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Day: 14 November 2016

The Trafford Centre: Not your average shopping experience

Manchester’s Intu Trafford Centre has a hell of a lot to offer. From the largest food court in Europe, to the busiest cinema in the UK (and not to mention over 200 shops) Manchester’s largest shopping centre certainly has it all. But what exactly is it that separates this centre from the rest?

The answer is simple, architecture. Opened in 1998, you might expect a fairly modern approach to this ultimate shopping experience. Originally owned by The Peel Group, it’s chairman, John Whittaker had other plans for the project. Whittaker convinced architects to create a one-of-a-kind centre, inspired by a collection of eras and styles.

He said: “When we first started the architects said, “you shouldn’t be doing all this and giving it all the razzmatazz and showbiz, leave that to the retailers. Make it plain, make it clinical, make it white and hospitalised and let them do the work”. So then we put in the paintings, we put in the real gold leaf, we put artefacts everywhere, paintings. It is the people’s palace. It is something to attract shoppers … to give them the Dallas effect.”

The vast shopping centre spans over two floors and involved an innovative design that ensures an equal number of entrances on both floors to avoid upper-floor retailers from missing out on custom. There is also a third floor which has a 23-screen ODEON cinema, a laser quest, and a mini-golf experience.

The extra large food court is known as The Orient, and is designed to look like a 1930’s cruise ship. This gigantic eating area also includes street-like areas inspired by countries from around the world including New Orleans and Egypt, among many others. It is not every shopping centre that has a miniature set of the Sphinx.

Crossing the threshold into the Great Hall is like stepping onto the Titanic. A stunning addition to the centre in 2007, and costing a whopping £26 million, the Great Hall is truly sensational. The extension is encased in marble imported from China and is thought to home to the largest chandelier in the world. You cannot help but imagine Leo waiting for you on the grand marble staircase, hand outstretched, donned in his dashing tux. A girl can dream.

The Main Dome is claimed to be larger than that of St Paul’s Cathedral in London. And, given its grandeur – that would not be surprising. Donned in gold detailing and adorned with semi-nude paintings and sculptures, there is no other entrance to a Selfridge’s store quite like it.

Walking through the Trafford Centre you are truly transported to a different age. Each step is a different country, a different period, a different inspiration. The Peel Group set out to give an alternative shopping experience to its patrons, and let’s face it; you don’t see many 20th Century Art Deco shopping centres now do you?

Top 5: Spoken Word Songs

Sometimes, spoken word is all you need.

1) The Revolution Will Not be Televised — Gil Scott-Heron
This powerful song has influenced a huge number of musicians since it was recorded in 1971. The brilliantly defiant lyrics were hugely important in the black power movement and continues to hold a haunting relevance today.

2) Car Radio — Twenty One Pilots
Love them or not, these guys are leading a revolutionary movement in music. There is something truly captivating about this melodic marriage of raw honesty in the lyrics and a simultaneously dreamy and dance-y instrumentals, climaxing with hard hitting screams of “silence”.

3) Chapter Twelve: Shores, and The New World — Levi the Poet
Lyrics weaved effortlessly into beautiful narrative, Levi is a true story teller. He transports you into his world, immersing you in the layers of his voice. A painter with his words and his voice.

4) Body Love Part 1 — Mary Lambert
The brutal honesty of this track will haunt you for a long time after listening. The message of this song is conveyed almost painfully in the tone of her voice. Not easy listening, but necessary listening.

5) Tiny Glowing Screens Part 2 — Watsky
Simplistic piano chords layered with cathartic rap. There is something deeply honest about this song that all seven billion and forty seven million of us can connect with. Sobering and poignant, George Watsky uses his voice to evoke emotion like no one else.

Manchester Open Mind Network host successful anxiety panel discussion

On the 7th of November, newly established society Manchester Open Mind Network played host to a panel of anxiety experts, aiming to discuss the causes and solutions of the condition for student sufferers.

Anxiety and related conditions such as PTSD have become a huge problem amongst young people, with an estimated 20 per cent of students expected to experience some form of mental health illness during their times at university. Unfortunately, the panel also discussed how 35 per cent of those living with a condition will not seek help. Thus, the event aimed to combat this issue by challenging the stigma surrounding mental health.

The event had an excellent turn out, with the room easily becoming filled within the first ten minutes. Each speaker talked through their own experiences with anxiety and depression, giving moving accounts of how this affected their lives and, most importantly, how they learnt to combat the condition. Three main coping mechanisms were explained: Mindfulness; Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Esteemed hypnotherapist Dianne explained how the mind works in a triangular manner, with thoughts, emotions and actions being directly interconnected and interdependent on each other. She went into detail about how anxiety occurs when the brain becomes trapped in a cycle of thoughts and feelings, with an inability to complete actions. Dianne advised that the best way to tackle this problem was to exercise ‘mindfulness’ by focussing on your safety and security in the present moment, rather than worrying about potential issues in the future.

After a few more speakers shared their experiences and combative strategies the event moved to a Q&A: here the panel discussed reasons as to why anxiety had become such a prominent issue amongst young people.

Some stated that this may be due to a feeling of disempowerment amongst youths, particularly in light of rising tuition fees and youth unemployment. Others also referenced how the internet had hugely contributed to an increase in anxiety amongst young people, as exposure to such vast amounts of information and broad range of opinions could be both confusing and intimidating.

In particular, the panel related the prominence of body dysmorphia, especially in young women, as attributable to the internet with images of celebrities’ ‘perfect bodies’ creating great pressure amongst young women to be thin.

Finally, the event closed with a speech from society members stating how a student could seek help if they were struggling with a mental health issue.

As 1 in 5 people suffer from anxiety in the UK, with women from 15-50, being the most likely to develop the condition, the need for student support has never be so great.

If you are concerned that you or a friend may be suffering from a mental health illness then you can contact Manchester Open Mind Network by liking their Facebook page and direct messaging them.

Equally, Student Advice Services (located on the bottom floor of the Students’ Union, next to Student Voice) run a drop in session where you can walk in and ask for free advice in a non-judgemental environment.

A student life: the free speech advocate

Jo Mitchison was not your typical passionate student free speech advocate. Instead of being a passionate alt-right, clad in a ‘Make America great again’ cap to honour the new President elect, and carrying in a copy of the Daily Star in mockery of its recent ban, in walked Jo.

Clad not in a red cap, but a knitted cardie and purple scarf, Jo, who despite warning me she was woefully full of cold and may not be sparkling, was someone you could not help but warm to.

Jo, a mature student in her first year of studying adult nursing, is a part of the Free speech and secular society (FSS) and described herself as a feminist and liberal leftie, not two descriptions I imagine many would  have expected to come before ‘free speech advocate’ in the landscape of today’s student politics.

We met in the Students’ Union, surroundings which could have stirred up animosity for my interviewee, yet instead the interview ended with Jo saying she “would just love to see a dialogue” set up between her society and the Union.

