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Day: 22 February 2018

Review: Kingdom Come Deliverance

From the beginning of its kickstarter, Kingdom Come: Deliverance promised one thing above all else: realism.

This commitment to subverting many of the tropes of other RPGs of the past couple of decades and to creating a historically accurate Bohemia can be seen visually, mechanically and narratively, all over the game.

Warhorse have crafted a truly beautiful representation of the Czech rural countryside: a sprawling pastoral countryscape filled with hand-crafted villages, towns, and encampments. It not only looks great, but it feels authentic and real.

photo:WarhorseStudios

From the thickly wooded forests to the pastoral rural villages to the larger towns, Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s world was truly a joy to behold. Even things which are usually run of the mill, like the map and time-dial, were lovingly realised; they were not only deeply aesthetically pleasing, but also influenced by the medieval imagery of contemporary Bohemia.

photo:WarhorseStudios

This was slightly let down by an evident lack of money and/or time to spend on really fleshing this world out with life. Whilst quest-givers and key characters were evidently well designed and written, the majority of NPCs in Bohemia were bland, generic and shared large chunks of dialogue. Given that every conversation you initiate requires a short loading screen, this could occasionally pull you out of the immersiveness of the world.

Adding to this, the dialogue is often clunky and contrived, especially that about the main plot. One ‘activity’ – as the game called it sticks out. I went on a walk with an intended love interest, only for her to run off shouting, “last one there’s a slimy slug” before sprinting to the next cutscene. Said cutscene was no less cringy.

photo:WarhorseStudios

The plot itself, however, is satisfyingly small-scale, which makes a refreshing change to the grandiose narrative preferred by many RPGs. In Kingdom Come, you play as Henry, a lowly blacksmith’s son who gets caught up in the midst of a conflict arising from the 15th century Czech civil war.

The plot does a really good job in making you very much a pawn in the course of events: you are not the nation’s saviour or the unwitting leader of a revolution, but one man caught up in a conquest bigger than himself. Don’t get me wrong – Warhorse still gives you enough to do. The main story, which moves along as something you are privy to, rather than a shaper of, still puts you in action-based roles which keeps the missions enjoyable.

The main benefit of this decentered, small-scale plot is that it allows you to be much freer in how you play Henry than other RPGs might have allowed. Although the game occasionally requires you to fight a boss or do something virtuous, you are, for the most part, free to be a deceitful, two-faced, self-serving coward when you see fit.

In one rather large skirmish, for example, I hid behind the vanguard of allied soldiers, only occasionally jabbing through the melee when my opponent’s backs were turned before retreating behind the safety of my human shields. Elsewhere, I unashamedly used a bow in a one on one sword fight, reminiscent of the iconic Indiana Jones scene.

This was not because of any aversion to sword-fighting – rather my inability to beat the boss in hand-to-hand combat. Indeed, swordplay is one of the game’s biggest strengths. Unlike the hack and slash or button-based systems employed by most other video games which see you use a sword, Kingdom Come employs a five-pronged reticle which gives you the option of where to strike and from what position.

photo:WarhorseStudios

This combat system is enriched by an intuitive yet hard-to-master network of feints, dodges, blocks, combos and misdirections which make swordplay tense and complex, but also frenetic and deeply satisfying.

Unfortunately, like many other parts of the game, the finer details of combat lack a bit a polish. The automatic lock-on targeting system is a particularly irritating example of this, as is mounted combat, which is basic and often glitchy. Archery, too, needed some more time with play-testers. The absence of a reticle, allied with Henry’s inability to hold the bow anywhere near still or for any length of time, make it far harder than its worth.

Adding to the sense that Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a little bit undercooked is just how buggy it. From minor visual bugs to mid-range performance bugs to game breakers (or at least save-breakers), I encountered them all. I saw four NPCs occupying one physical space, horses caught eternally in mid-air, and combatants spinning in ceaseless circles.

 

photo:WarhorseStudios

Whilst it is easy to poke fun at these relatively unobtrusive visual bugs, the more serious ones were much more problematic. For example, I managed to irreversibly break Miller Peshek, a major quest-giver and buyer of stolen goods, by stealing from him in a mission in which he asked me to steal from him – he promptly had me arrested and is now stuck on the same dialogue line, the snake.

Elsewhere, I woke up in Talmberg to find a bandit from Pribyslavits shouting at me for trespassing in Pribyslavits. He then initiated a fight, but the intervening loading screen was obviously as confused as me because the game promptly crashed, sending me back to my last save.

This was compounded by the games infuriating save system, which allows you a finite amount of saves based on how many ‘saviour schapps’ you have or else makes you rely on autosaves, which are few and far between. Given the relative difficulty of the game and its tendency to jump combat on you unexpectedly, death is a frequent feature of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, meaning that the save system often made me replay unusually large chunks of gameplay and consequently lose my momentum.

Jason Schreier recently published a book called Blood, Sweat and Pixels. In it, he talks about how kick-started games have to play by slightly different rules: once they run out of money, it’s out, and there is no publisher to run to. In other words, kick-started games eventually hit a hard release wall where they have to release the product or start burning into their own money, negating potential profit.

This can be seen very clearly in Kingdom Come. I can’t fault its outstanding ambition, originality, art design or one-on-one swordplay, but its very clear where resources haven’t been available and where time has been short. With the game selling well, I would expect many of the problems with the game to be retrospectively fixed, but until then, too much holds Deliverance back from fully delivering.

6.5/10

Live review: Dermot Kennedy

Monday 19th February, Gorilla

After opening act Jack Vallier set the pace with a wonderful, relaxed performance, Irish singer-songwriter Kennedy came onto stage coolly and calmly alongside his support band.

Starting the show with ‘An Evening I Will Not Forget’, Kennedy set a precedent for introducing every song with an explanation of either its significance to him personally, or where or when he was when he wrote it: all very charmingly old-timey, but with striking sincerity. He came across a highly genuine character, and created an intimate show. “So this next song….”

In the theatre there was no escaping the conclusion that Kennedy is a supremely talented vocalist. There wasn’t a single note out of place or anything less than brilliant all night. Not only this, but his songs are written to expertly exploit his dynamic range, reaching forceful, loud piques and subtle, soft troughs, without ever over-complicating matters.

It seems too that his lyrics are as well-crafted as his vocal chords. Intensely personal, soulful subject matters are arranged beautifully and evocatively. The balance he seems to strike is excellent — dramatic, without ever being melodramatic. He is a storyteller à la Dylan, and you can see it all has real meaning to him, and it aided the performance immensely. ‘For Island Fires and Family’ was a particular example, and formed the central high point of the show.

