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Day: 21 November 2012

Live: DIIV

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

20th November 2012

9/10

The Deaf Institute has spent the five or so years since its opening acting, in effect, as Manchester’s portal to the blogosphere; it’s served as a base of sorts for the city’s hottest promoters in Now Wave, and accordingly has seen a long procession of buzz bands pass through its doors.  It’s hardly surprising, then, to see DIIV make their Mancunian debut here; they’ve managed to slot in a slew of their own shows around a support slot with The Vaccines who, to their credit, are clearly capable of appreciating interesting music if not making it.

DIIV (pronounced ‘Dive’) already have impressive indie pedigree; drummer Colby Hewitt is formerly of Smith Westerns, and singer-songwriter Zachary Cole Smith began working on this project whilst a touring guitarist with Beach Fossils, culminating in Oshin, released back in June. Tonight’s show is an out-of-order run-through of a record that’s already starting to appear on a host of end-of-year album lists, and its translation to the live arena enthrals and surprises in equal measure. On record, Oshin weaves layer after layer of melodic guitar to create gorgeous dream-pop textures, with distant, distorted vocals floated over the top to impressive effect.

The effect of chopping and changing between instrumental and vocal-heavy tracks on Oshin is subtle on the album, but live, the results are far more pronounced; the vocally-light likes of ‘(Druun)’ and ‘Air Conditioning’ are as quietly mesmerising as their recorded counterparts, but the heavier material is a revelation; the guitars sound that much fiercer, and the vocals pack that much more bite, on the faster, more driven likes of ‘Doused’ and ‘How Long Have You Known’. DIIV took their name from a Nirvana song, and it’s an influence far more obvious on stage than in the studio; the noisier jams from Oshin manage to be at once hypnotic and thrilling. With only one LP under their belts, it is of course all over much too quickly, but with no lack of promise for what next time might hold. A revelatory debut.

Manchester Equestrians achieve victory

Written by Ciaran Milner on . Posted in Sport.

The Equestrian Club’s B team has won its first competition of the year, storming to victory by over 30 points against Keele, Central Lancaster (UCLAN) and Lancaster.

Individually Manchester’s Asher Hillsmith won overall, narrowly beating team mate Lacey Monroe to second place while Claire Henderson and Lizzi Hudson brought home fourth and fifth rosettes.

Only one UCLAN rider prevented a Manchester clean sweep.

The A team and Dev team will be contesting their first local matches in the next few weeks.

Eleni Papadopoulos ‘determined to make it to Rio 2016’

Written by Ciaran Milner on . Posted in Sport.

Like many others across the country, I spent the first weekend of November attempting to get excited by the vague, tepid patriotism of Bonfire night. After the thrilling spectacle of sport that swept Britain up in a wave of national pride over the summer, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

Not everyone spent that weekend shivering in the cold, however. Not content to allow the superb performances of our athletes over the summer to fizzle out, Manchester student Eleni Papadopoulos continued to ride the patriotic wave and took it upon herself to smash the 200m butterfly world record in the S10 category, clocking an incredible 2.37:52.

“I knew what time I had to beat,” Leni (as she prefers to be called), recalls. “I was quite surprised though. It was a really good personal best for me. I got it by a few seconds”. Her recollection of the event seems understated. Although we talk more than a week after the event, I’m a little surprised to see that the excitement of breaking the world record appears to have worn off slightly, especially when I am in such awe of the achievement.

As we talk, though, it becomes apparent that Leni’s apparent nonchalant attitude to her achievement is not a display of arrogance – far from it –  but instead a showing of humility; the kind of humility that comes after thousands upon thousands of hours of training. To Leni, swimming has been a focal point of her life for so long that for someone like me to seem so impressed by it must seem a little odd.

“I started swimming at the age of four”, she says. Since the age of fifteen, she has trained for thirty hours a week. “24 hours in the pool each week, and possibly 6 hours gym work. Getting out of bed at 5am… it’s become a bit of a routine, it’s fine”.

What’s more impressive is that it doesn’t seem to affect her studies.

“I’ve always had to find the balance between education and sport. My coach and lecturers are really understanding. In the next five weeks I’m racing every weekend, so my coach has given me time off training to catch up on my work. It makes a massive difference when they are so understanding. “

Leni swims in the S10 category, which is classed as minimal disability. “When I was six, I fell off the monkey bars and I landed on my left side”, she says of the accident that damaged the nerves in her arm and ruptured her muscles. “My hand basically went into a claw. When I was seven, they straightened it out, and loosened some of the tendons so my hand isn’t as much of a claw as it was”.

The accident left damage that still affects her today, sending shooting pains up her arm. However, it also started her down the path to glory. “Swimming was really important as part of my rehabilitation, and then I suppose I just carried it on from there”.

Despite breaking the world record, Leni believes she has so much more to offer, “I was surprised”, she says, “because in the months between September and December we are in really hard training, so we are not expected to perform well as we are not ‘peaked’. We’re not expected to get personal bests and things like that.”

“When I am peaked, when I am meant to perform, when I’m rested… I can do even better”.

Indeed, Leni only just missed out on the Paralympic team for this summer’s Olympics. “Sadly I wasn’t picked for the team. I missed out on the qualification time by the skin of my teeth. I was fairly disappointed [by the decision]. The whole selection criteria is very complicated. But I do think that 2016 is a really big possibility”.

The last statement piques my interest. She sounds supremely confident in her ability to make it to Rio for 2016. Unfortunately  for Leni, her event isn’t a Paralympic event. “It’s just such a shame the 200m fly isn’t included. I’m much more of an endurance swimmer than a sprinter.”

This doesn’t appear to have even slightly affected her desire, however.

