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Month: November 2016

Album: Lady Gaga — Joanne

Written by Alexandra Bickell on . Posted in Music.

Released 21st October via Interscope

5/10

As a staunch Lady Gaga fan, I was expecting to love her fifth studio album as much as her previous offerings – wild, glitzy, electropop productions to ‘Just Dance‘ to. Joanne is completely different, a country music extravaganza with none of the outlandishness that made Gaga famous. The genre swap is sudden and it feels like a different artist entirely.

It seems as though Gaga has invented a new character, Joanne, for this album, named after her late paternal aunt. Joanne (incidentally also Lady G’s middle name) is country music’s version of Elle Woods, composed of likeability and empowerment swathed in glaring pink ‘Americano’. The only hint of the ‘old’ Gaga that we see is with ‘Perfect Illusion’. Even this is a lot more mainstream than some of her work on Artpop, although this could be Mark Ronson’s effect on the track — he has a habit of ‘mainstreaming’ songs for more alternative artists, as he did with ‘Valerie’ by Amy Winehouse.

The first track on Joanne, ‘A-YO’, is a foot stomper, with plenty of hand clapping and strong guitars. It’s a good song — but it doesn’t stand out. It doesn’t particularly showcase Gaga’s vocal talent, nor does it use any of her typically biting lyrics. In short, it sounds like every other post-2000 country song, which to me at least, is not a good thing.

After ‘A-YO’, the album mellows out significantly, with more restraint and less ‘Applause’. The paired-back style is very unlike the Gaga that we know, but there are several songs that are still technically great. A particular stand out is the collaboration between her and Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine fame. The two voices are both excellent and they match well, building each other up rather than working in competition.

Joanne is a difficult album to place. It contains great vocals from Lady Gaga, but none of the performance aspect that is crucial to so much of her work and indeed to her usual fan base. It feels like Gaga is trying to distance herself from her past music and show a more mature side, but in doing so we lose some of the ‘Million Reasons’ why she is so successful. After Perfect Illusion’s relatively poor record sales, it will be interesting to see how Joanne fairs with Gaga’s Little Monsters.

Album: American Football – LP2

Written by Harry Sherrin on . Posted in Music.

Released 21st October via Polyvinyl

6.5/10

American Football’s second release, a self-titled LP (LP2) follows a much cherished and also self-titled debut (LP1), an album that fostered obsession and pioneered a genre. Though LP1 was somewhat neglected initially, with the band breaking up shortly after its release, the following years saw the album surge in popularity. It incited not only a fearfully devoted cult following, but also an unfaltering barrage of gruelling, twee college-rock bands. The album’s popularity, though, was well founded, it somehow remained comforting and accessible, despite its asymmetric rhythms and irregular time signatures. Frontman Mike Kinsella’s unfeigned lyrics of angst and heartbreak grounded the album in a stirring warmth. With that debut, a blueprint in the genre of ‘emo’ was founded, one that’s since been tirelessly praised and mimicked, but never replicated.

It is in the context of LP1 becoming some sort of emo bible, then, that we must remember that reunions should often be approached with apprehension, lest they follow nearly two decades of hiatus. Thankfully, American Football’s live reunion in 2014 warranted no such apprehension — it was an undeniable triumph, giving the band’s long devoted fans a tempting offering of nostalgia after years of neglect. The live shows were so well received that the news of new material, landing in 2016, sparked fears that it might tarnish their now seemingly perfect legacy.

LP2 comes to the scene, then, with enormous shoes to fill. This is the album’s first and greatest obstacle — that it will be tirelessly compared to its predecessor. Tracks like ‘Give Me the Gun’ and ‘Everyone Is Dressed Up’ do genuinely succeed in replicating the first album’s magic, harking back to old favourites like ‘Stay Home’ and ‘Never Meant’. The album at times sounds barely distinguishable from that of its predecessor, with off-beat drum parts and tricky guitar work taking precedence once again. But this is as far as LP2 succeeds; it breaks no new ground and explores no new sounds.

There are instances, moreover, where the album does genuinely falter; the lyrics being a key example. Cheesy, self-deprecating lyrical clichés, prevalent throughout the album and indeed the genre, seem unconvincing when compared to LP1’s moving words of youth. Lines like “I need a drink or two or three or four, to spend any time alone with me anymore”, though serious in content, come across clunky and insincere. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that the words are coming from a man approaching forty that is most affecting. Herein lies the biggest problem of the album — if it had been released a year or two after the band’s debut, it would be an untarnishing development in the band’s career. But after seventeen years, the album stands as just another copy, admittedly a well-crafted one, of its tirelessly copied predecessor.

Live: Daughter

Written by Rebekah Shaw on . Posted in Music.

24th October at Academy 1

9/10

The show opens with drums eerily attuned with the rhythm of a beating heart. This felt apt, as the track — the sombre ‘New Ways’ from Daughter’s latest album Not to Disappear — captures the feeling of trying to break out of a mould whilst retaining some semblance of yourself, reminding the audience that Daughter are no longer afraid of moving into different stylistic territory. The shy and serene Elena Tonra murmurs “I’ve been trying to get out | find a subtle way out | not to cross myself out | not to disappear”, perfectly referencing the meaning behind the album’s title.

Now on the second leg of the tour behind Not to Disappear, Daughter are comfortable with their bigger, rockier on-stage style adapted from success at earlier shows, evidential in their ability to captivate the huge audience filling the Academy. The core trio decided to expand their line-up, including a range of brass, percussive instrumentation and backing vocals to fill the intimidating space. Once a band known for its slow and steady, almost hypnotic drumming — courtesy of Remi Aguilella — Not to Disappear showcased tuned percussion and faster, exciting drum patterns, and translated into an impressive onstage set-up that took more people to govern.

