Skip to main content

Month: September 2014

Black History Month

Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting Black History Month through engagement with BME Student Officer Tanisha Douglas and a small team of contributors. The theme for the year is empowering, enlightening and celebrating BME cultures. You can find out more on Twitter (@bmemcr) or on Facebook (facebook.com/BMEMCR) or by attending one of their many events, details of which are all available online.

“At first, Black History Month didn’t have much significance to me as an individual.

“I never participated in any of the activities organised by the school and it wasn’t because I had anything against it, but it did not appeal to me, nor made me understand why we had to learn about the same people every year.

“Growing up, I have realised that Black History Month is more than just repetitively looking at great people that have made history. It is a time to reflect on how their braveness have shaped the identity of being part of a black community. It gives us the opportunity to see how one ‘race’ participated in making Britain, most importantly Manchester, a multicultural place. 

“Black History Month is warmly welcomed in Manchester, which is very positive because it shows that other ‘races’ are willing to learn more about one another and that effort as well as positivity could result to a healthy multicultural society where there is less racism and stereotypes of each other.

“I think by far Black History Months (BHM) succeeds in widening participation as it doesn’t restrict participation to race, profession nor age group but it invites everyone and anyone to use history has a tool to engage, empower, unite and create a better multicultural Manchester.”

Article kindly provided by Diana Khasa.

Preview: RBMA presents DJ Harvey

The legendary DJ Harvey is set to play the Albert Hall on Friday 24th October as part of a Red Bull Music Academy tour.

As an originator of the influential and exciting Black Cock label, Harvey is one of the finest names in disco. Expect to be treated to a highly danceable and euphoric set in one of Manchester’s most special venues. The Albert Hall is a Grade II listed building, not your average club.

The renowned selector is a Mancunion favourite, having received rave write ups in our Bestival and Dekmantel reviews this Summer. Don’t miss out on a chance to see this master in action.

Tickets are priced at tiers of £18/£20/£22.50 and are on sale now here.

You can read a feature we ran on RBMA earlier this year here.

The Kindle: to buy or, not to buy?

In issue 2 of the Mancunion, my co-editor set out her views of the Kindle comparing those who bought one to turning to the “dark side.”

Though I will admit there may be a conflict between the book and the Kindle, I don’t believe the two groups are exclusive and we can partake in book buying as well as Kindle downloading. The best similarity to this would be music. Sure the vast majority of us mainly listen to music on Spotify or download tracks through iTunes but when we really enjoy the music we shall endeavour to go out and buy a physical copy.

It is also important to consider the debate from the side of the authors and I believe the Kindle is a force for good. The new non-material format of books has brought the cost of publishing down leading to more self-published authors, which can only be a good thing. More and more upcoming writers can now easily release their works to the world. You may argue that these writers are hardly going to make a decent living like this but I respond by asking what author writes to make money as opposed to writing out of passion?

I finish by reiterating a point you rapidly went over: the room saving compatibility of the Kindle. In front of me I have the complete works of Dostoevsky, and Edgar Allen Poe as well as Homer’s “Odyssey,” which I can fit in my pocket, which I still find this amazing. So go out and buy a Kindle before reaping the benefits of the miraculous device.

Recipe: Gin and Earl Grey Fizz

Gin and Earl Grey Fizz
Taste doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive when it comes to homemade cocktails. You can throw this impressive ‘best of British’ combo together with a couple of everyday ingredients lying around your kitchen. The aromatic blend of Earl Grey and gin is fresh and summery, enjoy it on a rainy autumn evening to brighten up any post-summer blues.

 

Ingredients:

– 75cl boiling water

– 6 Earl Grey tea bags

– 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar, to taste

– 1 lemon

– A few slices of cucumber

– Lemonade

– Ice

– As much gin as desired!

 

Method:

Pour the boiling water over the tea bags into a large jug and leave it for 20 minutes. Once cooled, remove the tea bags and squeeze in the juice of half the lemon and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Add a few handfuls of ice, the other half of the lemon sliced along with the cucumber and then fill the jug 3/4 full with lemonade. Finally, pour in as much gin as you want (Aldi’s own brand is personal favourite), stir and serve!

