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Year: 2018

Review: The Meg

Sharks are awfully misunderstood creatures. Ever since a young Steven Spielberg directed Jaws they have been wrongly labelled as killing machines with a taste for human flesh. The reality could not be more different. In fact, more than twice as many people are killed each year from champagne corks. The only saving grace is that Spielberg paved the way for many more shark-based classics. Movies like Sharks in Venice and Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! would be sadly missing from every film buffs DVD shelf had he never signed on in June 1973. Jon Turteltaub’s The Meg is not Jaws, far from it, it’s not even Jaws IV.

As the opening credits roll and the Chinese production company’s name flashes on the screen, the feeling of inevitability begins to sink in. The inevitability of a film with shoehorned Chinese supporting characters, shoehorned Chinese landmarks and agenda, shoehorned anything that will get the film released into the Chinese market. Whilst this will undoubtedly increase worldwide box office gross from the Far East’s penchant for CG monsters, it dramatically reduces the quality of any film that features one of these collaborations. Blockbusters were never about creating great cinema, only great profits, but there is only so much garbage the average cinemagoer can take before they stop going, right?

When watching The Meg it’s advisable that you take with you your shark film cliché bingo cards. Unnecessary helicopter crash? Stamp. Finally defeat the shark but find out it’s just the main shark’s baby? Stamp. One of the characters mentions something about needing a bigger boat? Bingo. It feels as though Google fed the script of every shark film into an AI and this is what it came up with.

Thankfully Jason Statham is here to give the viewer something for the £12 they paid for their ticket. With far too many supporting characters jostling for screen time to develop properly, Statham’s is the only one you care for. He tries incredibly hard to inject as much charisma and charm as he can into his limp lines, but ultimately drowns under the weight of the over-seriousness in the delivery from the other characters. He isn’t helped by the nonsensical script. A personal highlight takes place when the scientists searching the deep sea originally try to recruit Statham’s  character, Jonas, into their team. Jonas goes off on a grand speech about how there is no way in hell he will join them, that his diving days are over and that’s that, nothing they say can possibly change his mind. After he’s finished, one of the scientists simply asks him to go and just like that he’s grabbing his coat and running out the door.

All, and I mean all, of this can be forgiven if there are copious amounts of shark-on-man action. Bad swiftly turns to worse when you realise that this is a 12A. Making the film a 12A means compromising on the gore and actual shark destruction on screen, which I’m sure is the only reason many people were in the cinema to begin with. It’s like shooting a romance film without any of the romance. More screen time is devoted to a little girl playing with her remote control toy than the Megalodon has playing with its gnashers. This is yet another decision driven purely by profits.

A lower rating means more people paying to see it and in turn more money for the studio. This is disappointingly in keeping with every other aspect of The Meg, a film that screams cash grab, which is ironic considering Jaws was the first summer blockbuster. One that ushered in the new era of Hollywood in the 1970’s, and disappointingly one that won’t be going anywhere any time soon.

‘In search of Northern Soul’: In conversation with Len Green

Out of a removal van, mancunian artist Len Green passes down a huge, square painting named after Sean Taylor’s ‘Magic Touch’. As I help heave it into the Sewell Centre gallery at Radley College, the Wigan DJ turned art teacher describes his love of Northern Soul music: the inspiration behind his first major exhibition.

Northern Soul music appeared in the North of England in the 1960s and 70s, particularly in Manchester’s famous venue, the Twisted Wheel. The music was based on black American soul music, and became the anthem of Northern nightclubs and dancehalls, sparking dynamic dance due to its strong beat and quick tempo.

It is this dynamic energy that inspires Len Green’s work: he claims his vibrant and free-flowing work is “a response to music and energetic dance”. In fact, Green compares the gestural quality of his work to pieces of graffiti, a reference which works well given the red brick walls of the gallery, against which we prop his canvases.

This energy, however, whilst being “quite spontaneous,” is tempered in the process of creating his paintings. Green describes a difficult process of reconciling his energy and freedom of movement with careful planning and control. He claims that his works balance “lyrical and gestural abstraction with geometry and structure; spontaneity yet control, order and chaos; colour and form”: artistic binaries which cannot always be balanced naturally. In this way, Green informs me that his works are “never started and finished without some substantial modification”.

Another striking characteristic of Green’s work is the use of flamboyant colour: his paintings could hardly be described as muted. As Green describes his love of bright, vivid colour, and how his palate choices are “subliminally Heron” in hue, I can’t help but notice his fluorescent orange trainers which illuminate the monochrome gallery. However, despite his obvious penchant for purples and pinks, Green once again recounts the process of ensuring his works “balance colouristically.”

Amongst the numerous works in the gallery, the stand-out paintings are the large-scale works. Once uncovered from their bubble wrap, the sheer dynamism of Green’s mark-making becomes clear. Green describes these gestures as “my writing” as he seeks to “draw without consciously drawing” to achieve the impression of ease of movement, evocative of dancing.

As the canvases tower over my somewhat vertically challenged self, Green comments, “the bigger the canvas, the better,” describing how the large scale provides no barrier to his gestures when painting: he can stretch out “like Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man.” This effect is clear when one considers his larger and smaller pieces side-by-side: the true essence of Northern Soul seems far more present in his larger works.

Yet the title of his collection ‘In search of Northern Soul’ raises several more questions. As a Northerner who has lived in the West Country for the past few decades, I wonder whether it is his northern soul that is being searched. Green responded by recounting how the process of painting is “searching my soul”, having had a long break from painting during his career as a teacher. However, following this profound moment, he dryly remarks that “it all sounds a bit too cheesy to me.”

 

Live Review: Arctic Monkeys

“Dance as if somebody’s watching, ‘cause they are.” The line, perhaps the self-parodic marker of Arctic Monkeys’ latest album, Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino, is an embodiment of their approach to performing these days. Here is a band whose journey from breakthrough youngsters in a time where indie-rock reigned to legendary genre-leaders in a period of its perceived demise is one of the most infamous in recent British music history. It has left them perhaps unique among the wave of noughties success stories in still being able to instantly sell out massive tours. Today, an Arctic Monkeys show will guarantee extravagant busting of moves, unashamedly, in front of thousands, a far cry from their humble eyes-to-the-floor beginnings.

