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Month: June 2015

Students may have to pass test to live outside halls

University-run letting agency Manchester Student Homes is reportedly considering making students demonstrate their eligibility to live outside halls at the end of their first year, after repeated complaints about antisocial behaviour by non-student residents in Fallowfield.

The housing service, which is jointly owned by the universities of Manchester, is considering this move in response to what the MEN is calling “out-of-control parties blighting parts of south Manchester.”

It also plans to issue educational booklets to all students leaving halls, instructing them on matters such as bin collection, parking, and antisocial behaviour.

On top of packing up to leave their halls of residence, students may have to complete an electronic citizenship test, according to manager Cooper Healy, described as “a series of questions and scenarios based on life in the community.” Completion of this will qualify them for a certificate to present to local landlords.

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “Manchester Student Homes is looking at a proposal to provide first-year students with an ‘outduction’ when they are about to leave halls of residence and move into rented accommodation.

“Under the proposals, students would be provided with a range of information, including safety, home security, parking, local amenities, as well as how to be a good neighbour in the community. Students can then take a voluntary quiz about what they have learnt in return for a certificate, which can be used as a reference for landlords.

“Once finalised, the MSH proposals will be presented to both universities and student unions as well as to other partners for consultation.”

At the beginning of 2015, Manchester Student Homes, in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University, released a student-made video showing the “chaos” students’ behaviour has caused in the local area.

Greater Manchester Police have increased efforts to crack down on noisy student parties this year. Project Ark, an initiative to reduce the rate of crime against students in the area, in particular burglary, has been taking action to shut down excessively large or loud house parties in Fallowfield.

Best of: Pangaea – Disco Apocalypse

June’s Pangaea event was an enormous success, with over 6500 revellers turning out to celebrate the sounds of the Seventies like it was the end of the world. As ever, partygoers had clearly put in a huge amount of time and effort into their costumes, and whether disco diva or horror hippie, the range of outfits was, yet again, mindblowing. The Mancunion was out documenting the apocalypse, and photographing some of the most inventive and eye-catching outfits. In no particular order, here are some of the best we saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photos: The Mancunion

 

Check out the gallery of Pangaea photos on our Facebook page!

Festival: Gottwood 2015

11th – 14th June

Llanfaethlu, Anglesey

9/10

Having spent the previous weekend at a vast and soulless inner-city festival, arriving at Gottwood’s charming and secluded site is an invigorating palate cleanser.

A contented excitement swells as I take in the scenic landscape; it’s an unusual, slightly conflicting feeling, yet it lasts through the weekend. Gottwood finds that happy medium between both the serene escapism sought from festivals, and the hedonism of underground dance culture. You may be wildly dancing to Hunee dropping Josh Wink’s acid fuelled ‘Higher State Of Consciousness’, but you’re doing it beneath a backdrop of prettily illuminated foliage, the surroundings demanding as much attention as the sounds. Being at the festival feels like basking in a sensual array of aural and visual delights that are simultaneously grounding and elevating, trippy and engaging.

It’s a complementary balance that ensures the atmosphere from the start is buoyant. Artwork and Jigsaw feed off the opening night’s energy, raising hands to the sky with Lovebirds’s emotive ‘Want You In My Soul’.

As their memorable b2b draws to a close Jigsaw pulls out Derrick May’s timeless ‘Strings of Life’, taking a step back from the decks as the crowd respond in jubilation, enjoying what seems set to be a perfect final track. But by this time Artwork is having perhaps too good a time, unable to let go he overzealously steps back up and clangs a dodgy final mix. One of the few occasions where “one more tune!” was not desired, but you can’t blame him for wanting to keep the party going on a special night.

The sun endures the following day as I venture the short walk down to the beach, making the most of Gottwood’s idyllic location. A plunge into (and hasty exit out of) the North Sea revitalises my mind, before it is promptly blown again that evening. Firstly by Steevio with his modular wizardry, manipulating equipment to unleash chaotic sounds.

Over at the Trawler stage Zip looks poised behind the decks in front of the packed out audience. He’s clearly one of the festival’s biggest pulls, and it’s plain to see why once he sets off on a well-constructed journey through typically obscure cuts of house and techno. Zenker Brothers pack the biggest punch of the weekend with robust techno that is perfectly hosted in the enclosed space of the Walled Garden. Their set builds with the booming kicks and disorientating textures of ‘Music Box’ and Vril’s ‘Thronwagen’; the high point arriving as the unmistakable drum loop of ‘Rave (Dirt mix)’ pumps through the system to delirious effect.