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Pablo Picasso

1) Picasso’s real name contains 23 words. He was baptized Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. These are all taken from various saints and relatives.

2) When he was born, the midwife thought that he was stillborn, so she left him on a table and attended to his mother. It was his uncle that saved him.

3) On August 21st 1911, someone stole da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and someone told the Police that Picasso was the culprit. However, he was taken in for questioning and was released straight away. The real criminal was found two years later; however some people still believe that Picasso had something to do with it.

4) According to his mother, Picasso’s first word was ‘Piz, Piz’, a shortening of the Spanish word “Lapiz” meaning pencil.

5) From the age of seven, Picasso received formal artistic training from his father in figure drawing and oil painting.

6) He finished his first major painting at the age of 15. It is entitled First Communion and depicts his mother, father and younger sister at an altar.

7) Picasso had a great love affair while married to ballerina Olga Khokhlova. Marie-Thérèse was his mistress (she was 17 while he was 45). Some of his most acclaimed art work was inspired by Marie-Thérèse and they even had a daughter together.

8) He wasn’t just a painter, but also a poet and playwright, although his writing career never took off, especially with words such as “the smell of bread crusts marinating in urine.”

9) When living in Paris in 1900, he was forced to burn some of his paintings to keep warm due to financial problems.

10) In 1909, Picasso co-founded the art-movement known as Cubism with his friend Georges Braque.

Review: Manchester Food & Drink Festival

The Manchester Food and Drink Festival returned this year for its 17th incarnation, bringing with it all of the worldly delicacies and tipples that you would expect from the nationally renowned event. Taking place over 10 days, the festival sprawled over the city centre and into Greater Manchester, with events taking place in the Northern Quarter, Heaton Park and Chorlton alike. Fancying a break from textbooks and lecture notes, I visited the Festival Hub, located in Albert Square.

Packed tightly in front of the Town Hall, the Festival Hub contained everything needed to satisfy any possible cravings. With street food vendors galore, all serving up delicious treats that you couldn’t even fathom making at home, my stomach immediately overtook any logical reasoning and my combined with my heart to lead me on a taste adventure. With so much choice, I have to admit it took a while to decide. In the end I was torn between an American chilli-dog or a Malaysian curry dish. Putting all other reason aside, a coin flip decided that the chilli-dog would be mine.

Ordering the “Chilli Con Kanye Dog” from the Piggie Smalls stand, I was quickly served the behemoth that was my meal.

“Chilli Con Kanye Dog” from Piggie Smalls, Photo: James Jackman

The beast consisted of a hot dog slathered with chipotle mayo, beef chilli, kidney beans, sprinkled with tortilla chips and it was all held together in a white bread baton. Upon the first bite I knew I had made the right decision, the featherblade beef was tender, while the mixture of the chipotle mayo and the chilli sauce provided a kick you weren’t going to forget. I was initially concerned with the tortilla chips on top, however my fears swiftly subsided. Their salty crunch provided a springboard for the savoury flavours of the beef and sausage, meaning you could didn’t miss a single note of the meaty melody you were tucking in to.

The festival also contained a very impressive drinks tent, with over 100 different types of beer and cider being served. Tasting notes were present for every drink, meaning you could take your time to make sure you ordered the right one for your meal. With live music playing as well, there was everything needed for you to discover your inner glutton and to leave as a satisfied customer.

The Manchester Food and Drink festival ran 18th – 29th September 2014.

Recipe: The Perfect Rocky Road Bars

If you’re going to make something so easy that it doesn’t even really count as baking, you might as well make it perfect.

I made this batch to serve at a 40th wedding anniversary, and I think it’s my best one yet.

This time I used:

200g Galaxy

100g Bourneville

100g Dairy Milk whole nut

70g butter

2 tsp golden syrup

150g chopped marshmallows (I used scissors but small ones work too)

Pack of hobnobs

Almost a box of maltesers

100g chopped wonka’s millionaire shortbread (had it in, use choc chips/other chopped choc or omit)

75g mixed dried fruit

Construction:

Melt chocolate, butter and syrup in a saucepan on low til runny and smooth. Separately, crush the biscuits—I do this by whacking the full packet on the sides of a large bowl until it bursts, then jabbing at the crumbs with a rolling pin—add all the other dry ingredients, mix, and cover with the cooled chocolate. Press into a greased and lined rectangular tin. I think this made about 24 large ones, which Mum then halved again because my portion sizes are greedy.If you want to make it look a bit more special you can dust with icing sugar, but I don’t bother, I think there’s already enough sugar in these mini heart attacks.