“I’m determined. After another four years of hard work, I’m definitely determined to get to Brazil for 2016.”

It is an exciting prospect to imagine a Manchester graduate representing team GB at the next Paralympics. Whatever she goes on to accomplish, though, we should take nothing away from the successes she has achieved this month. Leni, well done and good luck.

To buy or not to buy

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in Music.

Whether you agree with it or not, free music downloading has gradually become a part of everyday life over the past 20 years. Napster, Morpheus, Kazaa, Limewire and Pirate Bay have all come and gone, but the peer-to-peer sharing bug seems impossible to stamp out once and for all. With every attempted copyright crackdown, the file-sharing community reacts by evolving and multiplying. It’s a bit like fighting the giant Hydra out of Hercules; every time you cut off one of her heads, another three grow back in its place. You should soon realise that lopping off heads is not the solution.

One of the main problems with free downloading is that it compromises the ability of independent artists and labels to make a living from physical / iTunes sales. That’s a given. CDs, MP3s and vinyl are still an important source of income for labels and, to be fair, if you love an album that much then you should be willing to support the people who made it, in some way.

Spotify is another route; it’s alright for those who can stand the iffy catalogue but you can never really know how directly you are contributing to an artist’s cause. It’s a shame that the cost of new vinyl is so goddamn expensive because it’s the only format that you can truly get a sense of the tangible effort in production. You get the beauty of the sleeve, the guaranteed audio quality of each track and the knowledge that you are helping to sustain the career of somebody who genuinely inspires you, as well as the format itself.

But wait, if it wasn’t for peer-to-peer sharing then most up and coming artists wouldn’t even exist in the listening sphere of the average human being. In the technological age, free downloads are essential gifts at the beginning of any budding new musician’s path to stardom. They are an attempt to get the world to sit up and take notice, to persuade the listener to want to hear and see more. It’s not about being paid, it’s about being heard. Touring is the real money-maker (unless the artist is very old, or dead) and in that sense, free downloads are necessary to accumulate a global fan base. But as soon as popularity looks on the cards, free downloading becomes illegal piracy. There has to be a middle ground.

No surprise then that the problem has been met with a few interesting reactions from those within the industry. In Rainbows revolutionised the way in which artists can offer their work to the world by championing the pay-what-you-want template. Crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter offer a service for musicians who are trying to raise money to subsidise independent projects, so there are possibilities available to those who value their music as a gift and not as a cash cow.

It’s not an overnight process, but the way music is financed, bought and sold is definitely changing. Gone are the days when you had to wait a month for your copy of the latest Motown 45’’ to come through the post. Technology has enabled artists like Radiohead and Amanda Palmer to set the wheels in motion, and there will undoubtedly be others who jump on the bandwagon. It is important to support the artists that you adore, but if can’t see them live and you can’t quite afford to spunk your loan on a wax copy of their latest album, I won’t judge you for using Mediafire for the time being.

From the vault: Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine

Written by Charlie Boydell-Smith on . Posted in Music.

Were it not for Rage Against the Machine, it would be easy to imagine Zack De La Rocha as the leader of a radical left wing activist network, ranting and raving about corrupt policemen and the government controlling the population through the media. Thankfully, Rage burst onto the scene in 1992 with their politically charged debut album, allowing De La Rocha’s views to be transmitted in a manner which is much more pleasing to the ear, with the band channeling a raw punk energy so perfectly surmised by their moniker.

The very concept of rap metal seems incongruous, bringing together two genres that, on paper, seem to have little in common, but Rage’s debut is by no means contrived, with de la Rocha spitting his articulate lyrics over the simple-but-effective guitar lines that have become Tom Morello’s signature.

The album explodes with ‘Bombtrack’, discussing the bands aggrievance with social inequality with the belief that ‘landlords and power whores’ should ‘burn’ before legendary single ‘Killing In The Name’ is unleashed. Even without the successful Facebook campaign that got the song to Christmas number 1 in 2009, which has subsequently led the song to become the face of opposition towards modern pop music, this would still be regarded as a classic. The track is an angry, brutal attack on American society with reference to cross burning by the Klu Klux Klan and the accusation that some members of the US Police Force are associated with the racial group, ‘some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses’.

There is no time to take a breather before the record rips into ‘Bullet in the Head’ and the ‘Know Your Enemy’, with ‘Freedom’ providing a riotous close to proceedings. Even if you don’t agree with De La Rocha’s views, you certainly can’t ignore them with his powerful and commanding vocal delivery.

Since their debut, Rage have perfected the art of rap metal (no matter how hard Limp Bizkit have tried) and through their eponymous debut album in particular, they will forever be spoken as one of the real giants of music.

Interview: Daniel Bortz

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in Music.

Within the current sphere of four to the floor music, it’s difficult to differentiate between the shit-ton of artists out there.  It’s even more difficult to find a label that’s able to carve out its own sound amid the hackneyed din of bubblegum house.  Leading the charge for Berlin’s Suol imprint, Daniel Bortz is one of the finest purveyors of soulful German techno to fully emerge on the circuit over recent years.  His appearance alongside Ame and Dixon at Sankeys back in March marked his first visit to Manchester, but, speaking from his hometown flat in Augsburg, Bortz reveals he is relishing the chance of getting another crack at the whip.

“I remember it was a really great night, I can’t wait for December. I love playing the UK in general.  The people are open to so many types of music which makes my job that much easier.  Augsburg can be very critical, which does make it harder in some ways, but it’s still a good place to test whether your music can really work.  It’s a small town where people get bored easily, so you have to be on point if you want to inspire them.”

