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Month: October 2015

Universities face fines if disadvantaged students don’t pass

Written by Elinor Bridges on . Posted in News.

The Sunday Times has revealed that universities which do not increase the participation and pass rates of disadvantaged students may be fined. The proposals, which are due to be announced later this week, are part of the government’s plan to increase the standard of teaching at UK universities.

The new plans state that several measures must be taken by universities if they wish to avoid financial penalties. These include preventing first year students from disadvantaged backgrounds from failing their first of study, and helping working-class graduates to find good jobs or further education.

Universities must also recruit more disadvantaged students onto their courses. If these targets are not met, universities will be prevented from raising their tuition fees in accordance with the rate of inflation, and may also face cuts to funding.

Jo Johnson, universities minister, has said that judgement of universities will now be influenced by the level of progress their disadvantaged students make. This will be done by, “measuring, for example, their retention rates and the universities’ success in moving students on to further study or graduate work.”

The Sunday Times has reported that this new approach could have a huge impact on funding of universities that have, in the past, relied on their high levels of research and long-standing reputations. Several elite universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, Durham, Edinburgh and Bristol are not currently meeting the government target for the proportion of students recruited from state schools, for example.

This drastic action appears to be a way of increasing the number of disadvantaged students entering higher education in line with government guidelines. Johnson has also stated that the new Teaching Excellence Framework will be “intimately” linked with “widening participation and access.”

It is known that the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is trying to increase the diversity of successful students at university, while the Prime Minister has set a target to double the number of disadvantaged students in higher education by the year 2020. It has been quoted that lower-income students are currently 2.5 times less likely to progress to university than their better-off peers.

Earlier this year, Professor Madeleine Atkins, Chief Executive of HEFCE, expressed the importance of increasing the numbers and success of disadvantaged students in higher education. She said: “We should now focus on establishing which interventions are working most effectively to educate the graduates the country needs. HEFCE will work with universities and colleges to implement methods to evaluate what kinds of activities work best across the whole student lifecycle and into employment.” She also stated that the work done in this area would be used in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Although at an early stage, the planned proposal has received a mixed response. Some have praised the move, suggesting that it may force universities to place greater emphasis on attracting students from state schools.

Other members of the public, however, have expressed doubt toward how effective the move would be. There have been concerns that university staff will be tempted to pass lower-performing students due to the financial incentive, creating an imbalance in how much work is expected of the students.

Michael Spence, Education Officer at the Students’ Union, expressed concern that the government was continuing to increase the cost of higher education while making these attempts to help the less well-off.

“Supporting students from lower income backgrounds is of paramount importance,” he said. “However, I seriously doubt this government’s commitment to these students. They are doing this in the context of (once again) raising fees, abolishing maintenance grants and freezing the threshold for new graduates.”

More details of the plans are due to be announced in a green paper later this week.

Oxford activist resigns posts, admitting non-consensual sex

Written by William Brown on . Posted in News.

Well-known student activist Annie Teriba resigned from her political campaign posts at Oxford University last week after stating that earlier in the year she had failed to receive full consent before having sex.

Teriba was a strong campaigner for BME and LGBTQ+ rights and a significant voice against sexual harassment and abuse on campus. She previously served as the editor of No Heterox—a magazine ‘for the Queer and Trans* Voices’. Teriba also served as a key member of both the NUS’s black students’ committee and the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts committee.

She achieved notoriety by leading a campaign demanding the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes, a white supremacist who was instrumental in the establishment of British colonies in South Africa, from Oxford’s Rhodes College. Speaking to Sky News earlier this year, Teriba said that Oxford University “was built off the back of exploiting labour and the colonial project and it’s something that still gets celebrated in the form of a statue.”

Last year, Teriba wrote an article criticising the Oxford Union over its conduct in an alleged rape scandal. Teriba called for compulsory ‘consent committees’ to educate students about the laws surrounding sexual harassment and rape.

Concerning her own conduct, Teriba wrote an extended statement on her official Facebook profile explaining her resignation. “At this year’s NUS black students’ conference, I had sex with someone. The other party later informed me that the sex was not consensual. I failed to properly establish consent before every act. I apologise sincerely and profoundly for my actions.

“I should have taken sufficient steps to ensure that everything I did was consensual. I should have been more attentive to the person’s body language. In failing to clarify that the person consented to our entire encounter, I have caused serious irreparable harm.

“In a separate incident, in my first year of university, I was alerted to my inappropriate behaviour whilst drunk in a club, where I had touched somebody in a sexual manner without their consent. Therefore this is not an isolated incident. I apologise sincerely and profoundly for my actions.

“With these incidents I have rightly lost the trust of those who I organise with and fully intend to work to ensure that I put my politics into practice in my personal relations and prove to them that I am committed to transformation. As such, it would be wrong of me to accept platforms and access spaces until I have done so.”

Manchester Literature Festival 2015

Written by Katherine Horrex on . Posted in Books.

There can be no better way to familiarize yourself with Manchester than by attending the Manchester Literature Festival, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary as the UK’s premier showcase for international writing. This is especially true if you plan to attend one of the walking tours available as part of the event, such as the ‘History of Manchester in Ten Poems’ tour, on which you’ll learn how the city has been evoked in verse by Carol Ann Duffy, John Cooper Clarke, Rudyard Kipling and others.