She even suggested an event could be held for there to be a breakthrough in relations, arguing they just “need to be talking more. We’re never going to fix the world if we’re just shouting at each other from opposite sides of the wall” and then when they do talk they might “find we’re not on opposite sides of the wall at all, but unless we start talking we’re never going to find that out are we?”

During the interview Jo admitted the society is having to enforce some reputation damage control this year, alluding to the string of reports of clashes with the Students’ Union Exec team, most famously in the case of the Milo Yiannopoulos and Julie Bindel no-platforming and the displaying of the controversial Charlie Hebdo cover. Jo stressed that most of this “bad reputation” was out of control of the society. She lamented the fact “that people from the Students’ Union just do not want anything to do with us, and I know we’ve been called crazy right-wing, Nazis, which is really misinformed”. Apparently invitations have been extended to the Exec, “but there is just an unwillingness to engage with us, probably because they think we’re a bunch of evil people but that’s wrong! It’s really wrong.”

Jo actually got involved in the FSS off the back of the Yiannopolos and Bindel controversy, after standing in to organise the Yiannopolos event on campus which eventually went ahead away from the Union building. After that Jo was kept on as what she describes as the ‘informal social events organiser’.

Our conversation started in the same way every conversation has probably started since Wednesday morning, with Trump. Jo believes the culture of not engaging with controversial topics it partly to blame for the result, as it has created “a sort of echo chamber.”

She argued that when “people say ‘I don’t agree with that opinion at all, that must make you a terrible person, and I’m going to ignore you to show that I disapprove of what you say’ that doesn’t stop them thinking what they think, talking and mobilising and eventually apparently winning really important votes.”

Jo spoke passionately about her belief that when people feel “shunned” and thought of as “terrible people” it only adds to the problem. She believes “if you don’t argue with those people they’re not going to change their mind, they’re just going to talk to people who agree with them, and it’s just always going to be polar opposites at odds.”

We then turned to safe spaces and trigger warnings, the two areas where free speech activists have clashed with unions most. Against what many might have expected, Jo claimed, acknowledging it might surprise some to find out, that she thinks “it’s great that there is somewhere where you know you can come and they’re not going to tolerate abuse.”

Jo revealed she had taught at a university level before and had herself imposed a sort of trigger warning before each lecture, explaining that if she thought a topic might be difficult for some “I’d just give them a bit of a heads up the week before and if they just decide ‘well I can’t have this, they just wouldn’t come’, it’s kind of just good manners.”

Jo then opened up to explain how this response stemmed from the personal tragedy of her Dad dying when she was young. She recalled skiving school if she knew that they would be doing family members in languages, because she “was terrified. I didn’t want to have to say, my Dad is dead.”

While she believed that in this sense safe spaces and trigger warnings were good she still believes things can “go a bit far”, we need to keep “discussing controversial thing, things that might offend you,  these are important ideas to engage with, because they’re out there, and they need challenging, discussing and combating.”

The most recurring theme in no-platforming seems to surround people’s opinions on trans issues, which Jo addressed, acknowledging that she is not a trans person and was speaking from her “own privileged position.” She explained her belief that we need to accept “people have questions about it, they don’t understand it. Some people are very against it, they probably don’t know much about it, and I completely understand it’s awful to be constantly questioned, constantly bullied, and all that kind of stuff, but they [critics] are not going anywhere.

“If we don’t engage with these awful, awful opinions, they’re just going to stay awful.”

I then wanted to explore more what it was like to be a “liberal leftie feminist” in a society which has been, as she described, compared to Nazis. Jo admitted it has been “challenging” because she had “never encountered these views before” and now she is encountering anti-feminists. However she celebrated the fact that people who she first met as really anti-feminist are “now less anti-feminist because they’ve talked to me so that’s got to be a good thing.”

Interestingly she claimed that while when she joined the society it was mainly right-wing, now it’s mainly left-wing. She explained this in relation to the way society is going: “Before the people whose opinions were seen as wrong and bad were the right-wingers, so they were the ones using the label of free speech to demand that they are heard, and that’s why free speech is associated with all these, in my opinion, terrible awful opinions.”

She admitted it is still this way in student politics as the NUS is still “definitely left wing, so they’ve got no reason to fight for what they’re trying to say, because it’s like they’re the ruling party and it’s the minority right-wingers who are saying ‘don’t silence us – free speech!’”

Yet she warned that “if you say to someone, ‘you can’t talk about that it’s a terrible awful opinion’, what happens if they get in charge? And they’re like ‘well you shut us up’?” I then brought up the recent calls by Tory councillor Christian Holliday for those still supporting EU membership to be charged with treason, as an example of the tables turning.

Jo agreed and claimed that “that’s why you’ve got to fight for free speech across the board, even though you might hugely, hugely disagree with it, because we need to uphold it, because you never know when it might be you needing free speech for something genuinely important to you.”

 

Course: Adult Nursing, first year

From: Newcastle

Balance of life/society: Terrible. She “works two jobs, so basically I do what I can when I can… So yeah I balance it with difficulty.

Best part: “Meeting people. We’ve got gay people, straight people, people who aren’t gender binary, people from all over the world it’s so interesting, and I’m just getting my ideas shaken up and changed and I always love that.”

Worst part: “Feeling frustrated that I can’t initiate the kind of dialogues I want to initiate and where I’ve tried I feel like I’m in the middle trying to say ‘no don’t shout at each other, let’s just talk.’”

Where will you be in 15 years?: In the middle of a nursing career, a published fictional writer — if I ever get time to write the damn book.

How do you get involved?: We have socials once a month normally at Kro and we have a Facebook page and a website which says when they are.

They are also running a series of events, called ‘Dangerous conversations’. The premise being “we’re going to discuss things that are controversial that people might feel that they’re not comfortable talking about normally and they’re certainly not comfortable giving their real opinions so it’s a non-judgemental open forum.”

Andy Burnham officially launches Manchester mayoral campaign

Andy Burnham is standing as Labour’s candidate for the first elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Speaking at the launch for his mayoral campaign, Burnham stated that “politics is broken” post-Brexit, which should be a wake-up call to politicians telling them that the north and south divide in our country is bigger than ever and that “we must challenge Westminster who have failed to support the people of the north.”

Burnham’s campaign mainly focuses on reducing the amount of attention that London receives from parliament and channelling that focus towards bigger issues such as creating better transport links for young children and students in our city.

Burnham stated that he wanted “a democratic solution” — which would be new forms of political engagement, resulting in people having more power over their own lives. Pre-referendum,

700,000 people voted to leave in Manchester, far more than those that wished to remain. Burnham stated that he understood why they voted to leave, having parliament dictate policies upon them and forcing them to live with what they have and not expect change.

Labour’s mayoral candidate believes that this campaign will be the “start of something radical and something new” and promises that in light of the US elections, we will not get ‘Trumped’, instead there should be a “cry for change”.

Burnham wants to make Manchester the most “inclusive, diverse and safest place”, claiming he wants to work with the people to write a manifesto, to make sure that the government are closer to them and to respond to what they are saying.