Saturday marks D-day for Gottwood; or, Move D-day to be precise. The veteran selector dominates proceedings, treating the crowd to two hours of disco classics in the early evening and three hours of eclecticism in the late night. The infectious strings and horns of Johnnie Taylor’s ‘What About My Love’ and powerful vocal of ‘All Along The Watchtower (Rayko edit)’ get the crowd jigging during the disco set. However, it’s his night time slot that really kicks off; it’s an indisputable masterclass from one of the best DJs in the game.

Opting for the woozy ‘Feel Me’ by Manchester’s own Willow early on, Move D then crafts a singularly brilliant set. Exultant jams such as ‘Do What You Feel (body rock mix)’ and DJ Shanté’s ‘Turn Around’ rise out of and blend into the mesmerising cuts of ‘Szikra’ and ‘Otaku (Atypic)’. There’s a smattering of classics: ‘I Can’t Kick This Feeling When It Hits’; ‘Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)’; and even ‘Eastman’, a rare play of his own material. (Something we lamented the lack of in Move D’s sets during our interview last November). An irrepressible sense of euphoria fills the crowd; dancing bodies pause only to share exclamations of elation with each other.

The best moment arrives with the absolute stonker of a curveball that is The Streets’s ‘Has It Come To This?’. The explosive reaction is visceral: cheers erupt from the depths of lungs with instinctual delight. No one expected it, and no one was quite in control of their response – intoxicated as much by the DJ and his records as by anything else consumed that evening.

Despite three hours of ceaseless dancing, energy levels remain at optimum by 4am as Rosinha De Valencia’s ‘Summertime’ is spun to close the night. I don’t think I’ve ever been so disappointed for a DJ set to end. Although, the following day Ben UFO and Craig Richards adeptly bringing the festival to a final climax runs it close.

The set marks another instance of fine scheduling by the Gottwood team, giving the pair 7 hours to work with. They alternate at roughly four track intervals throughout the marathon b2b; enough time to stamp their personal touch, but also not get too comfortable and test each other with weird and wonderful records.

Ben UFO pips his peer in terms of selections: he digs into the catalogues of legends such as DJ Koze and Matthew Herbert, and provides a proper “moment” with Floating Points’s ‘ARP3’ in the small hours. You know a set is good when not even the prospect of Motor City Drum Ensemble playing a matter of metres away can convince you to leave. Richards takes charge of spinning the final few records of the festival, then just like that it’s over.

It was striking how much fun all of the performers appeared to be having along with the punters at Gottwood: Artwork couldn’t tear himself away from repeatedly declaring “best festival ever” down the mic on Thursday night; Hunee’s enthusiasm behind the decks was palpable, dancing just as hard as the peppiest crowd members; and whilst Move D seems to be one of the most perpetually cheerful men on the planet, he looked in especially high spirits, choosing to stay on and enjoy the festival another day after playing.

The organisers have everything in their control spot on at Gottwood: from the small things like art installations, to the potential weekend ruining features like the security, who are amongst the friendliest encountered at any event. The triumvirate of setting, atmosphere and line up combine at Gottwood so that everyone is having the time of their life. Any sadness at the end is trumped by the warm afterglow of four fun days, and the already tangible anticipation for next year.

The British Soap Awards

This year, the glitzy ceremony took place in the stunning surroundings of Manchester’s very own Palace Theatre, having decamped from its usual home in the capital. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a pair of tickets for the soap-fest, and the opportunity to attend this special red-carpet event in my home town was one I simply could not have missed.

Of course, it isn’t just my home, it’s also that of the nation’s biggest and longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street, and the Corrie cast were joined on their home turf by the stars of EastEnders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Doctors. And from as early as midday on Saturday the 16th of May, the streets were alive with excited fans lining the pavements in the hope of catching a glimpse of their favourite soap stars as they began to arrive at the nearby Palace Hotel, which is where the official red carpet arrivals took place. Unfortunately, we had to be seated in the theatre before the stars took to their seats, meaning that I wasn’t able to witness the actors and actresses making the short but no doubt bustling walk across from the hotel.