It’s been a fairly long road for the Augsburg-born producer; he has been making music since 1994, yet his first big release on Pastamusik didn’t actually arrive until 2007. “I tried many different kinds of electronic music over that time,” he confesses, “In the beginning it was hip hop, then acid.  I played with drum computers and actual drums for quite a few years. Eventually I bought an MPC and started messing around with outboard synths and Logic.  It was an interesting time because I was listening to everything from psychedelic rock to RnB to techno, but I still wasn’t sure what style I wanted to go for.”

When questioned further about his production technique and majestic sampling, Bortz explains that making music is usually a solitary process for him.  “I can only produce in my studio, never on the road or just on headphones.  I need the bass! Producing with friends is good fun and I might try out some other studios in future, but I think that finalising will always be a lonely process for me.  As for samples, I dig as deep as I can and record them as part of a freestyle jam, but sampling also brings out your inner nerd too.  You have to be a nerd if you want to know all the samples in our musical history!”

Given his fairly consistent output, Bortz very rarely releases remixes of his own tracks, a fact that he acknowledges himself. “I guess I just want my music to stay pure.  I’m not saying there aren’t artists out there who do a great job but I try to focus on my own productions.  It’s just not something for me.” That said, he does appear to be much more inclined to remix the work of others. There a few quality examples knocking about, particularly his edits of Kolombo’s ‘Shape Your Life’ and James Blake’s ‘Limit’, but in terms of original material, ‘I’m Talking’ is the one.  The sample comes from Eddie (of Temptations fame) Kendrick’s 1973 lick “Keep on Truckin”, but take nothing away from Bortz who remains a wizard in the arrangement process.  The beat is relentless, the riffs are infectious and the cuts are perfectly placed.

His productions reflect the same musical range that can be found in many of his mixes; this sense of variety is something he attributes to a crowd-reading alertness. “If the people aren’t into a particular style you have to switch up the BPM.  I’m very concentrated when I play, I think constantly about which song needs to come next in order to sustain the flow. Once you start making links between tracks, you begin to remember which songs go well together but, yeah, I always try to get in contact with the crowd.”

Fortunately for us, the German has been able to gather enough musical connections and flows over the past 20 years to satisfy the multitudinous needs of European club-goers.  “I’ve been DJing for just as long as I have been producing so I’d consider myself very familiar with club music. That experience aided the transition from playing smaller venues back home to the bigger venues I play now.  You can’t compare clubs together though, everywhere is different but the principle is the same. Get people dancing.”

If he wasn’t into the whole superstar DJ thing, he hypothesises that he would still be involved in the music game in some other way.  “That, or cooking,” he adds.  It seems a logical choice for somebody so well adept in the mixture of combinations.  What’s certain is the fact that Daniel Bortz has now firmly cemented himself in the scene and will no doubt continue to make a name for himself over the coming year.

Daniel Bortz plays the Suol Showcase at Sankeys on Saturday 1st December with Chopstick and Johnjon. Check www.sankeys.info for more info.

Art History Lessons with Lucy J: Van Gogh

Written by Lucy Johnson on . Posted in Arts.

1)     Van Gogh came from a religious family and originally wanted to become a pastor like his father.

2)     The reason that so many of Van Gogh’s paintings are of himself, landscapes and flowers is because he was too poor to pay for models to sit for him.

3)     He was a deeply unhappy man and suffered from mental illness which is still undetected, hallucinations and epilepsy.

4)     His brother Theo supported Van Gogh financially and often bought him his paints as they were expensive. They had a very close relationship and kept in close correspondence through letters which we still have 800 of today.

5)     Sadly, Van Gogh never found love.

6)     The first time Van Gogh went to art school was in 1885 four years before his death, by which time he had painted most of his 900 paintings.

7)     During an epileptic seizure, he cut off his own ear lobe with a razor blade as he attempted to attack Paul Gaugin.

8)     He only became famous after his death and would never have guessed the impact of his work on the art world.

9)     Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime.

10)   Van Gogh died at the age of 37 having shot himself in a field in Auvers, France.

 

Secret Manchester: The Portico Library

Written by Harriet Hill-Payne on . Posted in Arts.

I was trying to find something to write about for this week’s column, and was checking through the usual suspects – Manchester Art Galley, the Whitwoth, Cornerhouse, and then thought I’d just have a quick look on Creative Tourist to see if they had added anything new. Seeing as its where I find the listings for nearly every event seen on these pages, I check it obsessively and wasn’t expecting much to come from the search. I certainly wasn’t expecting the gem that is the Portico Library. Opened in 1806 as a Library and Newsroom on Mosely Steet (declared by John Dalton ‘he most elegant … in town’), the Library retains a faded elegance which belies its up-to-date research catalogues, wi-fi and super efficient librarians.

Having suffered financially in the 20s and 30s, the ground floor of the Grade II listed building is leased, but finding the small side door, being buzzed in, and going up the stairs and emerging into a hushed and airy reading room has quite a charm of its own. The floor-to-ceiling shelves hold mainly 19th century collection of travel, biography and ‘polite’ literature, with lesser known names jostling for shelf space with Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gasckall.

What I had come for, however, were not the books or the homemade cake on offer, but the Gallery, currently hosting Clare Allan’s ‘Burnt Wood and Paper,’ an exhibition capturing ‘the feels of the places I draw… places with stories and histories’. That curiosity surrounding where and how somewhere sits in hisory is communicated through Allan’s series of black and white charcoal sketches, which oscillate between beautifully still snowy scenes, and bustling contemporary city scapes. There is a sweetness amd innocence to the opening images -‘When it Snowed’, which, as you’d expect, shows snowy hills rising behind cottages covered with a blanket of snow – which is refreshingly undercut before it becomes to saccharine  by ‘Peak Road and the Shooting Cabin’ (‘Houses on the estate that were once white) and ‘Bin Day on Cote Lane,’ which have a grittier and more contemporary feel.

