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Year: 2018

Strike suspended until further notice

The University and Colleges Union (UCU) voted in record numbers to suspend further strike action on Friday 13th April.

64 per cent voted to accept the new proposals from Universities UK (UUK), from a turnout of 63.5 per cent, making the ratio 2:1 in favour.

The strike action in March took place across 65 Russell Group universities for 14 days, and were in protest of UUK’s plans to change lecturers pensions from ‘defined benefit’ to ‘defined contribution’ schemes.

The new proposals included a promise from the University that the original proposed changes to pensions set out by University UK (UUK)  will not be returned to.  A joint expert panel will also be set up to reexamine the proposals, and then to set out new recommendations.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “The union has come a very long way since January when it seemed that the employers’ proposals for a defined contribution pension were to be imposed.

‘Now we have agreement to move forward jointly, looking again at the USS valuation alongside a commitment from the employers to a guaranteed, defined benefit scheme. USS, the regulator and government now need to ensure that UCU and UUK have the space to implement the agreement effectively.

‘We hope this important agreement will hearten workers across the UK fighting to defend their pension rights and was won through the amazing strike action of UCU members.’’

She also thanked all students and staff who had participated in the strike action.

Manchester’s Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell said: “This is extremely welcome news, especially for our students, as we move into this critical exam and assessment period.  I would like to reiterate my commitment to ensuring that all eligible students progress and graduate as planned.’’

She also went on to say that the university would be working closely with the Students’ Union in the coming weeks and months.

The Students’ Union have been contacted for comment.

Review: A Chorus Line

A Chorus Line is simultaneously a spectacle and a character study.

Telling the story of a day of auditions for the titular chorus line and the individual personalities that make it up, it is a witty, heartbreaking script.

This is supported by beautiful songs and the kind of dancing that makes you want to recommit to the ballet classes you begged your mum to get you out of.

It is, however, not an easy musical to put on. It’s based on a premise many of the audience will never have experienced and takes place entirely in one place.

Director Lucy Scott and choreographer Eleanor Lang have compensated for this by creating a show that is visually interesting to the point of occasional overcrowding but could never be called boring.

Kudos to Lang in particular for modifying the frequently copied opening number choreography and putting her own spin on it, giving the production its own unique voice from the off.

The decision by Scott to have the performers on stage as the audience enters was a nice touch, revealing elements of the characters and immersing us in the world of the chorus line immediately.

There is an additional challenge in the show for a group of student performers. It’s a musical wherein many of the characters are facing their last chance at performing, some are reaching the age of retirement, and some just don’t know what they would do if they don’t make it.

‘Everyone wants to be a star,’ one of the characters drily notes, but these characters just want a shot. A particular notice to Kiera Battersby, whose portrayal of Cassie is perfectly realised.

The character’s desperation and determination were clear throughout the production, and Battersby’s voice and dancing are particularly powerful during her showcase number ‘The Music and The Mirror.’

The production consistently sounds extraordinary. Under the direction of Andy Davies, the band doesn’t hit a bad note and the choice to use pit singers is a sensible one, making the sound fuller even during the choreography-heavy dance numbers.

The UMMTS bands are never anything less than brilliant, and this is one of the best I’ve heard.

There is not a weak link in the cast – every performer does their bit to contribute to the whole, and showcase their comedy (Carol-Ann McConnellogue was particularly wonderful in her small part) as well as their dramatic ability.

Special mention must go to Morgan Meredith, Tom Carswell and Georgia Brown. Not only were they extraordinary in their own particular showcases, but also managed to catch the eye (and the ear) throughout the whole show.

Brown’s ‘Nothing’ completely captured the audience and she moved from comedy to pathos with ease.

UMMTS has done it again: taken an unusual choice of show for a university, given it over to a talented creative team, and created a resounding success.

From the archives, a never published review of UMMTS’ April 2017 production – A Chorus Line. Tickets for the society’s next show, Little Women, are coming soon.

Safety scheme officially launched despite criticism

A scheme involving student volunteers patrolling the streets of South Manchester in an effort to tackle safety concerns has been launched despite initial proposals receiving criticism.

Training will be given in first aid, advice, safeguarding, well-being and self-defence to safeguard vulnerable people, and volunteers will assist in provide on the spot advice for students, providing information and signposting to useful resources and organisations.

Initially, the scheme was called ‘Night Owls’ and was due to launch in a January 2018 but was delayed to initial criticism, which also resulted in the re-branded as ‘Student Angels’.

A soft launch of the scheme took place in March 2018, with students having been able to sign up since then. The re-branded name bears similarity with Manchester Street Angels, a charity that does similar work in and around the Gay Village, but it’s unclear whether this was deliberate.

Jack Houghton, Community Officer for The University of Manchester Students’ Union said: “This is a collaborative scheme, working with Manchester City Council, GMP and other groups in Manchester.

“Everyone is working together for the benefit of student safety.”

Initial criticism centred around fears that students were effectively substitutes for greater police presence, and that volunteers would be themselves vulnerable to threats, crime and violence.

Jack Joscelyne, a Law student at the University of Manchester Law, had said: “so instead of police patrols we’re going to have vigilante students roaming about stopping crime?

Those involved in the scheme insist that student volunteers will not be expected to be actively involved in tackling criminal activity, rather hope the scheme will tackle student issues quickly and on the ground, calling emergency services for support when appropriate but reducing pressure on them.

This announcement comes amidst national concerns over police funding, cuts and resources.

Superintendent Chris Hill from Greater Manchester Police said: “We’re working really closely with the Council and partners across the city to continue to develop a night time economy that everyone can enjoy safely. This includes the thousands of students that come to our city every year.

“By working with these volunteers we that people will get the most appropriate help as quickly as possible – sometimes this will be the Student Angels, sometimes that will be Greater Manchester Police. We’ll be right there when people need our help.

“I would like to encourage people to volunteer for this fantastic scheme and continue to help make a real difference in their community.”

After a petition titled “Greater Manchester Police & Andy Burnham: help us to make Fallowfield safe for students!” was signed by over 8,000 students and an investigation by The Mancunion suggested that students increasingly rely on Facebook for anecdotal advice about staying safe in South Manchester, the ‘Student Angels’ scheme is part of the Students’ Union’s response to make the streets feel safer for students.

Students interested in getting involved in the scheme can contact Jack Hougton via e-mail ([email protected]).

GCHQ to open new spy base in Manchester

GCHQ has announced plans to build a new intelligence base in Manchester which will open in 2019.

The security agency is opening the new facility in an attempt to boost the country’s defences against terror attacks, following the bomb attack the city faced last year.