This recipe is just a combination of everything I had in, so be creative—add different nuts, fruit, cereal maybe? Granola would probably work. Most of all, enjoy.

Let us know if you have a recipe that rivals this one.

Review: Rudy’s Pizza

Rudy’s is a pop-up pizza phenomenon. Situated in the beer garden of Bar Fringe in the Northern Quarter, owners Kate and Jim can be found topping, cooking and serving pizzas from 4pm onwards on Fridays and Saturdays. Arriving at about 7:30 on a Friday night, the place was packed. The pub had a great atmosphere, as post-work colleagues and locals alike had found themselves starting the weekend there. The premises themselves are really cool—vintage and foreign beer ads line the walls, which also highlight the extensive list of artisan and continental beverages on offer.

We headed straight out into the garden to meet the chefs, who greeted us warmly and immediately introduced us to the company’s namesake, Rudy The Dog (apparently a pizza connoisseur). After some cooing, we perused the menu; short but sweet, with a weekly special, Jim later explained that the concise nature of their offerings comes from their firm belief in sourcing and serving only the best ingredients. The flour they use comes from a specific mill in Italy; their tomatoes and salamis are precisely chosen for flavour; their mozzarella is always fresh. Anyway, it makes sense not to overload the customer with options. When you’re relaxing with a well-deserved pint, a no-fuss, good quality pizza that promises to deliver on flavour and won’t break the bank sounds about right.

I went for the special: sausage, caramelised onions and chilli oil, and my companion chose ‘The Copper’. I am a very annoying eater, with a variety of dietary quirks which mean that unfortunately for me, a conventional crust is a no-go. While Rudy’s Pizza is looking into developing their own alternative, they offered to top any base I brought in. So after a bit of research, I fashioned myself one out of gram flour (chickpea) and sheepishly handed it over the counter. After a brief interval of reclining on the chaise longue we found in a warmly-lit corner of the pub, Kate brought our pizzas over, freshly sliced and served on brown paper bags with a napkin for mopping up. This straightforward way of serving blended really well with both the relaxed surroundings and Rudy’s Pizza’s quality-directed ethos.

It may be a risky business to lay a product so bare, but with the culinary world’s ever increasing use of gimmicks and props, the honesty of this venture is wholly refreshing. What’s more, the pizzas were damn good. Deep, rich tomato and oozing cheese was complemented—in my case—perfectly by the meaty sausage, sweet-yet-tart onion and delicate hint of chilli. Jim has a family history of baking, and it is evident that both passion and skill has been passed onto him. My companion informed me that the base was really well balanced—pillowy yet thin and crisp at the same time. I wish I could say the same for my chickpea substitute, but I can’t. It was weird; cakey and cloying and overwhelmingly chickpea-flavoured. Jim came over to check it out, and judging by the look of sheer repulsion on his face (despite a friendly attempt at congratulations), he will not be taking any notes from me.

Rudy’s Pizza at Bar Fringe does exactly what it intends to: serve simple but accomplished pizza that is fast, affordable and accessible. Crusts cleared away and faces wiped down, we enjoyed another drink—a German Weissbier and a local cider—and watched the weekend unfold.

Rudy’s Pizza at Bar Fringe,
8 Swan St,
Manchester,
M4 5JN

See twitter.com/RudysPizzaMcr for updates on whereabouts and events.

Government reforms will lead to even more unpaid student loans

Government plans to remove student entry restrictions to UK universities could lead to economic strain on universities.

From Autumn 2015, English universities will be given complete freedom to recruit students. It is thought that these government proposals will lead to a 20 per cent rise in UK students.

The Higher Education Policy Institute suggests that despite concerns over unpaid loans, the plans could also lead to a large influx of EU students to UK universities.

It is estimated that the existing 60000 EU undergraduates attending UK universities owe £690 million in debts, which is likely to soar after the reforms have been put in place.