The reimaginigs of Adolphe Valette’s work are really interseting, and again open a fascinating dialogue surrouning place and time, as Allan recreates an old image using contemporary Manchester, most successfully , I felt, in Albert Square (after Valette). The exhibition moves toward its close with a series of nudes, which though beautifully observed, I felt sat slightly oddly with the majority of the exhibition.

There is much to admire here – but my favourite had to be the picure of the Portico itself, which captured the sense of discovery and secrecy felt on finding that little side door and ringing the buzzer. You have to be a member to use the reading room, but anyone can go and sit in the main libary and sample tea and cake in quite spectacular surroundings.

Top 4 + 1 books in the field of war

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in Books.

Remembrance day has come and gone, the Palestine conflict escalates once more. Now is a good time to remind ourselves of war and its continuing impact, through some of its many literary representations

1.Catch 22, Joseph Heller (1961)
‘The first time I read about Yossarian, I fell madly in love with him’. It was a tough one to call, but topping off this list is a chaotic, almost incoherent satire on life. Joseph Heller was part of a new generation of American writers who saw action in the Second World War, including Salinger, Gore Vidal, and Kurt Vonnegut. Set in the closing months of the conflict, Catch 22 follows the story of Captain John Yossarian – the ultimate anti-hero with a burning desire to be anywhere but combat missions. It’s written in an extremely unique style, with a rather upbeat and comical first half, and then things take an abruptly brutal turn as Yossarian’s friends are all killed off. Widely hailed by critics as a modern classic, the novel will make you laugh, cry and most importantly reflect on the nonsensical side of war.

2. All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque (1929)
The devastation of the First World War paradoxically produced some of the most beautiful novels and poems ever written. At number two is the oldest book in the list; first published in 1929. It’s a novel that was banned by the Nazis, and one which reminds me why I wear a poppy each November. What makes it special is that it is written from the German perspective, which challenges the all-too-often partisan perspective we have on wars. Most crucially, the novel captures perfectly the brutal loss of innocence that occurs in war. The characters that populate the book are mostly students our own age, catapulted from their classrooms into the mud and smoke of the trenches. It’s heart-wrenching as one by one they are whittled down.

3.Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks (1993)
In spite of the fact that the book has become something of a cliché, no list of war books could be complete without Birdsong. It was butchered by a recent star-studded, historically inaccurate BBC adaptation in. No matter, Faulks’ harrowing 1993 masterpiece is still as emotional as ever. You can’t help but be sucked into the story of Stephen Raysford, the young officer cast into the horror of The Somme, haunted by the memory of a lost love. It features a number of graphic, but I think we can agree, ultimately well-written sex scenes, alongside gory details of causalities and above all the tragic heartbreak of Stephen’s life.

4.Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell (1938)
George Orwell, the most important writer of the 20th century (arguably), makes an appearance with his politically charged memoir. Orwell took up arms to fight on the Republican side against Franco’s rebellion in the 1930s. The book tells the story of his service, with lucid detail and more than a pinch of humour. Throughout history, war and conflict have inspired many of the greatest writers. Orwell is no exception. The Spanish Civil War stirred Orwell’s mind, and inspirations for his masterpiece 1984 are very much evident in the book. For instance, the trench rats that Orwell writes about in horror must be the same rats that Winston Smith faces in Room 101. Anyone with an interest in the man himself, the war, or even just excellent prose should give it a go.

Editor’s pick, Top 1 War Book written not by a man or a soldier:

1. The Diary of Anne Frank, (or The Diary of a Young Girl), Anne Frank (1947)
It’s ‘action’ doesn’t take place in the trenches, or on any battlefield, or inside a tank, but Anne Frank’s diary is possibly one of the most revealing books about war ever written by anyone (including a man). It documents the experience of war, as one not necessarily shaken by shrapnel every few seconds but nonetheless shaped by it; an experience in which fear sits squarely next to the quotidian, fear becomes the quotidian. And it is quietly, silently heartbreaking. Why? because it’s real tragedy takes place offstage, silenced by the reality of war that men keep fighting.

“Collective madness is called sanity”

Written by Phillipa Moran on . Posted in Books.

So it was essay deadline time. And having run out of books to read as procrastination, I naturally turned to the trusty internet. A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the impact of technology – and in particular, the internet –on literature. Despite knowing this, however, I had never really delved into the particulars of book blogs…until now.

Google helpfully pointed me towards a site ranking the top 50 most popular blogs. At the top of the list was the blog of Paulo Coelho. Paulo Coelho is definitely a writer I had intended on devoting a little more time to, when I got around to it, and his blog reminded me of his gifts as a writer. I’d read his novel Veronika Decides to Die, which I thought was incredible (-if you get the chance, definitely give it a go!).

One post that particularly interested me was posted on 9th November, titled ‘What is Happiness?’ The theme echoed those of the novel I had read. Coelho answered the rhetorical question pretty philosophically, in a way that appealed to the struggles of the reader and causing no small amount of self-reflection:

“I don’t know if everyone is unhappy. I do know that people are always busy: working overtime, looking after the kids, the husband, the career, the university degree, what to do tomorrow, what they need to buy, whatever it is they need to have in order not to feel inferior, and so on… Most say: “I’m fine, I’ve managed to get all I ever wanted”… So the meaning of life is work, the family, children who grow up and leave you, a wife or husband who will become more like a friend than a true love-mate. And one day the work will come to an end. What will you do when that happens?”
-Paulocoelhoblog.com

This part in particular rang powerful for me. It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of university life – the increasing workload, deadlines, student budgets, homesickness, and all the other parts that aren’t so rosy about university. What makes me happy? What makes you happy? It’s such an open-ended and unanswerable question. And his attempt to grapple with this fundamental part of every life demonstrates his use of a blog not as superficial self-interest but as a way to connect widely and deeply. I think back to the character of Veronika and it makes me reconsider her completely.