Of course, there are plenty of less strenuous opportunities to hear readings from bestselling authors, including Kate Mosse, whose latest novel The Taxidermist’s Daughter finds a fitting backdrop within the university’s own Manchester Museum, while Centre for New Writing tutor and poet John McAuliffe reads on campus for the launch of his collection ‘The Way In.’ Award winning poet Don Paterson will be reading from his new collection of sonnets in the spectacular setting of Halle St Peter’s.

More so than ever before, this year’s festival promises to demonstrate literature’s importance within the wider spectrum of artistic disciplines, with a rare opportunity to hear Paterson perform not only as a writer but as a musician, supported by Rommi Smith who will read from a sequence of poems inspired by Blues and Jazz. Part lo-fi indie rock concert, part exploration of mental illness, on October the 17th songwriter Kathryn Williams and her band will play songs written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’, and will then discuss the remarkable project with Observer columnist Rachel Cooke.

Other highlights include Turkish writer and TED speaker Elif Shafak’s delivery of the Gaeia Manchester Sermon, which focuses on current ethical issues, and Manchester doctoral student Gulwali Passarlay’s discussion of his first book, which details his journey as an Afghan refugee, at Amnesty International’s Asylum and Exile event. As well as globally established names, the festival makes plenty of time for new and emerging voices in literature. There will be an exciting chance to witness homegrown talent in the form of New Identity; a cutting-edge group of young Moston based wordsmiths whose performance at the Contact Theatre, ‘Battle of the Minds,’ investigates the value of what they have so far learned in their navigation of playground fights, societal pressure and PE classes.

In its aim to make literature accessible to the public, the festival caters not only to members of the literary audience, but to those who wish to work creatively in the building of their own literature. The ‘industry insights’ section of the programme therefore features a small number of creative workshops and conferences. Michael Rosen and Mandy Coe will examine the future of children’s poetry, while Danny Brocklehurst will share his insights into becoming a screenwriter. Instituto Cervantes will host a session designed to help participants gain a head start in literary translation, working with Julio Cortázar’s children’s stories.

Although Manchester is busy all-year-round as a centre for cultural events, there will certainly not be a busier time than the 12th – 25th of October for literary aficionados. We therefore advise you to make the most of the festival’s wonderful and stimulating series of events, many of which are free of charge.

To check the event listings, visit www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk.

Invitation to Julian Assange causes controversy at Cambridge Union

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

Cambridge Union recently announced plans to hold a referendum on whether or not to host WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a debate next month. Following this announcement, Helen Dallas resigned from her role as Women’s Officer for Michaelmas 2015.

Julian Assange has been granted political asylum and has been living at the Embassy of Ecuador in London since 2013, after allegations of sexual offences in Sweden.

A statement released by the Union says that “her position at the union became incredibly difficult following this decision.”

Three other officers have resigned in the last month, though the union has insisted that these were “totally unrelated” to the Assange affair.

The union has said that it is “beholden to its members (students and alumni)” and is therefore calling this online vote on the 22nd October for the entire membership to decide whether he should attend.

Assange is scheduled to appear via Weblink on November the 11th if the vote produces a yes vote.

The union has also called for a full union debate in the 21st October, which they have promised will be “conducted with sensitivity and decorum with respect for both sides.”

Oliver Mosley, President of the Cambridge Union, said in a statement: “In our 200-year history the Union has gone through many periods of social change.

“Considering the unique nature of Mr Assange’s position, in that the UK Supreme Court has approved his extradtion to Sweden to face charges of lesser degree rape but he has refused to come to trial or indeed be questioned; the decision has been taken to consult the entire membership of the Union around the world on the platforming of him as a speaker during Michaelmas term.”

He added “The union is a neutral forum that has in the past given a platform to all speakers that operate within the confines of regular society, without endorsing or condemning their views.”

A Cambridge Union spokesman, commenting upon the resignation of Ms Dallas said: “We were incredibly sad to lose our Women’s Officer. We were wrong to not have included her earlier in the discussion; but as the union is run by a group of 13 voting members, due thought was never given that we should have added a 14th for the purpose of this debate.

He continued by promising that “changes are being made to address this mistake, both in the short and long term.”

Twins die as court rules for life support to be withdrawn

Written by Marcus Johns on . Posted in News.

Two 14-month-old boys have died after a court ordered their life support to be switched off against the wishes of the parents. The court case Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust vs A and others took place on the 2nd of October 2015. The boys died around five days later in the presence of their parents and an Imam.

The boys, referred to as A and H in court proceedings, were both suffering from an unidentified degenerative disease of the brain. Treating doctors at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital gave evidence in court as to the “futile and unjustifiable” battle to support the twins.

The parents however said that such an act was against their Islamic faith and provided a document from the Islamic Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League in order to support their case.

The father, representing himself and his wife, said in court: “I have respect for the law of the United Kingdom, but, please, do not forget that withdrawal of life support goes against our beliefs.”