There is another, far more obvious, distinction. The songs themselves. Tranquillity Base debuts a first for the rockers, in that none of its songs make an obvious single, aside from (at a stretch) set-opener ‘Four Out of Five’. In a room this large, it can’t be denied that these piano ballads, perhaps unfairly often dubbed as Alex Turner solo tracks, are somewhat shoved into the corner of fans’ attention when thrust into a setlist which also features ‘I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor’. Chatter rises when the band launches into slow and soft ‘Star Treatment’, inadvertently creating a miniature interval in the show’s flow. ‘Batphone’ goes further in becoming the point during which several fans choose to take their obligatory group photos for the ‘Gram. Whilst excellent, these are tracks you can imagine being played by the old crooner in the corner of a lonely bar in the heart of America. Knowing Turner, it’s not unreasonable to assume this is how they were intentionally written.

It is the songs taken from the outfit’s extensive discography which have lingered as setlist staples for years that really get 21,000 voices passionately warbling along. From the early days and standing the test of time, ‘Dancing Shoes’ and ‘Brianstorm’ instigate a frenzy. Tracks from 2013’s AM inevitably wind up the audience energy, from smash hit singalong ‘Do I Wanna Know’, to a show-closer of ‘R U Mine?’. And how do you mix up the tracks everyone just expects to be thrown in there? Add an elongated, remixed, fast-pace ending, as with tonight’s dose of ‘505’.

Whilst they have the talent to pull it off with ease, the fact that Arctic Monkeys insist on playing songs that they know are in no way designed for an arena inside of an arena manifests their insistence to remain immersed in their long-standing approach of doing only what they want to do. The fact that fans who have not even bothered to learn the lyrics to the new songs still buy tickets in their thousands to hear the old ones prove that even after all this time and evolution, here is a band that just aren’t going anywhere.

9/10

Stagecoach take over 147 bus

Stagecoach have taken over the running of the free 147 bus services connecting North Campus to the main University site.

With the existing contract funded by Oxford Road Corridor Partners expiring in August this year, Stagecoach have decided to expand its Manchester empire. From September onwards, Stagecoach will run the existing free service from Sackville Street to outside the Students’ Union Building on the main campus. This means that students will be able to travel directly from Fallowfield to North Campus for the first time using public transport.

Stagecoach will also extend the service from Piccadilly Gardens to West Didsbury. Students and staff will still be able to use the inter-campus section for free with a valid ID card. However, the new stops will have a charge like other Stagecoach Magic Bus services, similarly costing £1.50 for a single journey. Passengers will also be able to continue using uniriders on this service.

This does however raise questions about the new services, such as how bus drivers will be able to keep track of passengers who stay on longer than the campus-campus link, but do not pay for their additional stops.

The service will start earlier at 5:31am, and the last bus to leave West Didsbury will be 8:04pm – operating every 15 minutes during this time frame.

A new leaf for Slug and Lettuce

The Slug and Lettuce, a restaurant mostly known as a place to go for buy one get one free cocktails, have exploited this reputation with the introduction of a new cheap and cheerful menu with a central focus on sharing both cocktails and food.

The aim for the new menu is to bring people together, to share a bite to eat with those you share your lives with. As the great philosopher Plato probably once said, “life is better with good food, good friends and great pornstar martinis”. At the Slug and Lettuce you can now get nine of those vanillary liquid goodnesses for £41.95, which is around £4.60 per drink (not forgetting the prosecco shot chaser). You aren’t saving much on price, as cocktails are already 2 for 1 – but the drinks do come in the formation of a tree, topped with a sparkler. This is great for birthdays and Instagram, isn’t mother nature glorious?

slug and lettuce
Photo: slug and lettuce

The new menu contains the usual suspects from classic pub dishes to a full English breakfast with options to make it tipsy for a boozy breakfast before a day in the city. The sharing platters range from cheesy topped nachos (with an option to add chilli beef) to the meat board sharer, and crispy duck sharer still at a reasonable price of £15.99; perfect before a night out or for a catch-up with friends.

For a vegetarian, the menu has a reasonable array of options, but that which we tasted left a little to be desired. The sautéed pepper and grilled halloumi flatbread seemed to be somewhat flavourless and the cubed halloumi topping chewy and uninspiring. Vegans have even less to write home about, although the vegan nachos were a welcome respite from the heavily meat-friendly menu. Of course, Slug and Lettuce is not a vegan or vegetarian restaurant and we can’t expect the world from cheaper eats, but I’m sure I am not the only vegetarian pleading with high street chains for a bit more than halloumi and bean burgers. The rest of the menu we didn’t get the chance to try looked promising however, with vegan options for Thai curry, chilli and vegetarian linguine.

For those who prefer to indulge in the sweeter things in life there is the £2.99 dessert menu (dangerous) with the option for the indecisive of three desserts for £7. The shareable desserts keep up with the restaurants desires for crowd-pleasing and feeding, with the majority coming in bite sized pieces. We predict the warm brownie bites and macaringues set to be a firm favourite amongst Slug and Lettuce goers, and ones you’ll regret agreeing to share when they’re on the table.   

If inclusion is what the new food menu aims to provide, then the low-alcohol and new mocktail drinks menu ‘Sober Scene’ is a perfect accompaniment. Many don’t drink, be that for religion, dieting, driving, or just not feeling it tonight. When you are swept up in the uni bubble, going out four times a week and groaning in an post-alcohol protest hangover most mornings, you might wonder what relevance low alcohol menus have for people like you.

slug and lettuce
Photo: slug and lettuce

However, ONS figures last year showed that young people aged 16 to 24 years in Great Britain are less likely to drink than any other age group. With the new Gordon’s ultra-low alcohol gin and tonics offered on the revised drinks menu at Slug and Lettuce, there are options for everyone. Gordon’s standard gin comes in at 37.5% proof, where as the new range is a mere 0.5%. You can have a couple of these and drive safely, knowing you aren’t putting anyone’s lives in danger.

And the best part? It actually tastes like a G&T!

Cocktails and nibbles in relaxed environment that won’t break the bank. As a students on a budget, what more could we ask for?

NUS launch Totum to replace NUS Extra

Today, the National Union of Students (NUS) launched a new product to replace its long-standing NUS Extra Card, which will be known as ‘Totum’.

Launched in 2010, NUS Extra granted students who held the card discounts to major high street retailers such as The Co-Op, ODEON, and National Express coach travel.