When I first started looking for blogs, I did so with slight prejudice. There is so much on the internet, it can be overwhelming and you often have filter through a lot to find your pot of gold. Coelho’s quote, “collective madness is called sanity” seems strangely relevant. However, overall I’ve learnt that book blogs – especially those by authors – are quite refreshing. They remind you that the writer is a living, breathing (questioning) being and it gives you the chance to read between the lines of their novels – into their actual lives, opinions, feelings, and moral motives. Blogs are an interactive method of writing allowing for a wide range of debate and comment. I for one can’t wait to discover more blogs like that of Paulo Coelho.

Living abroad: Marbella

Written by Lucy Gardner on . Posted in Lifestyle.

“Why are you here?” – not the most welcoming of questions but one I’ve heard countless times in the past two months. Fresher’s introductions come in three steps: Name, course, where you’re from. Having lived in Marbella since I was four, the last question caused excitement as it broke the chain of “near Manchester” answers. I’ll be asked why I would leave sunny, old Spain for grey and drizzly Manchester? What was it like? Did I see any of the ‘rich and famous celebrities’ that are said to use Marbella as their personal playground? In all honesty, Marbella isn’t all the glitz and glam TOWIE like to make it out to be. In fact, it’s a lot more Essex than they may think.

Yes, you can find the clubs that charge you €1,000 for a bottle of champagne and the hotel resorts graced by famous faces and millionaires but the reality of living on the Costa del Sol is a bit rougher around the edges. You drive past countless unfinished apartment blocks and rundown buildings that have been neglected in the wake of the recession, the local port is more fishing boats than expensive yachts and it’s hard to miss the underlying world of crime that is rife along the struggling coast. However, just a few minutes away from this you will enter a world where money is no issue and is thrown around like there’s no tomorrow. You really can find everything on Spain’s south coast.

Nights outs, more often than not, are more Malia than Miami with the morning after the night before breakfasts being more McDonalds than sangria by the side of a fancy, beach-club pool. The cheap, predominantly English town of Fuengirola is home to cheesy yet appropriately named party bars such as Tramps and Playerz (yes, with a Z) which outside of the holiday season are usually filled with the local Year 10s dancing on the bar, getting ‘wasted’ on Smirnoff Ice – something that is unavoidable when a student budget won’t quite stretch to €20 Marbella club entries. Weekends would be welcomed with €1 shots and jugs of suspicious, lethal sounding concoctions. The summer marked the start of bars’ wet t-shirt contests, drunken street fights and rather loud rides home on the 6am bus. A word of warning, do not decide that a stroll along the beach at sunrise is a pleasant or romantic thing to do – far too many times have I had to witness, in the harsh light of a new day, sex on the beach not being just a cocktail but a promise. Despite the flaws, it is strangely difficult to not develop a crush on the tackiness of the town.

If you do venture towards the slightly more dignified west you will find Puerto Banús – a town that tries its hardest to maintain the Marbella image. Overpriced (in my opinion) cars will inconveniently cruise along the front line of the port as people watch on from the sea front, upscale restaurants. If you do have the money the nightlife can live up to the hype. If not, you find yourself in the pricey yet still completely tacky bars and clubs that hide behind the front streets of expensive designer shops and boutiques.

If you are looking for the ‘Marbella’ experience, this is where you go. Cheap, drunken, probably not going to be remembered weekend? Go East.  Looking for culture? Prepare to look hard and leave the shiny Marbella bubble and head to the old town or nearby villages to experience the ‘real’ Spain (may include donkeys, tapas and a lot of beer). Living in Marbella is a mix of all three of these experiences and in all honesty, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Student 101: the rise of mobile phone theft

Written by Emma Williams on . Posted in Lifestyle.

It’s like losing a limb, they say, or being thrown back into the dark ages, but when it happens to you, it almost feels as though your world has ended. Mobile phone theft is a crime that renders you almost helpless; no means of communication to ring your parents for the “You should be more vigilant” lecture, no way to play Angry Birds mid-lecture, and… How am I going to Instagram my Starbucks now?!

The frequency of mobile phone theft has frighteningly been on the up lately, with recent figures released showing that a staggering 260 mobile phones have been stolen on average everyday so far this year. Students are definitely vulnerable to most crimes, especially when it comes to the theft of a phone because most of us are on tariff contracts, have insurance being away from home and will probably have the newest model of smart phone in our pocket: prime targets.

Being a victim of mobile phone theft myself a few weeks ago on a night out in Cardiff (which along with London’s Hyde Park, is an apparent hot-spot for phone theft), I wondered how I could do anything to stop thieves and the consequential anxiety for every time afterwards when someone would brush past my bag. Useful tips from the Manchester Metropolitan Police encourage students not to have their phones or earphones on display when not in use, not to walk and text and to record your handset’s unique IMEI number to make it easier to track if it ends up being sold on the black market.

My sister too, recently had her phone stolen from her bag while it was on her, inside a nightclub, which does make you think that you must have your guard up everywhere you go. But there are ways to deter thieves from trying to nab your phone, which will stop your big night out from reaching a disastrous, sobbing conclusion, and most importantly keep your pristine new iPhone 5 safely in your possession:

Girls – invest in a zip-close bag. You’ll be able to feel any crafty pickpockets trying their luck compared to the quick, pop-open, button-fastened bags we all tend to use. The best for keeping your stuff safe, but a pain when it comes to dancing, is a clutch bag, because everything is held close to you. As long as you don’t dance around it or leave it in the booth for the night, you’re laughing!