This sounded like a performance that had already been grown into from the moment Kennedy stepped out onto stage. Kennedy, with only a single EP released, played songs which are yet to be released, including brand new material never played live before, some songs even nameless. If those tracks didn’t have much experience on the stage, it fooled me. The songs, he says earnestly, are geared up to be released next month, and he hopes you like them.

His guitar licks were simplistic yet entirely fit for purpose. Throughout the bulk of the show, subtle electronic elements were lightly blended in rather well to the otherwise acoustic instrumentation, like a strong coffee with a dash of milk. His multi-instrumental backing band did well to perform excellently whilst allowing Kennedy the spotlight and prominence in the overall mix of sound. At times a rather rude crowd was handled well too, Kennedy encouraging them to sing along with the recurring lyrics of closing song ‘After Rain’. It was a little twee perhaps, but definitely effective.

After this performance, I will be keenly looking out for Dermot Kennedy’s next musical release, in whatever form that may be, and I recommend you look out for it too.

9/10

A forum to empower renters

Living in Manchester, it’s hard to miss the reality that the city is facing a housing crisis. The most evident aspect of this is the growing number of rough sleepers, but this is a symptom of a wider issue of a defective housing system.

Often left out of the dialogue is how this failing system is impacting students who live in private rented accommodation. Just a quick scan of ‘Fallowfield Student Group’ reveals horror stories of rogue landlords causing problems, from lack of care taken for properties resulting in damp and mould (and subsequently slugs), to deposits not being returned, to broken down boilers. Further to this, climbing rents are forcing more students into part-time work to the detriment of their health and studies.

This situation is so common that students have joined forces to create a ‘landlord blacklist’ to warn future students of landlords who frequently cause issues.

The problem is found across Greater Manchester. In fact, according to a study by New Economy Manchester, one in five tenants have rented a poorly-maintained home, and one in ten have experienced problems with landlords.

In response to these issues, a powerful housing movement is forming in the region. Greater Manchester Housing Action (GMHA) is part of this movement. GMHA is a partnership of individuals, communities, charities, and academics. It seeks to develop an empowered and educated housing movement, to enable greater citizen input into housing policy and form a coordinated network of different actors pushing together for change.

One way that GMHA aims to tackle housing issues is to give those renting a voice, a historical first in Manchester at the Renters’ Forum which will take place on March 1 (6:30 -9:00pm) at the Mechanics Institute.

The aim of the forum is to provide a platform for renters, support services, and campaigning organisations, helping to shift the power imbalance and empowering renters to exercise their rights. Those struggling to access or living in private rented housing will be able to speak directly with policy makers and council leaders, demanding for improvements and change.

The event is the product of a collaboration of various housing campaign groups including Tenants Union UK, GM Shelter and Acorn Communities Manchester.

The Forum is an important opportunity for students who are powerless and voiceless within their housing options and susceptible to exploitation from rogue landlords. Siobhan Donnachie from GMHA highlights that “we need to ensure that student tenants, landlords and universities work together in the interests of those renting, which can only be achieved by amplifying the voices of students and highlighting that they have a right to housing which is safe, secure and affordable.”

The forum has garnered support from the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and the City Mayor of Salford and GMCA lead for Housing, Paul Dennett, both of whom will be attending the event to listen to the concerns of renters.

Andy Burnham says: “for too long Parliament has neglected the private rented sector. As a result, renters have been left without rights and without a voice. In Greater Manchester we want this to change and that’s why we strongly support the Renters’ Forum.”

Tickets to this event are limited so head to the events Eventbrite page to grab yourself one:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manchester-renters-forum-tickets-41950015626

GMHA contact details:

Website: https://gmhousingaction.wordpress.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gmhousingaction/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmhousingaction?lang=en

Starfield: what we know about ‘Elder Scrolls in Space’

Starfield’s elevator pitch of “Elder Scrolls in space” has garnered a surprising amount of excitement from the gaming community — especially considering that not a single world about the game has escaped Bethesda’s lips yet.

The prospect of Starfield is perhaps so appealing because it’s Bethesda Game Studios’ first non-Fallout and non-Elder Scrolls game — unless we’re counting IHRA Professional Drag Racing 2005 which, I think it’s fair to say, we aren’t.

There have been a lot of rumours and speculation about Starfield, so what follows is a summary of what we know so far, what we think we know, and when we can expect to see more from Bethesda’s next big title.

Now, covering what we know for certain about Starfield is pretty straightforward, owing to the fact that the only concrete evidence we have of its existence is a trademark registered by Bethesda back in 2013, and renewed in 2016. From this, we only know for certain that there is indeed an upcoming Bethesda game called Starfield, and that it has been in development since 2013, even if just at the conceptual level.

Photo: Justia Trademarks
Photo: Justia Trademarks

This info naturally sparked interest over the years, but with nothing else to go on, no meaningful speculations could be made about the project. Fortunately for us, then, someone purporting to be a Bethesda employee was willing to anonymously spill details in the run-up to E3 2017.

Bethesda’s would-be Judas, who posted under the pseudonym Salulard on 4chan, gave copious amounts of detail about upcoming Bethesda projects, including Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI,  and even claimed that the company was developing a Game of Thrones title in partnership with HBO.

These highly-detailed leaks were relatively convincing, but ultimately meaningless without any proof to corroborate them. This is why the information Salulard provided about Bethesda’s E3 2017 show is of such interest:

Speaking of Bethesda’s E3 show, Salulard stated that “the two major announcements are Fallout 4 VR and Starfield,” adding, “they are working on Skyrim VR as well but they aren’t sure if they are going to show it yet since they don’t want to take the light away from Fallout 4 VR or Starfield.”

Starfield, of course, was not announced during Bethesda’s show – a fact which alone would have unequivocally proven Salulard is simply a troll who delights in fuelling the rumour-mill. However, both Fallout 4 VR and Skyrim VR were indeed shown during the conference, so it would be unwise to completely dismiss this ostensible leak just yet.

It gets really interesting when we take a look at the strange background Bethesda chose for their presentation; a starry theme with no ties to the actual content of their E3 show.

Bethesda's VP amidst a starry backdrop. Photo: Mancunion
Bethesda’s VP amidst a starry backdrop. Photo: Mancunion

If we do take this as confirmation that Starfield was intended to be shown at E3 last year, the question that must be asked is: why did they change their mind?