The refreshingly irate ‘No Care’ was the perfect result of rock influence combined with greater confidence to break out of the melancholy stereotype perpetuated from their first album If You Leave, and proved that band were ready to step up onto a bigger stage. A potential issue with Daughter in a larger venue was in maintaining the level of intimacy these earlier emotive songs had demanded on record. However, Elena’s breathy vocals created waves of calm in this storm of change. Fan favourite ‘Youth’ still elicited the biggest audience response, and although it felt strange to hear people singing along to the tortuous lyrics “we’re setting fire to our insides for fun”, it created an affirmation that fans were still feeling every sentiment of Daughter’s music.

Fashion tactics

Written by Sophie Billington on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

With winter and deadlines fast approaching, it seems like taking a trip all the way into town is becoming increasingly difficult. We find ourselves confined to our cosy warm rooms more and more and are left asking ourselves, how do we keep our wardrobes as fresh and crisp as the outside air that we continually avoid? Fear not, and fear not the cold, for here are some excellent answers. Stay in the know so that you can stay in the warm.

One way to keep shopping with less effort is to get scouring your local charity shops. A charity shop scavenge means that you waste no body warmth (or money) on getting your threads. Small suburbs such as Withington are top spots for charity shops and good finds. If you enjoy the activity of shopping but hate committing to it, this is the one for you because there’s rarely a charity shop too far from home and you won’t have to linger for long to find the few items per shop that are worthy of your personal attention. It’s unlikely that you will want to buy out the whole shop, meaning that you won’t have to spend hours trying on your finds. The money you save and the moral superiority that you might feel in your gracious act of recycling is really just an added bonus.

Physical-effort-saving rating: ***

Mental-effort-saving rating: ***

Time-saving rating: ***

 

A second way to minimise your effort is by keeping your eye on the internet so that you can search high street shops selectively with types of clothing in mind. There’s little worse than just wanting a new coat and having to travel and explore the seven corners of Zara simply to identify three of them. If you aren’t looking for anything in particular, perhaps look for ‘best selling’. This way you can sit at home on your sofa and enjoy a coffee instead of juggling your take-away cappuccino awkwardly as you flip between hangers.

A good way to save money and time on this is to choose the option ‘price low to high’ if it’s available or to look at mid-season or end-of-season sale sections. Also consider looking at websites such as Etsy for your clothes; thousands of independent sellers from all over the world allow you to maintain an image of exotic travel and activity as you lie in bed pushing guilty thoughts of how you haven’t left the house all weekend to the back of your unexercised mind.

Physical-effort-saving rating: *****

Mental-effort-saving rating: ***

Time-saving rating: **

 

While most people have internet-shopped before, a not-so-secret yet very up-and-coming method of lazy shopping is to use Depop. Depop is an open marketplace for clothes and thus traverses both the realms of first and second-hand clothing. Here is a place where you can search not only for specific types of clothing, but also for specific colours, materials, textures, brands. The possibilities are practically endless.

The option to ‘follow’ specific vendors means that you won’t even need to leave your newsfeed to see items tailored to your personal needs and wants. Even better, should you have seen something in store a few seasons ago, deigned not to buy it and experienced endless regret, you could potentially find it with a flick of the finger. This app is the perfect combination of charity shop, Internet shop and eBay: this is the future.

Mental-effort-saving: *****

Physical-effort-saving rating: *****

Time-saving rating: (dependent on your personal level of terrible addiction to the app)

 

Finally, if you really want to save brainpower, you might find fashion solace in the use of the wardrobes of your friends and family. Borrowing (or tactically stealing) items of clothing from your loved ones is an excellent way of avoiding the great outdoors or even organised shopping activity. There’s no mental effort involved here, just predisposed background knowledge: you already know which friends have great style and a similar shoe-size and you know which items of clothing that your siblings won’t miss. Also, this allows you see a few faces to break the monotony of those long sessions that you spend staring at screens whilst cowered against a radiator. As long as you maybe give back to these people, either in the offer of your own quality garments or quality interaction, or perhaps the eventual return of borrowed items, depending on the personalities and tendencies of your fellow beings, you should be able to sustain this as a long-term method of clothing yourself.

Physical-effort-saving rating: ****

Mental-effort-saving rating: *****

Time-saving rating: *****

Exhibition review: Fashion and Freedom

Written by Sophie Soar on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

A hundred years ago, the world was in the midst of the Great War. It was a war that saw the evolution of military weapons dramatically accelerated, and millions of men dead or wounded in catastrophic circumstances. It was also the war that enabled women a greater liberation than they had ever experienced before.

Whilst the modern standpoint views the First World War as an unthinkable carnage and waste of human life, it was, at the time, immensely popular amongst civilians. Men excitedly signed up to defend their country whilst many women watched and waited as their brothers, husbands, sons, and fathers marched off to the Frontline.

However this time was also that of the suffragette, the rise of female empowerment and their offensive domestic tactics. The widespread bloodshed and seemingly endless number of lives lost called more and more men away from their professional duties and towards a crash course in military combat. Therefore, hundreds of thousands of job posts were abandoned, with an easy —

yet for many incomprehensible — solution: female labour.

Following the constrictions of the out-dated, stereotyped Victorian gender roles, women sought greater liberty, the right to vote, and the right to have their voice heard. Therefore, thousands leapt at the opportunity to prove their worth in the absence of Britain’s male workforce. From work in industrial sectors, munitions factories, and even on the Frontline as ambulance drivers and nurses, women across the country stepped up to the mark and shocked the world by proving that women can work just as well as men.

At Manchester Art Gallery, the exhibition Fashion and Freedom: 14-18 NOW celebrates the role women played during to the First World War, the liberty they fought for at the start of the twentieth century, and the evolution of fashion as a result of this advancement towards gender equality.