Judging, Mr Justice Holman, acknowledged this in his ruling and repeated claims he had made in a similar, earlier, case that: “I have the utmost respect for the father’s faith and belief, and for the faith of Islam which he practises and professes. But I regard it as irrelevant to the decision which I have to take and I do not take it into account at all.”

The parents also believed that their children smiled in their presence and flinched away when tickled.

Tragically, doctors stated that these movements were not indicative of pleasure and were in fact random movements.

The family, an Iraqi family who were living in Iraq, have a healthy four-year-old son. They had had a baby daughter who died at the age of eight months to an undiagnosed medical condition. Despite not being fully diagnosed, it manifested symptoms very similar to those that eventually led to the deaths of A and H.

The twin boys were born in Iraq in August 2014 before moving to the United Kingdom in December of that year. At the age of three to four months the boys’ situations began to deteriorate. They were admitted to hospital in mid-January 2015 at the age of five months and did not subsequently leave hospital care.

In April 2015, A required CPR for six minutes and was transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit at the hospital, where he remained on life support since. H was transferred shortly afterwards so that he could stay with his twin brother. In May, H also suffered a respiratory arrest and since then required mechanical ventilation too.

The judge also remarked on concerns raised by the father as to whether or not the nursing staff had been attentive and caring, urging the judge to dismiss the nursing report. The judge did disregard the report but made clear that he made no judgement or criticism towards the dedication or expertise of the nurses.

Doctors submitted evidence as to the suffering of the boys and potential future suffering if the boys were to continue on life support; they believed that the boys would be in near-constant pain and suffering without the ability to show signs of this. These signs are key in alerting medical staff as to the suffering of the boys and doctors believe that the decline in ability to express this would not have been necessarily linked with a deterioration to feel those sensations.

In order that the father did not suffer unduly, the judge announced the outcome of the case before his judgement, adding that: “I felt it would be unkind to the father, who attends alone and unsupported, save by the independent interpreter, to have to sit through a long judgement in a state of great anxiety and uncertainty as to outcome.”

The father also argued that his God may one day grant medical science sufficient progress as to cure the boys and pleaded that they be kept alive so that this may be possible. Doctors though gave evidence that left the judge “beyond any doubt that there is in truth no prospect of a cure for either of these boys ever.”

The outcome of the case was that it was lawful that the twins would have their mechanical ventilation withdrawn; that they would not be resuscitated in the event of cardiac arrest; that they would no longer undergo blood sampling or receive antibiotics unless it is the case that such treatment would ensure their comfort and diminish distress; and that it is lawful and in each child’s best interests to have been provided with palliative care only.”

Approving the transcript of the case, the judge added that he had been informed that life support was withdrawn from both boys at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital around five days after the ruling was made. This was done in the presence of the boys’ parents and an Imam and both boys died.

The judge concluded by adding: “May they rest in peace.”

Preview: Action Palestine Event

Written by Georgie Hines on . Posted in News.

The student-led society, Action Palestine, protest against the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and any British complicity. On their website they say they are “working through creative action to raise awareness, educate the public, inspire the world and above all effectively create a real impact.” This Monday will see them host their first event of the year, the Palestinian Cultural Evening

One of the more active charitable societies at the university, this event is one of several being held throughout the year. Past events to raise awareness have included film screenings, talks and workshops all aimed to educate about any misconceptions around the conflict and to promote equality and peace.

Monday’s cultural evening promises to be a celebration of Palestinian lifestyle and culture, starting with traditional sit down meal interspersed with performances from the Yemeni Entertainment Group, Tripudiate, Manchester’s own Countz, and 47SOUL, a group formed from artists spanning many regions of Palestine.

Also performing at the event is Ameena Atiq, whose work as a spoken artist lead to her presence at the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival 2015. Her work touches on many subjects important in modern Arabian society, such as dual nationality and women’s rights. Speaking about her work in an interview earlier this year with The Skinny, she said “if we knew more about our own history, we’d understand more about the issues we are facing today.”

As a non-profit society, all proceeds from the evening will go to Interpal; a British charity working predominately on the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan. Over the past 20 years the charity has restored communities, provided education and supplied emergency medical attention to those caught in the ongoing conflict.

The event is to be held on Monday the 19th of October from 6 – 10pm at The University of Manchester Students’ Union. It is open to the whole university, but due to high demand for places only ticket holders will be allowed at the event.

Manchester professor denies “wildly optimistic” UN claims on Climate Change

Written by Rossy Natale on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A University of Manchester professor has recently spoken out against claims published by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Limiting climate change to 2°C above the pre-industrial level by the year 2100 has become the unanimous goal championed by not only the IPCC, but other environmental and governmental bodies.

Energy supply, industry, forestry, and animal agriculture have been cited by the IPCC as the top four drivers of global climate change. Addressing all of these issues would seemingly herald revolutionary changes in the way we live and utilise resources.

However, IPCC officials have stated that when working towards this goal, “global economic growth would not be strongly affected.” It is this statement that Manchester’s Professor Kevin Anderson finds to be “wildly over-optimistic.”

“In my view,” Anderson explains, “the IPCC’s own carbon budgets make it abundantly clear that only a revolutionary transition can now deliver on 2°C.”