It could be that Bethesda wanted to discredit Salulard, devaluing all of the information he provided by rendering one key part of it incorrect. This would make sense; Salulard went as far as laying out Bethesda Game Studios’ rough release plan all the way to 2030. If the leak was genuine, this completely robs the company of any surprise marketing campaigns for well over a decade.

As for when we’ll now get to see Starfield, E3 2018 would be a good bet. Fallout 4 was announced at E3 2015 and released that same year, and since this E3 reveal and same-year release schedule was allegedly also the plan for Starfield last year, it could be that Bethesda will simply repeat the process in 2018.

Again, this is all speculation. Speculation based on a somewhat reliable source that has many convinced, but speculation all the same.

Disclaimers aside, if we do see Starfield in 2018, and Salulard is vindicated by correctly predicting its details, the rest of his rather outlandish claims including a Bethesda Game of Thrones title in 2020 will suddenly become very, very interesting indeed.

Review: The Cloverfield Paradox

It’s been ten years and J.J. Abrams’ secretive and tantalising promise of a cinematic Twilight Zone-esque anthology series has still not quite come to satisfying fruition. 2008’s Cloverfield successfully blended the found footage horror of The Blair Witch Project with convincing teenage drama and ‘kaiju’ thrills, and 10 Cloverfield Lane was a slick and suspenseful abduction thriller that was tampered with to heighten the science-fiction subtleties of the script.

With The Cloverfield Paradox, Abrams and co. have taken advantage of the current streaming resurgence and attempted something unprecedented: releasing the latest entry in the increasingly foggy Cloverfield franchise on Netflix, with no hype or trailer other than its brief Superbowl teaser dropped on the day of the film’s release.

Prior to watching the clean 100 minutes of interdimensional space terror, this feels like an excellent move. Trailers and film journalism have often wiped away anticipation for a film by revealing its many twists, turns and moments in revealing advertisements and press junkets.

Netflix have challenged its status as top dog for streaming by testing our need for instant gratification, experimenting with a release format that does away with the cultivation of extended hype. Instead, a film could be uploaded to online platforms with a promise of a surprise cultural landmark that no one saw coming.

Rather than a ghostly rumour turned shock hit, however, The Cloverfield Paradox is a derivative and slapstick mess of science-fiction conventions and concepts, roughly sewn together to deliver some semblance of a Cloverfield prequel. Strangely abandoning its cinematic anthology concept, Paradox is a weakly connected direct predecessor to the giant monster fun of the first one, yet the reshoots and script doctoring seem to think that the connections are strong. Get a little too attached to its new concepts and clear deviation from any sort of franchise pandering, and our immersion is quickly ruined by a muffled ADR insert of “Cloverfield”, or a distracting cut to the nonsense going on back home.

The intriguing cast of international astronauts and scientists that include Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Daniel Bruhl and Chris O’Dowd become the victims of a dimensional rift that bombards them with every cosmic horror method of killing in the book. When Elizabeth Depicki appears spliced into the walls of the ship in an unconvincingly gory scene that fails to transcribe the skin-crawling mastery of body horror of Cronenberg or Tetsuo the Iron Man, their situation gets worse from there, and the film largely turns into an episodic account of cosmic death until the crew decide to do something about it.

Some concepts are interesting. Some concepts are glaringly idiotic, to the point of considering that the film could have quite easily started life as a pastiche of the self-serious Alien franchise, or other space thrillers like it. Missing limbs come to life, escape pods are flooded and handguns are 3D-printed. Any time the blaring score indicates an intended swell of tension wooden performances, awkward shooting and bizarre visuals stand in the way of its sequences becoming genuinely scary moments. Though still relatively sterile, the sets and costumes are all adequate enough to play a part in what could have been a nice companion to something like Black Mirror or Electric Dreams, but, if the script was ever worthwhile, it’s been tampered with to disintegration.

When the film is strong, it’s usually when Mbatha-Raw is on screen. Her family turmoil and existential dilemma is enough to make the final hurdle of the third act just about bearable, but this is all squandered by science-fiction conveniences and contrivances of logic that are usually brushed over if the rest of the film’s aspects are worthwhile (see Interstellar), but here demand solutions for far more questions than it answers. An enjoyable and heartfelt performance is enough not to knock Mbatha-Raw from the podium of promising upcoming talents, but Paradox is still an unfortunate smudge on the cast’s filmography that, until now, had been sound in its levels of quality.

Netflix and Abrams had the potential to charge the streaming format of film viewing with an unexpected innovation, to exploit its position as the number one online platform for original content with a brand new marketing move. Releasing a franchise film with no trailers, no leaks and no hype is an idea rich with possibilities, yet the chosen film to kick start the phenomenon was a meandering endeavour that feels more like a cynical ploy than an exciting experiment. Netlix’s Mudbound and Okja have proven that the streaming giant does have an eye for quality, but it’s apparent that they didn’t have their glasses on when it was decided that The Cloverfield Paradox could be a smash hit for online cinema.

2/5

To hear more of Lucas’ thoughts, listen to Take Three on Fuse FM’s Mixcloud

Review: I, Tonya

Unlike many other sport biopics (Hollywood churns out a lot), I, Tonya does not tell the rags-to-riches story of Tonya Harding. It instead focuses on the downfall of the disgraced Olympian and the events leading up to what is referred to as “The Incident”.

The infamous Harding vs. Kerrigan attack is told in a mockumentary style and often breaks the fourth-wall to denounce wild stories that were reported by the media at the time.

During the weeks leading up to the 1994 Winter Olympics, rival Nancy Kerrigan is attacked and suffers from a leg injury resulting in her withdrawing from the Championships. Both Kerrigan and Harding manage to make the Olympic team.

What follows is a media frenzy and huge sporting controversy resulting in theories over whether Harding herself orchestrated or knew of the attack. This dark comedy depicts the life of Harding from her childhood through The Incident and into present-day.

Margot Robbie plays Harding — the figure-skater that the world loved to hate — remarkably, and it’s clear to see why she was nominated for best actress. Portraying Harding from the teen years onwards, it is evident to see Robbie mature into the character and through the life-altering choices she makes.

During her childhood, Harding is forced to skate by her abusive mother LaVona (Allison Janney) who gives a stellar performance in a striking role. LaVona is vicious, unapologetic, and monstrous yet Janney infuses a layer of comedy into the film.