Totum is a discount card partnered with an app which will Ali Milani, NUS’ Vice-President for Union Development, described as a “passport to student life” by providing a more holistic service for students, including student events, volunteering, and a student ID.

The app aims to turn NUS Extra “from a discount card into an engagement platform” explained Adam Bardsley from OneVoice, speaking at the Student Media Summit at Amnesty International’s London centre today.

The app also will advertise student societies available to prospective members, and allow the user to purchase membership where required via a link to the corresponding Students’ Union website.

At the same event, Mr Milani also said Totum would “revolutionise local discounts around campus”. When pushed on who would negotiate these local discounts, Mr Milani said that the onus was on individual Students’ Unions to do so.

Existing multi-year NUS Extra card holders will automatically be added to the Totum programme meaning no extra cost will need to be paid.

He then claimed the NUS “would never sell student data”, calling this “a marker in time for revolutionising our services for students”. Despite this, the app will still collect users’ personal data.

One example is that the app will attempt to tell users available to them in-store, meaning the user should always be able to use the discount, rather than forgetting to after paying. This would have the consequence of knowing users’ device location data.

The Mancunion have learned that users’ data will still be analysed for commercial purposes to target discounts to students, but won’t be sold off to third parties.

Mr Bardsley did however say the app was still in the development phase, and features will be added to it over the next 24 months.

Megan Heath, also from OneVoice, outlined that the annual cost of the card would remain £12 and the app will be launched on 13th September.

Exec Team appeal for dialogue as UCU vote on further strikes

The University of Manchester Students’ Union Exec Officers have called for “all sides to get round the negotiating table” after the Universities and College Union (UCU) announced last week its intention to ballot on industrial action in 147 universities across the UK next term.

The vote will allow members to decide whether to go on strike again, following last term’s pensions dispute.

The joint statement from all eight Exec Officers cited the past year’s strike action as “difficult” and hoped “retaining continuous dialogue… can avoid action which detrimentally impacts our students”.

The Exec team also did mention however that they “fundamentally believe that well rewarded and motivated staff are they key ingredient of a great education”.

Pay issues are the main reason cited for the ballot. This includes problems such as the gender pay gap, a lack of pay rises over the last four years, and pay disparity between top figures at universities and their staff.

Many UCU branches appear to be in support of a ‘YES’ vote on the upcoming ballot. On Twitter, Bristol UCU linked the possible upcoming strike to the one that dominated the last semester at many HE institutions, writing: “Despite the public exposure of HE casualization, the current militancy of HE staff, the gains made in The Great University Strike, university leaders do not acknowledge that casualization is a serious issue and is detrimental to their institutions”.

University College London UCU also made this connection, tweeting: “Reasons to vote for strike action from 30/08: 1. Overworked and stressed-out workforce, 2. The top handing themselves 41% pay rises in period our pay saw real term cuts of 14%, 3. Increments are not pay rises, 4. Tried to steal our pensions, 5. The sector is in surplus, 6. They think we won’t.”

Becca Windsor De Taboada, a second-year Law with Politics student, voiced concern over the possibility of further strikes, telling The Mancunion: “Honestly, this is getting ridiculous…I understand the benefits of strike action and the necessity for decent wages but striking for two years in a row would be utterly detrimental to students that these educational institutions are ultimately for”.

The ballot opens on August 30th and closes on 19th October.

The University of Manchester declined to comment until the ballot closes.

Festival of Manchester comes to Platt Fields Park

The brand new Festival of Manchester is set to launch this weekend in Platt Fields Park.

The event, taking place on 1stSeptember, will see Platt Fields host a variety of family-friendly activities, performances, and street-food. The programme of events will start at midday and carry on until 10pm.

Many of the performances will come from in excess of sixty Manchester community groups, each of them gearing up to celebrate their culture through traditional dance, music, and more.

One such group is the Manchester Malayalee Association, a community organisation made up of people from Kerala in India. The association plans to bring a traditional Keralan drum ensemble, the Chenda Melam, to the festival.

The event promises to end spectacularly, with a show on the lake in the middle of the park. ‘Swan Song’ will feature live music, fire, a giant illuminated swan and a peacock.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure, at Manchester City Council, said: “The festival is going to be fantastic… it’s an unmissable chance to celebrate all the many different cultures and traditions that make up our city and make it so amazing.”

The event is free to all to attend and runs from 12pm to 10pm on Saturday 1st September at Platt Fields. For more information go to www.festivalofmanchester.uk.

Bike-sharing company threaten to pull out of Manchester

The bike-sharing firm Mobike have threatened to pull out of Manchester after being plagued by repeated vandalism and theft.

The orange-wheeled bikes have become a familiar sight to Mancunians since they were launched last June. However, they could soon be removed after a final warning has been issued by the Chinese firm.

According to Steve Milton, Mobike’s communications and marketing leader, 10% of Mobike’s Manchester fleet has disappeared or was vandalised each month this summer. Most commonly, these bikes were found at the bottom of waterways such as the canal at Salford Quays. Others had their GPS trackers prised off and were resprayed in an effort to transform their appearance. Some were simply abandoned or locked up in garages and sheds.

“The losses are not sustainable” Milton told The Guardian, explaining the company’s decision to issue this warning. “Everyone is unhappy with the current situation. Users are unhappy because they can’t find bikes when they want them, the police are unhappy because they’re having to waste time dealing with petty vandalism and we are unhappy because we aren’t delivering the service we want”.

It is estimated that 2,000 bikes have been lost, stolen or vandalised in total across Manchester.

Manchester would be the first city that Mobike abandoned because of vandalism if they reach that decision at the end of the month. The company has 200 million users worldwide and has pulled out of cities in the US before, but only because they did not have enough bikes to make the scheme work.

Siemens Unveils Diversity Pedestrian Signals for Pride Weekend

Pedestrian signals across Manchester city centre will be replaced by new designs that use gender symbols to represent LGBT+ relationships in honour of The Manchester Pride Festival.

34 traditional ‘green-man’ signals will be transformed over the course of the weekend on some of Manchester’s busiest streets, including Whitworth Street, Sackville Street, and Princess Street.

The signals are manufactured by electrification and automation company Siemens, who also provided similar designs used during Bournemouth Pride earlier this year and London Pride in 2016.

