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Day: 16 June 2018

Live Review: Taylor Swift

Following the release of her 6th album, reputation, Taylor Swift brought an extravagant show to the Etihad Stadium.

For her first stadium show in Manchester, spectacle was at the forefront. This ranged from massive dance routines, to pyrotechnics, to giant visual displays.

The best example of this came during ‘Look What You Made Me Do’. Taylor Swift performed alongside 30 dancers and an elaborate throne-like stage setup, before a 50-feet-tall inflatable snake burst out during the song’s climax.

Out of context, some of these more spectacular moments of the set may come across as ridiculous, but they totally worked. Transitioning between the main stage and a smaller B-stage at the other end of the stadium, Taylor performed her new single ‘Delicate’  from a cage on a zip line, much to fans’ delight.

Once there, she was joined by support acts, Camila Cabello and Charli XCX, to perform the pop anthem, ‘Shake It Off’. Meanwhile, dancers wearing brightly coloured costumes moved their way through the crowd as a rainbow of confetti descended from up high.

Yet, the show did have its quieter moments. Harking back to her country roots, Taylor brought out an acoustic guitar to play a stripped-down version of ‘Dancing With Our Hands Tied’. While this was an intimate part of the show, it was made more poignant by Swift dedicated the song to the “incredible resilience” Manchester showed following the Arena attack last year. Since both she and Ariana Grande share many young fans, some of whom would have been at the Arena last May, the short tribute created a palpable reaction at the Etihad.

Yet, if there was a problem with the show, it was with Swift’s song choice. Songs from her latest album Reputation featured heavily during her set. While the album is far from bad, her previous two albums, Red and 1989 have much better songs on them. Of course, you heard songs like ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together’ and ‘Blank Space’, but all bar one of the songs from reputation was played. Surely it would have been better to cut a few tracks from her current album to make way for songs like ’22’?

Yet, even the song choice couldn’t bring down the joy that Taylor’s show brought. Ending with a medley of ‘We Are Never Getting Back Together’ and ‘This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’, the finale of the show saw Taylor Swift performing on top of a working water fountain as fireworks brought the night to a close.

Each audience member was given a bracelet, which would light up during the show, creating beautiful light displays throughout the performance. They would glow for days after the final song had played. Just like the bracelet, the show would glow in people’s memories long after Taylor Swift had left the stage.

8/10

Review: G30 – A Memory Maze

No one can really understand the suffering that a person goes through when they are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. We can hear personal accounts or know someone in our lives who are affected by the disease, but a lot of people will not understand how Alzheimer’s can affect your life so significantly.

However, Ivan Kovalov and his indie project, G30 – A Memory Maze, attempts to reveal to its players a small glimpse into the life of someone who does. Dealing with human memory through complex puzzle-solving levels, the player’s objective is to unravel the character’s past and discover why this person’s afraid of the people around them.

The puzzle-base mechanics are structured around one jigsaw picture and one word, which are both surrounded by multiple circles. When moved, the circles change the puzzle’s structure through combining different symbols and colours. As the player spin the circles, more words are added to form phrases that sometimes do not make sense, or reveal different perspectives on that one word, until a sentence forms that brings you further into the story. Whilst you are unraveling one story through these sentences you discover that specific words are highlighted, and when unlocked, they fill the gaps of another story, adding depth and clarity to the overarching narrative.

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photo: Mancunion

However, before the whole story is revealed, the most difficult part of this game is the puzzle’s complex way of revealing the words, because it is a very frustrating experience. In terms of the gameplay, you can find yourself spending a long time trying to put the puzzle pieces together to form an image and more than likely find yourself repeating the same moves and struggling to find a solution. Eventually, when you do solve the puzzle, it seems to be the product of luck rather than the intention of moving the circles the right way. If you do not figure out the mechanics, then it will come across as a ‘trial and error’ gameplay.

Despite the stresses that come with this, the way in which the game is designed is minimalist in terms of the aesthetics. This makes the gameplay feel simplistic and straightforward at the start of the game, but, in later levels, the style of the graphics is too simplistic with little explanation of how each level is different. Nonetheless, this does not effect how bold the game looks with the array of colours set against black and the simplicity of the circles and pictures, which complement each other well in this game.

photo:Mancunion
photo:Mancunion

In the second story, which is told through the highlighted words, you will find that when you finish there may still be gaps in the story. The only way to find these missing words is to go back to each level and find the words by solving the puzzle a different way, or spinning a circle one way instead of another, and the process can become repetitive and frustrating.

However, that might have been Kovalov’s intention when considering this story is from the perspective of someone with Alzheimer’s. Going into this game, I didn’t have an in-depth understanding of what Alzheimer’s can do to a person. From this game, my understanding is that someone with a cognitive disorder sees family, friends, and society differently, as if they are strangers. The memories the person shares with these people are distorted, and that it is a frustrating process of trying to remember what you’ve lost. From the story, it seems that they believe the whole world is turning against them and wanting to control them.