In her teens, Harding meets Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) who begins to physically abuse her too, the two eventually marry and embark in an on-again, off-again relationship. Tonya’s self-appointed body guard Shawn Eckhardt also adds humour by the sheer ridiculousness of his grandiose statements (which are later seen to be lifted from real interviews). Despite all this, Tonya swiftly becomes one of the best figure-skaters in the United States and is the first U.S. female skater to perform the nearly-impossible triple-axel.

Director Craig Gillespie manages to effortlessly portray Harding’s childhood, teen, and Olympic years as well as her in present-day confessional interviews. Gillespie’s quick, almost hazardous, scenes manage to capture the teenage naivety, defensive skating, frustrating marriage, and conflicting life of Tonya Harding with ease.

This is further amplified by Robbie’s exceptional acting as she grows with the strong and complex character. Choosing to address the audience directly during re-enactments manages to convey the utter bizarreness of some of the alleged events of the time. However, choosing Robbie to play Harding at 15, is inept and makes for an unbelievable. Likewise, so is the decision to stay silent on Kerrigan’s perspective who is barely seen.

The script manages to incorporate dark humour but also relay the fact that it is a tragic story with grave costs for many. Scriptwriter Steven Rogers manages to depict the chaotic, eccentric, and overly-ambitious athlete that is Tonya Harding. Yet Rogers also manages to find the balance between the humour and the violence Harding endured at the hands of her mother and husband. Harding acknowledges said abuse but continues that the ultimate abuser was all of us; the audience. Choosing to focus the narrative around several unreliable narrators further highlights the heavy contradiction in the interviews and that we may never know the whole truth.

But it is the unexpected emotional elements that hit hardest. Harding is ostracised by the judges for being unconventional and not a typical ice princess. She is shunned by many for her low-class and redneck lifestyle. However, the film also jokes about this perhaps highlighting the similarities between then and now. The film emotionally resonates with us all, Harding is an underdog who defies all odds and is a great skater but is often unfairly treated over things she cannot control. The dismissive nature of the judges, the harsh media backlash, and Harding reminiscing about her skating days is heart-breaking to watch.

It’s the morbid curiosity that sensationalised the events in 1994, but it’s the same downfall that we are all watching once more. One this is for sure, Tonya Harding was meant for greatness, but it was stolen from her in many ways.

4/5

United withstand a Sevilla test in the Champion’s League

No English side in the Last 16 of the Champion’s League has lost in the first legs of their ties. Jose Mourinho will be hoping his side won’t let the Premier League down.

With Jones injured and Lingard one yellow away from suspension, Mourinho has a limited squad available to him. De Gea comes back into goal after Romero’s FA Cup Adventure. Valencia, Smalling, Lindelöf, and Young make up a strong back four. Yet again he chooses to bench Pogba opting instead for McTominay, Matic, and Herrera. Sánchez, Lukaku, and Mata lead the line.

Sevilla starts the game on the upper hand, linking up well in the opposition half. Manager Vincenzo Montella has selected an attacking lineup hinting that they are here to get the advantage in this first leg. Montella has done a great job of revitalising this Sevilla side. They only have one defeat in their last nine games, against Eibar, and they have progressed to the final of the Copa Del Rey.

The Sevillistas are cutting through this United midfield effortlessly with some sumptuously one-touch passing. This United back four have been equal to it every time but they will need to keep their focus to not get caught out by the explosiveness of these attacks.

A quarter of an hour in and Herrera gestures to the bench holding his hamstring. That’s a real shame for the former Athletic Bilbao man back on home soil. It looks like Pogba is going to play after all.

There is a high intensity to the game so far and it has led to a few fouls. The first yellow card of the game goes to former Stoke player Steven Nzonzi for a high challenge on Sánchez.

The physicality is not limited to Sevilla and Lukaku gets a talking too for shunting a defender to the ground. As an act of revenge, the Sevilla squad conspire to just leave a foot in on the Belgian and he is fouled three times in as many minutes.

Valencia gets the ball on the left-hand side and, in a beautiful bit of skill, sends Correa all the way back to Argentina. Sadly the final third passing lets him down, a symptom of the first half so far for United.

There have been so many fouls so far this game I’ve lost count and with every one that goes against Sevilla, the crowd grows ever more hostile. If this continues and United win I would be worried for the United supporters leaving the ground.

Justice for Sevilla fans. Alexis Sánchez is the second player to go into the referee’s book for sprinting 40 yards just to pull Jesús Navas to the ground. You have to admire his defensive work rate if the end result was disappointing.

Sevilla can smell blood after a few defensive mistakes by Manchester United. They are throwing everyone forward to try and grab a goal before the first half ends. The dream almost becomes a reality if not for a world class save by de Gea from a free header five yards out.

Just before the game starts Jose Mourinho calls Correa over for a conversation. The 23-year-old was listening attentively to the United boss and I don’t think it would be too much of a leap to assume he will get announced as a signing in the summer, a great bit of business. Like the old Madrid saying goes: If you can’t beat them buy them.

Franco Vázquez runs into a stationary McTominay and dives to the floor searching for a foul. Fortunately for everyone Vázquez is as bad at fooling the referee as Messi is at fooling the Spanish tax authorities.

The standout player so far this game is Joaquín Correa. Every time he gets the ball he takes on a couple of players at least. The rest of his team hasn’t noticed that though and he barely gets a whiff of the ball.

Despite this Sevilla are doing everything they need to score except put the ball in the back of the net. It should be 2 or 3-0 but in the 20 something chances Sevilla have had, only that one save before halftime stands out.

The second United substitution comes as Sánchez comes off for Rashford. Mourinho will be looking to rest his big players before the game against Chelsea on Sunday. Seconds later the third substitution takes place with Martial coming on for Mata.

As the full-time whistle blows Montella will be disappointed his side couldn’t get a goal in their home leg of this Last 16 tie. It was a textbook example of how to control a game away from home, a 23rd clean sheet of the season. The next game for Manchester United is against Chelsea on Sunday.

In conversation with Andrey Zvyagintsev

“There were several radical comments, even from notable figures in the political sphere, suggesting that certain artists ought to go out on to Red Square and ask for forgiveness from the entire Russian people.”

1500 miles from Moscow, director Andrey Zvyagintsev is held in a much higher regard. His latest work Loveless, about a divorcing couple whose son disappears, won the Jury Prize at Cannes, and his Q&A after our interview at HOME is completely sold out.