This new model will remove Labour’s system of restricted entry into universities which has been in place in order to limit the cost to the UK taxpayer.

Mr Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said, “when number controls are removed, there will be clearer incentives for institutions to recruit EU students, as a way of maintaining entry standards, increasing income, and mitigating the effect of demographic change.”

The report also added that “the loans are subsidised by British taxpayers but have proved notoriously difficult to collect since the first full cohort of eligible EU students became liable for repayment in 2010.”

After three years without student number controls, it is estimated that there will be £720 million in extra grants and teaching costs and £700 million in loan write-off costs.

The report concludes that these reforms could also lead to a “substantial decline” in the resources available for each student, or in fact “changes to student loans to recoup more of the costs.”

Sally Hunt, leader of the UCU lecturers’ union said: “While the policy is admirable in its intention to widen access, the government needs to clearly spell out where the extra funding will be found and introduce robust quality controls.”

Shonky’s Top 5 DJing Tips

During the Apollonia interview, we got Shonky to share his Top 5 DJing tips for Manchester’s horde of aspiring selectors. Don’t push your way onto the decks in a Fallowfield basement this weekend without reading these first.

• Play the music that you love

If you play music you don’t love you won’t enjoy it. You have to enjoy it ‘cause if you don’t, everyone will know.

• Buy records!

You need to buy records to stay true to your music, you can’t beat the feel of a good record and discovering something amazing that you have never heard before. Also, you should build up a relationship with the people in the record shop, then they’ll know what you like and can look out for records for you. Don’t just go into record shops, you have to go to all sorts of places like Discogs, Beatport, and Juno. I love rinsing my wish list on Discogs. You have to be open minded about where you’re getting music from, get as much as you can!

• Be as open minded as possible

Listen to everything! Even if you think you don’t like it you should listen to it anyway—you might discover that you do like it. But even if you don’t then you’ll learn more about music; about the bass line of the track or percussion or something else.

• Believe in what you’re doing

If you don’t believe in what you’re doing then no-one will.

• Keep faith

Stay strong and true to your music. Keep your passion.

Interview: Apollonia

Tribal Sessions are celebrating their 14th birthday this weekend with two stellar nights at Sankeys. Resident Darius Syrossian will be joined on Friday 3rd October by Greg Vickers, Just Be and DJ Sneak. Saturday 4th October sees Apollonia, Guti and Chappell performing.

We caught up with Dan Ghenacia and Shonky ahead of their Saturday appearance with Apollonia.

Speaking first to Dan Ghenacia, he detailed the formation of the super trio: “We met when Shonky and Dyed [Soundroom] supported me at Le Batofar, 25 years ago! We’ve been good friends ever since. When my label Freak n’ Chic disbanded I knew I wanted to start something completely different so I got in touch and we started Apollonia.

“The whole concept of Apollonia is new. We play one record each on rotation throughout our sets, one-one-one, Dan-Shonky-Dyed. It feels like a band. We don’t play as separate DJs trying to show our own personality or music taste, we play as one. Sometimes I forget where I am, what record I’ve put on and what records the others have put on. It’s so easy to lose track of time and we often end up playing for hours.

“When we’re working together we influence each other and we’re always learning. We all listen to different music so someone will bring in something old that we’ve forgotten about and someone will play something new that the others haven’t heard yet. We all have our own record collections and we normally stick to using our own during sets. We do have similar music tastes though so Shonky or Dyed play tunes that I’d planned to play. This can happen about two or three times during a set, then I have to improvise! That’s what makes working as Apollonia so exciting, it’s always changing.

“We never play the same set twice or we’d get bored and the crowd would get bored. Our music style is always changing, evolving.

“As we’ve been working together for so long now, we’ve worked out how to chill out. Normally we’ll go to Shonky’s studio in Berlin and maybe record some tracks.

Talk turns to Saturday night at Sankeys. “I’m looking forward to being back in Manchester again. I was going to Sankeys when it was Sankeys Soap, it’s close to my heart as it’s one of the first places I started out at, years ago. I’ve seen its evolution, the DJ booth has changed sides but the crowd has not lost their music taste. That’s the best thing about Manchester—the people! They have such a good taste in music, the best request I heard was one of my own tracks!