 

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photo: Mancunion

 

This project was self-developed by Ivan Kovalov, who alone created the game design, coding, art, and music of the game to capture this other life. Despite the moments where the gameplay was a difficult and prolonged experience, Kovalov has masterfully created a game that will teach you to always appreciate the moments that those with a cognitive disease struggle to do, to take moments slowly and to appreciate everything and everyone. The game is beautifully designed with such a powerful message to tie everything together, to explain what G30 really means, and to help you understand the significance of words.

7/10

Live Review: James Bay

James Bay returns to the UK after the release of his interesting second album Electric Light. After hearing lead singles ‘Pink Lemonade’ and ‘Wild Love’, I was certainly confused about the direction that Bay has chosen to take as a follow on from such a successful, raw and lyrically-rich debut.

Given that the industry is currently saturated in synth and electronic beats, I have absolutely no objection in Bay lending himself to experimentation. Just as everyone knows, an artist has to evolve to some extent particularly when consolidating their reputations with the tricky second album. Unfortunately, Bay hasn’t cracked it.

Having said that, there are no criticisms I can declare concerning his vocals or artistry. James Bay possesses no facade with regards to his talent. Counting the use of over three different guitars throughout an 80-minute show, Bay’s vocals resonated beautifully in an equally stunning venue at Manchester’s Albert Hall.

Bay’s voice has strengthened, and he has grown oodles of confidence as a performer since Chaos and the Calm, but I do worry this confidence is etching into the realms of cockiness. A trait I would never have imagined the man who stood on Brighton’s seafront and played ‘Clocks Go Forward’ so effortlessly, enveloping YouTube viewers in an endearing warmth and distinct yearning for love.

I take zero pleasure in making such comments about an artist that defined a large part of my 2015 alongside the likes of Hozier, but 2018 has brought an unexpected twist that I am struggling to get used to. Having said that, Bay’s performance of Us did make for a sensual, tear-prickling performance due to its slightly more stripped back production compared to its album counterparts.

It cannot go unnoticed that Bay’s performances of songs such as ‘If You Ever Want To Be In Love’, ‘Craving’ and ‘Best Fake Smile’ were undoubtedly favoured by the audience who, I have to admit, remained entirely enthusiastic throughout his set. But there was a definite aura surrounding Bay’s performance of the Chaos and the Calm treasures because quite frankly, they were exhibited with more passion and authenticity.

The glimmers of older songs with the new only starkly contrasted the sheer difference in song-writing that James Bay has concocted over the past three or so years. I can’t help but feel as though Bay isn’t being true to himself. Too much over-production, too much commercialisation and too much lack of honesty in self-reflection now perhaps frame the contemporary Hertfordshire born Bay.

I’m craving something I can feel James.

7/10

Tramlines Festival 2018

Bursting with tons of live music across the weekend, Sheffield’s Tramlines festival is spread across four fantastic stages (including one stage that will be themed to the legendary Leadmill club) and the huge main stage which will all be located in Hillsborough Park this year. The festival has an incredible track record for hosting awesome artists, with the likes of The Libertines, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Dizzee Rascal having previously been on the line up.

So with the festival fast approaching, let’s take a look at the top ten artists you won’t want to miss over this jam-packed July weekend:

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Of course I had to begin my list with this truly distinctive band fronted by a true northern legend. Collectively, these birds have been flying high since 2011 and they don’t show signs of coming down anytime soon (bad jokes aside).

Their latest album Who Built The Moon? is yet another trip in an almost completely different direction to their previous offerings. Plunged into a whimsical world, we float dreamily through the rather poignantly placed ‘Beautiful World’ to the solid upbeat drum beats of ‘She Taught Me To Fly’.

Playing the main stage on the Saturday with a mix of old and new they are sure to draw in a huge crowd so make sure you get there early if you want to have a good chance of seeing these guys! To be honest I’m just really excited to see what kitchen utensils,Charlotte (the fantastic French vocalist with the scissors!) can smuggle into the festival! We love the notion of scissors as instruments. Chip chop!

2. Blossoms

Speaking of great northern bands, Stockport’s Blossoms will also be playing the main stage on Saturday and they are most definitely worth a watch. Their latest album Cool Like You, released in 2016, is a synthy spectacular which transitions brilliantly from their initial guitar heavy self titled album.

Always a festival highlight, these guys seem to have perfected an incredible combination of crowd-pleasing anthems, whilst still keeping with a strong sense of their roots through their lyrics and style. New tracks such as ‘There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)’ are so infectiously catchy that before long you’ll be singing it constantly (I have had this song stuck in my head for weeks)! Their set will also include plenty of acoustic tracks which will be perfect for relaxing and taking in the atmosphere in between the hits. It will definitely be exciting to see how Blossoms change up their set this year.

3. Tom Grennan

A newcomer who is making a massive mark on the soulful independent artist world is most definitely Tom Grennan. He stormed the path with the playful tune ‘Royal Highness’ which gives an insight into Grennan’s cheeky persona and has an ultimately charming tone that will continually grown on you.

His highly anticipated debut album Lighting Matches will be released on 6th July but Grennan’s cool charismatic character has already started to really shine through. Tracks such as ‘I Might’ and ‘Sober’ are always real standout performances that stand testament to his strong vocals.