The announcement coincided with CYBERUK 2018 conference at Manchester Central — the flagship event on cyber security for the National Cyber Security Centre.

Officials commented the base would be “at the heart of the nation’s security, using cutting-edge technology and technical ingenuity” to counter terrorists, threats and organised crime. They will work closely with MI5 and MI6.

Director of GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, said he was “delighted”, and promised that the facility would create hundreds of jobs. He went on to say: “Our new facility will open up a huge new pool of highly talented, tech-savvy recruits vital to our future success”.

He also praised the impressive response of the city to last year’s terror attack which took place during an Ariana Grande performance at Manchester Arena. He commented: “Manchester is a city full of innovation and talent. It is also a city known for its tolerance and inclusivity, which last year was tragically attacked by someone who had neither.

“In that difficult time, we at GCHQ drew strength from the togetherness and resilience shown by all of Manchester’s communities. That’s how you tackle terrorism”.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council said: “This announcement will create hundreds of jobs and represents a huge vote of confidence in the potential talent pool of employees in and around Manchester. GCHQ perform a vital role in helping to keep the country safe and we look forward to welcoming them to the city in 2019”.

GCHQ’s headquarters is located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and it has offices in Scarborough, North Cornwall, and North Yorkshire.

The security agency also has some Manchester roots, when University of Manchester pioneer Alan Turing deciphered German codes at Bletchley Park, which provided crucial information to defeat the Nazis.

Preview: Little Comets

After releasing their new single ‘M62’ last month, Little Comets began their UK tour this week, kicking things off in Nottingham and providing one hell of show.

On Friday night, the band will bring their energy to Manchester’s Club Academy, and will finish the tour in their North East home on the 21st ofApril in Newcastle. With three further singles, European festival appearances, and an album to follow this year, 2018 is set to be a busy year for the lads.

Little Comets have spent the winter in Europe, writing in Frank Sinatra’s former Bordeaux home, after an arena tour with Catfish and the Bottlemen and a jam-packed 2017. The change of scene indicates the potential for a refreshing fifth album, but they are sure to stay true to their kitchen sink indie roots.

The latest single ‘M62’ is an ode to Manchester and it’s clear they’ve enjoyed experimenting with guitar sounds. In some ways the track returns to their older sound, in contrast to 2017’s Worhead. ‘M62’ is beautifully raw in its nifty guitar licks and quirky lyrical style, and promises great things for the band’s new record.

You can catch Little Comets on the following April dates: 

Friday 13th – Club Academy, Manchester
Saturday 14th –  O2 Institute, Birmingham
Sunday 15th – The Fleece, Bristol
Monday 16th – O2 Academy Oxford, Oxford
Wednesday 18th – Concorde 2, Brighton
Thursday 19th – Camden Electric Ballroom, London
Friday 20th – Church, Leeds
Saturday 21st – O2 Academy Newcastle, Newcastle

Details at www.littlecomets.com

Live Review: Mabel

Opening for Harry Styles is no easy feat, yet Mabel managed to dismiss the support artist label and take Manchester Arena as her own. Sassy, polished and vocally exquisite, the London singer rocked the mic and the stage as she more than warmed up the crowd.

Demanding attention in her ice white tracksuit, Mabel dominated the stage. She was backed by a jazzy live band and some soothing, soulful backing vocals. Her voice often gets lost in the glitz production world of chart music, but live in the arena her tones shone through as she sassed and bopped her way through a short but sweet discography.

Though seemingly out of place from the bolshy, badass set list, a haunting rendition of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’, with the arena sparked alight by 20,000 phones, was more than a poignant moment in the night, especially in such a venue where sentimental songs of healing and love mean so much to so many.

Ending on popular tracks ‘Fine Line’ and ‘Finders Keepers’ was a shrewd move by Mabel, who commanded that Manchester “keep the energy up!” and savvily cruised her way through the chart smashers. She’s definitely evolving, still finding her feet on the competitive stage of breakthrough British artists, but she clearly entertained that audience to the best of her ability – and what more can you ask of a rising talent?

With a headline tour on the horizon for next week, and the ability to entertain an arena in her own right, Mabel shows promise as London’s next big female star.

8/10

You can catch Mabel on her headline tour on the following dates:

April 18 || Leeds || Wardrobe

April 19 || Nottingham || Rescue Rooms

April 21 || Dublin || Academy Green Room

April 22 || Manchester || Band On The Wall

April 23 || Glasgow || ABC2

April 25 || London || O2 Kentish Town Forum

Live Review – Arcade Fire

Of all the great bands to emerge from the indie wave of the mid-00’s, Arcade Fire have surely proven one of the most consistent.

Their moving music and formidable live reputation kept them in conversations about the ‘best band in the world’ with every album released.

Yet in the days building up to their Manchester Arena gig on Sunday, I found it very hard to make people jealous of the fact I’m attending.

They’re shrugged off as a heard-of-em artist, despite having headlined pretty much every festival in the UK, including Glastonbury.

Given the passive responses from the people I spoke to and the fairly negative responses of critics to last year’s album, Everything Now, the momentous spectacle of their two-and-a-half hour set felt all the more special.

The stage was centred in the room and designed like a boxing ring. As they entered from the crowd, ducking through the ropes, a commentator introduced them with all their accolades and awards.

It was a witty reminder of their heavyweight status. The music they followed up with was a knock out statement of pride that proved they are still champions of the world.

From unbeatable opener ‘Everything Now’, they performed with unbelievable energy and understanding of one another.

It was a fantastic example of their formula for writing a heart-raising hit, inviting a collective grin from the audience that wouldn’t be wiped off for the rest of the evening.

The band has made a career of capturing strong emotions in tiny songs; live, they’re released like butterflies from jars, vibrant and soaring, reaching every corner of the room.

With songs like ‘Here Comes the Night Time’ and ‘Electric Blue’, they had the place ecstatically dancing, but could still subdue everyone beautifully with the very old tune ‘Vampire/Forest Fire’, performed as a treat for the first time since 2011.

They also brought a light show every bit as active as the nine people packed together on stage.

Whilst the band bounced around on their platform, boxed in at times by horizontal beams, colours of all kind splashed everywhere, as if Arcade Fire had invited you to an epic paint fight party.

Things took a step up on ‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)’ when two opposing disco balls were fired at and scattered light celestially, baptising every head below with blue and pink.

Despite the spectacle the band provided, they interacted with their adoring fans as if they were just starting out. Halfway through ‘Reflektor’, singer Regine found a corner of crowd and danced with it.

Frontman Win Butler wore an expression of nervous pride, as if he was performing the lead in his first ever school play.