“We’re all genuinely good friends, these guys are my best mates. We don’t fall out over anything except in the studio when sometimes it’ll be two people versus one to agree on a track or on the right percussion or something, but ultimately we have to agree. We’ve only dropped three tracks out of 15 on the new album because of that.”

Taking over the conversation, Shonky shares the trio’s pre-set rituals: “Before a performance we do everything together. For pre-gig routine we travel together, we eat together, we work together, we play together; we stay together! Sometimes I go off by myself to record shops and discover new vinyl and records that I haven’t heard of before. That’s what I love about buying records. I love all types of music, I couldn’t just pick one genre.”

“My favourite format is vinyl of course. I can never go into a record shop and buy one album, I always walk out with loads. The last record I bought was by Mark Ambrose but I’m buying records all the time!”

Apollonia’s debut album Tour à Tour is set to be released on 20th October; you can pre order it on iTunes now.

Visit sankeys.info for details and tickets for the Tribal Sessions Birthday Weekender.

Live: The Moons

23rd September

Night and Day Café

6/10

Striding onto the Night and Day stage, orchestral sounds ringing around the room, nobody would have guessed that just an hour before The Moons’ frontman Andy Crofts was struggling with illness. Having nursed his throat during support acts The Wicked Whispers and the sharp suited Bitter Strings, Crofts seems totally at ease with his crowd.

The capacity crowd make clear that the Mod Revival scene is by no means dead, responding to the power of Ben Gordelier’s drumming as The Moons power through their opening salvo of ‘Forever Comes Today’ and ‘Revolutionary Lovers’. The former of this duo is sung back almost as loudly as Crofts’ voice allows to deliver the goods.

‘Promise Not to Tell’ follows. Complete with Beach Boys style backing vocals, this is a set standout which moulds seamlessly into ‘English Summer’. Crofts’ delivery of “close your eyes and try to wish the weather away,” is fitting for such a damp Manchester evening. ‘Bodysnatchers’, The Moons’ most recent single, and ‘Fever’, also from recent album Mindwaves, follow a glam stomp methodology energising the room.

‘Something Soon’, originally a duet with Paul Weller, evidences The Moons’ aptitude for impressively tight harmonies as Chris Watson fills in for the Modfather. ‘Society’ borrows from Weller’s Jam-era anger, lamenting the state of things. This song would have been more effective with a less pastiche, T. Rex-style musicality.

“You’re a bit quiet tonight,” Crofts says, goading the crowd into a loud roar that makes the opening of the acoustic ‘Jennifer Sits Alone’ impossible to hear. ‘Heart and Soul’ and ‘Don’t Go Changing’ bring the set to an abrasively loud conclusion and Crofts exits the stage, leaving the band to end with a long instrumental.

Perhaps The Moons are somewhat one-dimensional, seemingly evoking the 60s without any attempt to mask the fact. That said, it’s a lazy critique to throw at them after this evening. They provide exactly what their audience look for and, watching the sweaty Mods leaving the venue, they’ve found something in The Moons worth latching onto.

Album: Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!

Released 6th October

Warp Records

9/10

Lights flash red and blue from the cars in the street. If the sight of the paramedic over your own dead body wasn’t weird enough, then wait till you wake up during the funeral and throw open your coffin to find Flying Lotus leading the ceremony. This is the sound of the procession behind the hearse—a carnival celebrating life just as much as death.

If death is the one great and uniting theme of hip-hop, Flying Lotus has tackled it head on. You’re Dead! is experimental to its very core; conceptually, lyrically and sonically. Ideas come and go rapidly. The first five minutes showcase Thundercat’s virtuoso bass guitar playing alongside jazz legend Herbie Hancock. It gets better. Kendrick Lamar appears on ‘Never Catch Me’, philosophizing on the afterlife with some of the year’s hardest and fastest verses. Setting the diamond in the ring, Snoop Dogg makes an appearance on ‘Dead Man’s Tetris’ on a hair-raising production. And by the way, this is only a quarter of the way through a 40-minute album.

It’s not all deathly intense—moments of respite come quickly after a heavy loaded start. ‘Siren Song’ sets you afloat down a river Styx of wah guitars. Even eerier is ‘Descent into Madness’, again featuring Thundercat, whose writing influence can be heard in the chants admitting darkness and insanity.