Having just completed a successful tour of a variety of venues across the UK, Grennan is set to continue onto a much larger tour. I would highly recommend catching his set on Sunday at The Leadmill Live stage as it could well be one of the last opportunities to see this artist on smaller, more intimate stage. For sure, Grennan is one to watch!

4. RATBOY

Are you ready for pure riotous energy and the wildest crowd of the day? If not, then you’d better steer clear of Jordan Cardy and co. as they bounce into the headlining set on the Leadmill stage on the Saturday. Following their great success at a number of festivals over the last year RATBOY released their debut album SCUM. It is a punk/rap manifesto, fusing high energy and unwavering enthusiasm with angsty, outrageous lyrics.

The result? A set full of crazy tunes that could sweep even the most relaxed festivalgoer into the frenzy, as proved at their sold-out Manchester Academy gig in February this year. (It is pure madness but intoxicatingly fun all the same!) Seriously do you have anything better to do? Go see these guys!

5. The Sherlocks

This four-piece band from Yorkshire is already a strong indie favourite with a number of beautifully anthemic tunes that will surely warm up the crowd nicely at the main stage on Saturday. With successful tracks that you’ll quickly recognise such as ‘Was it really worth it?’ it is no surprise that they sold out a number of shows across the UK in recent years.

The Sherlocks are becoming a real staple within the indie band category and have a well established fan base that are sure to be in full swing by the time they perform. They’ve been gradually releasing singles since 2014 but their debut 2017 album ‘Live for the moment’ is the first time the band has honed their sound into a single collection of guitar-heavy tracks with a gritty, indie-infused drum beat. Worth a watch if you’re about!

6. Jake Bugg

Another favourite that will be headlining one of the bigger stages at Tramlines this year is Jake Bugg. With the success of his first album still very much in our minds and highly praised by critics, The Nottingham lad is likely going to be a hit with crowds. With the classic ‘Lighting Bolt’ and ‘Trouble Town’ still firmly within his repertoire, it’ll be a treat to hear them played alongside tracks from his newest album ‘Hearts that strain’, where they belong, out in the open air. Fancy a break from the bands? Then be sure to check out Jake Bugg as he takes to the “T’other stage” on the Saturday.

7. King No-one

Though another four-piece band from Yorkshire, these guys have a distinctive, alternative edge about them. Their tracklist sweeps through a variable mix of upbeat, guitar-led single releases which will really set off the festival spirit nicely. A track to watch out for is definitely their 2016 release Alcatraz which has a strong 80s undercurrent running directly through, aligning beautifully with frontman, Zach Lount’s glittering vocals. Expect a mixture of sweet summery guitars and electronic funk from this lot at The Library stage this year.

8. Pale Waves

Pale Waves are an NME award-winning alternative indie band with a steadily growing base of avid fans. Another runaway success from the Dirty Hit record company (The 1975, Wolf Alice etc.) these guys are making great ‘waves’ across the indie music scene. Their quirky sense of style and staging will leave you dumbstruck; they truly make great use of the stage space and lighting to create an experience of the band that is visually stunning.

Their lead singer, the captivating Heather Baron-Gracie’s delicate vocals and haunting lyrics, sit oddly well amongst the upbeat eltro-infused sound. Overall, the band seems to have been fully embraced for their juxtaposition of style and sound and if you have the time in your schedule, I would recommend checking these guys out! Without doubt it will be a unique performance.

9. The Magic Gang

This four-piece indie gang know how to write a good song. Simple as that. The Magic gang are taking over and it is so easy to see why. Seeming to appear from nowhere, you’ll be forgiven forever so gently being swept up in their sunny, upbeat lyrics and overall relaxed tone. Their recently released self-titled album has an incredibly ageless quality that breezily flows through each track from the indie infused opening drum beat of ‘Oh, Saki’ through to the jazzy piano tunes that seep from ‘Take Care’. These guys will be eager to show the crowds at Tramlines just what they’ve been missing from their summer playlist. Don’t forget to check them out at The Leadmill live stage on Friday!

10. Fickle friends

Fickle friends are an electronic, experimental five-piece from Brighton who are set to storm the “T’other” stage on Saturday. A fan favourite track is ‘Glue’ which is filled to the brim with energy and enthusiasm. It really showcases what the band is about: electronic synth sound and ever-present bass line, filtered through a smokescreen of neon light and a powerful punch of flamboyant style.

Their 2018 debut album You Are Someone Else gives their energetic vocalist, Natti Shiner, a chance to lend her beautiful almost effortless vocals to every track with real heart. The tracks ‘Wake me up’ and ‘Brooklyn’ also provides a sweet summer infused remedy amongst the resonating heartbreak of their lyrics. If you fancy a dance then check out Fickle Friends on Saturday at The “T’other”stage. Be there!

So overall very exciting stuff! If you fancy checking out the festival for yourself, Tramlines 2018 will be around from Friday 20th July to Sunday 22nd July 2018. Get your Tickets now!