Get yourself a cheapy ‘going out’ handset. It may seem like quite the effort, but it’s worth it if you’re a forgetful, drunken mess most nights. Yes, you won’t look like the most tech-friendly person as you whack out your old brick handset to swap numbers with someone in the club, but let’s face it—nobody’s going to mug you for your old Nokia paperweight, are they?

Remember to take heed when you’re out on the murky streets of Fallowfield, especially as it gets dark earlier, and to avoid the reversion to your old 3310 handset at all costs: keep your phone safely hidden away when you’re out alone or in a dodgy area.

Year abroad: Jordan

Written by Zara Zubeidi on . Posted in Lifestyle.

How did you feel arriving in Amman?

Disorientated! It was pitch black but really hot. I hadn’t spoken Arabic for four months, since my summer exams, and couldn’t understand any of the signs, until I realised they were all written in English underneath! I was mainly excited about starting my year abroad though.

How would you describe the quality of teaching? 

The teaching is very different to Manchester; our class is very small, with only five students. I have learnt a lot but you can’t get away with not doing your homework and hoping to hide at the back of the class! In Manchester I study cultural and history modules alongside the language but here it’s just language which can get a bit much sometimes, but thankfully we get three day weekends.

Have you found it difficult to adapt to the culture?

Jordan, and particularly Amman, is very Westernised, but still very different to home. The first thing that I noticed was all the men honk their car horns at you when you walk down the street. Most people are very friendly though and the food is amazing!

What has been the highlight of your year abroad so far?

The highlight so far has been going to Wadi Rum when we had a holiday for Eid Al-Adha. Wadi Rum is a massive desert in the south of Jordan. As far as you can see is sand and rocks and blue sky. It was boiling hot during the day but freezing at night, me and my friends all had to snuggle together in one bed. We rode camels too which was a lot of fun, if a bit scary at first!

Why do you think it’s important for a student to have a year abroad?

I think everyone should do a year abroad. You can never really learn about another culture until you live there. You also learn so much about yourself. I’m only two months into my year abroad and I’ve already met so many kind and interesting people. I’m having so much fun but the time is going so quickly!

 

Top 5: Movie insults

Written by Nihal Tharoor-Menon on . Posted in Film.

5. Happy Gilmore – Golfing newcomer Gilmore (Adam Sandler) is confronted by contemptuous pro, Shooter, before the beginning of their tournament.

Shooter: I eat pieces of sh*t like you for breakfast

Gilmore: You eat pieces of sh*t for breakfast?

 

3. In The Loop – Spin doctor Malcolm Tucker berates government employee Judy Molloy in one of his classic fits of rage.

Malcolm: Allow me to pop a jaunty little bonnet on your purview and ram it up your sh*tter with a lubricated horse c*ck

 

3. Reservoir Dogs – Mr. White shouts at Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) for acting like a psychopath during their disastrous jewel store heist. Unmoved Mr. Blonde responds.

Blonde: Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy. Or are you gonna bite?

 

2. Casablanca ­– Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) American businessman in Nazi occupied Morocco responds to a petty crook who turns up at his bar.

Crook: You despise me don’t you?

Blaine: Well, if I gave you any thought I probably would.

 

1. In Bruges – Crime-boss Harry (Ralph Fiennes) finds out his top hitman has defected and proceeds to violently batter his phone in a fit of rage. His wife enters.

Wife: It’s an inanimate f**king object

Harry: You’re an inanimate f**king object

Less is more, more or less

Written by Jessica Cusack on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

The beauty industry, and the press which surrounds it, can be confusing. ‘Less is more’ we are told from one page of a magazine, but then the next features pictures of female celebrities papped without make-up, resulting in a barrage of criticism for the fact they are too thin/pale/tired, accompanied by explanations for such shocking make-up free behaviour such as drink/drug/marriage problems. This ridiculous (not to mention sexist) journalistic trend sends the same pathetic message to us: we must wear make-up at all times, even if it’s just to take out the bins or grab some milk from the offy. I myself admit that unless I’m not leaving the house, I will automatically have at least the bare minimum on my face: concealer and a bit of blush so I don’t look totally like Uncle Fester from The Addams Family, such is the reality of living in a freezing cold country and not one which gives a permanent sun-kissed glow.

These celebrity critiques filter down into mainstream society instantly: as I mentioned, most of us wouldn’t leave the house without at least a bit of make-up on, and a shocking number of females admit to never letting their partners see them without make-up, often waking up to paint themselves before he/she arises (see: the opening scene of Bridesmaids). The result of this is extreme beauty regimes: inches of make-up which take hours to apply, lashings of stinky fake tan and fake eyelashes on a daily basis. I have even seen them (for, given their size, they do indeed take on a separate identity to the wearer) in the gym.

However, while one’s preferred method of maquillage is totally subjective and hopefully harmless, a more frightening trend is that of plastic surgery. Despite the recession, plastic surgery is ever-increasing – while the age of patients is decreasing. Whether it’s breast implants, nose reconstruction or preventative botox, young people – male and female – are saving up to get these procedures done, and in going for the ‘cheapest’ option put themselves at greater risk of botched jobs, infection and, in severe cases, death. The fact is that going under the knife is normalised by the media and celebrity culture has a big part to play in young people feeling compelled to take their beauty regime to the extreme. There have been some horrendous cases of under-qualified or fake surgeons preying on young people as they know they are among the most self-conscious and vulnerable members of society.

