hanging wide open. I needed more shrewd realism rather than such a full on and outspoken critique, something that would have stood out to me more than this.

2.5/5