These ‘revolutionary transitions’ are conspicuously absent from any of the panel’s reports. The organisation pushes for a gradual move away from fossils fuels as a feasible way to reach the 2° goal.

According to the IPCC, “to keep a good chance of staying below 2°C, and at manageable costs, our emissions should drop by 40 – 70 per cent globally between 2010 and 2050, falling to zero or below by 2100.”  They also have stated that we can release no more than 1,000 Gigatons of C0₂ between 2011 and 2100.

Even if these figures are reached, the panel only predicts a 66 per cent chance of our planet remaining within the 2° range.

Anderson believes these the panel’s plan of action is far too facile when considering the goal at hand. The optimism of the IPCC, he believes, is based on faith in “the large-scale rollout of speculative technologies intended to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere,” and on a reliance on “unrealistically early peaks in global emissions.”

“Wealthier high emitting individuals, whether in industrial or industrialising nations, will have to accept radical changes to how we live our lives—that or we’ll fail on 2°C.”

Accepting voluntary contributions on climate change from scientists and other various experts, the IPCC is primarily a scientific body. However, all research presented must be reviewed by governmental bodies before it is released.

Anderson believes this to be part of the issue, as many of the climate experts working within the organisation tend to censor their results to make them more “politically palatable.”

“Scientists must make their assumptions transparent and defensible, however politically uncomfortable the conclusions.”

With The United Nations Climate Change Conference due in November and a new chairman of the IPCC having been appointed a few weeks ago, Anderson’s remarks are coming at a critical point in the history of climate change policy.

South Korean state to take control of history textbooks

Written by Joe Astill on . Posted in News.

The government of South Korea has announced that it will take control of the content of history textbooks for middle and high schools.

The current system, which allows for schools to choose what textbooks they will use from eight different publishing companies in schools, was only introduced in 2010.

Before this, South Koreans had almost 40 years of state-revised history textbooks in their schools put in place by authoritarian leader Park Chung-Hee.

By 2017 all history textbooks used in secondary school classrooms will be issued by the state of South Korea. It will be a single history textbook produced by a state-appointed committee aptly named ‘The Correct Textbook of History’.

The decision has not been received lightly, with many vicious attacks coming from both academics and opposition parties. Some are arguing that the President, Park Geun-Hye (Park Chung-Hee’s daughter) is trying to consolidate her father’s legacy with the move. In particular, Lee Joon-Sik, a research fellow at the Centre for Historical Truth and Justice, said: “The President is trying to extend ruling-party control and recover her father’s lost honour. To do that, she needs to control the students.”

However, not everyone is fighting in opposition to the plans. Kim Moo-Sung, the leader of the ruling Saenuri Party (New Frontier Party) said: “90 per cent of history scholars in our country are left-wing. There seems to be an intention to teach people’s revolution to the students.”

The Saenuri party have also said that the steps are vitally necessary in order to promote national unity and discourage schoolchildren from developing sympathy for North Korea.

The New Politics Alliance for Democracy has said this in a statement about the proposed change: “The Park government is trying to turn history books into government-controlled ones that glorify Japan and dictatorship.”

Education, and especially history has been a controversial topic in other Asian countries, with the most recent scandal regarding the inclusion of the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands as part of mainland Japan in social studies lessons for junior high school students.

Owens Park’s £200m refurbishment

Written by Emily Hughes on . Posted in News.

Last year a draft master plan was agreed by a development company, run by Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, to rejuvenate accommodation campus Owens Park and create a new ‘student village’. The £200 million facelift is set to house an extra 1,000 students, as well as providing many new facilities and amenities.

Part of this plan includes knocking down bedraggled but beloved OP Tower, as well as 80 mature trees and other halls buildings. The new student village is expected to provide 150 parking spaces, a doctor’s surgery, shops, and a new student services surgery.

Owens Park is Manchester University’s main residential site, and was completed in 1966. Once home to Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien and comedian Jack Whitehall, the Owens Park Tower, standing at 200 feet, dominates the Fallowfield landscape. Other plans to demolish the tower have been suggested in the past; the first plan was put forward in 2001 to knock down the tower by 2004. However, this was abandoned after multiple protests by previous and current residents.

However, some current Fallowfield residents have concerns about the planning proposals, on issues such as littering and potential crime. A meeting was held on October the 12th to discuss these concerns.

Sue Devlin is the Honourable Secretary of the Rusholme & Fallowfield Civic Society, a society which aims to promote the historical and cultural significance of Rusholme and Fallowfield by protecting the environment and representing the local community. She describes the society’s aims as “encouraging the preservation, development and improvement of the features which make pleasing conditions in which to live and work, and encouraging high standards of architecture and town planning in the area.”

Devlin told The Mancunion that the society “will be judging the planning application against these aims of preservation, and against the council’s stated planning policy—Manchester’s Local Plan, and will be making a formal representation to the council’s planning department on that basis, in due course.”

Within these plans, the Council recognises the “university-owned Fallowfield campus sites will be appropriate for further high density purpose built student accommodation,” suggesting that new residential units will be delivered as part of the new student village.

Despite many plans to refurbish Owens Park not being carried out, it appears that this new master plan has been set in motion. However, it’s projected date of completion is 2027, so it’s unlikely that the new plans would affect any current students at the university.