Siemens is also sponsoring a community café located in the Gay Village during the festival, which aims to provide a space for relaxation and socialising. Jurgen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK, said he was “proud” to have worked with Manchester Pride, and that “Diversity and inclusivity is very important to Siemens”.

Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive for Manchester Pride, said: “It’s great to see Siemens stepping out in support of LGBT+ people”, and added that the traffic lights are “fun and engaging”.

Manchester Pride Festival is an award-winning celebration of LGBT+ life and runs from Friday 24th– Monday 27th August. It is made up of several events, including The Big Weekend, The Manchester Pride Parade and The Candlelit Vigil.

The Big Weekend is set to bring artists such as Rita Ora and Sigala to the city centre. The Parade will take place on Sunday 25th August, and The Candlelit Vigil will end the festival.

Live Review: Sofar Sounds Manchester

There are a few things one will probably only find at a Sofar gig. Firstly, there are rules. Rule number one: no talking when the acts are on. Rule number two: mobile phones must be put on silent mode. Whilst this may seem like a fairly militant approach to a music event, there is good reason for it. You will not find a single microphone in sight inside the intimate venue.

Secondly, the evening is hosted by a Sofar staff member, who introduces each act and emanates true passion for what they are doing. Launched in 2009 and now entertaining 411 cities across the globe, Sofar Sounds was created with the idea of pure music appreciation in mind. No disturbances interrupting the performers’ playing, no indifference to what’s on stage, and no distance, physical or otherwise, between artist and audience. And the most interesting aspect of Sofar’s events? Attendees are given no clue as to who will be playing until they arrive.

For an additional atypical twist, tonight’s show takes place in a baseball batting range that also happens to vaguely resemble a large Anderson shelter. With the lights dimmed, if it wasn’t for the uplifting, excited atmosphere that lingers in the air, you might have felt like you were in one, too.

First to grace the stage, or rather the section of the floor cordoned off with a string of fairy lights, is Australian singer-songwriter Jack Carty, whose soothing ballads are accompanied with funny anecdotes of their formation and his time spent in Manchester that perhaps only an environment like this could allow. His full discography is more varied than his short selection tonight, choosing to go with the more emotional end of his song spectrum, taken majoritarily from his latest LP Hospital Hill.

Frankie Knight, along with her percussion duo, demands an equally chill combination of tunes, but this time with a dash of synth. “Usually I play with a lot more buttons, so if you could just imagine those synth sounds going on” she requests mid-set. Perhaps a big ask to a crowd who most likely have not heard her songs before, but the more she plays the more you can indeed conceptualise the percussion and drawn out notes that might feature over the released versions of her tracks. As her last song rings through the room, a train travels over the Green Quarter building, making noise that that she wittily suggests could be one of said sounds.

This occurrence is not the only hint that maybe the venue is not the best for music. During a pause in between songs of his own set, Bernhard Eder, performing solo with just an acoustic guitar and a shaker strapped to his left foot, asks if the drinks fridge can be turned off to end its echoing hums drowning his own. The bar staff insist that this is not possible.

Eder, hailing all the way from Austria, admits to being extremely nervous to be playing in such a compact setting but soon seems to relax, even inviting audience participation on a couple of his more upbeat songs. The cheery host of tonight’s gig introduces Eder as citing Radiohead as one of his influences, and this is clearly evident in his slower ones. A surprise collaboration, reportedly a first for Manchester’s Sofar branch, evolves when The 502s drummer Sean joins him on stage for a song, having just met backstage (the side of the room with the batting cages) this very evening.

A complete change in pace, performance, and volume closes the night. Orlando’s The 502s bringing their strand of self-proclaimed “raucous indie folk” to the stage, complete with five members and even soprano saxophone. The southern States can be heard subtly through their music, with twanged-vocals and bluesy tones weaved into their sound, barking back to classic Louisiana jazz troops, but presented in their own modern, folky style. In a demonstration of their talent, the quintet perform one of their songs with just a guitar and perfectly harmonised vocals, before launching back into the party spirit of their ‘raucousness’.

Tonight proves that Sofar Sounds provides a truly unique experience to music lovers everywhere, bringing both seasoned and up-and-coming artists of genuine quality to the small stage.

7/10.

Live Review: Goo Goo Dolls

The O2 Ritz venue has long been a highly sought after and well regarded playing ground for a variety of bands over the years. For 90s indie rockers The Goo Goo Dolls, there was no exception as they raucously took to the stage, delivering an electric performance that sparked with a surprising power and rippled frantically across the dance floor up to the balconies.

A perfectly matched support was found in Scottish band The Xcerts who provided a couple of powerful rock numbers to really catch interest and enter the highly animated crowd into the gig experience. They raced through killer tracks including “Daydreaming” and “Feels like falling in love” with explosive energy and although their set seemed fairly short, it did introduce the crowd to another side of the post 90s indie rock in an appealing way.

After a particularly long break and some substantial adjustment in lighting, the Goo Goo Dolls banner finally rose at the back of the stage theatrically. With a screech his electric guitar, lead singer Johnny Rzeznik appeared at the side of the stage, leaping up the stairs towards the excitable crowd and launching into their opening track “Dizzy” as the eclectic mixture of lights danced across the stage.

Admittedly I attended the gig under the impression that at least a small portion of the crowd was attending for one song and one song only. This is, of course, their 1998 hit “Iris” which is undoubtedly the most well-known track from their album Dizzy Up The Girl. It was crystal clear that the band were aware of this, with Rzeznik chuckling as he played the opening chords: “well, of course, we were going to play this one!” before launching into the epic ballad.

However, this was to be just a small part of this energy bursting performance which enthuse and enthralled the mostly middle-aged but youthfully enthusiastic crowd from start to finish. The band took control of the stage with a typically nostalgic rock feel, encouraging and interacting heavily with the crowd throughout their blistering 2 hour set list of tracks. Stand out songs included “So Alive” which was a punchy anthemic track from 2016’s Boxes that the crowd lapped up eagerly and sung loudly. In between songs, there were plenty of comical moments from discussions about Manchester’s culture (and pubs) to various endearing moments of crowd interaction through call and response. The encore provided a moment of reflection on their latest album with title track “Boxes” and there was a sense of satisfaction within the room as the final chords of “Broadway” rang out and the spotlights faded down for the final time.