Early in the set, Win made a risky comment about attending the Manchester derby — he joked that he “didn’t realise that was contentious!” with apparently no idea how close he was to getting killed.

He makes peace later, however, as he took the time for a stroll up into the rafters to sit on the stairs during ‘Afterlife’.

The set featured a healthy dose from every album, with all the songs you’d expect.

Songs like ‘Tunnels’ and ‘The Suburbs’, with their lyrics about anxiously growing up, were sweetly incongruous with this fully evolved band, who are further from their early bedroom practice sessions than they could possibly have imagined.

Though their set list choice was predictable and could have done with a few deep cuts to improve the occasion, by the time the second hour was over it felt like the right show length, just short of being over-indulgent.

For the encore, Arcade Fire brought on their support, the New Orleans-based Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Of course, they closed with their largest and loudest single ‘Wake Up’, before the Jazz Band escorted them off through the crowd, jamming to their own brassy rendition of the song.

It was a night that showcased the sheer size of Arcade Fire’s choruses and anthemic sound.

The visual accompaniment, which could feel over the top in the hands of any other band, matched the music and reiterated their status as one of the best live experiences you can find.

There are some who might see Arcade Fire as no longer deserving of the superlatives thrown at them, as a band below the standard of their contemporaries and the standard they themselves set years ago.

As far as everyone at the Arena was concerned, they’ve just reclaimed their title.

Review: The Clockmaker’s Tale

You would think that finding yourself sat, head aching, in a candle-lit brick cellar, two floors below ground level would raise a few red flags.

However, last Saturday evening, I was eagerly anticipating University of Manchester Musical Theatre Society’s new writing production The Clockmaker’s Tale, the tantalising mystery of what was to come paralleling an equally mesmerising space.

The Clockmaker’s Tale follows the legend of Gregor (Hugh Beckworth), the creator of the Prague astronomical clock, who falls in love with the Mayor’s daughter, Jana (Mary Morris).

The star-crossed lovers share their hopes and aspirations in the vibrant city of Prague yet must avoid the prying eyes of the bourgeoisie if they have any chance of staying together.

After some brief exposition, the production opens with a murky church procession complete with incense and candle-light, which cleverly bewitched all the senses.

I was transported to an overlooked time of pre-Renaissance darkness, permeated by the promise of the new clock bringing new prospects. The atmosphere was created exceptionally well.

The decision to have a traverse seating plan was an ambitious challenge that worked surprisingly well. I felt deeply integrated sat along the pathway to the clock centrepiece, with the action unfolding all around.

There was a danger of missing some lines, but such incidents were too few and far between to detract from the performance.

The music and singing itself were sublime. Alastair McNamara’s understanding of historical styles supplemented the production beautifully, and the strong cast saw no weak member.

Both Jana and Gregor had a lovely chemistry, which may have developed a little too fast for my liking, but slowly paved the way to a tear-jerking conclusion.

The supporting cast, too, must be commended for their stellar portrayals. Dom McGann’s elegant solo piece ‘Ondrej’s Prayer’ fantastically fleshed out a pleasingly complex antagonist.

Jordan Jones’ baritone voice excellently complemented the Mayor’s sinister character, and the three bar tenants (Nick Rew; Annie Davies; Kate Gabriel) brought a refreshing liveliness to the production.

Kate Gabriel’s multirole of Storyteller needed some minor reconsideration regarding how the character is incorporated into the story, but her energetic delivery demonstrated much to be admired.

Roman Armstrong should also be praised as Krystof, the ever-loyal friend of Gregor who’s improvised comedy did not fail to produce chuckles from every audience member.

However, the mix of styles was sometimes slightly jarring. Perhaps looking at the structure of the storytelling may have led smoother transitions between comedy to romance to horror.

It also would have further emphasised the importance of the clock (Ondrej took the words right out of my mouth: it is, essentially, just a clock), but the artistic licence nicely padded out the fable, adding a marvellous emotional depth.

Despite some minor setbacks, The Clockmaker’s Tale was a thoroughly entertaining production that fashioned an outstanding image of a long-forgotten Prague, contained a superb score and cast and succeeded in telling (somewhat literally) a tale as old as time.

Why you should be going to SZIGET Festival 2018

As I think we’ve all come to realise, the UK festival scene isn’t as happening as it once was. It’s time now to look beyond the UK’s dreary boundaries, and towards festivals that offer something completely different.

SZIGET is a festival based in Budapest, Hungary, so if Budapest is on your travelling bucket list, going to this festival lets you kill two bird with one stone.

The week-long festival — yeah, you read that right — starts from the 8th of August, stretching out to the 15th, consisting of the best lineup I have seen so far for summer 2018. SZIGET not only covers huge music stars of today but incorporates artists from every genre, from every part of the world, as well as comedians and performance art throughout the week too!

Photo: SZIGET festival 2017
Photo: SZIGET festival 2017

The festival sums itself up nicely with this statement about their movement the Love Revolution:

“WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT: WE COME FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD, SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, BELIEVE IN DIFFERENT FAITHS, HAVE DIFFERENT SKIN COLORS [sic], HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS & TASTE AND WE PRIORITIZE DIFFERENTLY. HOWEVER, WHEN WE ALL GATHER TOGETHER WE CAN REALIZE THAT THE POWER OF OUR DIVERSITY UNITES US AND TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE OUR ENVIRONMENT.”

Now, if that doesn’t sound like a place that you want to go to, then we should probably not be pals, because reading it makes me already feel so excited and it’s a revolution I wholeheartedly want to belong to.

SZIGET is set to be an experience on every one of your senses. The festival creates a parallel universe filled with beautiful art installations, sculptures and artwork intended to feel free and full of spirit. The art is put in place to encourage laughter, fun and talent.

Designed by: Szabó Gergely
“Dress Lamps”- Designed by Szabó Gergely

Hopefully, so far you are already interested and now you’re just dying to know who’s headlining because ultimately that’s what you’re there for. SZIGET has frustratingly put on such a good line up that seeing them all will be impossible. It’ll be such a challenge for festival goers to pick one over the other. But first, let’s just have a rundown of exactly what and who is popping up at this incredible SZIGET festival.

Headliners

Let’s just kick off by saying that SZIGET is one of the select few festivals that are proudly able to say that the infamous Arctic Monkeys are performing. If you want to see them on their tour alone you’ll be paying £80, so you might as well pay 299 euros (£260) and get to explore a new city and have the chance to see Lana Del Ray, Gorillaz, Kendrick Lamar, Dua Lipa, Stormzy and Manchester’s very own, ‘our kid’ Liam Gallagher; now that’s what I  would say getting the most for your money looks like.