Burnham’s development in policy firstly focuses upon young people, claiming he will offer more opportunity in the surrounding communities. Young people are often claimed to be the main target for cuts however Burnham claims that what politicians fail to realise is that they are the future of today.

Burnham proposed that students between the ages 16–18 should receive free travel in Greater Manchester to encourage part-time jobs and extracurricular activities outside academia. A UCAS-style system should be created for those who prefer to move on to apprenticeships rather than university and companies should be asked to give more career paths for young adults without a degree.

For those that are newly graduated, Burnham wants to create links with international and UK companies to bring more professional jobs to Manchester so that more students are attracted to staying the city.

Burnham also addressed the need for more council housing, and his belief that those who work in care homes should paid more than the minimum wage.

When questioned about the lack of women in politics, Burnham became impassioned about changing our society’s mentality, adding that every tier of education should be more involved in parliament — Burnham wants to introduce a youth parliament to Manchester. He also stated that devolution would be a long process but one that was achievable.

A student life: the quidditch player

Livi Dickinson is an avid quidditch player. And yet, despite being someone who spends their free time running around a park with a fake broom between her legs, she is completely self-aware, down to earth and friendly. She is aware of quidditch’s eccentricities, but speaks with passion and enthusiasm both for the sport itself and the wider community that comes with it.

I started by asking perhaps the most obvious question – how does quidditch work in the real world? “First thing, we don’t fly, but we do have brooms, which are just kind of tube plastic things we run around with at all times,” Livi replied, somewhat disappointingly, “it’s a mix between rugby and dodgeball. It’s a full contact sport, and it’s based off Harry Potter, so you have the positions of chaser, you have beaters, you have keeper and you have a seeker, but the bludgers are dodgeballs instead, so they get thrown at you and if you get hit you have to dismount and run back to your hoops… and the chaser game is kind of the rugby aspect, you’ve got quaffles and you’ve got to try to run up to the other hoops.”

The weirdest part of the sport, however, is that of the snitch. Instead of a flying golden ball you have “a person, a neutral party who has basically a sock with a tennis ball in velcroed to the back of their shorts and they don’t have a broom, and the seekers have to try and grab the snitch without full contacting them, but the snitch can tackle them,” Livi grinned, clearly aware of how silly it sounds.

The sport ends up being a surprisingly solid interpretation of its fantastical inspiration: “It’s very like quidditch, we get recognised a lot in the park when we’re practicing,” Livi laughed.

Despite being perhaps a bit strange, and the Harry Potter series having finished both books and films, quidditch is growing at a remarkable rate, “there are nearly 40 teams across the country. They are all university based, it started in America so it’s very big there, but here it’s pretty big and there’s quite a good community here. This year’s British cup there are going to be 32 teams.”

Livi seems relatively hopeful of UoM’s chances this year too: “We’re quite a new team but we’re not as new as other teams, we’ve got a really good group this year.”

I asked Livi what made her get involved in quidditch in the first place. “I guess it’s because I’m a Harry Potter nerd?” she replied, “that was my first reason, and I wanted something to do for exercise but I’d never really done sport, so I thought this would be a good place to start, because a lot of people who do start playing quidditch have never played sport before, because it is that kind of welcoming community.”

This sense of community seems to be hugely important to Livi: “I stuck because it’s a really fun game and the whole community is really lovely,” she told me. “Everyone’s really nice to each other, I mean you get friendly rivalries… but everyone wants to support each other and you don’t feel cut out from the wider community at all.”

The community spirit even extends to the rules. Quidditch is a mixed gender sport, and so the rules are written specifically to be encouraging and inclusive to everybody. “The rules are gender inclusive specifically. The seeker comes on about twenty minutes in, before that you have six people on the pitch… and you can’t have more than four of one gender on the pitch at one time, so it makes sure that it doesn’t become a boys’ club, because it is quite physical, so it makes sure it’s not dominated by one group of people. And non-binary people are recognised as independent. Basically it just makes sure anyone can play if they want to play it, and I think it’s a really lovely thing that you don’t see in a lot of sports, that it’s encouraging people to play it and anyone can play it.”

So really, whilst it initially sounds slightly ridiculous, quidditch seems to provide a way for people to hang out and keep fit by doing something a bit silly, whilst getting to belong to an inclusive and caring community. Who can ask for more than that? Well, apart from the flying.

Course: Religion and Theology (3rd Year)

From: Norfolk

How do you manage university life with quidditch? “I think it works quite well, we have two sessions a week so we do about two and a half hours on Saturday and we do one to two hours on Wednesdays and that’s like, it works because it’s kind of downtime in a sense, it’s a release because it’s doing exercise. I think because I only really do quidditch that the balance works out quite well in terms of how much time it takes up because there are dedicated bits where it’s like I have to schedule that time for quidditch, and I really enjoy it so it’s not too much of a hardship.”

Best Bit: “I would say the best bit, well I just love the whole thing, it’s something I enjoy, and you also get the health benefits of it, and you get to meet great people and just get a whole new group of friends.”

Worst Bit: “It kind of sucks sometimes with the weather, because we practice outside, and when it gets to the winter and you having to practice for two hours in the cold and the rain and the mud, that’s one thing I wish we could control a bit more.”

Where do you see yourself in 15 years time? “Ooh I don’t know, well after I graduate I want to do a law conversion, so hopefully practising law. But if I can have it [quidditch] it’s not something I want to say goodbye to when I finish uni. I hope quidditch develops as well, because at the moment it is quite university based, but I hope we all graduate we keep playing as well, because it isn’t something I want to let go of.”

How do you get involved? “We have a Facebook page! It’s Manchester University Quidditch Club, and most Saturdays we are in Whitworth Park at one until about three, three-thirty, and on Wednesday afternoons we have a games session where we just run around and play capture the flag and stuff. We’re really welcoming and we’re always looking for new people!”

A student life: the prince of Panto Society

Meet Bradley Pascall, the larger-than-life postgrad managing to find time, alongside his studies, to be Social Secretary of The University of Manchester’s very own Panto Society, after a four-year long membership.

As I arrive at the Students’ Union’s unassuming top floor of society spaces on a bitter cold Thursday afternoon, I was met by the warming sounds of a revised pantomime rendition of Pink’s Get the Party Started. “A big thing we value as a society is how informal and relaxed it is. I know some acting societies tend to take themselves seriously — we actively try and not take ourselves seriously and we try and put that forward on stage as well”.

But what seems an eccentric series of events for me constitutes an average mid-week rehearsal for Bradley. “I don’t think panto is the kind of society that attracts big egos very much. In order to really enjoy it you’ve got to be able to laugh at yourself. We’ve got a lot of drama students who just love doing it because of how different and more relaxed it is – we do try and make it as comfortable as we can.”

The crew are rehearsing for their upcoming show of Beauty and the Beast. “At the moment we’re making sure the cast of 22 get to know each other. The first few rehearsals are always quite informal while everybody is still getting used to the style of the show”.