Even at its weakest moments, Flying Lotus is just guilty of being really, really weird. Appearing as his alter-ego Captain Murphy, Flying Lotus raps over ‘The Boys Who Died in their Sleep’. With all the screeching and whining as he prescribes the listener Vicodin and other pills, it’s so wacky yet well produced that it works. For all the different styles present, it’s these qualities that tie it together: brilliant but bizarre production. Be it jazz, prog rock, hip-hop or electro, Flying Lotus brings it under his wing and sends it out with his own twist.

No doubt there will be differing opinions on this album in weeks to come. It will be too odd for some people. But if you dive in with an open mind and commit to the ride you will not be disappointed—this is one of the most simultaneously weird yet beautiful albums out there today.

Labour’s Plans for Britain’s Future: Ed Miliband’s vision at the 2014 conference

Ed Miliband talked about improving conditions for working people, saving the NHS and more opportunities for young people at the Labour Party Conference last week.

Miliband said to ITV1’s Good Morning Britain that “the speech was all about how we change our economy so it works for working people again,” highlighting “Labour’s plan for Britain’s future” at the conference.

Miliband proposed that British people feel disconnected with politics and that as a result it is Labour’s job in the upcoming election to prove that governments work for, not against, the people of the country. Miliband held that the Conservative government has left the people of Britain “on [their] own” whilst Labour would keep the country “together.”

With a “ten year plan” Miliband said he hoped to introduce a mansion tax—a charge on £2 million-plus properties. Alongside this, Miliband said that the mansion tax, an effort against tax dodgers and a tariff on tobacco firms could raise £2.5 billion extra NHS funding which could “save the NHS.”

Further Labour policy includes giving up more power to the northern parts of Britain. This means plans to devolve power from Westminster to Manchester to help improve local councils, giving “power back to the people.”

Miliband spoke of hopes to improve conditions for young people in Britain when accounting for the little prospects young people face after school. To tackle this, Miliband said that Labour will fund apprenticeships for young people in order to decrease the amount of youth unemployment in the country.

Speaking further on issues for young people, Miliband hopes to reduce the voting age so that sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds will also be included in the vote. With the anticipation of engaging more young people in politics and extending more power to the people, Labour plans to make the public feel connected with politics for Britain’s future.

Top gay-friendly universities are revealed

A recent report by gay rights charity Stonewall has revealed how gay-friendly British universities are.

The survey ranked 158 British universities on how well they successfully help and welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.

Named Gay By Degree 2015, the report awarded full marks to six universities for their positive support to LGBT students; Cardiff University, Liverpool John Moores, Sheffield Hallam, University of Essex, University of Glasgow and York St. John taking the top spots with full marks.

The universities have been scored on ten criteria, including whether there are societies and events for LGBT students, whether there are policies in place to tackle homophobic bullying and the steps they take to support gay staff members.

In the original launch guide of 2010, no university scored ten out of ten, whilst this year six universities were awarded the top position.

The report revealed that 85 per cent of universities have a student society for LGBT students, and 72 per cent hold and publicise regular events for lesbian, gay and bisexual students.

However, just 22 per cent of universities successfully monitor students’ sexual orientation and only 20 per cent engage with the wider community on lesbian, gay and bisexual issues.

Stonewall admitted that many universities still fail to sufficiently support LGBT students, with 11 institutions failing to meet any of the criteria.

This report comes in light of a recent NUS report which revealed that homophobia on university campus is still rife, with one in five LGBT students admitting they have been bullied on campus.

One in three LGBT young people have also reported that they worry about going to university because they think that the bullying they experienced in school will continue.

Stonewall Head of Education, Wes Streeting, said: “With universities charging £9000 fees, it’s right to expect them to provide a high quality experience for all students, including those who are lesbian, gay or bisexual.

“This year, we’ve unapologetically introduced stricter criteria to encourage universities to improve provision for students.”

The University of Manchester scored positively on eight out of the ten criteria on the checklist, excluding ‘explicit welfare support and info for LGBT students’ and ‘student sexual orientation monitoring’.

Chief executive Ruth Hunt said, “It’s particularly concerning that only 35 universities are monitoring students’ sexual orientation, leaving them no way of telling if they’re providing a positive experience for gay students.