Photo: Mancunion

The exhibition cleverly incorporates a variety of sectors. There are designs that envision female oppressions, including a representation of the metaphorical padlock upon a woman’s voice and a dress demonstrating the confines of corseted clothing through a wooden structure and angular features.

In addition to these, some designers chose to rework the uniforms of men into dresses, such as those resembling parachutes or flying outfits. Alongside these sit shocking representations of the work of Canary Girls, whose skin was dyed in munitions factories from long exposure to hazardous chemicals such as sulphuric acid.

Photo: Mancunion

Whilst the exhibition is small, filling one room alongside a viewing area to watch related fashion videography from SHOWstudio, the information and designs are extensive and immensely varied. The designers also range from recent graduates of universities including Manchester Metropolitan and Salford to the unmistakable designs of Vivienne Westwood, Holly Fulton and Sadie Williams. These contemporary pieces then stand amongst historical designs, including pain-inducing Victorian corsets and intricate flapper dresses.

Whilst the dress designs moved me, I was spellbound by the SHOWstudio videos. A collection of four greatly contrasting films, one entitled Edith effectively demonstrates women’s break from patriarchal control through the strenuous removal of a corset designed by Phoebe English. It is nothing short of cinematic beauty as it tells the story of fashion’s ability to reflect upon societal discord but also Britain’s steps towards a greater equality for women.

Photo: Mancunion

The modern designs and contemporary footage allow a deeper connection for our generation to participate in the horrific experiences of war from the female perspective. It narrates the significance of the First World War upon contemporary fashion but also successfully allows the modern viewer a chance to see the evolution of gender politics to what we experience today. It is a must see.

Fashion and Freedom: 14-18 NOW Exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery closes on November 27th 2016. Free Admission.

Live: Poliça

Written by Christian Hurry on . Posted in Music.

21st October at the Ritz

8/10

Poliça are comfortable on stage. I’ve not seem them perform before, but I love their music. Inventive electronic production, gorgeous auto-tuned vocals, driven bass and two drummers on two full kits. It is not a normal set-up for a band, and I was curious to see how they would perform live. As they walked out the four members took a quarter of the stage each. Each member a corner of a perfect square. It was a bold and refreshing change of pace from the standard approach of having the lead singer centre stage — something few would consider questioning.

Opening the set with ‘Berlin’ was a perfect choice. A dark, brooding song which starts with a few clicks and clatters from the drums. A bass line then appears from nowhere and either fills you with a sense of dread or excitement — I am not sure which. Then Channy begins to sing: “Silent be in bed. Ashes drawn all around and down my head.” Her voice dips and soars, effortlessly reaching impressive high notes with searing passion. Listening to their records, I always found Poliça’s music to be pensive. However, live there is an urgency and ferocity which is extremely entertaining to watch.

Lead singer Channy and bassist Chris are both sharing the front of the stage, and both own it in their own right. Channy stares straight through the audience, right to the back of the room as she delivers lyrics which tell personal confessions and dystopian declarations. Chris moves with his bass guitar, and it is infectious, with much of the room moving with him. Although the square formation is their natural state on stage, both Chris and Channy break from it often enough to keep things interesting.

Drummers Drew Christopherson and Ben Ivascuand cannot go unmentioned. During several songs the electronics, the layered vocals, the bass, all came to a sudden stop. Filling the silence were drum fills that were genuinely thrilling. Short, punchy, unexpected. Both drummers often played the same fill. Moving from one side of the kit to the other in synchronised rolls. Each sharp stab on the tom-toms was a slap in the face, waking up the audience and keeping the crowd engaged.

The set contained most of the singles they’ve released from their three albums, so Poliça kept the crowd in good spirits. This was surely clear to them when Channy revealed that night was her son’s first birthday. The crowd gave an appropriate, and sincere “aw!” Poliça’s music is far from bright and sunny, but sometimes that’s not what you need to make a crowd happy.

ASOS release Princess Diana inspired collection

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Last month, the founder of the hugely successful nail brand WAH, Sharmadean Reid, collaborated with ASOS to launch a tribute capsule collection inspired by the late Princess Diana. Prior to launching WAH nails, Reid created WAH zine, her inspiration for the collection came from a featured page in the magazine. ‘When Di Was Fly’ paid homage to the Princess’ preppy-chic street style that Reid has tried to encapsulate in her collaboration.

According to Reid, the collection is East London meets West London and includes everything you’d expect from a collection paying homage to Diana. From tartan to pearl chokers, this collaboration will definitely have you reaching for your purse. The collection includes not one, but two LBDs. The halter neck blazer dress is a cool spin on the classic black dress but it is the velvet dress that captures one of Diana’s most iconic fashion moments. The dress is reminiscent of the tight, ruched mini-dress by Christina Stambolian that Diana wore to the Serepentine Gallery benefit in 1994 just as a documentary detailing her husband’s affair was airing. Princess Diana oozed confidence and allure; the photograph of her in dress was splashed across the papers, cementing its status as one of her most memorable fashion choices.

Reid has also included a relaxed tailored suit, a preppy cable knit cricket jumper and two pairs of loafers. I’m currently lusting after the velvet heeled loafers with a ribbon ankle tie, a fabulous nod to the nineties trend currently dominating high-street fashion. Reid has given a contemporary spin to Diana’s chic nineties look, creating the ultimate style tribute that the millennials can fully get on board with.

 

                 

 

 

                

Think before you drink

Written by Cachella Smith on . Posted in Lifestyle.

It’s Tuesday night, you’re suffering through a dodgy 90s night at Fifth while everyone else seems to be loving the cringe tunes and sticky dancefloor. Awkwardly shuffling in a circle of people you’ve never before seen in your life, you think to yourself: perhaps more alcohol will help?