Though panto is certainly one of the more niche societies Manchester has to offer, Bradley explains how the group tailor the entertainment to suit its university audience. “It’s your classic pantomime, with audience interaction, but obviously students’ heckling tends to be a lot rowdier so we actually invite it — we want it to be a student panto, that’s like our unique flavour.”

When asked how he first found a passion for the art, Bradley said: “I wasn’t really comfortable with doing anything other than Shakespeare before but I put my name down for about fifteen societies, as you do in first year, and panto was just one of the ones I went with because they made me feel so welcome — and I’ve come back every year since”.

But juggling studies with a further involvement in four more societies (Quidditch club, E-Sports, Gaming, and Comedy) cannot be an easy routine to uphold. “It is quite difficult to keep on a lot of stuff but I enjoy doing everything so it’s nothing.”

Having said that, ‘oh no it isn’t!’ all dance and drama for the members of Panto Society, who are famously good at enjoying the social side to this setting too. “Our spiritual home is Poptastic at AXM Club and our panto dame now works there so he invites us down. There was a group of fifteen of us last week, it was great, we just partied together and got free shots. We’re having a karaoke social next week — you should come!”

They proved their successes back in 2013 when they won the award for Best Arts & Media Society. I asked Bradley if the group is working towards any similar titles this year. “We’re hoping that with Mean Girls the Panto coming up we can give it another go.” On enquiring as to where all the funding for the society comes from and goes to, he said: “We never straight up ask people for money to fund our shows and it’s free to join the society. We usually hold fundraiser events, of which a small percentage goes to essentials, like paint for backdrops, but everything else we make on the door goes to R.A.G (Manchester Raise and Give).”

So while when it comes to choosing a society the options are endless, don not overlook Panto — it promises to be a sanctuary of stress-free light-hearted relief. “The great thing about panto is that you don’t need to be able to sing, you don’t need to be able to act, you don’t even need to be able to dance, you just need to be ready to have a bit of fun!”

Course: Postgraduate in Film Studies

Where from: Telford, Shropshire

Balance of university life and society: 80% societies, 20% academic

Worst part: “Getting really drunk on a social the day before a weekend rehearsal and having a really awful excuse for turning up late.”

Best part: “The feeling of togetherness and that sense of solidarity, especially when we all have the big hug before the final show — and then obviously the after party is cool as well.”

Where do they see themselves in 15 years: “On stage.”

How to get involved: “Give us a like at our Facebook page, UOMPanto, or follow us on Twitter @uompanto, where we post updates on our fundraising events and let you know when we have auditions. But, honestly, even if you miss them and are still up for a little role, contact one of the committee members: there are always loads of chorus parts!”

Live: Christine and the Queens

4th November at Manchester Apollo

9/10

The crowd at the Apollo are distinctly ‘Radio 6’ tonight, despite being here for an electronic pop outfit, and I oddly find myself one of the youngest in the room. Perhaps it is the hefty £30 price tag on the tickets or perhaps the nature of Christine and the Queens’ recent rise to fame. With a critically acclaimed debut, Chaleur Humaine, released early this year and a Glastonbury performance largely lauded as a standout of the festival, the appeal to an older, musically clued-up audience is clear. That is not all to say there is not a notable buzz in the room, as attested by the dashed burst of excitement every time the background music goes quiet between songs.

As the room finally descends into darkness, it is pierced by the electronic thuds of set opener ‘Starshipper’, one of the highlights of the set, featuring a brooding Christine emerging forward, illuminated through sporadic flashes with dancers in tow.

Album track ‘Half Ladies’ features a giant, white-suited Christine projected behind the band, moving perfectly in sync with her three-dimensional, living counterpart. It is a bold move that works well with the band’s distinctive, trademark choreography, coming across effortless.

The backdrop is used again featuring a larger than life Tunji Ige, for his guest verse on ‘No Harm Is Done’ allowing his part to translate live without feeling of being cheated that would come from just queuing the audio. The rest of the set flips between more synchronised dance numbers and the stripped back, solo performances, with radio familiar single ‘Tilted’ getting by far the biggest reaction.

Despite the now classic pop star stage set up, and the many homages to contemporary pop titans (there is a dance interlude to a Kanye West track and even a Beyoncé cover in the encore), there is something distinctly oddball about Christine and the Queens. She makes multiple references to her short stature and French-ness, at one point remarking “I’m coming out to you guys, I’m French.” Admittedly these already separate her from most familiar pop stars, but her distinctive feel is more down to what she has to say.

The narrative of a Christine and the Queens show is one of freedom and self-expression, Christine making multiple allusions to her desire to be a boy at times and telling the audience “This is a free zone tonight.” No doubt this perplexed some of the older members of the crowd, but it feels apt taking place in Manchester, a city known for its celebration of individuality and the vast majority of the room seemed completely behind her.

As the evening draws to an end she laments how she only has so much material to play, “I’m a fresh face — for now,” she quips, and it is true. Christine will no doubt be back soon enough, hopefully with all the magic she brought with her tonight. She ends with French ballad ‘Nuit 17 à 52’, before proposing to the audience, “I want to marry all of you tonight, I want to be your husband.” By the reaction she gets, the answer is a resounding yes.

Battle of the sexes: can men handle the contraceptive heat?

I remember during first year, the guy I was seeing asked me why I was not on the pill when condoms were such a bore. What flew through my head was the idea of  weight gain, acne, deep vein thrombosis, infertility, depression, and breast cancer, not to mention remembering to take a pill every day and being solely responsible for an unwanted pregnancy.

The women in my family who had tried the pill as a method of contraception had turned into aggressive, self-confessed psychos, and as a Biology student with some understanding of the complex interactions of hormones in the body, ingesting said chemicals every day had never really appealed to me.

That said, after trying a few, I was lucky enough to find a pill that works for me; my skin is clearer and my moods are as stable as they will ever be. As for the longer-term side effects, I still worry about breast cancer, and every time the doctor checks my blood pressure I am relieved to see it is normal and that I am not at risk of blood-clots and consequent death.

However, side-effects such as depression and mood swings are much harder to identify, and often women do not know the cause of their unhappiness. A recent study — the first of its kind, even though women have been taking the pill since 1962 — found a significant link between the pill and depression, with the likelihood of developing mental health issues rising to 80 per cent in girls aged 15 to 19 for some forms of contraception.

For all the reasons aforementioned, I tutted and rolled my eyes along with the majority of women when I first saw headlines such as, ‘Male contraception injection halted due to ‘intolerable’ side effects that women have suffered for years,’ by The Independent.

These articles were referring to a recent study into male contraceptive injections, and cited side effects such as acne, weight gain, muscle pains, and mood swings, which when suffered by women are seen as a small price to pay for efficient contraception.