Once inside, the elegant red velvet auditorium played perfect host to this stylish affair. Phillip Schofield hosted the ceremony for his tenth year. He promised when he came on stage that he would do his best to get the stars into the bar as quickly as he possibly could, and once we got into the swing of the prize presenting, there was very little sense of rivalry within the audience; nothing could dampen the celebratory mood. There were a total of 14 prizes awarded throughout the evening, with EastEnders cleaning up with an impressive total of goings, including the biggest of the night, Best British Soap. Their trophies also included both Best Actor and Best Actress, which went to Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) and Kellie Bright (Linda Carter), respectively.

Kellie did the double, also picking up Best Dramatic Performance, as did Adam, being awarded Best On-Screen Partnership with his screen wife Laurie Brett. No doubt the fact that EastEnders recently celebrated its 30th anniversary gave it the edge over its rivals this year. Rob Gittins, the show’s longest serving writer, was presented with the special Outstanding Achievement Off-Screen accolade; an extremely important award, in my opinion. After all, it’s the people who work behind the scenes that bring these magnificent programmes to our screens night after night, week after week.

Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Doctors each picked up one award; Sally Dynevor (Corrie’s Sally Webster) was awarded Best Comedy Performance, Jeremy Sheffield from Hollyoaks was the Villain Of The Year and Doctors’ Jessica Regan claimed Best Newcomer. Jessica joked in her acceptance speech that it had ‘been a while for Doctors’, and indeed she’s right; the last time BBC One’s daytime offering picked up an award was back in 2010. Sadly, Coronation Street received the fewest awards in the history of the annual ceremony. Whilst it may not currently be at its best, it still remains my favourite and I will forever be a die-hard fan.

The highlight of the night, I’m sure everybody would agree, was this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award, which honoured an all-time soap icon, Coronation Street’s Anne Kirkbride, who tragically died in January, aged just 60. Deirdre Barlow is one of the show’s, and indeed television’s, most recognisable characters. Whether or not you watched the show, everybody knows Deirdre, and the character was a part of so many lives for so long. On-screen husband William Roache (Ken Barlow) and close friend Beverley Callard (Liz McDonald) led the tribute, which also featured a look back at just some of Deirdre’s best storylines and an on-screen eulogy from Paul O’Grady. Anne’s husband, David Beckett, who briefly appeared on screen alongside his wife in 1990, was invited up onto the stage to accept the award on her behalf. He was understandably very emotional during his short but touching speech.

There were tears, there was laughter, there was clapping, there was cheering and as the ceremony drew to end, the stars prepared to head off to their VIP, no-expense-spared after party at The Milton Club on Deansgate. A superb night was had by all. As a self-confessed Corrie fanatic, I thoroughly enjoyed my evening hobnobbing with the show’s most famous faces and certainly won’t forget this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Here’s hoping the big bosses in the television world decide to bring the bash up north again in the future.

Review: 5 Soldiers – The Body is the Frontline

How does it feel to live as a solder in a foreign country, having to face death every day? HOME theatre invited a newly formed group of young dancers of the UK, who tried to communicate this feeling through the medium of dance. The Manchester dance leader and choreographer Sam Broadbent created a strong performance through body expression, music, and screen. Their performance is based on Rosie Kay’s research at Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre which works with injured soldiers. Furthermore, the dancers themselves spent time with the army in order to understand and perform a soldier’s character.

No voice is necessary for this performance. The body moves. Sometimes the bodies form one entity. At that moment there is no individual existing. Sometimes one body tries to escape the green-clothed and well-functioning collective. Then the Leviathan, the one body build out of several individuals, breaks. But the individual does not remain as such. He or she gets punished and soon vanishes in the mass again, where it has to function as an entity again.

The audience is faced with a reality which one normally tries to avoid. It illustrates parts of the live as a solder, a life before, during and after the war. The surrounding, the Army Research Centre in Rusholme, reinforces the feeling of army life.

During the performance, co-ordinates and military codes in different languages appeared on the screen at the same time as the dancers did push-ups. While they ran, one could only hear their shoes scuttling, creating a frightening rhythm while their breath started to go faster. Those sounds created a depressing atmosphere.

Some scenes might have been a bit too exaggerated, or even a bit too unrealistic due to their length which broke the unique atmosphere which has been created—for instance, the dance scene in which the solders danced to a Katy Perry song for a long period of time.

Otherwise, the scene in which the male and female dancer performed together was very strong. It displayed the struggle as a male soldier when loving a woman, and simply following the human instinct of having sex.