University is inextricably linked with alcohol. The two come together, it’s natural. But is there a way to survive your three year course without a single beverage? There’s nothing wrong with drinking alcohol as a means of relaxation or enjoyment, however there seems to be an increasing number of students who feel pressurised to drink. Not even necessarily by someone else — often the pressure stems from within.

It’s true that clubs can be difficult places to be in for many people. At the best of times I dislike having to dance and sing; not to mention having to deal with some shameless flirtation! Often, a double vodka seems like the easiest solution. This said, I’ve now got to a position where I am comfortable with who I am. If people want to be friends with me, they can be friends with me — horrific dance moves included, and if not, hey it’s not my problem.

It seems like a waste of time to mention many of the health benefits of abstaining from alcohol to students who most likely are currently living off of a diet of fried chicken and Dairy Milk chocolate. However, two benefits that you may find relevant are weight loss and clearer skin. These are two massive problems that I know a lot of young adults struggle with. If you’re someone who does, perhaps consider having a few nights off of alcohol per week and see if it helps?

I think the most important thing to stress is moderation. There is nothing wrong with a couple of drinks when you want. Alcohol shouldn’t, however, be synonymous with a night out. Whatever benefits I have discussed so far, it does seem a bit of a shame that the nights students’ consider to be their best at University are often those that they struggle to remember in the morning.

When The Mancunion met The Closet

Written by Sarah Kilcourse on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Manchester is a city that has style. There is always opportunities for new, up and coming shops. At the University of Manchester we are fortunate enough to have such a shop in our midst — The Closet.

The Closet opened in February 2016 by a group of students, it is now headed up by Alex Neilson-Clark; a third year Fashion Marketing student who has been involved since the beginning, plus her team of fellow students. You are likely to have noticed The Closet, in between Academy one and the Students Union, a little cubbyhole full of all sorts of vintage treasures. The Closet is a not for profit organisation, with all proceeds donated to Manchester Mind charity and the fantastic causes they support.

 

Picture: The Closet

Previously, the majority of the stock had been from donations, mainly drop offs and with a few collection bins. This year Alex and her team have adapted a new approach — additional collection bins around campus. Hopefully in Owen’s Park, Withington Library, and the The Students Union, alongside an order from a vintage wholesaler. These changes are the first of many steps being taken to progress the brand of The Closet and establish its position as a vintage shop in Manchester.

First and foremost the plan is to decorate the interior of The Closet so it’s a fun, vibrant, fashionable space. Look out for the upcoming tie-dye event so you can add to wavy vibes inside. Participation, student involvement, and entrepreneurship are fundamental to Alex’s ethos for The Closet, “people really enjoy it, that’s why we do it.” Students who choose to get involved in The Closet don’t just get retail experience; they get business, marketing, PR, visual merchandising, and buying experience.

One of the biggest achievements for Alex and The Closet so far has been organising the first ever Missguided sample sale. How do a group of students manage to achieve such a thing? “we basically just nagged and nagged and nagged them until they answered our call. We said this is what we do, we know that you must have a lot of sample stock as a fast fashion retailer.” Thanks to this level of persistence The Closet were able to give customers a unique shopping experience, “when people were coming to the sample sale they were getting a one-off piece”

Picture: The Closet

What about the future of The Closet, when Alex has gone off into the big wide working world, will she miss this project? “I’m really attached to how much potential I know this project has, like a crazy amount; I know how well it can do. The good thing about finding the core team is that when you find people with a similar vision you know how determined you can all be together.” It’s fair to say that it’s not just one person who has built up this incredible shop — The Closet is a collective.

Following the huge success of the £1 kilo sale The Closet is planning more events and sales over the coming months. Make sure to stay up to date about when they have fashion film screenings, and, hopefully, maybe, a second Missguided sample sale.

Interview: Johnny Lloyd

Written by Meg Roberts on . Posted in Music.

Since the end of 2013, there has been something of a Tribes-shaped hole in my heart. The thought of an interview with former frontman, Johnny Lloyd, hours before his first headlining date in Manchester as a solo artist, seemed an almost bittersweet dystopia. But then again, I had not been to a Johnny Lloyd show yet.

“It’s only rock and roll” is as applicable here as it ever was with Tribes. Lloyd is a musician through and through. The good, old school kind that does not need obscene production value to put on a show; craftsmanship, stage presence and honest song writing is what he is about.

Forget the synths, flares and feather boas of the psychedelic revival of the day — you don’t need it, do it like Johnny Lloyd. The more he strips it all back, the more atmospheric it seems to get. He is an artist made for the sort of intimacy that Gulliver’s allows, but an artist you know could undoubtedly hold an audience just as easily in ‘x’ capacity venues. It doesn’t matter. It moves you.

Meg: The first time I saw you live was after winning a competition with NME to see Tribes play a secret set at H&M. Fast forward 3-and-a-bit years and you’re headlining a solo tour. How did this happen? Is there where you want to be?

Johnny Lloyd: It’s kind of like starting again after the big break with Tribes, I’m making music again for the first time and putting my solo stuff out. I’m really happy, the tour has been selling out and it’s the first time I’ve been on the road on my own headlining and its feeling good. I’m really excited to make an album next year and get back to it properly.

Joel: Regarding the album, your solo material seems a lot darker and atmospheric in tone, do you think this is more representative of you as an artist than the music you were making a few years ago?

JL: I think maybe. This is where I’m at now, I don’t know if the album will be all like that. There will be some more uplifting stuff on there. For me, some of the Tribes stuff was heading that way. You just get older and things change.

Joel: What can we expect on the LP?

JL: It’ll be a good mix, it really just depends on what mood you’re in when you are writing. I don’t know if it represents me as a person, those four songs, but they were the best ones I was doing in that six-month period, you know? That’s how I work anyway.