However, on reading the original study, it became apparent that it was not simply a case of men not being tough enough to share the burden of contraceptive responsibility.
This trial took place in 10 different study centres worldwide and consisted of 320 male participants aged 18-45, all of whom had female partners aged 18-38 with no known fertility problems. The men received hormone injections into their muscles once every 8 weeks for just over a year with a maximum total of 7 injections.

The results were very promising. 96 per cent of participants had their sperm concentration suppressed to 15 times the normal amount and there were only four pregnancies reported: it was calculated that there was a 1.6 per cent risk of unwanted pregnancy. Within a year of stopping treatment, 95 per cent of the men recovered their full ability to produce sperm.
However, an independent monitoring committee decided to stop the research early due to the high incidence of adverse side effects, and an alarmingly high occurrence in one study centre in particular. Overall, 45 per cent the participants suffered from acne, 38 per cent experienced increases in libido and 20 per cent experienced moderate to severe mood swings.

These rates were much higher than the expected estimates created from previous smaller studies, suggesting not enough was known about the drug and its effects. One of the participants committed suicide, although the researchers ruled it was unrelated to the study and his family suggested it was due to stress at work; although it is unclear to me how you can definitively say that a seemingly mood-altering drug had no part to play in someone taking their own life.

There was another attempted suicide by paracetamol overdose and a case of depression diagnosed, which were both ruled as possibly related to the study.
What is surely the most curious part of this experiment is the fact that the majority of the side effects were reported in one study centre – Indonesia. This study centre accounted for 62 out of 65 of the mood disorders reported, 65 of 71 of the muscle pain and 63 of 124 of the increases in libido. This indicates either an unknown risk to certain groups of people or a discrepancy in the study methods, which could therefore render the results unreliable.

Obstetrics & Gynaecology expert and science communicator Dr. Jen Gunter said: “The side effects were unexpectedly high and seemed skewed to certain testing centres. That suggests that perhaps the drug is riskier than previously assumed, or simply that one or many of the testing centres weren’t running particularly good trials. Neither option is good.”

It was for these safety reasons that the trial was halted, not simply because men could not hack a few spots and some hormonal cramps. Nature has definitely dealt women a poorer hand, and it is easy to feel bitter about the ease with which men have avoided birth control responsibility for the last 50 years, yet we should not punish men by putting them through hormonal hell too.

What we should really be focusing on is the gender inequality in scientific research. Why has it taken this long for there to be a large-scale investigation of this kind into male contraceptives? Granted, there have been some other male contraceptive trials, but these were discontinued due to reported shrinking of the testes.

So, why are there FDA-approved contraceptive pills on the market that have been shown to shrink our biological equivalent, the ovaries? Why have these side effects been deemed acceptable when they are suffered by women, but not by men? The conclusion that can be drawn from this study, and the exasperated reaction of women who read about it, is that we need more research into better contraception methods for both men and women.

AIDS-related deaths could be reduced with anti-fungal drugs

AIDS-related illnesses were responsible for 1,100,000 deaths in 2015, of which around half of were caused by fungal infections. These fungal infections take advantage of the weakened immune system of someone suffering from HIV/AIDS and can have serious effects.

The opportunity to save many of these lives may lie in the use of generic anti-fungal drugs according to data analysis by Professor David Denning of the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI), suggesting that early diagnosis and treatment of fungal diseases could save over 1,000,000 deaths by 2020.

GAFFI has been praised for highlighting the current issue of the undiagnosed and untreated fungal infections among people living with HIV, and the number of deaths this lack of research causes.

It is predicted that there will be over 700,000 deaths by AIDS in 2020 and GAFFI urges for global research in identifying treatment and for raised awareness of the problem.

GAFFI suggests that with progression in this area, the number of predicted deaths in 2020 could be reduced by 42 per cent and save the lives of many affected by AIDS, among whom the median death age is mid-30s.

The target of ‘zero AIDS by 2015’ has sadly been missed, but with new and advanced research into treating fungal infections related to AIDS, the vision of decreasing the death toll to a smaller figure of 500,000 a year is still a hopeful goal.

With HIV and AIDS being one of the biggest challenges in global health, it is crucial that work on treatment and diagnosis, like the work of GAFFI, is continued in order to have an AIDS free world.

Eloise Burt, President of Manchester’s Youth Stop Aids, commented: “Contracting HIV is no longer a death sentence, providing people have access to the medicines they need. Unfortunately 3300 people are still dying from AIDS-related diseases each day due to a lack of available medicines and omissions in research and development.

“We are delighted to hear of GAFFI’s intent to address this issue; this brings us closer to our aim of an AIDS free world by 2030. Despite this, we are still calling on Priti Patel, International Development Minister to review the UK’s global work on HIV/AIDS.”

Feature: Fifteen years of the iPod – how has Apple’s gamble shaken up the music industry?

The 1980s had cassette players, the 1990s had CD players, and the 2000s had mp3 players. Brought out in 2001, the iPod has spent the best part of the last fifteen years in a state of near-constant flux and now it appears to be being led to a timely grave by its very creators. What has the millennial technology brought for music, and why is it now best looked upon as a fond memory of our youth?

Ahead of its time, some would say, the iPod sparked the so called ‘mp3 revolution’. Many people had not yet decided if they even needed mp3s at the start of the new millennium: CDs were extremely popular, cheap and high quality forms of storing music. With only a couple of competitors’ models already on the market, initially it was an expensive, potentially risky move for a well-known computer company. Yet, the iPod became the most successful digital music player by far — how many other mp3 devices can you recall the names of?

The mp3 file changed the listener’s approach to the music album format: instead of listening in the order designed by the artist, you could instead pick and choose particular tracks to listen to at leisure. For some albums, deliberately evocative in their track order, this could completely change the listener’s experience.

As a result, there are some arguments that modern musicians are having to make tracks stand out from one another so they can make it onto a playlist for the casual listener, rather than creating a cohesive album. It is strange when a band’s ‘Outro’ appears in the middle of your workout playlist. Yet, the mp3 player eventually triumphed through the innovative iPod.

The key to the success of the iPod was in Apple’s willingness to adapt and revolutionise the market. The first generation was clunky, and only worked with Apple Mac systems, so initial sales were low and CDs stayed strong. However, by the third generation it made a name for itself after the crucial introduction of the colour screen and video playback on the iPod in 2005, and competitors soon struggled to keep up.

The iPod Classic was popular with many fans due to its huge storage space and iconic design, but Apple also brought out the Shuffle (2005), Mini/Nano (2004/5) and Touch (2007), with continuous design updates at varying successes.

Much to the dismay of its admirers who had 40,000 songs they wanted to listen to on the go, the 160 GB iPod Classic was retired in 2014, yet the others live on. But who needs that much space just for ever shrinking music files? And who on earth does not use multi-functional devices nowadays?

Diversification became a major aspect of Apple’s ethos, but there is only so long until constant modification causes the initial design to become obsolete. That point began with the introduction of the iPhone in 2007.

Initially, the iPod touch was a good compromise for parents to get their technology-hungry teenagers a device that held all of the functionality of an iPhone (except for the telephone part) with a fraction of the price tag.