The end of the performance seemed rather long and forced the viewer to feel uncomfortable. A soldier had been wounded heavily in the war and lost his legs. He tries to start walking again without legs. 5 Soldiers leaves the audience astonished due to the brilliant and real performance of the five dancers. The medium of dance is a very powerful and very well chosen medium to convey the message, namely how the life of a soldier really is.

Preview: Dimensions Boat Parties

The boat parties are certain to be a highlight of Dimensions festival. Anyone that has been will tell you that a boat party is an amazing and intimate way to celebrate the last says of summer before coming back to the cold English weather. On a Friday, Resident Advisor boat will taking over the Adriatic sea with Daniel Avery and Horse Meat Disco. Want something heavier and intense? How about Hessle audio and Hodge with their obscure records. What more can you possibly want than that! Also watch out for Motor City Drum Ensemble b2b Jeremy Underground.

The full line-up includes Eglo Records, Electric Minds, Tief, Giegling, NTS, Dispatch Recordings, Turf, Bodytonic, Audio Asylum, Abandon Silence, Berlin Community Radio, 22 Tracks, with artists Mala, Gerd Janson, Floating Points, Bicep, Hessle Audio: Ben UFO, Pearson Sound, Pangaea, Daniele Baldelli, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Osunlade, Daniel Avery, Horse Meat Disco, Goldie, Sadar Bahar, Hunee, Jeremy Underground, Kutmah, Henry Wu, Tenderlonius and many more.

Live: The Nightingales

18th May

Kraak Gallery

7/10

A sparsely populated Northern Quarter welcomed cult Birmingham post-punk band The Nightingales on Monday night. Their support act was long-term mate of The Nightingales, stand-up Ted Chippington – “the first post-alternative comedian”. Ted’s attempt to create humour by telling unfunny jokes and mundane “true stories” in a deadpan, bored voice certainly had no blueprint when he began supporting bands in the early 1980s. Unknown to most then and now, he had a massive impact on well-known comedians such as Stewart Lee, Richard Herring, Phill Jupitus and Simon Munnery.

A few minutes after Ted, The Nightingales took to the stage in shiny pink shirts – it was decided that Mancunians “like that sort of thing”. A John Peel favourite for much of the 1980s, The Nightingales reformed in 2004 and have released a string of albums since. They currently consist of singer-songwriter Robert Lloyd and guitarist Alan Apperley from the original line-up, singing-drummer Fliss Kitson from Violet Violet, and the former bassist of krautrock band Faust, Andreas Schmid.

In just over an hour, The Nightingales raced through their set without a single pause between songs. The majority of tracks came from their new album Mind over Matter, and included an authentic sweep through most rock and roll derived genres. A krautrock-rooted post-punk rhythm and momentum drove a set full of poppy melody. Highlights included ‘The Man that Time Forgot’, and the sardonic ‘Great British Exports’ – in which Lloyd observers, “everybody likes Midsomer Murders, everybody digs Mumford & Sons, sons, sons”. “We tend to see ourselves as better than most other bands”, Lloyd dryly declared during ‘Gales Doc’ – a self-aware perception.

The main disappointments of the gig had little to do with The Nightingales’ performance. The Kraak sound system (as is often the case with smaller venues) failed to fully give The Nightingales’ sound the justice it deserved, and the fact the gallery was nowhere near full meant the gig was always lacking in atmosphere. This didn’t bother The Nightingales, as they attacked their songs with nonchalant passion and energy.

The Gales deserve another surge in cult popularity – their recent output is as good as anything they’ve released. Save BBC 6 Music, The Nightingales have had very little media recognition since their comeback – making it difficult for them to attract a larger following. Unquestionably, they warrant far more attention than they get. I would recommend the “sonically more interesting than most” Nightingales to everyone – their new album Mind over Matter is the perfect place to start.

Opinion: The Sex Pistols Have Deserted the Punk Ideals, But They Haven’t Sold Out

What do you get when you cross the anarchist punk rock of the Sex Pistols, and 18.9% APR credit cards? The answer is sadly as absurd as the question. You can now get Sex Pistols-themed credit cards with Virgin Money, billed as the ideal way to ‘bring a bit of rebellion to your wallet’. I can foresee that all hell will break loose in Waitrose stores up and down the country at the mere sight of the word ‘bollocks’ just before a transaction. For that reason alone, I’m rather tempted. Sadly, what this means is that punk is in danger of becoming what it was adamant it would never become. Embedded in the corporate structure.