Photo: Hannah Brierley
Photo: Hannah Brierley

Punk/Rock

Not only has SZIGET managed to pull such powerful acts for their headlines, they are also showcasing some of the best indie/rock talents too. Bands such as Wolf Alice, who released their newest album ‘Visions of a Life’ just shy of last years festival season, so are ready and raring to go. As well as  SLAVES who despite having not released anything new since 2016, never fail to disappoint in any kind of performance.

Who else? Nothing But Thieves, Blossoms, GooGoo Dolls and Shame.

Photo: Olivia White
Photo: Olivia White

POP

But we’re not even nearly done, oh no. So buckle up because you’re in for quite a ride. In the lineup, we have the incredible Mumford and Sons, who again haven’t released anything too recent, which is why for me I am pleasantly surprised they’re included, maybe they have something brewing in the pipeline? As well as our northern favourites Everything Everything who are performing on Saturday 11th.

Who else yuo ask? Zara Larsson, Clean Bandit, Kygo, Shawn Mendes, Bastille, The War on Drugs & Lewis Capaldi.

DJ’s

SZIGET has managed to cram pack so much into one week, it wouldn’t be complete without some incredible DJ talent. Gorgon City is gracing the festival with their infectious house and techno style. Petit Biscuit, in contrast, is serving fluttery, sunshine filled music perfect for the sunny weather. Above and Beyond and Ummet Ozcan are offering those thumping heavy baselines for the week.

 

International artists (that you may not have heard of but you really need to)

SZIGET has pulled talent from across the globe to perform, so the likelihood is that there are bands that you may never have heard of. I’ve gone through the line up and listened to all of them (yes all of them), and here are some of my picks that I’d never heard of before, but highly recommend.

Sexy Zebras (Spain) — this rock trio from Madrid in provides an overwhelming feeling of ‘over the top’ in every sense of the phrase. At first I was sceptical due to the name, however, their image and sound and tongue in cheek aura has completely hypnotised and pulled me in. They feel like the Spanish tanned answer to Don Broco.

Borgore (Israel) — This EDM artist/singer-songwriter/rapper transports us back to 2012, when dubstep was in its prime. Borgore has collaborated with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Bella Thorne. Borgore’s’ music again exuberates silliness and fun.

My Baby (Dutch, New Zealand) — Described as being a mix of folk, blues, country and funk, this band have an overwhelmingly exclusive and unique sound.

The Him (Netherlands)

This DJ duo produce impeccable remixes and songs that are perfect for easy listening in the sunshine. The duo is made up of Jeroen Kerstens and Steven Berghuijs, who have mastered their genre in a way that is completely enchanting.

I could go on and on about all the incredible acts that are performing at this amazingly vibrant and eccentric festival but don’t just take my word for it, go see for yourselves.

Photo: MOHA (Sziget 2017)
Photo: MOHA (Sziget 2017)

For more information and tickets, check out their website.

 

Review: The Replacement Child

Vittoria Caffola’s The Replacement Child is a play which deals with one of the most heartbreaking situations imaginable; the loss of a very young child.

The play begins with the entrance of Grace (Caroline Read) into her father, Oscar’s (Rupert Hill) home a week after her 18th birthday. She is angry and confused about why Oscar didn’t send her a card, instead asking her to visit him. Naturally, she is upset and questions him. It is at this point that the play begins its examination of the past, and the events leading up to the birth of both Oscar and his wife Jude’s (Clare Cameron), two children.

The play’s staging is key to managing the three narrative moments, which are presented to the audience concurrently. The stage is divided into three distinct areas: a table stage right which represents the present, Oscar and Jude’s  living room stage left, and upstage which becomes a hospital room with curtains and monitoring equipment.

This impressive use of the limited space in the Hope Mill Theatre means that when he is telling the story of the family to his daughter, Oscar is able to move effortlessly between the past and present. The lighting used to differentiate the scenes is a nice touch and the contrast between the domestic and hospital scenes is striking. At times, however, the movement of Jude between the home and hospital was hampered by the need to put her in a hospital gown which was slightly jarring.

The use of audiovisual technology to add another, more distant, layer of a happier past for the couple into the narrative was successful. The introduction of Carol, a midwife played by Julia Haworth, brings a lighter presence to the play as she tries encourage a distraught Jude and a doubting Oscar.

However these moments of relief cannot really move the play away from a sense of complete tragedy; indeed, the play’s most powerful moment comes from a soliloquy delivered by Hill at the end. He explains his experience of the day his daughter dies, and it’s delivered so well that the audience gains an insight into the mind of a man who has been destroyed by this event.

In a Q&A with the team behind the play, director Martin Gibbons explained that he wanted to ensure that the play’s heavy subject matter didn’t mean that people left the theatre with a “headache”. At rehearsal he created an atmosphere which was playful and fun and the resulting chemistry between the actors is evident.

This playfulness links to the aim of the Abooo Theatre Company, which is to provide a space where parents of young children can work. All involved seemed to have enjoyed the presence of the children at rehearsals, and this idea could provide a way to ensure that parents are not excluded from the creative industries.

The play is an intense and well-acted insight into a dark moment of these people’s lives and although the moments of comedy are not enough to change the tone from one of despair, the play is both a difficult and interesting watch.

“Corbyn’s Hate Factory”

The media coverage of the allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party has been vitriolic and sensationalist; papers have been hopping between conclusions like gleeful centrist froggies. Labour have not sought to deny the grievances, nor have they been restrained in their regret and apologies to those who have felt offended or alienated from the party; yet, the press has laid into them as if they were exposing some ancient conspiracy theory rotting at the heart of the newly energised left.

However, this is not borne from outrage over the penetration of prejudice into UK politics. Rather, it’s being used as another opportunity for the centre to dismiss and ridicule radicalism or populism in mainstream politics.

It goes without saying that any anti-Semitic behaviour is unacceptable, just as is a failure to enshrine this in a political group’s ethos and disciplinary measures. The Labour Party undoubtedly needs to address the allegations: whether they’re perpetrated by a few members, or part of a wider culture.

Whilst it is beyond the scope of this particular article to comment on the prevalence within Labour, it is becoming increasingly evident that over the last century, instances of anti-Semitic rhetoric have been overlooked throughout society. Arguably, it has become common to fall into the trap of assuming that the violence and tragedy of the past could never be repeated, and so any and all jokes or throwaway comments are excusable, being so distant from reality.