This is utterly frightening: we need to protect each other and ourselves from this damaging image of ‘beauty’. Au natural (with a little help from our good friends Bronzer and Mascara) really is the safest way to go, and – pardon me while I dust off an old cliché – less is more. We should all feel we are able to show our own skin colour, hair length and eyelash thickness to the big bad world without fear of not fulfilling a prescribed image of what’s beautiful. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder (sorry, there goes another cliché) and going natural is looking pretty darn good from where I’m standing.

Exercise for your right to read. For fun

Written by Lisa Quirke on . Posted in Books.

A few weeks ago I attended the Manchester Literature Festival event ‘Bio Punk’ in an attempt to inspire a friend who loved writing to not succumb to the apathy that so often hinders those who love writing from becoming the authors they want to be. The event was based around a book of short stories, BioPunk, written by authors who had talked to scientists working on a variety of projects to get inspiration for their work, a few of whom (both involved parties) were at this event. Instead I found that not only had my friend been inspired to write, but I had been inspired to read again…for fun.

This is unfortunately a concept that had long since been lost to me. Since starting university and a humanities course, I have been reading chapters of theory and practice so often that the thought of reading in general sends a chill through my bones (a reaction common to many other students I have spoken to). Yet I ended up at an event that reminded me how, in so many ways, fiction is not just escapism, but offers so much more (emotion, inspiration, dreams and ideas) so much more immediately than academia ever could. Fiction brings to life ideas and emotions in a way that I had forgotten about: it inspires action; it can challenge ideas of how the world should be, and allow our imagination not to be hindered by ‘reality’ (the daily proximity of which so often cripples the creative spark).

It took three scientists and two authors debating the role of literature, to challenge other subject areas and open them up to a wider audience, to remind me of what I have been missing out on in the last three years. As fantastic an experience this was, I felt compelled to write this for those of you who haven’t yet remembered the joys and intrigues of reading a book for fun, rather than for an essay. Since the event I have been reading Terry Pratchett’s Carpe Jugulum, and What on Earth Happened: The Planet, Life and People from The Big Bang to the Present Day by Christopher Lloyd – which is a fantastic book that you can dip in and out of, and all the history of the world you could need, plus great diagrams and explanations.

I want to remind you: Reading is not all about work. Fiction is inspiring and empowering. And above all, DO NOT let academia kill this for you. So go out to your library, bookshop or just to your local Amazon and enjoy the empowerment of reading what you choose, for your own benefit rather than what academia tells you to.

Review: The Twilight Saga – ‘Breaking Dawn Part 2’

Written by Sophie James on . Posted in Film.

On November 15th Manchester Printworks Odeon screened The Complete Twilight Saga, all of the Twilight films in their entirety with the final instalment, Breaking Dawn Part 2, showing at midnight. The result? Twelve hours of entertainment on an epic scale. This was every Twilight fan’s dream – reliving the entire saga complete with bonus interviews with cast members and fans. I especially enjoyed the interviews with the total nutters, the pick of the bunch being one “twi-hard” who was not only fiercely holding back tears from eyes brandishing blood-red contact lenses, but clutching a life-sized wolf’s head!

Prosthetic wolf heads aside, I am not ashamed to admit that the near-hysterical atmosphere was contagious. As the jam-packed cinema chorused the final ten-second countdown, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. With promises of a surprise ending, author Stephenie Meyer stepping up to the role of producer once again and the scandal of the R-Pattz/K-Stew break up, the anticipation surrounding this film has been huge. But with this anticipation came speculation – how do you follow the outstanding success of Breaking Dawn Part 1? Director Bill Condon had his work cut out, but definitely rose to the challenge. This film delivers on every level and, most crucially, is not just one for Twilight fans; but a cracking piece of blood-fuelled entertainment for everyone.

After Bella (Kristen Stewart) has successfully settled into life as a vampire wife and mother, Breaking Dawn Part 2 deals with the Cullen family’s final showdown with the Volturi – the slightly bizarre Italian-based branch of the Vampire world. With Bella acting more Bela Lugosi than Bella Swann, her transformation takes her into a completely different world, with Kristen Stewart surprising everyone with a genuine star turn – transforming not only physically but emotionally too.  Cool, feisty and confident – this Bella was poles apart from the Bella of the past four films, demonstrating great knowledge of the books and proving that Kristen is quite the twi-hard herself! Sprinting, climbing and arm-wrestling, Bella was loving the life of a vampire and stunning visual effects took us right into the heart of the vampire experience for the very first time.

Of course, the film (like the book itself) wasn’t without its clichés. Whilst there were a few too many scenes of Edward (Robert Pattinson), Bella and a sometimes terrifyingly CGI’d Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) playing happily families, these were cleverly complimented by the arrival of extra vampires, colourful characters and brilliant one-liners. This film embraced the book’s cheesiness, not shying away from a tricky line in self-deprecation.

But what made the film so brilliant was its unpredictability. Moving at a furious pace towards an incredible and shocking climax – no one, Twilight fan or not, had any idea how it was going to end. Twilight may well be the film world’s version of Marmite, but this particular film had something for everyone to sink their teeth into. It was never going to be easy to bid farewell to the saga, and whilst none of the films will ever be able to beat Twilight itself, Bill Condon created a film that was a homage to the books, to the fans and to the saga itself. Love at last bite? I think so.

The Hobbit: An unexpected, arduous and potentially unfulfilling journey

Written by Robbie Davidson on . Posted in Film.

In 2004, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, swept the boards at the Academy Awards winning in all eleven categories it was nominated for (including Best Picture and Best Director for Peter Jackson). This record breaking occasion is unlikely to be matched again by the new trilogy based on J. R. R.Tolkien’s work.