Joel: I’ve read about Lou Reed being a big inspiration on the Dreamland EP, what are you listening to at the moment for the album?

JL: I’m listening to a lot of Tame Impala but I think everyone is really. I’m trying to take in stuff but also make it my own and not just try and create a persona that isn’t me. That’s what I’ve learnt on this tour, I do one or two things well and the rest I shouldn’t bother. I shouldn’t bother with getting synths or any shit like that. I’m just trying to keep it guitar.

Meg: A lot of the EP talks about love quite blatantly, especially ‘Pilgrims’ — is this influenced by someone in particular, is there a back-story or are you talking about the concept of love more broadly?

JL: I think everyone has loved and lost in their life. You can say it’s about somebody but it’s probably more broad than that.

Meg: Talking about raw human emotion seems to be mirrored in the stripped back, lower production value, and more lo-fi sound. Do you think this is more effective when talking about those kind of themes?

JL: Yeah I think so, Jamie T produced ‘Hello Death’ and that’s his kind of vibe. We wanted to get to the core of the songs without any frills. It would have been very easy to make that a big soundscape and just have like a massive load of shit in the background to make it feel bigger and more intense. I think with him and with Hugo, it’s just let’s keep it basic and raw and try and get the songs together. Like I say, that’s what I’m about, I’ve never been a big wall of sound artist.

Meg: Is it just about letting the lyrics speak for themselves?

JL:  Yeah, definitely.

Meg: I hate to ask you this but are we going to see Tribes play again? Do you think time changes anything?

JL: I don’t think so, things change.

Meg: I have a degree in English Literature and I’ve always seen myself as a writer. Obviously you’ve put a novella out, how does having a book published compare to playing live or seeing your record in a shop? Is it a completely different feeling for you?

JL: Yeah it’s a totally different feeling and weirdly, as soon as I felt it, I realised that’s not what I want to do and as soon as I saw it on the shelf I was like “that’s great, but it’s definitely not what I want”.

Meg: Did it not really do anything for you?

JL: It did, it came out of such a mental time. It was the start of 2013, around the time of the second album and I was thinking about other shit. I don’t know if it kind of passed me by. I’m really proud that I finished it.

Meg: I never quite managed to.

JL: It’s just finishing the thing really that’s the challenge but it made me realise that music is my core linea. Maybe if I broke my arms or something and I had to do that, I’d do that. That’d be my second run. There’s no plan to write any more, just keep on with music

Live: Scott Fagan

Written by Oscar Talbot on . Posted in Music.

14th October at Deaf Institute

7/10

Scott Fagan is a man of contradictions: an old man singing songs written by a 21 year old, a white atheist who grew up in the American Virgin Islands, the sort of person who names their show “Introducing Scott Fagan” almost 50 years after his first album. His songs are full of ’60s idealism, but have only become commercially well-known in the 2010’s. He could easily be mistaken for an early David Bowie, except he predates Bowie’s first notable works.

Fagan grew up in near-poverty in the American Virgin Islands, after moving from New York as a young child. His mother and her succession of unsuitable alcoholic partners were barely able to look after him, leading to him weighing 40kg at 15 with a reputation as prodigious fighter. The depression of the Virgin Islands was chronic and severe, and he felt himself an outsider. He eventually escaped the claustrophobic penury and made it to New York with a few cents in his pocket. With the typical ’60s dream of “making millions” and also “changing the world” he was influenced by Dylan’s radical poetry and Donovan’s soft psychedelia, and convinced Doc Pomus, the writer of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and ‘Suspicion’ to hear him. Ten minutes later he was one of three artists singed to Bang Records — the other two being Van Morrison and Neil Diamond.

And the rest could have been history. Except, intriguingly, Fagan seems to refuse to comment on why his album failed to do well. There is always a large amount of chance in the music industry, and he was bounced around labels and plagued with problems, but he was an artist who got a standing ovation from a 10,000 strong crowd in Central Park. The reasons may well be too personal, but unlike William Oynebor’s conversion to evangelical Christianity or Rodriguez’s obscurity, it is hard to work out.

Some of his songwriting is incredible. The opening two tracks on his re-released debut South Atlantic Blues, ‘In My Head’ and ‘Nickels and Dimes’ call to mind Don McLean or Ben E King, and although Fagan is playing old songs he still has charisma and showmanship — it’s easy to see why he was one of two people The Beatles considered signing to Apple Records.  Despite his stripped down ensemble, Fagan was able to perfectly evoke the sound of the ’60s as he bobbed his bearded head up and down.  His voice is perfectly preserved in a strange way that only adds to the surrealism of the event.

As is seemingly part and parcel with any creative who lived in New York in the ’60s and ’70s, Fagan’s life is filled with bizarre cameos from celebrities. He supported Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, better known by his later moniker of Jimi Hendrix, and was in a band with John Denver. Poignant songs such as ‘Crying’ and the eponymous ‘South Atlantic Blues’ are intensified by his mysterious interim years when played live, although the motif in ‘Crying’ suffers from the lack of violins, leaving it feeling slightly flat and lacking the structure of the album version.

Some of the weaker songs seem almost quaintly preserved in the set. As a Virgin Islander Fagan may disagree with me, and that is very reasonable, but calypsos in my opinion are almost always best left in the past. ‘Crystal Ball’ especially suffers from the live orchestration,  making it seem somewhat tedious and reminds me too much of Mike Read’s ‘UKIP Calypso’ to be enjoyable. The woozy ‘Tenement Hall’ overemphasises the chorus lyrics, as Fagan sings “this is insane!” one too many times. Sadly, Fagan left out my favourite of his, the wistful ballad ‘Valeria’, which is well worth listening to.

Fagan is as interesting a character as Sugar Man, but the reason for his lack of success is much harder to figure out. With the re-discovery of his album combined with his tour he may be able to put out more music, and finally carve himself a niche in the hall of fame.