When the punk sub-culture burst onto the scene in the mid-70s, it was, in Lehman’s terms, anti-establishment and non-conformist. But what is anti-establishment and non-conformist about John Lydon – aka, Johnny Rotten – starring in a TV advert campaign for Country Life Butter? Iggy Pop endorsing Swiftcover Insurance? Or Vivienne Westwood accepting a damehood? It would have been sacrilege to associate punk at the height of its popularity with anything that could be seen to be the work of ‘the man’ – the very man they were supposed to be sticking it to – yet we find ourselves now, forty years later, with the legacy of punk disseminated across a multitude of consumption channels, seemingly well-adjusted to its new role as the man’s corporate lapdog. This perception is to be understood, but it is being looked at in the wrong way.

Punk has only relatively recently nurtured a relationship with commercial endeavours, and this has inevitably put a strain on its traditional ideological stances. The power and significance of punk is revealed both by its frequent use in marketing, as well as the inevitable disapproving responses from fans, critics, and fellow musicians, who perhaps are understandably concerned with the problems raised by such usage.

Despite the accusations of selling out and the general feeling of disillusionment, punk is calling the shots once again. Yes, Virgin Money is trying to sell you a credit card by using the Sex Pistols to gain your confidence by exploiting the band’s integrity for a commercial end, but so what? It’s easy to see through. We all know that a 3 and a half inch long piece of plastic cannot express the fundamental ideals of punk succinctly, so why should we care? Let’s be honest, it’s better than a Take That card. When you consider what bands like the Sex Pistols had to go through to make their music in the first place, making some easy money all these years later can be forgiven. However handsomely they may have been paid, it should not be regarded as a black mark on their integrity. They may have deserted the punk ideals, but for the punk legacy to live on and for its music and prominent figures to be exposed to new audiences through alternative media, marketing or commercial platforms, the antiquated perceptions of punk need to be challenged, as do the analogue modes of thinking about how punk as a music and an ideology is received in an ever-evolving digital world need to be ditched. Has punk sold out? Has it bollocks.

Interview: The Preatures

The Preatures were one of the hottest bands of 2014; not only were they the opening act at Coachella, they also supported the Rolling Stones on their Australia tour dates, and played a memorable set on one the most popular shows US television shows, Jimmy Kimmel Live. The UK has been strangely slow to catch on to them, and The Preatures’ debut album Blue Planet Eyes only came out in the UK in April this year, nearly a year behind the rest of the world.

Thankfully the album it was worth the wait. Despite its rather short length, the album is brilliantly well rounded but still features massive singles such as ‘Somebody’s Talking’ and ‘Is This How You Feel?’ However ,Izzy is quick to vocalise the pressure the band felt recording it making it. “There’s just something about the first record. There is so much pressure on you, when there really shouldn’t be. It’s really bogus for a new artist. I think the first album should be about making a statement, but then making it and moving on. Saying that, I don’t want to dismiss what we did, I wouldn’t have released it if I weren’t happy with it.”

Surprisingly, the album actually has a different sound from the two EPs the band had previously released, which the band partly attribute to the success of hit single ‘Is This How You Feel?’ “It gave us the confidence to go out and play loads of live shows. When we came round to doing the record, we didn’t want the track to feel out of place on the record, so we actually made the record around the track, rather than the other way around”, offers Izzy. Turning to these live shows, the band takes a different approach to the record. “Our live shows are a lot heavier. The record is quite upbeat and light, and the production is a little bit cleaner… a bit of a contrast to the hot mess of our live shows!’ laughs Jack. “I think when we got into a mind-set of when making the record and, especially after ‘Is This How You Feel?’, there was a lot of more of the personality that we injected into the record that we really wanted to explore in our live shows. We consciously tried to figure out what made the record what it was, and worked out what we wanted to bring to the live show. We don’t want to simply play the record, but that would be boring”.

Anyone who has been to a The Preatures gig will know that they certainly aren’t boring, and the Jack believes that touring has certainly shaped who they are today.
“Listening back, there is a lot of naivety present in ‘Is This How You Feel?’. We weren’t confident live like we are now, as we simply hadn’t played the shows. That’s just what you need to do to be a band.”