As misguided an attitude as this is, it applies to many manifestations of prejudice in race, religion, and gender, and it crosses party political boundaries. Whilst the whole of British politics is long overdue an inward analysis of its attitude towards minority groups, it is the Labour party, under a leadership which is uncomfortably radical for the establishment in both Whitehall and the National Media, which is most publicly shamed for allegations of intolerance. Far more so than the Tories in the wake of Michael Fallon and Damien Green’s resignations last year.

The front of The Sunday Times last weekend claimed to expose “Corbyn’s Hate Factory”. No doubt a place they think the Momentum members relax by torturing Tories after a long hard week of searching out offensive murals to condone. For something to legitimately be termed a ‘factory’ of hate, it does imply some kind of aims of producing more hate-filled individuals, or at the very least promoting propaganda. This seems an extreme charge to levy at a man, who at the most has been accused of oversight.

It is in complete contrast to the coverage of Tory politicians facing accusations of intolerance or prejudice, such as Ben Bradley who retains the title of “Tory Youth Tsar” despite claiming that reverse racism permeated British politics in response to discounted tickets for BAME groups to political conferences. When he openly supported a violent put down of the London rioters, the most accusatory headline The Times published was “Ben Bradley Backed Police Brutality”. A little softer than “Hate Factory”, despite being in response to a comment that was concretely evident of his own individual views, unlike the consulted web of allegations surrounding Labour and Corbyn.

When charges of institutional sexism were sweeping the Conservatives last year in the wake of the #MeToo campaign, Theresa May was at the most “struggling to contain the issue”; nobody was accusing May herself of being a pervert despite the presence of them in her party.

The political opposition and the mainstream media have held Corbyn to a level of accountability beyond any other political leader. Had the party faced this much scrutiny under the leadership of safely neo-liberal Tony Blair, perhaps the various tragedies of that government could have been avoided. Blair dragged the Labour Party into the centre with such style, that anyone since whose politics were even slightly left of his faced ridicule for a lack of charisma.

Think back to the Daily Mail’s 2013 spread on Ed Miliband’s father as the “Man Who Hated Britain”, a label which one might well want to own after spending too much time surrounded by those kinds of headlines. In fact, the majority of the reporting on Miliband’s campaign, from across the British press, could have been taken to a headmaster and reported as pathetic playground teasing.

Something about the image of Murdoch and his Cronies having their wrists slapped and being told “you’re not big and you’re not clever” does seem rather cathartic. Sadly, however, there doesn’t appear to be a public will strong enough to draw this line between fair criticism and bullying. At least nobody has got angry at Corbyn for the way he eats a sandwich yet.

Whilst Corbyn is a divisive figure, something which no doubt contributes to his appeal, his hotter than ‘lemon and herb’ policies shouldn’t demand any more unpleasant coverage than the rest. Any possibilities of prejudice, or the tolerance of it, within a political party deserves accurate and thorough reporting. Not Orwellian alternative realities which demonise genuine attempts to rectify the situation. If the media want to tackle issues of racism and anti-Semitism they need to get over personal vendettas and allegiances and remember how to report without an agenda.

Introducing: GIRLI

With a DJ booth resembling the packaging of feminine hygiene products, an outfit consisting of entirely glitter and a badass electric pink fringe, you would be forgiven for thinking Girli was about to saturate you in a sticky drowning of feminist drizzle, and there was nothing new to be seen.

Though balancing on a tightrope between genius and ludicrously cliché, Girli’s performance was much more than this. It was dynamic, energetic and bloody bonkers, and the kind of live anxiety we need more of in the music industry.

Ripping through fast-paced, hyperactive ‘fuck you’ tracks, and despite the outwardly exhilarating display of Lily Allen on speed, Girli contained her energy in her lyrically thought-provoking tracks; social media, the gawking patriarchy, even attitudes towards depression took a stabbing, and rightly so.

For all the glitz and heightened heart-rates, Girli seems to have some big ideas. We had a chat with her prior to her explosive Deaf Institute show, to get a sense of the woman behind the artist…

For people who don’t know you, how would you describe your sound?

Relatable, empowering, sassy, punky pop music.

We love the track ‘Hot Mess’ — was that an easy one to write?

I wrote Hot Mess about two quite recent experiences of sexism, and was pretty fired up and pissed off in the studio, so it came very naturally and quickly. I listened to some punk music for reference to fire me up even more, then just started shouting stuff down the mic!

Could we expect an album soon, or will it be more EPs for now?

I’m still writing loads of new songs and developing my sound, so for now I’m gonna be releasing singles. An album is on the horizon though!

Are you excited to be out on tour?

So excited. The crowds are so raucous and the shows so high energy, it’s like a shot of adrenaline every night. Crowd surfing is becoming a hobby of mine. Also social media interaction with fans is amazing, but can be so distant and make you forget that there are real people listening to and being affected by your music, so playing shows is wicked because you get to see and meet those people in the flesh.

Do you prefer playing in London, with it being your home town?

Playing in London is always special because all my family and friends come down and I get to show them what I’ve been up to! But I really love travelling to new places and seeing what the crowds are like and knowing that there’s people outside of London who appreciate my music.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

So much random stuff, as per. A lot of Goldfrapp, Joni Mitchell, Troye Sivan, Kesha, Chela, Drake! It changes weekly.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

I’m very influenced by the music that I listened to when I was a kid, the stuff that my parents played me at home. David Bowie, Blondie, Sex Pistols; they inspired me to perform and showed me that I could create my own character.  But also my dad loved a lot of current music at the time so I listened to a lot of Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys. Those bands really inspired me to write songs that were tongue in cheek, relatable, and brutally honest. Sonically, it keeps changing – alternative pop music is what I’m making and I listen to a lot of quirky, left field pop.

Advice for new starters in the industry?

Focus on making the best music you can, collaborating, telling everyone about your music and playing loads of gigs – get your name out there but also stay true to yourself, because it’s so easy to get lost in  trying to be like everyone else or what’s “cool” in the music industry.

ScienceX at the Trafford Centre

Now in its third year, ScienceX, the weekend-long festival’s, has a line-up filled with fun family-friendly activities to show people what science and engineering is all about. Visitors can get busy coding robots, flying planes in a simulator, experience virtual reality or even build and ‘drive’ their own race car.

 

Photo: ScienceX
Photo: ScienceX

 

“At ScienceX, we hope to showcase what science and engineering is really all about and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers with our exciting programme of fun, hands-on activities”, says Francesca Guratsky, Social Responsibility Project Manager for the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the ScienceX organiser.

Other activities included in the action packed line-up include the opportunity to have a go at making your own new material, power a nuclear reactor and see how much energy you can generate or hold a piece of space rock. On Sunday, guests can get a little messy and have a play around with Oobleck, a non-Newtonian liquid that also acts as a solid.