But my ambivalence about The Hobbit’s success is not unfounded or rooted in some fanboy fanaticism that the original LOTR trilogy can never be matched in its sheer brilliance. A quick look at the chequered production history of the new trilogy gives us much reason to fear that our return to Middle Earth may not be as a pleasurable second time around.

Given, as mentioned above, the incredible critical (and commercial) success of the LOTR trilogy it may seem surprising to some that it has taken this long for the producers to adapt The Hobbit for the screen. Indeed Hollywood is not known to let a certifiable cash cow rest. But this delay is not from lack of trying. As early as 2006 MGM made it clear that they desired to team up with New Line Cinema (the studio behind the LOTR) to make The Hobbit with Peter Jackson once again directing. This would all have been very well had it not been for a particularly acrimonious legal dispute which Jackson and New Line were engaged in over the former’s belief that he had not been paid his ‘dues’. Having been hardly left impoverished by LOTR’s massive box office receipts, New Line labeled Jackson as ‘greedy’.

But the marital dispute would not get in the way of New Line raising a big beautiful blockbuster beast to fill their coffers and pressed ahead with finding a new director, demoting Jackson to lowly ‘producer’. In 2008 Guillermo del Toro was hired to direct the now two-part adaptation of the book. For any fan who was shocked at the prospect of Jackson not in the directing chair, del Toro was by far the next best thing. His work on Pan’s Labyrinth showed there were few better directors who could balance fantasy and larger than life characters than him.

So production pressed on, despite more legal disputes with the Tolkien estate over money (obviously Tolkien’s main concern when writing his masterpieces). But by 2010, MGM’s own financial problems caused del Toro to depart from the project leaving Jackson to seemingly slide back into the directing chair. Fans were saddened but relieved that Jackson was still willing to direct the project and finally the film entered pre-production in March 2011, after a brief industrial dispute with the New Zealand actors’ unions.

Now here we are, only months away from the first installment in what is now a trilogy (a decision made for purely artistic reasons obviously) and I’m left with some serious anxiety. I want the film to be good more than anyone, but having sat through a number of trailers and read reports of a somewhat frosty reception to footage shown at a LOTR nerd convention, I’m left wondering whether quality has been sacrificed for commercial interests. From what I’ve seen the CGI looks sloppy, the dwarfs too silly and Jackson’s submission to the 3D gimmick leaves me uncertain. But I am ever hopeful even if it is, as Gandalf says, “A fool’s hope”.

‘Keep the Lights On’

Written by Faye Broadbent on . Posted in Film.

Guaranteeing a raw emotional journey, Ira Sachs’ Keep the Lights On certainly relates in one way or another to personal experiences of relationships. Whether it’s love or friendship, this mature drama is extremely brave and inspiring. Although certainly not the first of its kind, with films such as The Kids Are Alright (2010) and Weekend (2011), Keep the Lights On is being hailed as a ground-breaking step for contemporary American gay cinema and received great critical acclaim at its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Spread over a ten-year span, Ira Sachs’ Keep the Lights On explores the fluctuating relationship between two male lovers in New York. Don’t get the wrong impression; this is not your typical romance, sugar coating the essence of love, but instead gives an intense and realistic take on the journey of an ‘off and on’ relationship, dabbling in the hardships of Paul’s addiction.

Sach’s semi-autobiographical perspective of the film provides a heavily character-driven narrative. The focus on Erik (Thure Lindart), a Danish documentary filmmaker and Paul (Zachary Booth) a lawyer, creates a piece of highly emotive film. Every moment feels real. There is something incredibly deep and the brutal honesty that is brought to the screen brings a sense of catharsis. This is a beautiful and intense piece of film-making.

Preview: ‘Jack Reacher’

Written by Jack Crutcher on . Posted in Film.

It is safe to assume that Jack Reacher will not be a typical thriller. Christopher McQuarrie’s rendition of the ninth book in Lee Child’s highly charged series of thriller novels, One Shot, introduces us to a complex character that (in the classic Tom Cruise tradition) seems to attract trouble at every turn. The fan-base that this movie will aim to please has been spoilt over the past decade with the revival of Bond and the birth of Bourne, but the storyline should promise to cover new-ground as Tom Cruise reprises a similar role to the one he made his own in Mission Impossible.

Cruise seems to be the perfect fit for the role of Reacher, a gritty and on edge ex-military cop and ‘professional ghost’. The movie pits Reacher (a character both good and bad in equal measure) against a number of suspicious adversaries (who are just out-right bad). As with most action-packed thrillers the movie starts with an adrenaline rush as five people are shot dead by an unknown sniper. Seemingly a nailed-on case, the initial sniper suspect soon confesses his innocence and suggests he’s a dead man walking as it becomes apparent Reacher is after him. Inevitably Reacher comes calling and he’s extremely pissed off (when is Cruise not?). However our initial impression of Reacher as an all guns blazing, ex-military psycho is short-lived as he decides not to pursue his apparent lust for killing stuff in an attempt to prove the man’s guilt.

The Reacher novels aren’t all about blowing stuff up or chasing bad guys and the movie shows this in abundance. The crime-thriller side of the movie really comes to the fore as Reacher’s new lawyer friend turns out to be a woman and is kidnapped by the real bad guys. Werner Herzog (best known for his directorial skills) plays the role of the criminal mastermind behind the kidnapping and alongside Robert Duvall and Rosamund Pike the movie offers an impressive line-up of seasoned actors.

As well as all the guns, cars and explosions Jack Reacher should offer some clever plot twists and a lead character with more to him than a good aim. If this movie can achieve that, then it looks as though we could be seeing more of Reacher in the coming years. Be sure to give it a watch.