Hence, this multi-functional mp3 player survived Apple’s cull, and so did the Shuffle for the opposite reason: a sole use for fractions of a music library. Some users want a cheap music player to take to the gym whilst leaving their iPhone in their locker, however with the price of the iPhone 7 starting at £599, it is hard to justify owning another portable music player.

Another key game-changer of this evolution came with the introduction of the iTunes Store in 2003, largely due to its compatibility for both Mac and Windows systems. It seems as if iTunes has slowly sapped away the physical reality of buying music, as downloads are just not as satisfying as holding onto a solid copy of an album in your hands — echoed in the resurgence in record player sales in the past 5 years.

The launch of Apple Music last year, providing a fixed price every month to own their entire database, has been argued to have changed the value of music, bringing people to question whether renting music is better than paying musicians to own it.

Apple no longer focus on their iPod range, concentrating more on the ever-evolving iPhones and iPads, and bringing out the apple watch — arguably a modern iPod shuffle stuck to your wrist which you can carry out some very limited messaging on.

So what does the future hold now we are firmly in the smartphone age, where separate portable music players are obsolete?

Please fix the bike pump

Here lies a silent problem on campus that has long gone unreported. Every day he claims the tyres of the innocent and unsuspecting student. Whilst pretending to be a friend offering a helping hand, what he is actually doing is much more sinister. Let me tell you about my shocking experience.

It was a cold and dark Thursday evening in Manchester two weeks ago, when my housemate and I set on our way to Old Trafford to watch a football match. Having decided to the most efficient means of transport was to cycle, we set off into the night, not knowing the trouble that awaited us. Rattling down the road we approached university, and saw Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. “Aha!” we said, “there’s a public bike pump there, where we can quickly top up on air!”

Disaster strikes. We swing in towards Ali G and mount our bikes against the wall next to the pump. Whilst discussing the ins and outs of whether Zlatan will play or not, my housemate James begins to twist the pump end onto his tyre. That was when he stuck [bike tyre begins to make hissing noise as air escapes].

James begins pumping, the tyre keeps hissing. What’s going on here? Have we not got it fixed on properly?

Fifteen minutes later, both man and machine are now looking equally deflated. James runs to the Students’ Union to find help, leaving me with the monster.

I look at my different shaped valve, I look at the bike pump: I can do this. On it goes [bike tyre hisses]. With all my effort I pump, desperate to keep the £20 bike that I have grown to love so much in operation. But he is merciless, my tyre is down, the pump claims a second victim in twenty minutes.

I have come to learn that this issue is widely known about by people around the city.

For the man at Hillcourt street cycles, it is a good source of potential income — but for many of us poor students the painful recollection of the encounter is just too much. So the problem continues. Last week as I came out of the learning commons I sprinted over to the bike pump, just as a girl was attaching the end to her tyre.

I tried to warn her, but it was too late. And this is why I am coming out. I want to take a stand against the university bike pump outside Ali G. I want the University to take notice and get it fixed! Sign my petition here.

Women more likely to die from taking ecstasy

Ecstasy, or MDMA is an illegal drug taken by an estimated half a million people in the UK every weekend. Whilst the drug does not usually result in death, it can be very dangerous and even fatal in high doses.

In the light of several deaths of young women, new information has arisen about the increased risk of ecstasy use for women. As well as statistics pointing towards circumstantial differences in the way that women and men take drugs — such as women being less likely to purchase their own substances or know how much they are taking — biological differences between males and females mean that women are far more susceptible to experiencing harmful side effects.

One of the main, and most dangerous negative effects of the drug is a condition called ‘hyponatremia’, which develops when there is too much water in the cells of the body. Ecstasy makes the body hold on to water, and people who take it also tend to drink water in order to feel hydrated. This has the potential to damage the brain as the cells swell. The reason why females are more likely to be affected than males is because oestrogen affects the ability of the cell’s pumps to remove this excess water.

A 2010 study at the ‘Awakenings’ festival in The Netherlands found that only 3 per cent of men had a mild form of hypotremia, in contrast to over 25 per cent of women. If too much ecstasy is taken, then this can become fatal.

Not only is ecstasy dangerous to women on a biological level, but it is very difficult to know exactly how much is being ingested. The amount of MDMA in pills has increased over the past few years, and according to the Global Drug Survey 2016 there has been a “four-fold increase in British female clubbers seeking emergency medical treatment in last 3 years”. This increase in strength may also explain the increase in female casualties, as they have a tendency to react badly to high doses of MDMA.

Sacha-Lord Marchionne, co-founder of Manchester’s The Warehouse Project explains that “over the last two years specifically, the strength of tablets has increased four or five times”, and also states that any club owner who claims that no drugs enter their venue is “a liar”. The Warehouse Project is the only nightclub in the UK that runs on-site drug testing, and can therefore issue warnings about any pills found to be particularly high in potency.

In The Netherlands testing facilities are in place, partly funded by the government, where drug-users can have their ecstasy anonymously tested for strength. Although ecstasy use is illegal in The Netherlands, the low death rate from ecstasy may be due to this safeguard being in place.

However, most people do not know how strong their ecstasy pills are, so the only way to stay completely safe is to not take ecstasy at all. This being said, women who do choose to take the drug should be aware of how much they are taking, and the general advice is to take only half a pill at a time, and never to take more than one. The global drug survey has issued a guide to harm reduction and taking drugs more safely, which can be found at globaldrugsurvey.com.

Live: PJ Harvey

3rd November at Victoria Warehouse

9/10

There are few artists who manage to retain an aura of mysticism around them akin to that of Polly Jean Harvey. For the past three decades, the reclusive songstress has mesmerized the music world with tales of the macabre, the grotesque, and the perverse. Set to the tune of growling bass lines, ethereal vocals, and peppered with traditional folk influences — Harvey simultaneously manages to reject any attempts by the press to psychoanalyse her personal incentives or her creative process.

On Thursday 3rd of November, ardent disciples desperate to catch a glimpse of the alt-rock priestess, congregated at Victoria Warehouse to see PJ Harvey deliver her latest work The Hope Six Demolition Project, as well as a choice selection of hits from her extensive back catalogue.

Accompanied by her eight-piece ensemble, the elfin Harvey marched out of the darkness, saxophone in hand, and positioned herself centre stage. Adorned in black, her slight figure accentuated by heavy spotlight, PJ Harvey looked more like a creature from the pages of Tolkien than a 21st century rock icon.

Launching into ‘Chain of Keys’ a haunting lament to the victims of the Kosovo conflict, plucked from her latest album, she enthralled the audience with her effortlessly transcendent vocal range. The set continued with hits from the The Hope Six Demolition Project, (including the bombastic ‘Ministry of Defence’, ‘Community of Hope’ and arguable standout track ‘The Wheel’) in which Harvey turned her observatory gaze outwards towards global political turmoil in Afghanistan, Washington and Kosovo, and her politically-charged deliverance thronged the packed Warehouse.