We meet in a stylish little bar adjacent to a cinema. Myself, joined by Elizabeth acting as translator, and Andrey, joined by his producer, Alexander Rodnyanksy. Andrey had a matter of fact appearance, wearing a plain grey t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown shoes.

Andrey is a calculated man. As he was asked each question he paused to ponder it for a few moments, formulating his answer. When at last he gave his responses he spoke with such assurance that, although I couldn’t understand a single word, I was gripped.

Alexander, on the other hand, had his chair facing slightly away from us, as if he could not be less interested. He spent the entire interview fixated on his phone, seemingly unable to reply to the wave of notifications faster than they came.

I became doubtful of his participation in the conversation yet, sporadically, he would lift his eyes to look over to Andrey, or Elizabeth, or myself and contribute as if he was sat on the edge of his seat as I was, hanging onto every word. Alexander has mastered the skill of appearing oblivious and I was amazed.

Growing up in Novosibirsk, Russia, Andrey can pinpoint the exact film that sparked his love of cinema, Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Avventura. He described seeing it as a turning point in his creative destiny, which changed his beliefs of what cinema, and its language, could be.

“I came out of the cinema and it was as if I couldn’t move – I was in the street with my friend, and he was chattering away, saying, “come on, hurry up, let’s go!”, but all I could say was “Yuri, be quiet, just give me a minute…”

I’m convinced, but it’s just my opinion, that Tarkovsky [the revered and influential Soviet director] was heavily influenced by Antonioni. He never spoke about it, but I think it’s obvious from his films, because the 1960s were a time of renaissance for cinema, all over the world, and the event of the appearance of neorealism, in particular, Antonioni’s Italian brand of neorealism, was like an underground explosion. It had such an influence on everything.

This started Andrey down a path he still travels today. His directorial project was a small project for TV of three twenty five-minute short films. “In the year 2000, Dmitry Lesnevsky [an influential Russian TV and film producer and entrepreneur] suggested I make a series. I decided that I would film each of the three screenplays that the producer had given me with different cameramen — I wanted to play with the style and try things out with different ensembles.”

“Then in March 2000, almost exactly 18 years ago, I met Mikhail Krichman [cinematographer]. It was a complete coincidence, a friend of mine introduced us, and we’ve worked together ever since. I gave up on the idea of making three features with three different crews only thanks to the fact that I delegated the first of the three to Mikhail. After the forty days of filming, I knew I didn’t want to work with anyone else. I knew that I had found a creative partner.”

Their collaboration has spanned several feature-length films but none had an impact quite like their fourth film, Leviathan, about a Russian fisherman who tries to stop a corrupt mayor from seizing his ancestral home.

“On one radio station, the presenter put out the question of whether people considered the film “Russophobic”, despite never having seen it. 48 per cent of people who called in said yes. The reaction in Russia was certainly unambiguous, but there were more positive appraisals and enthusiasm too.”

The Russian authorities, having previously supported Andrey’s work, radically shifted their position after seeing Leviathan. Vladimir Medinsky, Russian Minister of Culture, criticised the film for portraying Russians as a ‘swearing, vodka-swigging people’. He noted that not a single character was positive and suggested that Andrey’s work was motivated by ‘fame, red carpets, and statuettes’ rather than reality. Medinsky went as far as to propose new guidelines to ban moves that ‘defile’ the national culture.

“I suppose things may well get worse. Recently it has been getting more and more difficult to maintain artistic and creative property, an artistic view on life and art, to pose difficult questions and a complex view of reality to your audience. Inevitably curiosity and attraction to the work wins out, without a doubt, this tendency exists all over the world. But I think that’s how it will continue to be. Platforms like the festivals in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, which support this kind of film and provide an outlet and a springboard for it, are very important. In Russia, put simply it’s very difficult.”

Despite the polarised reaction to Leviathan, they weren’t worried about the reception for Loveless. “I knew that Loveless would be divisive in some way, but the thing I couldn’t have predicted was the degree to which it would radicalise people’s opinions.”

“A lot of people were expecting after they had seen Leviathan to queue up and watch another “Russophobic” film. Some people couldn’t shed their opinions towards Leviathan and so they came to see Loveless still saying, “bah, this director has no love for his characters, no love for people at all, no love for Russian people at all”.

“Of course, Leviathan paved the way to Loveless having such a broad audience. And for many people, their interest in Loveless was dictated by their initial experience and views on Leviathan. You could call me a representative of Russian cinema, but I wouldn’t know what to do with that.”

“Taking on a title like that, I would be concerned that it might change my behavior. No one dictated to me what to do to make these films successful. I don’t carry out anyone else’s intentions. I’m not a representative of Russian cinema — that’s the last thing I need to think about. If that was the case, then I’d have to fulfill some kind of imposed role — I’m not interested in that.”

Andrey recognises that his cinematic future may one day lay outside Russia, but that isn’t something he is against. “Today we were walking around the city, and I was thinking we should make a film about Manchester. Maybe a comedy with the Manchester United team! But seriously, if suddenly an idea came to me that was relevant, fresh, and had to be in some other language or in a different country, and felt relatable to me and a natural next step, there wouldn’t be any obstacles in my mind.”

“I’ve already had a little experience on a project in New York where I was the only one who could speak Russian. I had an assistant who acted as a translator for me so she managed the communication. During the scenes with dialogue I wondered whether I would be able to interact with the actors, whether their language would just go over my head, but ultimately, I realised that in principle it was possible. So I wouldn’t see any obstacles there. There’s only one obstacle, and that is to find good people.”

Our conversation ended by asking Andrey whether he was in the process of starting another film. “I have plans, but it’s difficult to talk about it, not just because there are few details at the moment but because I don’t definitely know what the next step will be. I’ve already taken enough of a break, we finished the film in May last year – I’m ready for the next film.”

“It was something of a forced break really, because the awards season started, then winter came around, and now the awards are going on until the Oscars on 4th March. We’ve all just been thinking about that date, and now it’s not far off.” “It’s a good thing you’ve hung in there,” Alexander chipped in, “you’re a survivor.” With characteristic wry humour, Andrey laughed back, “No, we won’t survive, that’s for sure!”

A summary of New York Fashion Week

As a modern hub for culture, art and, of course, fashion, it is only fitting that such a historic season was launched in New York. Alexander Wang announced he would no longer be showcasing his collections at fashion week, Marchesa cancelled their show in the wake of scandal and Jeremy Scott brought back Moon Boots. Momentous all round.