In many ways, this gig didn’t offer anything particularly outrageous or new in its approach to indie rock. However, what cannot be denied is that the band has remained true to its roots. In heartfelt songwriting and style, The Goo Goo dolls have found their niche; delivering a range of cleverly arranged tracks and seemingly truthful storytelling to an adoring crowd.

6/10.

Review: TRUCK Festival

“I am not my body, I am somebody” roared the crowd at the feet of Rakel, Dream Wife’s lead singer, a powerful front-woman and one of many who would take to and then take ownership of the stage that weekend.

The sentiment of her words are especially pertinent amongst growing claims of sexual assault being prevalent within the UK festival circuit, yet with many festivals actively addressing these issues, often the line-ups themselves are disappointingly male-centric. However, this year it seems some festivals, such as Truck, a small indie, rock and punk festival held in Oxford, are stepping up. From stunning solo women such as Naaz, to full-on bass to drums female bands such as The Big Moon and Dream Wife to front-women powerhouses such as Fickle Friends and Anteros this line-up, if you knew what you were doing, could be all talent, all women, all day.

These front-women have a stage presence which sets them apart, making them, in my opinion, destined for a main stage slot. There’s a sense that they have something to prove, which means they have to capture the audience, drawing them in and once they have them they do not waste a single second because they really do have something to say.

Dream Wife are a perfect example of this. A power trio birthed at a Brighton art school whose pop power-punk masterpieces are cheeky and all consuming; their crowd lost completely. These girls are properly cool, there’s no doubt about that; true heartbreakers, and their fans lapped it all up.

Another Brighton band; Fickle Friends are alluring and irresistible and they turn every stage they step onto into a party, with TRUCK being no different. Their undeniably catchy songs stretch from one night stands to mental health — their young fans know every single word. It’s no surprise that they just keep growing, packing out festival tents such as this and venues across the country after the release of their debut album; a joyous celebration of indie-pop.

As if we weren’t giddy enough already, Black Honey took to the stage just an hour later. Izzy, their front-woman, was a psychedelic vision of red eyebrows contrasted with a brilliant blue bob as she threw herself from the stage into the arms of Black Honey’s adoring fans. Their music is a lesson in powerful, catchy excellence and their pop-punk sound filled the tent with the aching nostalgia and pin-up girl power they have down to a tee.

The Big Moon are the new understated queens of indie-rock. Their growing cult-like following bounced in unison at their feet as the girls jammed out on stage, delivering another spotless performance. This gathering fame, recently teaming up with Marika Hackman (another angelic voice at the festival) has barely touched them, making them relatable, relevant, and ultimately the indie-rock band you want to befriend. No pretences, just great music; they remain honest, heart-warming and outrageously talented and will have you cry-dancing at every chorus.

Anteros was the god of requited love and his reincarnation took to the stage in the form of the goddess that is the band’s frontwoman, Laura. She was met with a throbbing crowd of fans, returning the love they so deserve. Destined to be legends of indie dream-pop, it was physically impossible to stand still, even in the aching heat. Their set came to a close with a heart-to-heart, Laura’s silver jumpsuit clad legs swinging over the edge of the stage as she touched upon themes of self-acceptance and society’s expectations of image and self-worth, before leaping to her feet and into a fabulous rendition of their self-titled hit.

If you’re looking for something rougher and just generally eerier, Goat Girl are the grunge-punk girl band for you. They transformed their tent with choruses which built, moody and slow before erupting into a moshing frenzy, effortlessly enchanting their crowd of old and newer fans (myself included). They are delectably dark and perfectly rough around the edges.

And this is just skimming the surface (be sure to add Naaz, Pale Waves and Marika Hackman to your summer playlists as well). These women bring the kind of new energy that’s often lacking when music festivals pick the same tired old few headliners.

Within the next few years, these women have the potential to fill that void; they are already overflowing from the small stages. They have something to say and we believe it needs to be heard. So if anyone asks where the women are at, here they are, and I for one will be dancing my heart out when they headline next year.

Written by Winona Newman.

Preview: Humber Street Sesh 2018

Humber Street Sesh is the primary metropolitan music festival in Hull, and just under two hours from Manchester. For only £10 advance and £15 on the door, if you like new music and are looking to get away from the Mancunian buzz, this weekend presents you the perfect opportunity.

Humber Street Sesh has been running annually since 2012 and has swelled in popularity, with the 2018 edition seeing the introduction of a Friday evening to go alongside the Saturday. Additionally, the festival has expanded, with 23 stages making up the new festival site – compared to 20 last year.

The festival has the unique selling point of only including local acts, so any guests are bound to find someone new they love. Whilst there might not be big names in abundance, there certainly is enough talent to compete with other inner city day events such as Neighbourhood or Live at Leeds.

The festival has also performed a vital role in Hull’s year as 2017 UK City of Culture, accelerating the regeneration of the city’s Fruit Market area into a hub of creative industry and culture.

With this in mind, The Mancunion previews Humber Street Sesh 2018, and gives you our top tips on who to see and what to expect.

 

Friday Evening

The key thing about Friday is that it’s a new addition, and as such it doesn’t cover the full festival site. Only six stages are open, but they do provide some huge local outfits the opportunity to raise the curtain on the weekend.

Top tip: Polo. It’s pop music, written brilliantly. The three-piece feature a myriad of synths and drum machines, but singer Kat McHugh’s vocal really stand out. They’re powerful, piercing, and pure – which ties together the beautifully crafted songs together succinctly. It’s the perfect way to whet your appetite for Saturday: nothing too intense, good vibes only, and a small boogie afoot. Find them on the Strummerville Stage at 9.30 pm.

Also make time for: Jack Conman and The Paddingtons. Conman has been creating a huge buzz in the North lately over his latest EP release, Heddison, with his gentle indie offerings resulting in rave reviews from the music press. He’s on the Strummerville Stage at 8 pm.

The long-awaited return of The Paddingtons is also not to be missed. Securing a headline slot after a small reunion last year, they were once mentioned in the same breath as The Libertines in the early-2000s. Indeed, guitarist Josh Hubbard went on to play in Carl Barât’s outfit Dirty Pretty Things. A cult band nationally with legendary status in Hull, expect a large crowd and a rapturous reception. See them on the Spiders From Mars Big Top at 10.10 pm.

Worth stopping by for: Black Delta Movement (Spiders From Mars Big Top, 8.25 pm), Pork Recordings (Funky Wormhole, 7 pm), and Fiona Lee (Speak Easy, 7pm).