Mancunion Editor wins ‘opportunity of a lifetime’

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in Sport.

The Mancunion’s very own Head Sports Editor, Harry Newton has been given exclusive access to report on Manchester City’s home matches.

Harry has been granted season-long access to report on the matches for The Mancunion website.

The opportunity was open to students from the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Salford University. The applicants had to write a report of their favourite football match of all time, followed by an interview at the City Football Academy.

Harry, a third-year student, is able to work alongside many respected sports journalists from around the world in his role, with full access to the press box at the Ethiad Stadium.

Speaking of this experiences, Harry said: “It’s a really exciting time to be involved with the Club as they strive to be one of the very best in the world. My aim is to become a professional sports journalist, so the chance to work alongside high profile sports reporters from around the world makes my dream feel that little bit closer. It’s also great to know that I can turn to the media and content teams at Manchester City for advice on working in the world of sports media.”

Chris Bailey, Editor in Chief of the Content team at Manchester City, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this experience to Harry. As a Club we’re committed to inspiring and supporting youngsters both on and off the pitch. We hope that Harry continues to develop the skills he needs to have a successful career in sports journalism.”

Harry also acknowledged the help that working for The Mancunion had in helping him secure the position: “I only gained this opportunity through volunteering for The Mancunion, so I encourage anyone considering a career in journalism to join up! I’ve met some great friends, learnt the trade along others at the same level, and enjoyed many a pub quiz!”

Interview: Sunset Sons

Written by Katie Shepherd on . Posted in Music.

Having just released a deluxe version of their brilliantly catchy debut album, Very Rarely Say Die, Sunset Sons are a band that have burst out of the French Alps and onto the scene with a flurry of rocky guitar riffs, celebratory lyrics and the kind of feel-good factor only really good live music can give you.

As their name and album artwork would suggest, the beach has always been an important element to this band, initially formed by vocalist, Rory Williams, guitarist Robin Windram, bassist Pete Harper and Jed Laidlaw on drums, to fund their surfing habit. “We come from all over the place,” Jed tells me as we are sat in a quiet room above the Academy, where the band would be later performing. “But we ended up in this little place in the south of France. I was there teaching surfing and I saw Rory play in my friend’s bar and straight after we got chatting. I’d been in bands before and always played drums, but I was kind of sick of the scene there. Rory was the first person that made me want to be in a band again.”

Starting off as a cover band, the foursome had found the perfect job: “All of a sudden we’d invented a job for ourselves that meant we could play at night time and just hang out on the beach all day, which was perfect. When it got to the end of summer, we were like ‘what do we do now?’ Well, actually we could just drive across France because there’s the same thing happening in the mountains, surfing just gets swapped for snow sports, so we went and played the band there.”

It was actually on a journey from one of these shows in the snowy mountains that the band came up with the title for their album. “There was a lot of late night driving, and this one particular night we had about an hour and a half drive all the way down the valleys, but it was in January when it shits it down with snow. So it was like 3 foot of snow, 4 o’clock in the morning and everyone was hammered apart from the driver and we got stuck in a snowdrift halfway up a mountain. Rory had been asleep but he woke up and was like ‘what’s going on?’ and I was like ‘Rory, I think today might actually be the day we all die.’ And half-drunk, half-asleep Rory just said ‘No, no, no. We very rarely say die.’ And then fell back asleep. I was like, “I’m pretty sure its never say die…” but it just stuck. We’ve always had this never say die attitude.”

Having been on tour for almost the entirety of their time as a band, they’ve experienced a lot of weird and crazy things over the years, most of which are definitely unpublishable — but very funny. “We take the music very seriously, but we don’t really take ourselves very seriously.”

This comes through completely in the album, which deals with sad topics at times yet manages to create something celebratory and genuinely fun out of it. It’s an album that makes you want to dance and is incredibly enjoyable to listen to, while also poignant; seeking escape from heavy themes doesn’t mean ignoring them. “There’s nothing wrong with liking escapism,” Jed says earnestly. “I think all the best records are about escapism.”

One track of the record that particularly stands out is ‘Lost Company’, which entirely embodies the power of taking a personal and sad topic and delivering it in a way that can create something truly positive out of it. “We wanted to write a song about that subject matter, but we wanted to make it a celebration. We wanted something that could be sad but uplifting. That was the aim.”

Very Rarely Say Die (Deluxe) is out now.

UoM Women’s Basketball Team are on the up

Written by Michael Case on . Posted in Sport.

In the last 15 months, women’s basketball at the University of Manchester has transitioned from being comfortable residences at the bottom of the league in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) to becoming a dominant force and the team to beat this season.

The profile of women’s basketball is now on a rise, with players from all over the world participating in the sport. The University of Manchester now has two women’s teams, with the first team competing in BUCS and the second team (also known as the development team) playing in the University campus league. This enables both experienced and less experienced players to participate in the sport, with fluidity between the teams to allow progression.

Training sessions averaged only seven players in 2014/15, but now they are now averaging up to sixteen —  things are looking bright.

Since the beginning of the 2015/16 season, Women’s Basketball appointed a new coach Michael Case, who has brought a new philosophy to the team. The concept of F.H.M (Family, Heart and Mentality) has the team playing smart hard and honest with ability to exceed their best. The team are very much a family on and off the Court

Last Season was the start of the new beginning; from only winning two out of ten games in 2014/15, the team only lost two out of ten games in the league last season; having the best defence and offence in the league and taking home the Christie Cup. Not to mention participating in a tournament in Rome.

As Coach, I am extremely happy with how the players adapted to the philosophy. We didn’t win the league but we definitely ensured that we are now acknowledged as a formidable team, this season is far from a bad season for the team. I came here to make a difference, next season this team will be stronger; we will win the league.