Following this with a selection of hits from her Mercury Prize-winning magnum opus Let England Shake, Harvey held a mirror to the rotten British establishment as audience excitement reached  fever pitch, with classics such as ‘The Words that Maketh Murder’, ‘The Glorious Land’ and ‘Written on the Forehead’ ringing out into the frosty November night.

As impressive as her unparalleled vocal range, Harvey’s stage presence was further heightened by lithe and sinuous body movements — at times contorting herself deftly to the rhythm, at others standing with poise and conviction— as if sermonising to a frantic congregation.

At times feeling more like the prelude to a Paganist sacrifice than musical performance, Harvey continued to enthral the audience as she delved further into her back catalogue, drawing out haunting laments (including her fictional ode to her deceased daughter ‘Down By The Water’), devastating love elegies (the biblically laced ‘To Bring You My Love’ ) and acclimatising with her timeless rendition of Bob Dylan’s ‘Highway 61 Revisited’. Harvey more than proved her worth as one of rock music’s greatest assets, with a canon of music that transcends genre and time.

There is something undeniably English about PJ Harvey — not in a quaint, sunny, ‘merry-old England’ kind of way, but in a way that is evocative of something much darker, much more sinister, something much older than the conventional parameters of our historical narrative. She draws out the spectral — both in her lyrics and her stage performance, drawing on the macabre and the mystical, while continuing to retain an aura of mystique about her that has endeared her to audiences for over 25 years.  Long may she continue to do so.

Live: The Cadillac Three

5th November at O2 Ritz

9/10

On 5th November, The Cadillac Three released the kicking mule that is their Don’t Forget The Whiskey tour into the UK and I can most certainly confirm that not a single soul had forgotten their whiskey. The venue was synonymous to a Jack Daniel’s steam room as the crowd’s plastic chalices of whiskey and coke permeated the air like a fine Tennessee perfume.

Supporting act Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown set the house alight with a tempestuous brew of blues, punk and take-no-prisoners rock’n’roll, demonstrating their talent in balancing on the shoulders of giants like Muddy Waters with the ease of a seasoned alley cat.

In lukewarm pursuit, The Cadillac Three took to the stage without their usual authoritative stride, a discordant air of hesitancy in their performance. Lyrics were lapsed, beats were skipped and eye contact was averted.

Charmingly bashful frontman Jaren Johnston swiftly apologised, emphasising that the band were suffering from sleep deprivation. However, by the time their fire was sufficiently fed by the crowd’s relentless cheers, ‘Tennessee Mojo’ conjured a tornado to send Dorothy and Toto way outta Kansas. From here on in, we were thrown headfirst into a raw blend of Johnston’s lip-biting riffs, Kelby Ray’s exquisite lap steel guitar slides and Neil Mason’s thunderous Tarzan-meets-Joey-Kramer percussion.

After delivering several lightning bolts straight from Zeus’ stash in the form of tracks such as ‘I’m Southern’ and ‘Back It Up’, the set simmered down into calmer waters in the form of ‘Graffiti’ and ‘Runnin’ Red Lights’.

The levee to Johnston’s soul had broken by this point, every ounce of him flowing into his microphone as he growled his lyrical master class in southern state culture. Senior professors in neo-southern music, The Cadillac Three truly proved they are worth their salt (+ lime + tequila).

United Player Ratings: Swansea City vs Manchester United

With only one win in their last five Premier League fixtures, Manchester United’s José Mourinho was feeling the beginnings of legitimate pressure in the build up to the trip to South Wales. After losing to Fenerbahçe in Turkey midweek, it is not just United’s domestic league form which is troubling fans. There is a severe lack of identity in Mourinho’s style of play; parking the bus against Liverpool was successful, but when José tried to play expansive, attacking football against Chelsea they were torn to bits. Against Swansea, the Portuguese manager seemed to be trying out a new approach.

It is safe to say that the starting line-up was not greeted with much optimism from United fans on social media. A defence of Young, Jones, Rojo and Darmian is enough to make your bones chill. In midfield, Carrick was reintroduced to partner Pogba and Fellaini while Rooney, Mata and Ibrahimović rounded off one of the slowest starting elevens to ever play in the Premier League. Either Mourinho was trying to prove a point to the owners that this United team needs more strength in depth or this was a revolutionary step in modern football tactics; the former seems much more likely.

Despite the negativity, United’s star names showed up collectively for the first time this season. A fantastic strike from Paul Pogba opened up the scoring and was followed by a Zlatan Ibrahimović brace. Rooney, too, had a much better game than recent performances and United’s make-shift defence managed to only concede a single goal against the second bottom team in the division. As a whole, however, the team played poorly. The goals could all be put down to individual brilliance or Swansea City mistakes. Three points is three points, but United are going to have to improve dramatically if they want to trouble an impressive Arsenal side after the international break.

Player Ratings

De Gea: 6

Could have done nothing about van der Hoorn’s goal. Had a very quiet game, only making one claim from a cross in the second half and did not have to make a single save.

Young: 6

Played as a utility right back and did a sufficient job. Isolated Sigurdsson in the first half but was troubled by Montero when the Ecuadorian winger was introduced for the second half. Made more tackles than anyone else on the pitch (6) but unusually failed to get forward down the right hand side.

Jones: 5

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Not the assertive debut outing under Mourinho that Jones would have wanted. Did not make a single tackle and only won one aerial duel. It was Jones’ man, van der Hoorn, who scored Swansea’s consolation. Was likely picked by Mourinho as a protest to United’s poor strength in depth at the centre of defence. It seemed strange, however, that Mourinho did not opt for United’s youngster, Axel Tuanzebe, who has been impressing for the under-21’s this season.

Rojo: 7

Another decent performance from the Argentinian who looks much more comfortable at centre back than at left back. Won four aerial duels, more than any other player on the pitch, and subdued the threat of Fernando Llorente and Borja Bastón. Played composed balls out of the back, which is not a trait you would often relate to Rojo.

Darmian: 6

A reasonably solid game defensively for the Italian international who is more comfortable playing on the opposite flank. Nullified the threat of Wayne Routledge who can so often be a menace for fullbacks. Had an unusual attacking game, especially in the first half, finding himself in Swansea’s attacking third often. Played a very good through ball to Fellaini in the 16th minute but the move came to nothing.

Carrick: 7

A very comfortable performance for United’s ageing midfielder. Adds real composure in a simplistic nature to the Reds’ midfield which can so often be erratic and wasteful with the likes of Pogba, Fellaini and Herrera. Carrick’s deep-lying tendencies gives Pogba much more freedom to push further up the pitch, which is where the Frenchman is most dangerous. It is not a coincidence that three of Pogba’s best performances have comes when Carrick has started alongside him: Fenerbahçe at home, Manchester City in the EFL Cup and away to Swansea.