 

Saturday Afternoon (11 am – 5 pm)

Top tip: False Advertising. They’re a Mancunian masterpiece of aggressive post-punk, and have dual vocalists Jen Hingley and Chris Warr to keep things fresh throughout the set. Josh Sellers ably keeps everything rooted in their frustrated message on bass. Guaranteed to make you angry at the system or make you move, any stiff legs will be banished by the end of their set. Find them on on the Spiders From Mars Big Top at 4.30 pm.

Also make time for: Mint and Sex Injuries. Mint have a small element of The Cure’s early days in them, but can delve into more fast-paced rhythms to ensure their set ticks over consistently and dramatically. See them on the Main Stage at 3.35 pm.

A Sex Injuries set might leave you with the latter half of their name. Violent, melodramatic, and more importantly, playing the relatively small venue of Rock Stage. With this in mind, the hardcore punks are not for the inexperienced, but if you do take the plunge then you’ll see spilled drinks and sweaty t-shirts. See them on the Rock Stage at 3 pm.

Worth stopping by for: King Orange (Dead Bod Stage, 11.30 am), Dylan Cartlidge (Main Stage, 2 pm), Kitty VR (Speak Easy, 2.45 pm).

 

Saturday Evening (5 pm onwards)

Top tip: Bunkerpop. They’re like nothing else you’ve ever seen. A hugely experimental party band that push things to the limit, you probably won’t see as many instruments on stage at Humber Street Sesh all weekend. Clad in paint suits, even the most hardened fun-hating killjoy can’t help but fail to shout the singer’s post code, dance on stage, or whatever else they do this time. The perfect way to end the weekend, see them on the Dead Bod Stage at 10.30 pm.

Make time for: Chiedu Oraka and La Bête Blooms. Oraka has a new single out a new bounce after his triumphant set at the first night of the Bonus Arena. A man proud of his city, without shying away from its ills, this is one for Hullensians to go to to be proud about, and for outsiders to see what it’s like to come from Hull. He is generating some serious momentum and spearheading the emerging Hull hip hop talent which in years to come may rival some other cities’ scenes. See him on the Main Stage at 7 pm.

La Bête Blooms are similarly cutting with their lyrics, but play up to their soft indie underbelly more. Singer Daniel Mawer has an unassuming but thought-provoking stage presence, meaning audiences don’t expect the cutting commentary on society they deliver, but it stays with them. See them on the Main Stage at 5.15 pm.

Worth stopping by for: Lumer (Spider From Mars Big Top, 5.15 pm), Fonda 500 (Main Stage, 7.45 pm), Of Allies (BBC Humberside Introducing Stage, 10.30 pm).

 

That rounds off our top picks for Humber Street Sesh 2018 – tickets are only £10 in advance and £15 on the door. If you’d like to know any more about the festival, head to www.humberstreetsesh.co.uk/.

 

Campaign to recognise misogyny as hate crime to launch this week

All over Manchester this year, there have been events making 100 years since Women’s Suffrage.

And they show no signs of slowing down — On Wednesday 18th July, a campaign is launching that will lobby Greater Manchester Police to recognise acts of misogyny as Hate Crimes.

The campaign is inspired by a similar one launched by Nottingham Citizens, and will see the Greater Manchester Citizens band together to “set the next benchmark of women’s rights”.

The day will involve performances by students at Levenshulme High School for Girls, talks from leading members of the campaign, and addresses from prominent members of the Greater Manchester community.

They have also written a letter to Ian Hopkins, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, stating that “Data shows that an overwhelming huge majority of young women (85 per cent) and nearly half (45 per cent) of all women have been sexually harassed in public places.  Yet, only one in ten received help after these incidents.

It ends by saying: “We urge you to agree that all police forces in England and Wales should record misogyny as a hate crime, so that we can begin to address the underlying cause of violence against women and girls, which is endemic in our society.”

New exec team protest poem by ‘racist’

One of the first acts of the 157th exec team is to paint over a poem on the wall of the Students’ Union building that they deem to be “written by a racist”.

 

Photo: The Mancunion
‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling, before the exec team painted over it — Photo: The Mancunion

The work in question is ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book. It was voted the UK’s favourite poem in 1995 but its author is somewhat of a controversial figure, for works such as The White Man’s BurdenThe Jungle Book itself, despite being a much loved story by many, has received criticism for its apparently colonialist overtones.

New General Secretary Fatima Abid told The Mancunion: “We’re painting over a poem that’s not necessarily racist, but it’s written by a racist person.

Photo: The Mancunion
What the wall looks like now — Photo: The Mancunion

“As a Students’ Union in Manchester, we represent one of the most diverse communities in England and we do not stand for this. So, we’re going to replace it with a Maya Angelous poem [Still I Rise] which we think is far more appropriate.”

Photo: The Mancunion
The poem isn’t the only new painting in the union to have been criticised — Photo: The Mancunion

Other pieces of artwork have sparked controversy within the Students’ Union, namely that of the new mural dedicated to Steven Biko, the building’s namesake. Some have said that writing his name in camouflage print is offensive, given he was a pacifist who protested apartheid in South Africa.

Preview: Pizza and prosecco festival 2018

There couldn’t be a more perfect way to celebrate. You’ve finished finished your exams, and possibly even your time at University. To be honest though, you don’t even need an excuse. This event is just that good.

The Pizza and Prosecco Festival is back once again, returning to the Bowlers Exhibition in Manchester (Near the Trafford Centre). They’re on a whistle-stop tour starting Saturday the 14th of July, following on from their massive success sold-out tour in 2017. The event doesn’t intend on stopping any time soon either; the organisers have hinted at bigger and better things in the future too.

Photo: Pizza and Prosecco festival
Photo: Pizza and Prosecco festival

It’s an amazingly simple, but perfect idea: a touring festival makes  its way through the UK, stopping off at the likes of Leeds, London and Bristol serving pizza and prosecco. Its size and popularity has increased exponentially, and I cannot begin to wonder why.

Upon entry, people will receive a slice of pizza, an Aperol Spritz and even a pizza & prosecco bible to help guide you through the event. As always, there will be a huge variety of flavours of Prosecco and cocktails to try. They also make sure all those bubbles don’t go to your head, with different pizza vendors from around the country helping you line your stomach. They even have pizza cones!