Homesickness among students peaks in the third week of October

Written by Merle Streck on . Posted in News.

Research conducted by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) indicates that the third week of October is the most popular time for students to travel back home from university.

Out of the 1.7 million journeys made in this week last year, more than 337,000 journeys were booked using 16 – 25 railcards. This figure represents a 13 per cent rise compared to the usual weekly average and a 28 per cent increase on railcard journeys originating in a university town, suggesting this is a particularly popular week to travel back to see family.

Christmas, according to ATOC, was the only busier period last year. According to the research, the five top cities from which students with 16 – 25 railcards were departing from in the third week of October were Exeter with 64 per cent, Durham (61 per cent)  Liverpool (52 per cent), Bristol (45 per cent) and Birmingham with 42 per cent more journeys than the usual weekly average.

Commenting on the recent data, Andrew Robertson of ATOC said: “Going to university for the first time can be an exciting but daunting experience for young adults. And our research indicates that for many, the reality of living away from parents can really kick in after just a few weeks.”

Scarlett Ash, Student Co-ordinator for EAC Peer Mentoring at the University of Manchester, told The Mancunion: “By week three of uni the novelty of being independent can begin to wear off, meaning students start to miss their home comforts. Homesickness is not only a problem for first years, but for anyone who may feel that uni work is holding them back from spending a weekend at home.”

Leonie Dunn, a fellow Student Co-ordinator added: “It’s something most people will go through at one point in their time at university and often people are too embarrassed to voice it—this is something that we need to overcome.”

Hong Kong’s students and academics march against Beijing assault on academic freedoms

Written by Merle Streck on . Posted in News.

An estimated 2,000 students and faculty members gathered at Hong Kong’s oldest university to take part in a silent protest on Tuesday the 6th of October. The aim of the protest was to voice concern about Beijing’s infringement on academic freedoms.

The march took place on campus and was triggered by the university’s governing council’s decision to block Johannes Chan, a liberal law professor, from becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the university on the 29th of September.

Students and academics opposing the decision believe it was pressure from the Beijing government which led the council to vote down Chan’s candidacy for Pro-Vice-Chancellorship by 12 to eight. Reports indicate that the move by the council was due to Chan’s participation in last year’s umbrella movement protests.

Timothy O’Leary, one of the leading organizers of the protest as well as the head of the School of Humanities, stated: “All we can conclude is that they have blocked it for political reasons and that is completely unacceptable.”

Chan’s supporters believe that the Beijing government is seeking to punish the university for the prominent role its student activists and professors played in last year’s pro-democracy protests. The so-called “umbrella revolution” of 2014 saw thousands protest for 79 days to advocate universal suffrage in China and the expansion of democratic rights.

The protests began after reforms to the electoral system were set to be introduced. These reforms were believed to be restrictive and placed control into the hands of the Communist Party. The Hong Kong Federation of Students and other student activist groups such as Scholarism, led by the well-known student Joshua Wong, started a strike soon after the decision was announced.

Occupy Central, one of the largest movements within the protests, was launched by Benny Tai, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong at the same time Chan was head of the school. The movement began its campaign of civil disobedience on the 28th of September 2014. Chan and Tai share a close relationship and it is believed that Chan’s close ties to his colleague were a driving force behind the decision to vote him down as a candidate for the Pro-Vice-Chancellorship.

Chan also expressed his concern about Beijing’s encroachment on academic liberties, saying “there are people who are worried about how far they can still comment on public affairs, particularly those who work in humanities. I have junior colleagues coming to me saying: ‘I don’t know really know whether I can still write about this or not.’”

Commenting on the aim of the protest, O’Leary said: “We march today in silence not because we have nothing to say, not because we are mourning anything. We march in silence to demonstrate to ourselves and to the city of Hong Kong what a university could be like if its academic staff and students were silent.”

Live: Beat Back – Music Against Austerity

Written by Joe Connell on . Posted in Music.

5th October 2015

Manchester Academy

5/10

To get one thing firmly out of the way, the musical element of the Beat Back gig put on by the People’s Assembly—headlined by Welsh titans Super Furry Animals—was very, very good. Public Service Broadcasting put on a unique and entertaining show of radiophonic art-punk numbers interspersed with amusing pre-sampled stage patter. Charlotte Church reminded the audience that she can sing very well, with her voice strengthened even further by the backing of decent session musicians and a small choir. And Super Furry Animals, semi-legendary live performers, closed the night with an oddball bout of Britpoppy psychedelia ranging from soothing ballads of mountain people, to pounding pounding techno breaks. In this sense, there were no real complaints.

However, what soured the night in many ways, ironically, was the cause which brought this stellar lineup to the stage.

Attempting to be a jolly and light affair, much of the deep, upsetting issues regarding the current Tory government were left to the side, as the night’s host instead focused on repeated jabs at pig noncery and plugging his BBC3 programme.

It’s easy to understand why these vibe-killing issues were skirted over, but it’s still baffling that they were replaced with such a lame attempt to rouse political support, especially amongst a group of people who already despise the Tories. Even Charlotte Church noted that her own terrible exercise in chanting was redundant amongst such an audience. Viewing the Academy as a kind of big echo chamber, which it sort of is, you were left with a neat little metaphor of how useful these kinds of events actually are.