“Although many lesbian, gay and bisexual students have a positive university experience, far too many still report experiencing homophobia or biphobia or a lack of support when they get there. We hope that this year’s guide prompts universities to do more to make campuses a welcoming place for all students.”

Top 5 Songs… to hear at Warehouse Project 2014 season

1. Ricardo Villalobos – Bosch

The Chilean’s appearance on 1st November is surely one of the highlights of the whole season. This 11 minute epic is just 1 of many masterpieces in his record catalogue.

2. KiNK – Dama

If KiNK plays cuts like this one from his new album then I have no doubt that his set will be mind-blowing. An eerie, creepy stomper that builds into a pummelling climax.

3. Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal

Spiky synths and crashing percussion underpin this intense and hypnotic track, sure to send all Store Street revellers into a frenzy.

4. The Knife – We Share Our Mother’s Health

As The Knife prepare to call it a day, Warehouse Project are putting on one of their final ever shows, this one’s at the Manchester Academy. Don’t miss out on seeing the experimentalist siblings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tHEbUElHvU

5. A$AP Rocky – Fashion Killa

New York hip hop collective A$AP Mob hit Store Street on 28th October. Rocky killed it at Parklife in the summer, expect the same underneath Piccadilly.

Go here for further details and tickets

Manchester Metamorphosis

University is where all essential life skills are developed: how to cook, how to do your own laundry, how to make life extremely awkward by drunkenly romancing your neighbour (oops). Slowly but surely we’ve all grasped that the real lessons are taught outside of the lecture hall. By the end of Freshers’ week, one never feels the same as they did when they first arrived; away from the safety of home, we find ourselves constantly evolving.  Being a student in such a fashionable city as Manchester means image is one major area of said evolution. The style of the city is so infectious; it doesn’t take long for a new you to take shape. You find yourself shaking off that well groomed style so beloved back home and looking more unkempt by the day.

The unique uniform of spice girl meets hipster meets magic bus lady has a power over us all.  As a fresh faced fresher, I coveted all things glam – Lipsy dresses, stilettos, fake eyelashes, GHDs and anything else OTT. Three years later I’m glad to say I have embraced the Fallowfield way of life and no longer take a week to get ready for a night out. For me the change was gradual over my first year but a girl in my halls took only a week before she was so unrecognisable we thought a tramp had broken into our block. I can already see it happening to this year’s freshers: the piercings, the smudged make-up and the beginnings of dreadlocks. As for the guys, those brand new Jack Wills polo shirts will soon be replaced by vintage football shirts to compliment your image as an up and coming DJ.

This isn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last, that your style changes. It’s important to hold on to your own personal trademarks, style should develop not disappear- don’t lose the ability to think for yourself. While my style has changed drastically since moving to Manchester, you won’t find me in the ket-head uniform of vintage Adidas sweater, leggings and Air Max trainers. I know what works for me, and that just doesn’t. Nonetheless, one should always be open to new fashions; change can be for the better.  Of course, not everyone is quite as evolved just yet; the more serious among us would say that the grace period is over and anything that makes you look like you put effort in is sacrilege. Consider this a warning, don’t get left behind.

Club: Selective Hearing presents Tessela b2b Pariah b2b Kowton

20th September

Joshua Brooks

8.5/10

Even with the best DJs, playing back-to-back can often be a hindrance rather than an improvement. The singular brilliance of the selector can be lost when sharing the decks in a mismatched set that doesn’t quite flow as well as one they would play alone. Selective Hearing certainly know what they’re doing bookings wise however, and tonight there are no such issues.

All three DJs are well versed in playing collaboratively: Pariah in Karenn; Kowton with Livity Sound; and Tessela alongside his brother Truss in TR\ER. This undoubtedly had an impact upon the effortlessness with which they rotated to produce an adeptly crafted set. Their cohesion is exemplified by Kowton introducing an African theme with the dropping of Delroy Edwards’s xylophone laden ‘Bells’, followed by Tessela and Pariah unleashing Midland’s Autonomous Africa Vol. 3 offering ‘Safi’ and Daphni’s afro-beat underpinned ‘Pairs’.