 

Photo: ScienceX
Photo: ScienceX

 

Though this is an event for all ages and open to all who are interested, Guratsky wants this event to inspire the next generation of scientists and especially younger people who may usually be put off by the world of science.

“…we would like to engage with people who wouldn’t usually attend a science and engineering festival and young people who may not have considered exploring educational or career opportunities in these areas.”

The festival is free to attend and will be held at the intu Trafford Centre on the 14th and 15th of April. You can find the full line-up, schedule and further details on their website and Facebook event.

Album Review: The Vaccines – Combat Sports

2015’s English Graffiti was a bold attempt by The Vaccines to reinvent themselves. It was an attempt to ditch the sun-drenched indie riffs for a deep, fuzzy, almost futuristic sound, but unfortunately, it didn’t really pay off.

Now seemingly aware of this mistake, The Vaccines have gone back to basics, leaving behind this over-saturated production in favour of what made them so likeable in the first place. Rather than rely on a sense of grandeur and trying to escape the ‘indie landfill’ stereotype that plagues so many mainstream bands from the last few years, Combat Sports harks back to their nostalgia-driven roots with confidence.

Opener ‘Put It On a T-Shirt’ has all the jangly guitar tropes of some 1960s doo-wop tune, but with a modern burst of energy, and is full of the nonsense lyricism that front man Justin Hayward-Young is known for. Single ‘I Can’t Quit’, which wouldn’t sound too out of place on their debut (or even an early Strokes album) is a reconnection to The Vaccines’ trademark hazy guitar slashing and swooning back-up chanting that is just dripping in angsty summer vibes.

There’s even moments where the band dip their toes into synth-pop with ‘Your Love Is My Favourite Band’ and ‘Maybe (Luck of the Draw)’, which are much more successful experimentations than any of the tracks found on English Graffiti. Of course, there’s also the obligatory slow-jam with ‘Young American’ smack bang in the middle of the album which gives us a nice dreamy break from the action.

The latter half of Combat Sports is nothing short of classic Vaccines vigour. The thumping, fuzzy whirlwind of ‘Nightclub’ packs a heavy punch, with Young delivering a fierce chorus designed to be screamed back at him during live performances. ‘Out On the Street’ is both lyrically and sonically addictive, making excellent use of Young’s vocal range and upbeat guitar melodies to create the best track on the album.

With the whole album clocking in at just over half an hour, Combat Sports sees The Vaccines performing at their best in years. It’s nothing short of a brilliantly polished reincarnation of the sunny charm that was absent from their last LPs. Whilst they’re not exactly reinventing the wheel here, the return to their classic nostalgic soundscape is welcomed with open arms.

8/10

Interview: The Slow Readers Club

Manchester indie-electro four piece The Slow Readers Club have released their new single ‘You Opened Up My Heart’, taken from their upcoming album Build A Tower, to be released on 4th May via Modern Sky. Throughout April and May, the band will be completing a UK headline tour in support of Build A Tower, with their hometown Manchester date selling out in under 24 hours.

We spoke to lead singer Aaron Starkie ahead of their opening tour dates…

How did this album differ to writing the previous two?

Well it was written in a more condensed time period. It’s been a successful two years for us, so there was an urgency to getting something out quickly. Obviously we were signed at the end of last year, so that added a bit of pressure to releasing.

Do you think the pressure helped?

Definitely helped, yeah. We took our time on the first two, but this one was us up in Manchester just jamming together.

What about the new single — ‘You Opened Up My Heart’ — was it an easy one to write?

Yeah it’s gone in a bit of a different direction for us, that song. But it’s had a good response so far.

Are you excited to get the album out there then?

Yes, definitely. It’s funny actually ’cause when we go out on tour the album won’t be out yet, and it gets released on the same day as the Manchester show. So there’ll be some shows beforehand where people have never heard the tracks, so that’ll be interesting to see how that goes down. We’re going to get a different reception as the tour moves along.

How does it feel getting back out on tour?

Great, yeah. There was a pre-order which sold out 1000 tickets in ten minutes or something. It’s amazing we’ve been able to play bigger and bigger venues over the past few years, you know. We used to play to like 30 people, and then we played the Ritz last year, and this time Albert Hall which has got a 500+ bigger capacity.

Is Manchester your favourite place to play, being your hometown?

Yeah, Manchester’s always amazing. Dublin’s always been good to us, and we played King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow — that was amazing to play at such an iconic venue. But people come from far and wide to see us play in Manchester, and Albert Hall will be a great venue.

Is playing festivals different for you guys to playing your own gigs?

Yeah, our first one is Liverpool Sound City in a few weeks. I think we’re headlining one of the stages there, and we’re playing the main stage at Kendal Calling this year. We like playing festivals — it’s new shores playing to crowds who might not know who you are, and you’ve got to try to win them over.

Are there any bands you want to catch on the festival circuit this summer?

I’d love to catch Everything Everything, and Idles — I’ve heard a lot about them. There’s some smaller bands as well we’re into.

Who would you say are your top three musical influences?

The Killers would be up there. Echo and the Bunnymen — for that 80s gothy sound. LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, David Bowie. Obviously The Smiths and The Stone Roses were massive for us growing up, being from Manchester. You can’t escape all the Mancunian legends when you’re from Manchester.

Finally, if you could give a piece of advice to new bands starting out, what would it be?

I’d say… be organised with your release schedule. Get involved with good promoters and be tactical with the release strategy. If you release a single, have your next two ready to go in case things blow up, so you don’t miss the opportunity.

Thanks for chatting to us Aaron, and good luck for the tour!

You can catch Slow Readers Club on the following dates:

April

26th — Cardiff, Globe

27th — Southampton, Engine Rooms

28th — Leeds, Brudenell Social Club

May

4th — Manchester, Cathedral **SOLD OUT**

5th — Liverpool, Sound City Festival

6th — Glasgow, Stag & Dagger Festival

10th — Newcastle, Riverside

11th — Hull, The Welly

12th — Nottingham, Rock City

17th — Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms

18th — Norwich, Arts Centre

19th — Northwich, Library **SOLD OUT**

25th – London, Islington Assembly Hall

26th — Stoke, Sugarmill

Israel’s radical re-style

For nearly 70 years, the state of Israel has survived against the odds. Despite facing nearly seven decades of external and internal threats, Israel has developed a democracy and successful economy the likes of which has not been repeated in one of the world’s most volatile and dangerous regions, the Middle East.

However, within Israel, a seismic shift has occurred in its political landscape — the dominance of Israel’s right and far-right. It is hardly believable to many people that when Israel was founded nearly 70 years ago, it was a nation dominated by left-wing Zionist refugees who had survived the Holocaust.