The highlight of this self-congratulatory rhetoric came when BBC3 Man played a video of himself criticising the overwhelmingly white and middle class make-up of the Tory party. This preceded the arrival of working class heroes Super Furry Animals and their class-smashing, meat and potatoes Oi! tunes.

Except, that isn’t really what happened, because Super Furry Animals, alongside Charlotte Church and Public Service Broadcasting, embodied a very white and middle class type of musical culture. Surely, in a world where the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gideon Fauntleroy likes N.W.A. (!), the People’s Assembly could have been a bit more imaginative about what diversity actually is. Similarly, every fucker at the gig was white and middle class, including me—which led me to re-evaluate the entire gig from a political perspective that genuinely hampered my enjoyment.

Preview: Warehouse Project – Underground Sound Suicide

Written by David Crawley on . Posted in Music.

Saturday the 17th of October looks to be a very special night. Headlining Warehouse is the modern German production of Loco Dice supported by home-grown talent Maya Jane Coles. Tech & minimal is the main order of the day, but Lewis Boardman could bring something different. Warehouse Project has been an anchor of the North West’s dance scene for nearly half a decade. Will it carry on delivering and become the new Hacienda?

Saturday will also feature sets from Black Coffee, Kenny Glasgow, and a live set from Point G.

Preview: Warehouse Project – Sounds of the Near Future

Written by Luke Hart on . Posted in Music.

Simon Green’s Bonobo returns to the Store Street warehouse with his eclectic mix of ambient chill-out music and atmospheric beats, and joining him is the renowned Jamie xx for a DJ set off the back of his US tour. Both Bonobo’s North Borders and Jamie xx’s In Colour have gained critical acclaim across the post-party house spread.

The UK electronic artist George Fitzgerald joins them after his 2015 Fading Love release and successful breakouts at festivals like Parklife and Found in Brixton. Look out for Fitzgerald’s collaborations with producer Boxed In, particularly ‘About Time’. This Warehouse is not one to be missed.

Live: Warehouse Project – What Hannah Wants

Written by Charlie Chipchase on . Posted in Music.

9th October 2015

Store Street

8/10

Walk under the Store Street bridge on an autumnal Friday night and you can usually sense an air of palpable excitement. Tonight it’s buzzing. That murky rumble of bass that promises so much to come, the seemingly endless queue of excitable ticket holders that stretches off into the far distance, and the occasional bark of a security dog. As we are ushered inside, you don’t need to be told that something big is happening here.

And so it is. Tonight Warehouse Project takes on the heavy-hitting bass of ‘What Hannah Wants’, which has been selling out around the world. As the evolution of the house scene has progressed to a lower, harder frequency over the past few years, Hannah has emerged to the forefront as its leader.

It is this sound we are treated to tonight. Bass is on the agenda, and it works. Maybe it’s the setting we’re in—those low arching brick walls that absorb the sound so perfectly—or the fact that everyone we talk to seems to be here for the music and nothing but the music. Indeed, at one point I share a beer with a forty-something Mancunian who eagerly tells me he’s been a committed disciple to Manchester raves since their early beginnings.

Above all, though, the main reason ‘What Hannah Wants’ proves successful is down to the sheer innate skill of the artists themselves. The DJs that Hannah has selected all share an irresistible groove. It’s addictive, especially on Friend Within’s ‘The Renegade’. The familiar ‘back once again for the renegade master…’ creeps into the mix to the insatiable crowd’s delight, and we are committed to move to the sound, absorbed.

Hannah herself has a natural ability to read an audience and control it. The room’s atmosphere is wrapped around her finger and she takes advantage. Each drop is more intense than the last, whipping the crowd into a hypnotic frenzy as that unique bass dominates the room.

It is nights of such tangible adrenaline like these that give Warehouse Project its fame, and Hannah’s skill and confidence tonight in Manchester confirms her position as one of the scene’s leaders.

Album: Foals – What Went Down

Written by Jay Plent on . Posted in Music.

Released 28th August

Transgressive

4/10

Foals have been kicking around for a while now, showcasing a sound that, for the last few years, has seamlessly blended pop sensibilities with a modern interpretation of the indie rock template. With a number of great songs under their belt such as Inhaler and Spanish Sahara, it felt like time for Foals to shake things up and drop their ‘big idea,’ album, their Sgt. Pepper, their Kid A.

But nothing on What Went Down, not one single track, delivers anything more than a fleeting attempt to re-energize the same instrumental arrangement the band have stuck with throughout most of their career.

Much of this album feels recycled, re-using ideas which lack distinction not just from each other, but from the band’s previous tracks. The melody of ‘Give It All’, for example, sounds eerily similar to that of ‘My Number’. When the band isn’t re-hashing old ideas, they’re delivering unbearably awkward and cliched lyrics, most memorable on the track ‘London Thunder’ where Yannis delivers the line “Lost my mind in San Francisco… Worn out disco”.