The theme of the season is throwbacks, and the trends that came out this fashion week were no exception, so here’s a quick rundown of the most popular trends that will be coming into (and back into) fashion for autumn/winter 2018.

Be prepared for a lot of bright eye popping colours and bold prints. A lot of designers followed in the footsteps of the spring/summer fashion week of September last year with bright, sunshine yellows and audacious pinks. As the eighties gets its revival on the runway, magenta is the way forward with the shift from staple red to staple pink for autumn as a warm tone to add to your cold weather wardrobe.

Animal prints are a similar statement piece that dominated the New York runway. Designers like Tom Ford and Carolina Herrera gave a makeover to the leopard print style most of us remember as something from our cringe worthy teen years and pair it with the bright, block colours that have been so popular. Speaking of 2008 throwbacks, when I watched the catwalk shows from last week I was instantly transported back to a time when the Gossip Girl characters were still at school and Blair Waldorf dominated high society fashion at Constance Billard.

In a throwback we probably should have predicted, coloured tights are back in. From neons to pastels, brands this year are indicating that you should throw out your boring black tights and invest in something that would make 2008 Upper East Side proud. Nostalgic designs also made a comeback in the form of what Elle calls ‘your Working Girl reboot’. The two piece suit rose in favour at the fashion shows last year has had a few tweaks as designers move from trouser to skirt-suits á la Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver. Jason Wu and Calvin Klein keep it classic with dark greys and pinstripes, while Gabriela Hearst added a pastel pink twist to her suit designs.

If you take anything from any of the fashion weeks this season it’s to pull out all your own vintage as well as your parents and try to channel a look that reflects your inner eighties child with two pieces, bright colours and extravagant patterns. Autumn and winter this year are getting a bright colour reboot that Tess McGill and Blair Waldorf could not be prouder.

 

Hunter S. Thompson – in memoriam

February 20th 2018 marks thirteen years since the death of inimitable journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson.

Thompson redefined journalism working with Rolling Stone magazine. His work would come to be described as gonzo, written as a first-person narrative without objectivity. It disregards the traditions and rules of media for an approach with much more personality and humour.

His most acclaimed work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, began as a 250-word assignment for Sports Illustrated covering the Mint 400 motorcycle race. In preparation for the event, he took an astonishing amount of drugs with him, including, but far from limited to, two bags of grass, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid and a salt shaker half full of cocaine.

The resulting piece was 2,500 words and was less about the race and more of, as he puts it, “a savage journey into the heart of the American dream”. Unsurprisingly it was rejected. He instead turned to Rolling Stone, whose editor Jann Wenner loved it, and so Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was born. It ran in two parts in November 1971, later published as a book and adapted into a cult film.

During his career Thompson penned many more extraordinary works, such as his book Hell’s Angels, but as he grew older and his health declined he became increasingly depressed. On February 20th, 2005 he took his own life, leaving a note titled ‘Football Season Is Over’:

“No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun — for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your (old) age. Relax — This won’t hurt”

 

Premier League to provide free kit and equipment to schools

The Premier League Primary Stars Kit and Equipment Scheme aims to use the appeal of the Premier League and profession football clubs to inspire girls and boys aged 5-11 to take part. The Premier League Primary Stars programme is a national curries schemer that is designed to help children learn, engage and be active.

The Premier League Primary Stars Kit and Equipment scheme offers primary schools the opportunity to apply for free resources which can be used for active classroom sessions and PE lessons. In partnership with Nike and delivered by the Football Foundation, the scheme will provide equipment such as floor spots and giant dice to encourage active participation.

Nick Perchard, Head of Community at the Premier League, said “the Premier League Primary Stars kit and equipment scheme gives us the opportunity to provide free resources to primary schools taking part in the programme.  The kit and equipment includes footballs, floor spots and giant dice to help with active lessons. We are offering primary schools the opportunity to apply for free kit and equipment. We hope this year’s process will be as successful as last year and that it will encourage teachers who have not yet signed up to the programme to get involved with Premier League Primary Stars.”

Schools can apply from Monday the 19th of February to Friday the 6th of April and successful applicants will receive their kit and equipment from September 2018. Applications can be made via the Premier League ‘Primary Stars’ webpage.

Live Review: Lewis Capaldi

16th February 2018 — Manchester Club Academy

Although probably not his finest gig ever, Lewis Capaldi continued his journey to stardom with a heartfelt and powerful performance at the sold-out Manchester Club Academy.

After being hailed by VEVO as ‘One to Watch’ and winning the ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ award at the Scottish Music Awards in 2017, the 21-year-old Scotsman was building quite a reputation for himself, but he did not fail to disappoint. After a rather uncharacteristically shaky start to the set, Capaldi settled and started to show us quite what he was made of. He exhibiting his soaring raspy rich vocals despite ‘having a sore voice’.

The intimate setting of Club Academy was not particularly favourable, with its dry and unforgiving acoustics, but this did notstop the audience from enjoying it. They positioned themselves on-stage as if they were at a school assembly, with the young at the front and elder at back.

It was not long before they started to enthusiastically sing along and found themselves absorbed into Capaldi’s melancholic musical bubble. Lewis Capaldi jumped from having a full band backing him, delivering pop-infused indie rock and some contrasting acoustic sounds, to stripped-back moments of solely piano and voice, playing all four of the songs from his debut album Bloom — an EP which sold out all 150 physical copies nearly as quickly as a ‘Supreme drop’ — whilst also showcasing his newest upcoming songs which seem to be just as beautifully heartbreaking as the former.

Swaying to and fro from the mic with eyes rolling back Capaldi nurtured every lyric and note to his hit single Lost On You — a stirring piece of songwriting rooted in that incredible voice. A scream beckoned from the swarm of teenagers with their flashlights and Snapchat filters mid-way through song, answered by Capaldi, with a simple and character-typical “Cheers!”. The humbleness purveyed was refreshing to witness, especially in an age where so many artists get caught up in the novelty of fame.

Although lacking in natural stage presence when not singing, Lewis Capaldi, with a beer in hand, filled the silence with interjections of humorous and entertaining comments that almost verged on being self-deprecating at times. The highlight of this had to be when he was promoting his highly-anticipated upcoming album release, telling the audience in his thick Scottish accent to download, stream or even illegally download it so he could “keep pretending he was a singer”. His life as a musical artist and performer is still obviously somewhat surreal to him, as I expect it would be for any 21-year-old, and it is this unpretentious-manner that underpins his charm and alluring likeability. This made for a very enjoyable gig experience that left me both heart-warmed and inspired.