With recruitment being a success, although women’s basketball lost some great players due to graduation, the Manchester basketball programme has gained some exceptional talent this year to build with the existing players from year before.

The team have shot off to an undefeated start with a 3-0 win to Liverpool, beating newly promoted Keele and taking on Lancaster last week who came down from Division One.

University of Manchester Women’s Basketball Club (UMWBC), who are currently sitting top of the table, had to show real character in their last game against Lancaster University, managing to overturn a 17-point Deficit to win the game 64-57.

The women’s team went into the game without some of their first team regulars, however where a player misses out is another players’ opportunity to step up and bring their talent to the table.

The “Purple Warriors ” started incredibly slowly in this game. With the first quarter going to Lancaster 16-20, Manchester found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Having only been down in a game twice last year, the UMWBC have very little experience in this situation, so the struggle continued and by half time they found themselves losing 26-40.

At half-time, after a slight change of tactics, I asked the players if they were willing to fight to turn around the game, and with Manchester being known for their strong third quarters, the fight was certainly on. Giving up the first points in the third quarter, the team went down by 17.

But they did not give up the fight, with exceptional defence and hustle; the third quarter restricted Lancaster to nine points, with Manchester scoring 17. The game was back on for the last quarter; at 43-49 Manchester were now only 6 points behind. The pride of purple proved too much for Lancaster in the final quarter, with Manchester scoring 21 point and reducing Lancaster to only eight. This concluded the game with Manchester winning 64-57.

The heart, determination and team work demonstrated by the team last week represents our philosophy.

Next game is the battle of Manchester Universities (UoM Vs Man Met) on the 16th November! The day after University of Manchester head Rome to Compete for the second year in EuroRoma.

The Death of the Domestic Cup

Written by Toby Webb on . Posted in Sport.

A few weeks have passed since the Manchester derby EFL cup game. While much has gone on the football world since then, City outsmarting and outclassing the world’s best team, a bitterness remains. The prospect of another episode of the Guardiola/ Mourinho saga was ruined by the modern lack of respect shown towards domestic cups.

The game was a turgid, ultimately mind-numbing affair. United named a full strength team; while they secured victory in the end, they were lacklustre: it appeared they didn’t care much about the game. City, on the other hand, made several changes, with their performance level suffering because of it. However, the inclusion of new blood, Aleix García and Pablo Maffeo fresh from the Elite Development Squad, brought exuberance to their team, a desire that United desperately lacked.

Apathy towards the competition, manifesting itself in both the resting of key players and general team attitude, is hugely undermining domestic trophies in England. While the FA Cup has remained somewhat immune to this problem, most teams take it seriously when they get deeper into the competition, the league cup, in its varying inceptions, has suffered.

The derby game was the perfect opportunity for both teams to reverse their runs of poor form. United won by default almost, including better players meant they fell over the line of victory just. The result papered over fundamental issues in the United team (a debate for another day) that were painfully re-opened in subsequent games against Burnley and Fenerbahçe. A better performance, emerging from a better attitude towards the game, would have likely informed performances in subsequent games.

Guardiola made his apathetic attitude towards the EFL cup clear. He, like the majority of managers, see the initial rounds of the cup as the place for experimentation with young and fringe players, as well as the chance to give key players a rest. Undoubtedly, United needed a result following a hiding at Stamford Bridge, the standard narrative being that this result informed the decision to go with a full-strength team.

I refute this. The player apathy, illustrated by the performance, suggested this was not the ‘must win’ game made out by the media. Instead, this was an illustration of a new sense of apathy, Mourinho refusing to bother even privileging the cup with experimentation. It appeared he sent his team out on a training exercise.

These days, progression to later rounds of the cup is largely decided by squad depth and luck.

The EFL cup is an uninspiring affair until the later rounds, and even then, it is uncertain whether the best teams will take it seriously. For teams with European football, it is firmly at the bottom of the priorities list. Moreover, a large majority of teams see it as a chance to rest players from gruelling campaigns, fighting for league status or the chance of promotion. Finally, the apathetic attitude is also hugely disrespectful to the few fans that still watch the matches.

While I understand why, it still shocks me that mid-table Premier League teams do not take the domestic cups more seriously. With the apathy demonstrated by the league’s top clubs, it is an opportunity for the next echelon of clubs to rewards their fans with the elixir of silverware, e.g. Swansea winning in 2013 and Birmingham City winning in 2011. Unfortunately, the lucrative nature of the Premier League means it stands clear as the top priority for clubs.

To me, radical changes need to be made for the EFL cup to remain relevant. Teams involved in European football should be offered the option of whether to partake. Managers could decide whether they want the added pressure of a 4th competition: I see no difference between the best teams being absent and the best teams playing their 2nd string teams. Additionally, more consideration needs to be shown towards the fans. Teams that are destined to finish mid-table could liven up their season with a cup final appearance or even cup final success.

The extra revenue allocated for European qualification, promotion, or simply finishing higher in a respective league, has left domestic cups down the list of priorities. The importance of money in modern-day football has dampened the prestige of winning a domestic cup. Unless changes are made, games will remain dull, the EFL cup a dull competition.

SU will not boycott NSS despite NUS decision

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in News.

After deliberating ways to address growing concerns over the implementations of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union have decided not to boycott the National Student Survey (NSS) at this stage.

Over the last few months, TEF has triggered widespread controversy across the country amongst both students and academics due to its proposed changes to the way that tuition fees are decided for British Universities.

TEF is part of a new Higher Education and Research Bill proposed by the government – the most comprehensive piece of legislation since the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act. The Bill proposes two new statuary bodies: An ‘Office for Students’ in England which would be bestowed with extensive powers, such as equipping new providers with the power to award degrees, and a single research funding body (UKIR).