Photo: Pizza and Prosecco festival
Photo: Pizza and Prosecco festival

The jam-packed day event is filled with music, laughter and bubbles, and offers such a great and unique experience to you and your friends. The event will also be hosted by an entertaining drag act providing spontaneous fun, together with various pizza and prosecco related games, with prizes to be won!

So, what are you waiting for?

Tickets are available here.

 

 

 

Preview: 2000trees 2018

It does not even feel like a year has passed since the last 2000trees but here we are again. Another year, and another stacked line up.

What started off in 2007 between six friends has taken on a life of its own. The festival has won several awards, including the ‘Best Grassroots Festival’ award at the UK Festival Awards last year, and has seen praise from various publications such as The Independent.

Its commitment to providing an affordable high-quality line-up and a great atmosphere has shone through every year and as such, the festival has gained a reputation as one of the best in the country.

This time we see headline sets from At The Drive-In, Twin Atlantic, and Enter Shikari, all of which are sure to bring an incredible set with them.

While the headliners are sure to deliver its always lesser known acts further down the billing that make it a weekend to remember. Here are a few of those acts playing further down the bill that get my recommendation.

Turnstile – Even if you can only see one act at 2000trees this year, make sure that this act is Turnstile. The NYC hardcore punks have been making waves recently after releasing their incredible sophomore album, Time & Space, earlier this year. Already having a reputation for a furious show, they are not one to be missed.

See them on Thursday evening at The Cave.

For Fans Of: Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, Minor Threat.

Touché Amoré – It’s been nearly two years since the emotive post hardcore released their 4th LP, Stage Four, and we’ve still not heard much since then. But to give them credit they have been on tour for a good while and they even dropped a new song earlier in the year. Will they surprise us with another? Who knows, but what is known that they will be a highlight of 2000trees. Their passionate and intense performance will be a sight to behold and is not one to be missed.

See them on Friday evening on The Cave.

For Fans Of: La Dispute, Pianos Become The Teeth, Title Fight.

Conjurer – Conjurer have slowly been proving themselves as one of the most interesting and best British Metal bands in recent memory. Including a dense blend of sludge metal, doom metal, and post hardcore their visceral sound will blow anyone anyway. It may seem tempting to see the goth punks Creeper instead but trust me, you won’t regret it if you spend you’re Friday night watching Conjurer.

See them on Friday night on Neu.

For Fans Of: Electric Wizard, Employed To Serve, Code Orange.

Blood Red Shoes – Despite a string of new singles, the Brighton duo have been fairly quiet over the past few years. It seems like forever since they released their last album and another one feels like a murmur. Still, the fuzzy alt rockers still have a impressive back catalogue to pull from and the chance of one or two surprises should make their set one to watch.

See them on Friday evening on the Main Stage.

For Fans Of: Drenge, Death From Above, The Joy Formidable.

Gallops – You wouldn’t have thought a mix of math Rock, synthwave, and electronica would work but here are Gallops to prove everyone wrong. Their dark and ethereal sound makes them truly stand out on the line up of mainly rock guitar based acts. They’re a bit difficult to describe sonically but if you decide to check them out you will not regret it.

See them on Saturday night on Neu.

For Fans Of: 65daysofstatic, Three Trapped Tigers, Talons.

Scott Hutchinson Tribute – Okay, I’m cheating here as it’s not really an act but this is not to be missed. The Scottish musician Scott Hutchinson (Frightened Rabbit, Owl Johnson) sadly passed away earlier this year. Frightened Rabbit were due to play this year and have always held a special place at 2000trees. So, to celebrate his life there will be a special set in the Forest dedicated to him. Expect to see special guests making appearances playing his songs. While there will be several tributes to him across the weekend, this is the main one and will certainly be the most heartfelt and emotional.

See it on Friday afternoon at The Forest Sessions, but also remember there will be tributes to Scott all across the weekend.

And on top of that, check out these bands (listed per day) if you can. Acts doing an additional Forest Sessions set are marked with an asterisk.

Thursday – Shvpes, Palm Reader, Press To Meco(Forest Sessions Set on Friday), Turbowolf, Boston Manor, Arcane Roots*, Turnstile, Marmozets, Black Peaks, At The Drive-In

Friday – Grumble Bee, Phoxjaw, Nervus (also doing two solo sets on the Thursday and Friday night in the campsite), Fatherson*, Jamie Lenman, And So I Watch You From Afar, Ho99o9, Twin Atlantic

Saturday – Luke Rainsford, Ghouls, Haggard Cat, Muskets, Woes, Beans On Toast, Bloody Knees, Basement, Skinny Lister, Gallops, Enter Shikari*.

End of year report: exec team 2017-18

The Mancunion has seen documents that provide an astonishing insight into the activities (or lack thereof) of 2017-18’s Executive team.

Some Officers, such as Riddi Visu and Jack Houghton, have had exceptional attendance at Committee and Board meetings, as well as achieving most (if not all) of their manifesto points.

However, some have been found to be either largely unavailable or completely absent at key points in the year.

Leading the line, Campaigns Officer Deej Malik Johnson racked up an expenses tab of £985 between late October and mid December 2017 — coming close to the Exec’s £1000 total annual expenses budget.

However, The Mancunion has seen attendance records which show that, during this time, and other than in the Students’ Union Senate, Deej was largely inactive in his role.

His attendance at the University’s University-Union Relationship Committee (UURC) — which scrutinises Executive officers and the Students’ Union as a whole — was the worst of any of Exec officer, at 33 per cent. He made no apologies for the meetings he did not attend, which is a requirement for Exec officers and other invitees.

He has also not submitted any UURC reports over the course of the year, which is also a requirement of the Exec officers.

Attendance at trustee board meetings is another crucial tenet of Executive officers’ roles. At these meetings, the trustees of the Students’ Union — including the eight Exec officers, external representatives, and the Union’s directors — meet to ensure the accountability of the Union’s leadership. Deej did not attend any until January 2018, and did not apologise for his December absence.

He did attend Senate in November, and passed a policy which proposed Academy 2 be renamed to Academy X, in honour of human rights activist Malcolm X. However, since this policy passed, no signage has been installed to indicate this change, nor is there any recognition of the change on the Students’ Union’s or Academy’s websites.