Capaldi’s talent as a musician is undeniable and it is outstanding for such a young singer to have so much depth and richness to their tone, connecting with its listeners at a time where heartbreak is so tragically prevalent in the world. The heights of 2017 will be difficult to live up to for Capaldi but with the upcoming release of his promising new singles and the experience gained from his worldwide touring I can only see him growing in popularity and 2018 being a colossal year for the artist.

 

8/10

Live Review: Puma Blue

Picture this. You’re sat on your friend’s sofa, beginning to sober up after the house party they’ve just thrown, and you can hear the faint retching noises of someone throwing up in the downstairs toilet. The couple that is supposedly on ‘a break’ are just muffled voices from the room next door, so you allow your consciousness to indulge in previously buried thoughts. You begin to romanticise past toxic relationships and poor decisions, you even try to pinpoint what experiences have led to the definition of your character…

Puma Blue provides the exact soundtrack you want to frame these kinds of moments. The moments that make your normally restless mind, pause and just reflect.

With London-based producer ‘Lucy Lu’ perfectly instilling a dreamy ambience into the intimate back room of the venue, it was clear that even before Jacob Allen/Puma Blue took to the stage, the audience of the 200-year-old Castle Hotel were in for an evening of transcendence. Lucy Lu firmly established his presence alongside his musical counterparts, particularly with his last 3 songs of the set which quickened the pace and really exhibited the instrumental talent of each musician.

South London singer and songwriter Jacob Allen produces a delicate persona, extracted from what I envision to be a lonely, bedroom-enclosed environment and brought to life through his stage name Puma Blue. By no means do I intend this as a criticism, in fact, the tightly enclosed feel that Puma Blue’s music possesses is exactly what makes it so genuine, raw and beautiful. There is nothing dishonest or fabricated infiltrating Puma Blue’s poetry. The exact same can be said about his live performances. His voice and ethereal guitar playing laced with the aid of saxophone gestures undoubtedly raised the hairs on the back of his audience’s necks.

Puma Blue is better live than on record. I mean if you’ve ever listened to ‘Only Trying 2 Tell U’ or ‘(She’s) Just a Phase’, you’ll know how outrageous this claim may be, but I can assure you that it is the truth. Allen’s vocals infuse the air with a hypnotic and graceful texture complimenting his reflective and poetic lyricism. His use of dubbed synth beats, haunting bass tones and outstanding sax parts create a particular form of communication. Almost as if each part is intrinsically woven into the main lyrical narrative to support Puma Blue’s emotional journeys and to reinforce the sense of torture and longing presented so clearly throughout each track.

Next time it’s dark and raining, plug your headphones in and put ‘Only Trying 2 Tell U’ on full volume. You’re welcome.

 

9/10

Live Review: Alvvays

In the current musical scene, there are many artists that transcend genres or are impossible to pin down. Indie pop is a very wide genre. I’d place Charli XCX as the perfect face for indie pop. Alvvays, however, have a bit more of a rock sound than most artists of the aforementioned genre. Therefore, I think it’s fair to classify them as dream pop.

Academy 2 had sold out and the audience was a mixture of all sorts of people of all ages, children and families included. The band’s following and popularity are interesting when taking into consideration that the first of their two albums were released in 2014. A quick look at Spotify reveals that most of their songs have achieved more than a million streams on average, with one track, ‘Archie, Marry Me’ hitting 15 million.

To be completely honest, their studio sound, characterised by echoing vocals and distant instruments, didn’t enthuse me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Alvvays’ albums, but there seemed to be something missing. Even on good equipment, it feels muddy and soft.

Live, however, their sound is completely different — and better. The distance that their studio recordings have is completely eliminated. The drums and bass are loud and punchy while the guitars and keyboard are clear and easy to identify. Molly, the vocalist, also sounds much better live — and in her recordings, she’s pretty great. Their quaint yet playful dancing and pacing set to trippy, minimal background visuals rounded off the performance in a neat package.

The nature of the dream pop genre made for a very relaxed show up until the end where we were prompted to show them our “British bounce”. During the last three songs a small mosh pit started, it felt totally out of place at the gig but hey, live and let live.

With a discography of only 19 songs, the band’s set only just managed to last an hour but, in their defence, it felt like quality took the place of quantity, with every single track being a welcome inclusion to the show.

Ultimately, the most fitting description for the evening is: pleasant. With every element hitting the spot and no downfalls, the show was well worth the evening and perfectly memorable.

Score: 7/10

Grigg ends City’s quadruple hopes

In a weekend bereft of upsets, it fell to the Monday night fixture where Wigan entertained Manchester City for one last chance at some FA Cup magic. As much as Pep Guardiola was at pains to deny it, his team were gunning for the quadruple. Comfortably on top of the Premier League perch, they had one final already lined up and were progressing nicely in the Champions League when they arrived at the DW Stadium.

The fortunes of Wigan are rather different. Since their triumph in the 2013 FA Cup final (against City), they have slipped down the footballing pyramid and occupy third in League One. Put simply, they had no chance in this game.

Guardiola named a relatively strong side with only Ederson and Kevin De Bruyne being the regular starters left on the bench. With a hopeful rather than expectant crowd behind them, Wigan survived a Manchester City onslaught. Playing in a 4-3-2-1 formation, the most advanced Wigan midfielders would drop deep to form a 4-5-1 in defence with Will Grigg alone up top.

A City goal was coming and it was looking more a matter of if then when. İlkay Gündoğan, Fernandinho and Sergio Agüero all had good chances that were either missed or saved but then a small glimmer of hope appeared for the home side.

With the ball headed clear from a City cross, Fabian Delph galloped to make up the distance between him and Max Power. The result was an out of control Delph’s foot being raised and studs making firm contact with Power’s shin. Referee Anthony Taylor initially drew the yellow card from his pocket but upon hearing advice from the other officials in his earpiece, he swapped the cards and produced the red for Delph.

The decision caused a simmering tension on the sidelines to boil over as Guardiola and Paul Cook began gesticulating wildly in each other’s face. Guardiola later explained he was telling Cook to stay in his technical area and claimed nothing happened in the tunnel. Unbeknownst to him, the BBC had cameras in there and images were broadcast of both managers continuing the heated argument as they headed to the changing rooms.