“When it comes to playing shows today I personally really like playing ‘Ordinary’, or ‘Somebody’s talking’ – our big songs are always fun”, adds Izzy. “There is song at the end of the record called ‘Business Yeah’ which I really enjoy playing, because it’s just me at the keys then the band comes in. I really like playing the slower songs, but it’s harder when you’re known for dancier stuff.”

The band have had a busy 2015 so far, playing a host of Australian festivals in January and February, and completing their first full UK tour in April. Jack describes their previous visit to Manchester as “really fucking miserable”, a stark contrast to the time they supported The Rolling Stones in 2014. “We only ended up just doing one show, because they had to cancel some shows due to Mick’s voice conking out. It was surreal though, The Rolling Stones are so much of an institution.”

“They seem from a different age” agrees Izzy, “But then you are supporting them and its just… wow”.
When quizzed about their future plans, the band is surprisingly open. “We’re already working on new stuff. We want to get the next record out as soon as possible”. As strange as this seem with Planet Blue Eyes finally coming out in the UK, it’s certainly a prospect to look forward to.

Live: Young Guns

5th June

Academy 2

8/10

Friday the 5th June saw Young Guns light up Academy 2, with their first headline show in Manchester in 2 and a half years. Bringing in fans old and new, they offered an electric show which tailored to the crowd fantastically, and shows Young Guns are ready to be back on the British music scene.

A special mention first has to go to Dead!, who despite opening to a stubborn crowd certainly managed to win over a few fans from the audience. The on stage energy of the band was infectious, and worked as a good warm up for the growing crowd. It was particularly notable how well the band seemed to move together as one despite being relatively new to the circuit. All in all a very enjoyable opening set and ones to keep and eye on in the future.

The second support band Nothing But Thieves are a rapidly growing Essex based band, with a very distinctive style. This band clearly has a long experience of working together, and the performance was seemingly flawless with the perfect harmonies filling up the room. Particular love was felt for their closing song ‘Ban All The Music’, where Conor Mason’s Jack Black-esque tones closed what had been a very solid set.

Young Guns hit the stage to a rapturous reception, with a strong opening of ‘I Want Out’ from their new single ‘Ones and Zeroes’. What’s clear from the opening few songs is how far this band have come during their 2 year absence – Wood’s connection with the crowd was undeniable and effortless, as he gets the crowd jumping through new and only classics combined. It is particularly nice to see the return of (attempted) human tower building during ‘Towers’, a flash back to the Bones tour back in 2013.

It was particularly nice to see so many songs from the All Our Kings Are Dead album, with ‘Weight Of The World’ and ‘Stitches’ resonating strongly with the crowd of 400+ belting out the lyrics. However it was sad to see the departure of ‘There Will Be Rain’ from their standard set. This was balanced by a beautiful soulful rendition of ‘You Are Not’, which despite a slower melody was greatly appreciated as the crowd stood arm in arm and caught their breath.

What was particularly worthy of note was how much this show clearly meant the the band. As expressed by Wood several times, it was a relief and delight to band and fans alike that to be reunited after so many years the magic was still there. As they closed the set with their hit single ‘Bones’, every voice in the room serenaded the band out, with Wood coming to the barrier for one last moment with his crowd.

All in all this was an absolutely fantastic show for Young Guns, showing that whether old material or new it was still very much Young Guns and the crowd loved every minute if it.

Album: Paul Weller – Saturns Pattern

Released 18th May

Parlophone

8/10

In the decades following the dissolution of both of his former bands – the seminal mod-revivalists The Jam and the gloriously 80s sophisti-pop act The Style Council – Paul Weller has become something of a national treasure of English rock music, like his idol Paul McCartney before him and his disciple Noel Gallagher afterwards. A recipient of NME’s ‘Godlike Genius’ award in 2009, he is now inarguably in the later stages of his career, the period where most artists proceed to churn out steady-selling records full of beige re-treads of their signature sound to quietly appease their existing audience, as well as providing an excuse for autopilot greatest hits touring. And for a while it seemed Weller would follow suit, until he confounded all expectations with 2008’s sprawling, arty 22 Dreams – in which he explored experimental recording techniques, and revelled in stylistic detours with a giddy sense of enthusiasm – gaining a creative second wind in the process. Almost ten years on, Saturns Pattern sees him continue his latter-day renaissance with Bowie-esque eclectisim.