Though the first two songs showcase a great build and tension, the album peaks early, and even the better cuts such as ‘Mountain At My Gates’ lack any distinct, memorable qualities that set them apart. There’s a satisfying build to much of the tracklist, a good bubbling sense of disquiet, but no hook, riff or melodic phrase from any of them cling to the mind. Even the production feels sterile, everything’s bright and loud and clean, but not interesting or lively. It’s so lacking in substance that it’s actually difficult to think of anything more to say about it.

What Went Down does little more than exhibit a vaguely distinct sound. Nothing grabs you, nothing thrilling takes place, and nothing dares to shake up the formulaic drudgery of these songs. It attempts to be urgent and brooding but falls short; it’s not exciting enough to intently listen too, but also not mellow enough to have on as background music. This album is the musical equivalent of a bath full of lukewarm water; it’ll get you clean, but you’re not going to enjoy it as much as if the contents of the bathtub were hot. Despite big talk, Foals still feel like a band in their infancy.

Sexy Sex vs. Real Sex

Written by Perisha Kudhail on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Everyone warns you about how losing your virginity is going to be a pretty dire experience. But no one tells you about how sex in the shower is not as titillating as you may think. For those of you who have tried to translate ‘movie sex’ into real life, you may have found out that things aren’t always as they seem.

 

Sex in the shower seems like a sensual and steamy experience when you see it in the movies, but finding a sustainable position can prove to be a problem. Not only are the physical logistics problematic, but the satisfaction (particularly for the girl) can prove a little less concentrated. The fact of the matter is, although sex in the shower seems pretty sexy, it can wash away the passion and make it difficult to continue to another location.

TIP: Try lathering up with a loofah and having a sensual shower together rather than sex. This can get you both in the mood and ready to move into the bedroom.

 

Sex with food (when done right) can be a delight. All the strawberries, the cream and the chocolate. Any great sex scene with food always ends with something good, but consider replication in real life: You can imagine the fun you can get up to with chocolate, but then imagine waking up in the sticky mess that you fell asleep in—feeling the shame of the calories and peeling yourself away from the covers. I can’t imagine creamy sheets smelling so good in the morning either. Food and sex initially seems awesome, but say that when you’re thinking about the mess and not the sex.

TIP: Get a pair of ‘food sheets’. Stick them on and do what you will with your companion of naughty delights. You don’t have to worry about ruining the sheets, the purpose of them are to aid your sexual experiences.

 

Sex in a lift is always risky and the risk factor heightens the sex appeal. Doing it in between levels looks like fun at first glance, but think about the time. You’ll literally be in and out if you don’t want to get caught. This can’t be great for anyone, and on top of that think of all the people who have been in that lift. You’ll have no one to blame but yourself if you walk out of there with a few extra living bodies—and I don’t mean people!

TIP: If you really want the mile high experience, you could try using a lift that isn’t busy, this way you ensure less germs and more time. Also you might want to consider easily removable clothes.

 

We all love nature: the birds, the bees, shagging up trees. Sex on the beach, in a forest, and in the garden all draw on classic sensual movie scenes. They provide the perfect backdrop for an intense connection, but when you try and do this in real life you have to find somewhere that’s relatively comfortable and bug free. Be prepared for one of your backs to never look the same again—all that rubbing on a natural surface can’t prove to be good for the general wellbeing of your body.

TIP: Maybe plan a picnic in a secluded area, this way you’ll have a blanket already with you where you can enjoy more than just sandwiches!

Live: Florence And The Machine

Written by Andrew Wells on . Posted in Music.

18th September 2015

Manchester Arena

Florence and The Machine came to Manchester last Friday for their seventh date of the How Big Tour at The Manchester Arena. The London-based band were supported by The Staves—a folk-rock trio of sisters. Despite the venue being a little too cavernous for their mellow sound, they provided the perfect aperitif of vocal harmony and soft guitar melodies to wet the bustling crowd’s appetite for the main event. Shortly after, the iconic auburn hair fluttered as Florence Welch bounded up to the stage to assume her spot behind the mic in pure white flared pants, a mustard blouse and barefoot—you’d have thought she’d learnt a lesson from Coachella?!

Behind her new-found, understated dress sense of a business woman, Florence Welch is an eccentric character to say the least. Throughout most of her performance, she was leaping and pirouetting across the stage like a ballerina on a caffeine high. There were some clichés, like a song being dedicated to the city, which the cynic in me believed was also dedicated to Sheffield the week before. Regardless, she built a near intimate rapport with her audience. One stand-out moment was during ‘Rabbit Heart’ when, like a child running in the playground, Florence sprinted through the crowd to the first tier of the arena with a panicking security guard left in her wake.

Florence’s operatic voice filled every available space of the packed arena. They opened with the dark Ceremonials track, ‘What The Water Gave Me’, which may have been a little bleak, but built to a bombastic sound. By the third track, ‘Shake It Off’, she asked, in her surprisingly soft speaking voice, that the exuberant crowd be her choir. We obliged, singing and dancing as the show rattled on with consistent energy.

A touch of respite was welcome when Florence performed an acoustic rendition of ‘Cosmic Love’. After 80 minutes, the main set came to a finale with the ‘The Dog Days Are Over’ which, at Florence’s command, saw the crowd become a sea of waving garments of clothing and semi-naked fans. Of course an encore is pretty much mandatory at such an arena gig and a couple of softer songs would have been an ideal warm-down. But of course not! It started with a punch from ‘What Kind Of Man’ and then ended with the thumping, rousing ‘Drumming Song’, which gave everyone the adrenaline to carry on the party… or rush for the last train home.