Things have changed; Israel recently elected one of its most nationalist and right-wing governments in history, with Benjamin Netanyahu securing another term in office by forging alliances with Israel’s right, religious, and nationalist political parties. Despite what many Israelis seem to believe, this is the wrong direction for the state of Israel and it will only make Israel’s position in the Middle East more unstable.

Israel’s once dominant left has drifted into irrelevance and is stuck in a state of permanent decline. Many Israelites blame the left in Israel for decades of violence and terrorism that has gripped the nation for years and has set the scene for Israel’s nationalists and far-right to step in.

Israel’s ruling coalition, headed by veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now has six right-wing, nationalist, and religious parties as well as the main conservative party in Israel, Likud, and other smaller minor parties like the Jewish Home, Kulanu, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Yisrael Beiteinu.

Parties like the Jewish Home and Yisrael Beiteinu have swept into the limelight and, due to their electoral successes, have entered government. Both the Jewish Home and Yisrael Beiteinu take an extremely hard-line stance against Iran, Hamas, and on the Palestinian peace process, which they seem to see as a threat to the future existence of an Israeli Jewish state.

Ultra-nationalist parties within Israel have successfully used the issue of security to gain electoral support and push for a more conservative, isolated, and nationalist Israeli state. At the most recent election, due to the success of right-wing parties, the left and political centre are not part of the ruling government for the first time in Israel’s history.

Many Israeli nationalists have capitalised on a feeling within the local population that peace with the Palestinians is impossible. After attempts to compromise, the two sides have suffered from mass unrest and violence.

With the political left in a state of terminal decline and ineffectiveness, Israeli politics has become a competition between the far-right and the right, and both have established their dominance as the new mainstream in domestic politics, an alarming development.

Both parties advocate for a strictly Jewish Israel and state with no mention for the role of Palestinians and immigrants within their nationalist vision. This dangerous development shows that Israel is beginning to turn more inwards and become more isolationist. Pressure from both these of political parties resulted in Netanyahu turning down a deal to re-settle over 16,000 African asylum seekers, thus showing how much power the hard-right parties have.

Tougher and harsher security policies are another example of the hard right’s power. The Israeli Defense Force has used brutal force to maintain control within Israel’s occupied territory in the West Bank. Shocking images and videos of IDF soldiers shooting and beating Palestinian children have become more and more commonplace.

Illegal settlements, which are encouraged and protected by Israel’s government have made the practical reality of a Palestinian state almost impossible, cutting up the West Bank into small zones where the IDF still has more power than the Palestinian local authority. The right within Israel, especially the Jewish Home. have made it almost impossible for a separate Palestinian state to exist, which is believably their goal.

By making it impossible for a separate and independent Palestinian state to exist within the West Bank with Israeli settlements cutting up the territory, it is likely Israel will just annex the territory in the near future at the current rate. This would destroy the prospect of a two-state solution and would be a disaster for the peace process between the two sides.

With threats on all sides from outside and inside Israel’s borders, Israel’s right-wing will continue to dominate and thrive for the future and shape its policy towards the Middle East region and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city, an unheard of act by a major power, has only emboldened Israel’s right-wing and nationalist cause, giving parties like the Jewish Home more confidence in their pursuit of Israeli ethno-nationalism and their aggressive stances on security.

This will mean more reactionary policies to violence on both sides, resulting in circular conflict with little hope for sustainable resolution.

While many Israelites seem to believe that voting for parties which take a tougher line on security and defence will make them safer, it will probably have a catastrophic effect on the peace process, which has gradually grind to a halt due to an increasingly nationalist Israeli government rejecting or ignoring key parts of the Oslo Accords from the 1990s.

With Trump firmly on the side of Israel, the Israeli right-wing are set to be more emboldened, prolonging one of the most violent conflicts in the history of the Middle East.

Replayability and the illusion of choice: the Telltale paradox

Once industry darlings for a refreshed approach to narrative storytelling, Telltale games, who now dominate a niche they arguably carved out themselves, have found themselves at somewhat of an impasse in recent years with their genre competitors, Quantic Dream and Supermassive games, perhaps now more in vogue.

Increasingly, fans have become aware of and much more vocal about how superficial the choices in Telltale games are. The contention is that no matter what dialogue options you choose or path you take, gameplay will travel along the same path with only a few minor differences.

It’s a problem that is both technically and narratively motivated. From a narrative point of view, complete freedom of choice could well come at the expense of a good story with enough action to keep you entertained. At the end of the day, developers like Telltale want you to end up in that emotive final scene or put you in an end scenario in which you have to make a hard choice; they want to keep you central to the plot, and to encounter the key elements of it.

Perhaps the clearest example I can think of to demonstrate this is in Until Dawn, Supermassive’s cinematic horror game. Playing as Until Dawn’s deuteragonist, Mike, one long sequence takes you through an abandoned asylum. Here, you can choose how to enter, how cautious to be and what to do inside. What you cannot choose is whether you’ll end up in there full stop. There is no option to turn and head back. The developers want you the player to play the asylum scene because it is exciting and central to the plot.

The practical side of the problem is more easily understood. Here, it is a simple matter of limited resources. Games all have a limited budget, and every cutscene, dialogue line and extra day of work costs the developers money. Were every choice to create a truly branching narrative, production costs would increase exponentially, and such games as the Telltale series and Until Dawn would cease to be viable. To put it into perspective, a tree of 12 choices each with three options would create 531441 scenarios if each took the story down a new path.

photo:Mancunion

It is perhaps understandable, then, that the likes of Telltale games actually take you down paths which will generally contain small variations on a central narrative, usually only offering major differences in terms of which characters are left alive and the precise nature of the ending.

Personally, I have never found this to be much of a problem. In the first playthrough, you have ludic access to one narrative path, and the illusion of choice is more than enough to supplement the outlying possibilities that you do not encounter and, indeed, would never encounter.

It is only upon replay that this becomes a major issue. In this sense, Telltale, Quantic Dream and co. have probably made a rod for their own backs. Branching narratives at once ask you to believe that every choice is truly consequential, but in making you believe, by logical extension, that alternatives exist, they instill a desire to replay the game and discover these possibilities.

At this point, the practical and narrative limitations of a branching game start to undermine its very premise. This is compounded further by the fact that a number of such games are marketed as being replayable, further encouraging players to feel out the limitations of the genre.

Replaying narrative branches also erodes the very value of choice-making in the first place. What makes narrative branches so immediately appealing is their proximity to real life as opposed to the usually fail-safe environment of video games. Again, this is undermined by replaying as you can not play events in real life (as much as we’ve all wished to on numerous occasions) and doing so chips away at the perceived gravity of seemingly important in-game decisions.