Lead single ‘White Sky’ opens, anchored by a huge Led Zeppelin metal riff and pounding industrial drum loop, and featuring a heavily processed and muffled vocal that sounds half like a throwback to the tinny, retro sound of old school blues records and half like he’s wailing down the phone right into your ear. The song’s urgency makes the listener sit up and listen – dispelling any notions of dadrock complacency in the process – before the chirpy, gospel-tinted title song lets you catch your breath. The pretty, lighters-in-the-air piano ballad ‘Going My Way’, one of the album’s clear highlights, follows, but even that takes an unexpected turn and gradually grows more menacing as the bass turns up and the ghostly backing vocals take over.

In fact, the entire album has dense, hazy production and a trippy, off-kilter edge to it; psychedelic wooshes and Space Invaders-type sound effects are subtly inserted into just about every song, whilst a whole host of instruments – Spanish guitars, organs, soloing blues guitars – also make their way in and out the tracks with impressive, Pet Sounds-esque attention to detail. The dry funk of ‘Pick It Up’ and the acoustic blues of ‘In My Car…’, as prime examples, have so much going on that listening through crappy laptop speakers simply won’t do them justice; this is an album that needs to be listened to, not just heard as background noise.

At a concise nine tracks, there’s little room for filler; only the straight ahead Stooges-y rocker ‘Long Time’ fails to impress, seeming a little too slight and formulaic given the rest of the album’s quality. By mixing his trademark no-nonsense appeal with a newfound love arty, psychedelic production, Weller has renewed his relevance as a musician whilst creating a record that should appeal to those fans who have been there from the beginning.

Interview: Kitty, Daisy and Lewis

“I think we all agreed that we weren’t too keen on signing to a major label. You might achieve a number one album, but at the cost of them changing everything you do. That’s not what its about for us. We’re about playing music, and enjoying it”, reasons Kitty Durham, one third of trio Kitty, Daisy and Lewis.

With their distinctly retro style and image, it’s certainly true that the trio certainly don’t conform to today’s trends. However simply pigeonholing the band’s sound as retro would not be fair; the band incorporate elements of rock and roll, RnB, blues, rockabilly, country, swing and jazz to give it a modern twist. This retro image and eclectic mishmash of styles might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is no doubt their songs brim with an infectious energy, which translates extremely well when played live.

The band is also possibly unique in that it’s made up of three brothers and sisters, and the backing band are their parents. For Kitty, these family ties were instrumental to the band’s success. “We’re all comfortable jamming with each other, and we know what each other is good at. In growing up together, we’ve always had that connection and a way of playing together that doesn’t always happen with other people”.
Perhaps one of the most amazing aspects of the trio’s albums and live show is the rate they interchange instruments and vocal responsibilities; nearly every song sees them switch.

“Whoever writes the song has to be the one who sings it, as it’s about their personal issues!” laughs Daisy. “I guess you already have an idea of the where you want the song to go, but that often ends up changing. We all play each instrument differently, so it depends how you want each song to feel”. “Often the whole thing changes as we play it, and we shuffle it around. It’ll work itself out”, furthers Lewis.

The bands third album, aptly named The Third, came out in January. For Daisy, the album certainly marked a step up for the band. “We recorded our last two albums at our mum’s house in a small room, using a simple eight-track recorder (much more stripped down and raw sounding). This time we used a new studio that we built ourselves in a derelict Indian restaurant. It was shut down for, like, 10 years, so it was completely derelict”.

“We also had more tracks on the tape recorder this time, so we were able to experiment with a lot more instruments, and a string section. The production for this album is a lot bigger”, adds Kitty. Alongside the new studio, Lewis believes the introduction of a producer into process (none other than Mick Jones of The Clash), really helped to shape the album. “We’ve known Mick for a while. We got him involved and he did a lot of rehearsing with us for about 5 months before the recording. It was really good to play the songs a lot before we got into the studio.”

The band is signed onto the Sunday Best label run by Rob da Bank (who also runs Bestival festival). The freedom this has provided has been instrumental in the band’s direction and future ambitions. “When we joined it, they didn’t have Bestival yet, so they weren’t as prominent as they are now. They’ve always been really supportive, and let us do what we want with our records without too much interference”, remarks Lewis.

It’s nice to find a band that seems so comfortable and enjoying the level they are at. While the crowd at their Manchester gig certainly represents a dedicated following, its very easy to see why they have built up their fan base.