The Machine are dynamic and musically mesmeric, while Florence remains one of the most enchanting performers of the 21st Century.

8/10

Gary Clark Jr: The Story of Sonny Boy Slim

Written by Sam Harrison on . Posted in Music.

Released 11th September 2015 via Warner Brothers Records

To call Gary Clark Jr. an enigmatic figure in some way credits how cool his is, but sadly most Brits simply aren’t aware he exists. A quick scan of his résumé makes small fish of mystery and gives the Texan guitar titan the credit he deserves. His major label debut Blak & Blu ignited his meteoric rise to fame in the US, with many acclaiming him as the future of blues music, oh, and gaining him a Grammy award along the way.

Under the tutelage of Jimmie Vaughn, the brother of blues legend Stevie-Ray, Clark Jr. has carved his way to becoming arguably one of the most talented guitarists on earth today. One of his many celebrity fans, a certain Eric Clapton, even wrote Clark Jr. a letter thanking him for making him want to play again. Three years down the line, Clark Jr. decides goin’ back down south is the way to keep the hype train rolling, as he drops his sophmore LP The Story of Sonny Boy Slim.

It’s his most multifaceted record yet, dabbling in many different styles. The opening track ‘The Healing’ begins by paying homage to his gospel roots with a sample of the hymn ‘Hard Fighting Soldier’ before crashing into a sharp lick-tinted hip-hop groove. ‘Grinder’ is the first track in which we’re given a taste of what Clark Jr. can do with a guitar, as an acid-rock extravaganza laced with wah-wahs and bite which echoes Hendrix.

With the track ‘Star’ we jump genre-ship again, this time entering the phaser-filled world of Funk. Clark Jr.’s sexy falsetto compliments a jangly, sway-inducing rhythm. In ‘Our Love’ he quells any doubt over whether his voice can hold up to his colossal guitar ability by channeling the Marvin Gaye within on this soulful slow dance.

The overwhelming issue with this release is that the songwriting and hence actual foundations of the record are weak, and unable to support the impressive weight of his instrumental and vocal capabilities. “You’re just a star / I won’t let you go,” he sings on ‘Star’, with unconvincing sincerity.

Put these songs on an acoustic and they’d be nothing to sniff at. Until Clark Jr. ditches these predictable, verging on cringe-worthy lyrics and writes songs with the same passion and flair that he exudes through his guitar, he won’t be able to assume the mantle of blues rock legend.

7/10

Classic Review: Goodfellas

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”

So goes the opening, altogether catalysing line of Martin Scorsese’s ubiquitous crime drama, Goodfellas. In this opening statement, Ray Liotta’s character, real life mobster-turned FBI informant Henry Hill, confesses a yearning desire to be a part of something bigger than himself; to live that often-idealized gangster lifestyle: Do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. Hill’s ruthless rise and inevitable fall forms the basis for this hallmark of Scorsese’s canon. The horrifying—and often hilarious—Mafia life is fantastically captured by the ensemble cast. Oscar-winning Joe Pesci, Oscar-nominated Lorraine Bracco and, in my opinion, Oscar-worthy Robert De Niro, are all just the tip of the iceberg in a film where every supporting role feels revelatory.

For me however, the problem with watching it after having heard of its brilliance almost three years ago (“as far back as AS-Levels, I always wanted to watch Goodfellas”), was that there was always the possibility of it failing to live up to the hype.

Nominated for six Academy Awards, selected for preservation by the United States Library of Congress owing to it being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant,” and considered by a number of critics to be one of the greatest films of all time, Scorsese’s 12th film could easily have fallen flat owing to its tremendous critical, commercial and artistic success. Yet it did not fall flat. In all honesty, it didn’t even come close. The entire 146-minute runtime flew past in a blaze of tension, deception, trust and quite masterful direction.

From the plot, to the casting, to the script, to the placement of seemingly irrelevant props, every single aspect of Goodfellas felt considered, carefully chosen and designed to blend in with, and add to, the rest of the film. Though the narrative was at times a breathless and constantly enthralling encounter, the moments in which I felt the film was most successful were those where Scorsese carefully utilised silence.

For example, in one of most tantalising scenes of the crime genre, in which Tommy DeVito (Pesci) appears to be on the brink of losing his notoriously short temper, having been told by Hill that he’s a “funny guy,” Scorsese uses a bloated eight-second silence in order to allow the audience to feel the main character’s life seemingly hanging in the balance. Hill appears dumbstruck and the entire atmosphere of the once-riotous scene changes. The audience’s attention wholly captured as the sound mellows to a mute.

This particular moment forms a fitting microcosm for Goodfellas in that, though the pace is slowed and the sound quietened, the effect is quite the opposite. Indeed, despite the general tone of this film being pacey and loud, the careful uses of stillness, both in a visual and auditory sense, leave the audience firmly glued to the screen. Despite the film’s towering status, my expectations were entirely exceeded.