Despite being a man down, City continued to be the dominant side. The introduction of De Bruyne added a few more degrees of pressure onto the Wigan back line as they hung on looking for that replay away at the Etihad.

Any Wigan fans dreaming of a visit to Manchester quickly had their hopes dashed but it was not because City found the net but rather because Will Grigg did. Kyle Walker seemed to switch off at the worst possible time as he let the ball roll under his foot and into the path of Grigg. The striker held off Walker and with an approaching Aymeric Laporte, he fired the shot off early. The ball beat Claudio Bravo and nestled into the bottom of the net sending the DW Stadium into an eruption of noise.

It was Grigg’s seventh FA Cup goal of the season in as many games and with 11 minutes left to play gave his side something to cling on to. City were powerless to overturn the scoreline and the whistle blew with the League One side progressing.

For City, the attention switches elsewhere but for Wigan, their FA Cup dream continues with a visit of Southampton.

Live Review: Seal

Seal needs no introduction. He’s a national treasure and an undeniable legend of the 90’s and early 2000’s pop scene. Hits like ‘Kiss From A Rose’, ‘Crazy’, his cover of Steve Miller Band’s ‘Fly Like An Eagle’ and ‘Prayer For A Dying’, among many other songs, are instantly recognisable by everyone, everywhere.

At the end of 2017, the superstar from Paddington released Standards, an album that pays tribute to, as Seal called them, “some of the greatest songs ever written”.

Sinatra, Ellington, Armstrong, Chaplin, Gershwin… it’s safe to call them titans of the pre-contemporary musical scene, having set a precedent that few have surpassed. Along with this album, the ‘Standards Tour’ is stopping by the UK, Ireland, France and, lastly, Australia.

The O2 Apollo was set up with seating for the evening, making it feel extremely classy. Our first treat for the evening was Tabo, a soulful singer with a heart of gold; he made sure to greet people at the end of the night and we made a point to snap a picture and gave him a warm hug — what a charmer! A soft synth keyboard was the single accompaniment to his voice, and that was already a hell of an instrument in itself. Foot stomping, tongue clicks and dancing on the spot rounded off his performance to the almost-full Apollo.

Tobias and Tabo — Photo: Tobias Soar
Tobias and Tabo — Photo: Tobias Soar

Seal’s arrival to the stage was welcomed with a round of applause before he jumped straight into a series of tracks from Standards. His style, charm and genuine charisma which shone through during and, mostly, in between songs made it a pleasure to watch.

Members of the audience kept screaming for Seal to sing his own songs instead of the classics and, quite surprisingly, he grabbed an acoustic guitar — which, interestingly, he played left-handed, as Paul McCartney does – and serenaded us with an acoustic rendition of ‘Kiss From a Rose’.

Earlier in the show he remarked “you’re all well behaved for a Seal show, this is very uncharacteristic of us”. Well, the naughtiness began as he took off his blazer, rolled up his shirt sleeves and hit us with ‘Crazy’. Now it was a Seal show.

I couldn’t help but notice and admire how he would walk the stage, right to edge, and make eye contact with audience members. This small gesture really makes a difference, it draws you in more than any crazy set piece or dance crew ever will.

Then, Seal took this immersion to the next level: he jumped off stage. He was quite literally less than 10 feet from where I was. Of course, the audience was delighted with a couple of people sheepishly walking up to him and embracing him. Seal was totally cool with this, taking people under his arm and then proceeding to dance with a young woman in front of us. She seemed to be at the concert with her partner but, unfortunately for him, no one can compete with Seal. It’s fair to call him “Mr. Seal your girl”.

I wasn’t aware of this being on my bucket list but it must have been because you can bet I’ll tell my grandchildren about the night I boogied with Seal.

Seal’s classics, his own songs, his charm, his swagger, his genuine affection towards the crowd and every factor of the show made for an undoubtedly memorable show and, ultimately, a perfect night out on Valentine’s Day.

10/10

Live review: Amenra

Sunday 18th February, Gorilla

There are few bands, nay, performers, that can instil total silence in an audience, and Amenra are one of those few. To the uninitiated, a metal band without mosh pits may sound like a lake without water, but it is here you will find it.

Let me preface this by saying I’m not a sludge (or doom) metal fan. I don’t know much of the genre and it’s not something I listen to personally. I first saw Amenra four years ago at a post-rock festival, Beyond the Redshift. I had never heard of them, but their absolutely breath-taking performance made me a lifelong convert.

Amenra drape themselves in religious symbolism; their name is the Egyptian god of the sun, their albums are numbered Masses, associated acts (including Oathbreaker) are members of the Church of Ra, their logo is a trinity and their music videos and artwork often feature churches, crosses, and crucifixion. Seeing an Amenra show is to me, an atheist, the closest to a religious experience I have ever been. Minutes before the show, the smell of Catholic incense wafted through the air, and thus the sermon began.

Amenra waste no time with pleasantries. The performance starts as soon as the band walk on stage, and ends when they finish their last piece. It’s important to highlight those words — it would be demeaning to say that Amenra make ‘songs’. It would be similarly degrading to call vocalist Colin H. van Eeckhout a ‘singer’. Amenra seem often disconnected from the audience, making the performance as much of a personal experience for the band as it is for each member of the audience. Van Eeckhout spent much of the performance facing away from the audience, only turning towards it at opportune times.

As I alluded to earlier, there were no mosh pits — each audience member is consumed by the music in a shared, yet personal experience. I often found myself in a completely trance-like state, unaware I was even in a crowd. Amenra use indescribably intense sections of the music to create an all-consuming wall of sound, a chaotic yet somehow ordered cacophony. More importantly they contrast this with quiet, brooding build-ups which are at times near silent. These silent sections really show the grip that band create on the audience with near silence (anyone who dares make noise is quickly shushed).

The band opened with ‘Boden’, from 2012’s MASS V. The piece begins with a dramatic clanging of metal bars, followed by a long, slow, tense buildup. Behind them, on a large screen, stark black and white images were projected: a girl with the band’s logo, a church, lava, water flowing, a body suspended in a forest. Each piece was roughly 10 minutes in length, but for the duration of the set, time lost all meaning. Finishing with the more recent ‘Diaken’, the sermon concluded. What happened in that hour and fifteen minutes is an experience that a simple text review could not do justice.

I cannot put into words just how good Amenra are. If you get the chance to see them, do it. Don’t like doom metal? Nor do I. Give them a try, and you have my word that you’ll become a follower.

10/10