Festival: Pangaea – Disco Apocalypse

4th June

UMSU

8/10

Finishing university has me feeling pretty apocalyptic: There’s been the slog of dissertation and exam season, and now the bleakness of unemployment and job searching is on the horizon. A chunk of celebratory time off is in order first, though, so it’s fitting that my last ever Pangaea is themed around a party taking place whilst the world crumbles. A night of hedonism to ignore reality—a disco during the apocalypse.

Pangaea delivered on its promise of escapism, with the high production value transforming the Union into an unrecognisable backdrop of art installations and decorations. A square disco floor flashed in Club Academy, banners displaying end of days warnings hung menacingly from walls—it’s these details that make Pangaea such a special event.

An excited atmosphere pervaded every corner of the festival as new discoveries were found in every area by revellers who matched the production effort with their own costumes: Saturday Night Fever-clad zombies danced alongside a nuclear fallout-infected Disco Stu. The line-up providing the music on the night was the strongest it’s ever been. Teaming up with a host of promoters, Pangaea pulled in some seriously big hitters.

Selective Hearing took over Academy 2, with Leon Vynehall kicking off the headline slots. He delighted the crowd with soulful house selections, drawing on a number of his own productions including ‘Butterflies’ and ‘It’s Just (House Of Dupree)’, as well as Sound Stream’s grooving ‘Makin’ Love’.

The biggest pull of the night was Sister Sledge over in Academy 1. The venue was packed to the absolute brim before they came onstage, leaving a number of stragglers disappointed as security were forced to halt further entry to the full capacity room. Those who made it inside were treated to a whirlwind of euphoria and uplifting classics from the disco legends. Faces were fixed with grins and vocal chords exercised with mass sing-alongs to the likes of ‘We Are Family’ and ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’. The energy in the room reached a climax when the sister act also delved into the catalogue of fellow disco pioneers Chic, ‘Good Times’ and ‘I Want Your Love’ receiving rapturous receptions.

Back over in A2, New York techno don Levon Vincent led the room into murkier territory with a number of woody percussive tracks. Album cut ‘Launch Ramp to the Sky’ was a highlight, however his set was hampered somewhat by the lacklustre sound system.

Thankfully, downstairs in Club Academy the rotary mixer Floating Point employed ensured the crispest sound of the night. Funk, soul and disco dominated his expertly crafted set: Tom & Dito’s ‘Obrigado Corcovado’ flooded the room with chanting and Latin guitar licks before Mary Clark’s ‘Take Me I’m Yours’ induced jubilant jigging in the packed crowd.

Whilst Floating Points brought the disco, Boddika brought the apocalypse. Upstairs he closed the night in stark contrast with more pounding techno, capturing the indulgent mood of the assembled partyers with Radioslave’s ‘Don’t Stop No Sleep’, and hitting the spot expertly by unleashing Randomer’s eerie belter ‘Bring’.

The timing, musical diversity and setting of Pangaea combined to make it the most vital event of every Manchester student’s calendar.

Club: Selective Hearing presents DJ Deep / Rødhåd / DVS1

30th May

Not So Secret Warehouse

9/10

After being introduced to Rødhåd at last year’s Selective Hearing Dimensions launch party – where he blew Ben Klock out the water – I was delighted and unsurprised to see the Berlin born DJ booked again. Joining him on the night were DJ Deep and DVS1, a line up reflective of Selective Hearing’s status as the biggest techno night in Manchester.

DJ Deep was the first headliner to step up at 10pm; he spins a building set, raising the crowd up from house selections to a climax of techno. The soulful vocals of tracks such as Mr. G’s ‘Music For All’ become the creepy synths and relentless hi hats of Insolate’s ‘Epic’. This sets the tone well for the following b2b from resident Reflec and Setaoc Mass. The pair combine to ramp the energy in the room, drawing for increasingly explosive techno records.

Then it’s time for Rødhåd, and once again he takes things to the next level, pushing the sound system to its maximum capability with a chaotic set. The packed room goes absolutely wild for every selection, screaming in appreciation as Digital Express’s ‘The Club’ transforms the room into a sweaty mass.

The set is a master class, and a very tough act to follow; it’s inevitable that DVS1 afterwards is a slight come down. His set is dark and percussive, characterised by Savas Pascalidis’s ‘Mechanic’, but doesn’t quite match the energy of Rødhåd. That is until the two join forces for a spontaneous b2b, and with their combined might close out the night in tumultuous fashion.