Fellaini: 6

The Belgian was his usual lumbering self; slow reactions and not particularly adventurous creatively. Made some good runs in the first half and had a good volleyed effort at goal in the 16th minute. Faded after half time when United decided to let Swansea back into the game.

Mata: 7

Mata’s good form is continuing under Mourinho and the Spaniard was especially effective in the first half in linking United’s forays forward. Played a great chipped through ball to Ibrahimović just after half time which the Swede could not convert. Was diligent defensively too, making four tackles. Made a very stupid challenge in the 79th minute which earned the Spaniard a yellow.

Pogba: 8

The Frenchman’s performance in South Wales showed why Manchester United paid £89 million, without even hitting full stride. He nonchalantly volleyed a shot from outside of the box with so much power that Fabianski had little hope of reaching it before it nestled in the top corner. His creative side was brilliant too, playing a smart through ball into Fellaini within the first ten minutes. Pogba’s physicality helped in the second half when United struggled in midfield against Swansea’s building pressure. Unfortunately, Swansea’s goal came from his and Jones’ mistake, however, Pogba more than made up for his error with his first half performance.

Rooney: 8

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

United’s skipper regained some respect from the fans for his strike against Fenerbahçe, and added more with this performance against Swansea. While his two assists were not really ‘assists’, Rooney put in a good display defensively — winning two tackles — and offensively — completing four dribbles, the joint most with Pogba. Playing out on the left wing, Rooney linked up well with Pogba, Mata and Ibrahimović, playing three key passes in total. Almost grabbed a goal in the final few minutes of the game when he rounded Fabianski but was hauled back for an offside call.

Ibrahimović: 8

Another one of the star names whose performance was much better than recent weeks. Grabbed two well taken goals in the first half and set up chances for Pogba and Fellaini in the second half. Earned a yellow for a silly foul in the 75th minute which means that the Swede will miss United’s next match against Arsenal.

Subs

Lingard: N/A

Came on for Juan Mata in the final ten minutes and added fresh legs and defensive diligence.

Schneiderlin: N/A

Replaced Rooney in the 89th minute to solidify United’s result.

Fosu-Mensah: N/A

Replaced Pogba in midfield. Did not touch the ball.

From Mexico to Austria: Two World Championships, one Gold Medal

I was privileged to attend the Eighth Shito-Ryu Karate World Championships with the rest of Team England Shito-Ryu over the 21st – 23rd of October in Monterrey, Mexico. Happening every three years, the Championships bring together representatives from over 50 countries who practice the Shito-Ryu style of Karate, one of the four main branches of Japanese Sport Karate.

In an event dominated by the Japanese, Team England came away with bronze medals in Female Team Kata (Forms), and Male and Female Team Kumite (Sparring) after three days of competition, including the Open event which saw over 3,000 athletes take part.

A young and inexperienced English team did themselves proud in what was for many their first World Championships: No mean feat considering that Karate athletes tend to find most success later in their careers, many reaching their peak at the age of 30.

I myself was happy with getting to the third round of the Individual event in my first time competing at the championships, as well as getting to the Bronze Medal final in Team Kata — however, mistakes we made in the final cost us a medal which went to the exceptionally strong Brazilian team, and we came home with a frustrating, but ultimately promising, fifth place.

Not a week later, and the WKF World Karate Championships took place in Linz, Austria. While each of the four main styles of Karate have their own World Championships, the WKF Worlds represents the highest level of Karate competition: A single, mixed-style competition between the best each country has to offer of all four styles of Karate.

Representatives from the EKF National team, who represent the most skilled Karate-ka (Karate Athletes) in England set off for Linz having not won a medal since 2010, with the gold drought being longer still. In the late 90s English Karate was particularly strong, but a range of factors had hampered England’s efforts at the world stage.

Early disappointments in the Kata discipline frustrated our medal attempts in Linz, with Reece Taylor folding in the first round after a stumble that put him out of the competition far earlier than many had expected. However, impressive performances from Katie Hurry and Jordan Thomas in Kumite catapulted them to the Bronze and Gold medal finals respectively — Thomas not dropping a single point in any of his bouts.

Katie Hurry unfortunately lost her bout, placing her in a frustrating but still exceptionally respectful fifth place. However, the weekend was Jordan’s as he dominated his opponent in the jaw-dropping finals of the -67kg Men’s Kumite to bring a gold home for England for the first time in 12 years, beating his opponent 8-0 in a match that saw Jordan one point away from disqualification for technical offenses, but controlling his opponent’s distance perfectly to deliver a flurry of punches and one exceptionally quick roundhouse kick that cemented his already solid lead into the closing minute of the match.

Both the National team and the Shito-ryu Team’s performances over October display a confidence and presence returning to English Karate, at a variety of levels: From those just starting out, such as those of us competing in Mexico for the first time, to those who are pushing towards goals seemingly unattainable a few years ago.

For me, the next edition of the Shito-Ryu World Championships will be held in three years time in Tokyo, Japan, one year before the Olympics, which will see Karate featuring as a participant sport for the first time. It is my intention to start attending the Karate Premier League Events to improve my ranking, and work hard on my performance to improve for future years: And to see English athletes attain fantastic success at the World level is incredibly encouraging for myself and everyone taking a journey in a sporting career.

Karate as a sport is growing, and English Karate growing with it – and English athletes will look to the successes of their peers and predecessors hungrily. For the youngest Olympic sport, the future is bright.

Live: The Undertones

29th October, Manchester Academy

When I found myself standing in a room full of balding, middle-aged men waiting for a band on their 40th Anniversary tour, I started to question my life choices. But when I left panting, drenched in sweat and other-people’s beer, I stopped. The band —  and the audience — had certainly not lost their mojo.

After a disorientating performance by support act The Membranes, The Undertones jumped straight in, playing 2 minute hit after hit. Their three chord songs struck the perfect note with a crowd that could shout along to every chorus. Sadly it didn’t take long for each song to sound like the one before it, but it didn’t really matter; they all sounded bloody good. The vocals were hard to make out under the blaring guitars and thrashing drums, but this was no real loss. The lyrics were more for shouting than pondering but it was no nonsense music at a gig without gimmicks.

The highlight of the show had to be their breakout song, ‘Teenage Kicks’, which they played twice. It was a truly beautiful thing to see old fans reliving their youth and reverting to their teenage selves: the mosh pit was intense. Similarly, the band never dropped in energy all night; it seems that punk doesn’t grow old. It was weirdly refreshing to be out of the student bubble and encouraging to think that good music has no age limit.

 

Preview: Arrival

Director Denis Villeneuve who is most well known for ‘Prisoners’ and ‘Sicario,’ brings the mystery and suspense from his previous films to the new epic sci-fi drama, Arrival, lead by Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. Alien spaceships touch down on Earth, scattered across continents causing mayhem. A group of investigators require the help of linguistics professor Louise Banks, in an attempt to communicate with the inhabitants of the ship and prevent war. Despite its extra-terrestrial focus, Arrival has received numerous praise for being a moving story about humanity. Critics are already naming this to be an Oscar contender.