At around 2am there’s a noticeable shift to more intense sounds as the three DJs collectively up the ante. This bridge is expertly gapped with the dropping of Truss’s ‘Redbrook’, which builds and builds with atmospheric synths accented with acidic stabs.

Tessela then sends the room into a frenzy mixing his relentlessly percussive ‘Gateway’ into Gesloten Cirkel’s ‘Twisted Balloon’. Respite from the fierce heat generated in the Joshua Brooks basement is provided only by the dripping of condensed cold sweat from the ceiling. The night continues with no holds barred from this point; the airing of disorientatingly brilliant Night Slugs/Fade To Mind anthem ‘Icy Lake’ sounds especially intoxicating on the clubs’ newly installed Void sound system.

Despite the trio continuing well past their 4am curfew, the crowd are still desperate for more with chants of “One more tune!” ringing out after Kowton spins his Linear Mix of Peverelist’s ‘Roll With The Punches’ to close the night.

Tonight proves the Void sound system in Joshua Brooks was worth the hype, and that the club is a fine new home for all things Selective Hearing.

The Moral Responsibility of Film

Last year’s Academy screenings saw the ‘ludes and lewdness of Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street maligned by those perched on the high horse, with one screenwriter/moral crusader (who presumably wasn’t nominated) reportedly hounding Scorsese and Leo with a righteous “shame on you—disgusting!” It’s perfectly understandable why Wolf’s three hours of dwarf parading, coke sniffing and gleeful embezzling didn’t prove a PTA favourite, but the film’s problems lie in its bloat rather than belligerence.

Assuming for a second that art may have moral responsibility, viewers outraged by Wolf’s unabashed debauchery miss the point that portrayal of amorality is not the same as endorsement. Human beings are riddled with flaws far beyond our life lessons, and the most compelling works explore this without compromise. I refuse to accept there’s a soul alive dense enough to believe that Jonah Hill’s invitation to “smoke crack with me bro,” extends to the audience.

I know several people who were disappointed that “nothing bad happened” to Belfort in the end. But why should it? We’re conditioned to expect justice when absolute bastards massacre a wedding party or push Mufasa to his death, but comeuppance as an audience crutch quashes the possibilities of daring storytelling. Wolf’s refusal to pander to overly moralistic viewers by having Belfort ill-fittingly discover the power of charity or imprisoned for life is refreshing and authentic. After all, the real Jordan Belfort is making $30000 per motivational speech, and not sat at home retweeting ‘inspirational’ quotes about how money is the root of all evil.

Wolf’s lack of moral message might be disconcerting to some, but it stands as preferable to the offensive inoffensiveness of Hollywood sentimentality. Case in point: Forrest Gump, a glorification of stupidity where flirting with counterculture will give you AIDS, but all-American, unquestioning patriotism will shower you with rewards and even the willpower to break out of physical disability! All of this is wrapped up in the empty “life is like a box of chocolates” analogy, in case you don’t already have anaemia.

The argument that film should uphold moral responsibility constrains the depth of stories able to be told. It fails to account for the fact that it’s near impossible to challenge morally questionable issues without actually showing them and that the vast majority have no desire to sell their Trainspotting posters for skag and can distinguish between interesting fiction and acceptable real-world behaviour.

Fashion Revolution: The 90s

We all know how it works, trends come, trends go and the big fashion Ferris wheel keeps turning. Whether its the 60s, 70s or the less attractive 80s, the industry loves nothing more than looking back to move forward. A phenomenon I’m less familiar with however is to experience a vogue for an era I was actually alive in.

But back in late 2011 the Manchester’s students began canoodling with crop tops, in 2012 they were spotted behind the bike sheds with scrunchies and by 2013 they had embarked on a full blown love affair with all things 90s. Though kimonos and chokers have long since disappeared off the catwalks, the city is still clinging on to its kicks and staying firmly zipped into its ‘Mom’ jeans.

Surely sustained by Manchester’s grungy sensibilities, the revival of this particular decade’s influence has outlasted all expectations. Amongst the redbrick and under the constant wet weather, there’s something about 90s style that just seems to suit Manchester. So nose rings at the ready and sneaker-covered foot firmly forward, this particular decade trend isn’t going anywhere.