Deej told The Mancunion that his absences were due to “serious issues” in his personal life, and that, as a result, his mental and physical health throughout the year has been “stretched.”

He continued: “I’ve tried to make the team aware of what’s been happening — hopefully things have been communicated on from that, I’ve tried to meet my commitments as an officer as well as I could do given extraordinarily difficult circumstances this year.”

During this time though, he attended various NUS conferences (in his capacity as Student Parent and Carers representative), and claimed travel expenses from the University of Manchester Students’ Union.

During Deej’s absences, there was also another notable absentee: Wellbeing Officer Saqib Mahmood. According to SU staff, as well as friends of his, he left his position due to mental health problems in December 2017 and has not returned to work since.

However, a document on Companies House shows that his employment was formally terminated on 13th April 2018. As Companies House records require updating within 24 hours of a termination of employment, this would suggest he was still employed and paid by Students’ Union for four months after he stopped working as an Exec officer.

Additionally, Senate attendance records show that he has not officially been a member of Senate since at least February.

It is also not clear whether the position’s remit was distributed or managed in any way between the remaining Exec officers.

When confronted with this information and asked for comment, the Students’ Union said that the resignation had been made in March, Companies House had been updated in April, and that he had been a member of Senate until his resignation. They claimed that the records The Mancunion have seen are incorrect.

When asked whether they were aware of Companies House’s requirement for organisations to update records within 24 hours, the Union changed their answer, claiming that Saqib’s resignation was actually made on April 13th, in line with the records shown on Companies House.

When approached, Saqib refused to comment.

Another notable resignation was that of Education Officer Emma Atkins. Companies House shows that she left her post in March — at the height of strikes over lecturer’s pensions.

It is not clear who was responsible for taking up the mantle of dealing with this pertinent issue during her absence, although General Secretary Alex Tayler has liaised frequently with the University, as has Communities Officer Jack Houghton and other Students’ Union staff members.

Julie Henri, a representative of Take Action, the student group protesting for strike compensation, told The Mancunion that Emma could have done more to help at the time of the strikes, and at one point the then-Education Officer had said “that there was nothing she could do.”

However, incoming Education Officer Olivia Meisl said that “Emma’s departure hasn’t affected the PTOs [part time officers]”, and that “we’re also lucky to have a very supportive education team at the SU who are always there if we need anything.”

Emma also defended her record to The Mancunion, saying she left because she was offered a job which was “exactly” what she was looking for, and discussed it with the rest of the Exec and other staff at the Students’ Union before accepting, to ensure her leaving “wouldn’t put anyone in a difficult position or be troublesome.”

She insisted: “I didn’t leave the SU in the lurch at the height of the strikes, I did loads of work and lay lots of foundations down to support students and hope that the other members of the team continued after I left.”

She also said that the initial policy passed through Senate to support the strike should have fallen under the remit of the Campaigns Officer (Deej) anyway, but “probably” did the most work on the campaign regardless.

Other student leaders have noticed the absence of some of the officers. The Society and Citizenship Committee scrutinises the work of the Campaigns Officer, namely Deej Malik-Johnson. In the Student Union bye-laws, it states that these committees are required to meet twice per semester. This particular committee met just twice over the course of the academic year, and Deej did not attend the first meeting on the 5th of December 2017.

Jack Swan, a member of this committee, told The Mancunion that the other members of the committee were “very keen people” who were “willing to take up some of the work” that would have arose from the meetings. However, he explained that “the workload was unclear and the fact that we only met twice in the whole year definitely meant that we didn’t achieve a lot.”

He continued that, in his capacity as a scrutiniser, “obviously there wasn’t a huge amount of work to scrutinise”, but that this was due to Deej’s “personal issues,” and that therefore this should not be taken as a criticism of his work as a whole.

Adding to his previous comment, Deej accused the Students’ Union of not providing him with appropriate support during a difficult time in his life: “next year, as Welfare officer, I’m going to prioritise making sure that student officers and volunteers get the health and mental health support they need. It’s something that the union hasn’t been as good at as it can be, but that will change.”

However, last year’s General Secretary Alex Tayler refuted this: “student officers at the University of Manchester Students’ Union are provided with an excellent support package.”

This package, he says, includes each Exec team member being allocated a staff mentor, an “extensive training package”, and free counselling.

He went on to say that “if an Officer did not make the most of such support mechanisms then I am not sure what additional support the Union could provide.”

Finally, he said of Deej’s prolonged absences that “it is not easy to accommodate someone that is completely unable to meet the requirements of an extremely demanding role.

“It is recognised that the performance of some officers has been below the standard that students can reasonably expect and we are in the process of reviewing [our] scrutiny and accountability processes.”

Manchester Eats Festival to take over Heaton Park this weekend

In Manchester for summer? Waiting around before you graduate? Well, we have a great idea of how you can pass the time: by having some great food in the sunshine at the Manchester Eats Festival!

Photo: Manchester Eats Festival
Photo: Manchester Eats Festival

The Manchester Eats Festival will include talks and workshops from top celebrity chefs and mixologists, classes including vegan & vegetarian cooking, a chocolate masterclass and even cooking for kids.  It will celebrate Manchester’s growing restaurant and bar sector, and its reputation as the food capital of the North. Guests will also have the chance to preview new recipes and exclusive tasty treats across areas including a prossecco tent, gin garden, global food court and a healthy living zone.

Photo: Manchester Eats Festival
Photo: Manchester Eats Festival

Official charity partners the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation will be providing an activity zone on both days with interactive, accessible sporting activities for both children and adults. The event also features a dedicated children’s village and live DJ.

Photo: Manchester Eats Festival
Photo: Manchester Eats Festival

We’ve also teamed up with the festival to give you some free tickets!

For your chance to win a pair of tickets for access on both July 7th and 8th, please head over to our Instagram page and follow the instructions on our most recent post. Winners will be announced on Friday 6th July at 5pm.

If you don’t win however, here are the prices for the festival this weekend…

Ticket prices:

Advanced Saturday/Sunday Passes : £7.50/ £9 on gate

Advanced Weekend Passes : £12/ £13.50 on gate

Kids : Under 14’s get in free!

Tickets are still available here.

 

T&Cs:

The winner will be picked at random. The winner will receive two weekend passes to Manchester Eats. The winner will be contacted by The Mancunion to inform them that they have won. In order to claim the prize, they must respond by midnight on Friday 6th July.