This has become highly problematic for the genre. In actual fact, Telltale games and their ilk have evolved to have more choices over their lifespan as a greater audience has meant that more resources are available to developers. However, perception is going the other way, and games are increasingly criticised for giving you choices that are inconsequential and do not meaningfully impact the story. This is a problem given rise to by user trial and error, and trial and error is only available via replaying.

Almost every game requires a level of suspension of disbelief, from more obvious cases like epic fantasy to everyday oversights like accepting the superhuman finger strength of Nathan Drake or Ezio Auditore.

‘Choose your own story’ games are much the same, except the cognitive leap you must willingly make is one concerning the metanarrative rather than the narrative. In order to embrace such games as proximal to real life, it is necessary to engage with them as such: one chance, no replays, and sustained by the illusion of choice rather than the acceptance of pre-determination.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 coming to consoles

The 2017 PC hit, Divinity: Original Sin 2, has been confirmed for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The turn-based RPG, developed by Larian Studios, will arrive on next-gen consoles in August 2018, having been released on PC in September 2017.

The original Divinity: Original Sin followed an almost identical pattern: it was released in 2014 and, after garnering both critical and commercial success, arrived on consoles just over a year later in October 2015.

The sequel has been no less successful, attracting metascores from metacritic and Steam users of over 90 per cent, and gaining over 1.25 million owners on Steam alone. Unlike its predecessor, however, Divinity: Original Sin 2 will be published on consoles by Japanese publisher Bandai Namco.

Speaking of the collaboration, Swen Vincke, founder and CEO of Larian explained, “it was very important to us to have Divinity: Original Sin 2 distributed by a team that understands how to bring RPGs to a broad audience. With Dark Souls and The Witcher, Bandia Namco Entertainment demonstrated they know how to do exactly that and so I’m very happy we’ll have their support.”

Larian will no doubt be hoping that the move to console can project the Divinity games from indie sensation to established franchise. Indeed, despite the unequivocal success of Original Sin, Original Sin 2 still had to rely on a successful kickstarting campaign in order to fund development.

With local co-op and online play once again set to be a prominent feature of the console version of Original Sin 2 — as was the case with Original Sin — Larian are clearly looking to broaden the game’s appeal by adapting an already highly accomplished game to the specifications of console audiences.

Whilst this is relatively minor news for pre-existing fans of the series, who probably rightly felt a port was only a matter of time, it represents huge news for prospective new players, who may be getting access to one of the richest, most well-crafted, and detailed RPGs of all time.

New app Drinki offers a free drink every night!

Drinki, the UK’s leading nightlife app for drinkers, bars, and brands, has announced that, since the app was launched in September 2016, over £1.5 million has been spent in bars, with over 100,000 drinks being redeemed.  The app is taking off now, and acquiring more than 14,000 users a month just in London alone.

The milestone figures demonstrate the thirst consumers have for mixing nightlife with technology to discover new drinks and venues. The App, which has dominated London, has now begun to make its way up north to its next big challenge, Manchester.

Drinki has previously already secured key partnerships with well-known drinks brands from Pernod-Ricard, Heineken, and Diageo, through to challenger brands such as Pistonhead and Mr Black, and despite not being in Manchester for too long Drinki have already secured a place within bars such as Jimmy’s, The Bagel Shop, and Apotheca. This is just the beginning of a city-wide takeover.

As we all know, Manchester has a vibrant drinking scene and nightlife, and Drinki aims to find you the newest and coolest bars that you may not have heard of before, benefitting both bars and customers.

Photo: Drinki

Tariq Aris, CEO of Drinki said, “Throughout the Drinki journey, we have always kept one thing in mind: providing as much value as possible to both people and bars. It’s very exciting to see it all come together now and to see the amount of traction we are getting. I can walk into any of our bars for a drink and see people using the app and that’s a great feeling.”

But how does it work I hear you all ask? All you need to do it download the Drinki app on an Apple or an Android device, and that’s it! Users can get one free drink per night, as well as exclusive offers, access, and even up to 50 per cent off drinks. In addition, there’s an option to share your code with others — the more people you get to sign up with your code the more drinks that you earn. Simple, right?

Here are a few codes to get you started!

HB

YOUEARNEDTHIS

For more information go to www.drinki.com

Live review: 30 Seconds to Mars

30 Seconds to Mars (30STM) , Manchester Arena — 24th March 2018

The most noticeable thing about the performance was the stage layout, which was positioned almost in the middle of the arena but not quite there. Frontman Jared Leto and brother Shannon taking centre stage, while the rest of the band stood around the stage in orchestral pit type set up, I couldn’t and still can not work out or see the point of it all.

The show started with ‘Up in the Air’, and the capacity crowd seemed more than up for it. The soaring vocal lines being sung back to the band at full volume. Jared working the audience well in his union jack poncho and red tracksuit bottoms. The show continues with some of 30STM’s more recent songs such as ‘Kings and Queens’, ‘Search and Destroy’, and ‘This War’.

Not too long into the show a man arrived on stage with a phone and began live streaming the whole show, something that I thought was quite a nice idea, it was also funny watching him try to keep up with Jared as he ran around the stage all night.

My stand-out track of the evening had to be ‘The Kill’ a track from my favourite album, brought back a weird year 9 nostalgia, although Jared did let the crowd do most of the singing for that one. Followed then by a cover of ‘Stay’ by Rhianna which the band did in the live lounge and put their own spin on.

Shortly after this, 30STM invited a fan onto the stage and told the fan he could tweet whoever he wanted from Jared’s own personal account. This for me is when the show started to lose its grip on the night, as things got more and more political. I came to watch a gig, not another Brexit debate.

After the man brought on stage had finished wasting a brilliant opportunity to get some free advertising or followers, he then asked his girlfriend to marry him. She said yes, but you would have hoped that she would as there were thousands of people watching — a resounding ‘No’ would have been humiliatingly harsh. The band kindly dedicated the next song to them and soon left the stage only to be called back for the encore.

Coming back with a ‘Walk on Water’ the crowd singing every word like they had done so beautifully all night, ‘Vox Populi’ was next with the boys leaving us with ‘closer to the edge’. Inviting fans from the audience to come onto the stage and share the final song with them. A nice touch for such a big band I thought.

Vocally and musically, the guys didn’t put a foot wrong, but, for me, the political tweeting and the proposal kind of took the wind out of the sails of the show, plus I’d have liked for 30STM to perform a few more older songs in their set too.

7/10