Both UUK and the University of Cambridge have warned that this “unprecedented extension of powers” may amount to “harmful incursion by the government.” Most significantly, the Bill codifies the link between TEF and tuition fees.

Under TEF, the ‘teaching excellence’ of universities would be measured in three main ways: The National Student Survey (NSS), retention and continuation rates, and graduate outcomes as assessed by DLHE (Destination Leavers of Higher Education).  A panel would then decide the university’s TEF rating.

It is not clear exactly how TEF would operate yet, but it is likely that there will be three ratings: Either ‘Meet Expectations’,‘Excellent’, and ‘Outstanding’, or a corresponding ‘Gold’, ‘Silver’, and ‘Bronze’. Those who are ‘Excellent’ or ‘Outstanding’ would be able to raise their fees above £9000 – it is not clear how high they could raise them – and those who fail to meet those standards will have to stay at £9000 or even reduce their fees. This has been called by some a complete ‘marketisation’ of higher education.

The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union asked 2500 staff: “Are you concerned about the implementation of TEF at the University of Manchester?” Out of 119 responses, 83.2% said ‘Yes’ and 16.8% said ‘No’. Zero percent said “I don’t know what that is.”

If they answered Yes, the Students’ Union then asked “what is your main concern surrounding the implementation of the TEF,” providing  7 mutually exclusive options. The most popular option was: ‘The metrics (the ‘Meet Expectations’, ‘Excellent’, ‘Outstanding’) within the TEF’ at 29%.

They were then asked for any other comments.  Overwhelmingly, the comments alluded to concern with the manner in which TEF would measure higher education.

In April 2016, delegates at The National Union of Students (NUS) national conference voted to take action against the NSS in the form of either a boycott or sabotage in order to show that the NSS is not a suitable method of measuring attainment and impacting tuition fees.

On their decision not to boycott the NSS, The University of Manchester’s Student’s Union’s Education Officer, Emma Atkins, stated that “the NSS boycott would be a fierce battle between the University and the Union, and it is likely that we will burn bridges and lose negotiating power in the process. At present, we believe that it is better to actively work with University staff on the TEF instead of actively work against them.” This is undoubtedly driven by the deadline for applying for TEF being January 26th 2017. As TEF is optional, there will be mounting pressure from the Students’ Union against a potential University decision to join TEF.

Although the decision to not boycott the NSS stands for now, Education Officer Emma Atkins has stated that “if the University of Manchester decides to enter the TEF by the deadline of January 26th, the NSS boycott is an action we will take very seriously, and will distribute more information about it if the time comes.”

University of Manchester Netball nets some big results

Written by Elizabeth Payne on . Posted in Sport.

Unbeaten at the Armitage for the fourth time this season, there were also some impressive wins away from home in what was another successful week for the University of Manchester Netball team.

With three victories from their first three matches of the season, the sixth team were once again in imperious form against UCLAN’s fourth team. Manchester were the dominant side from the first whistle, maintaining their momentum for the duration of the match and once again, the defence worked well as a unit, capitalising on rebounds and pressurising their opposition’s centre court to cause multiple three-second penalties. It was a fantastic performance from everyone on court but a special mention goes to player of the match and centre courter, Natalie Brown, who contributed significantly to her team’s 82-11 victory.

Also unbeaten so far this season, the fifth team resumed where they had left off with a ‘team-of-the-week’ worthy performance in last week’s match. Continuing their great form, a strong first quarter allowed them to forge an early lead to head into the break already up by thirteen goals. Excellent defending, combined with strong centre passes meant there were plenty of opportunities to shoot, which Jade Jackson and player of the match, Vanessa Watkins, scored easily. Despite being so far ahead with only fifteen minutes remaining, Manchester maintained their concentration and did not allow complacency to creep in, resulting in a thrashing of their opponents and a final score of 62 goals to just 9.

This week’s standout performance came from the third team who faced off against Liverpool’s third team. Despite having a home advantage on their side, Manchester made hard work of the match and found themselves behind for the majority of the sixty minutes. Down by six goals in the last quarter and with only one substitute, the girls in purple dug deep to secure a hard-fought draw; the final score ended a nail-biting 44-44. It was an excellent demonstration of Manchester’s fighting spirit, epitomised excellently by player of the match, Hannah Coward.

Travelling to Liverpool to take on Edge Hill, the second team took a while to settle into their match, as they struggled to take control of play. It was a tough game for all the players on court, especially the centre-courters and defenders, who had to deal with their opposition’s quick attacking style of play. Plenty of contact from both sides meant play was contested throughout court but Manchester continued to work well and pull together. Despite losing 39-52, Manchester’s superior fitness levels became apparent, allowing them to finish strongly and win the final quarter by six goals. It was a promising end to the match which bodes well for next week. Co-captain Kate Gardiner earned this week’s player of the match accolade.

Despite a tough start to the season, the fourth team continued their return to their winning ways as they faced off against local rivals, MMU. After an even first quarter, it was Manchester who made the decisive move to pull away, repeatedly turning over their opposition’s centre passes. The girls in purple’s man-on-man defensive work caused MMU to make simple errors and this, coupled with excellent feeding into the attackers, meant the gap in the score-line increased. The shooters, including player of the match Ella Gorton, provided great movement in the circle and high accuracy with their shots to record a comfortable 60-34 victory.

Last to play, the first team traveled to Birmingham, a team notoriously unpleasant to face away from home. It was very much a game of two halves, with Manchester struggling to stamp their authority on the match throughout most of the first thirty minutes. With a slim lead of only two goals leading into the half-time break, the girls in purple came back out firing to score an immense eighteen goals, recording their best quarter score of the match, and headed into the final fifteen minutes with victory almost guaranteed. Manchester would not be denied in what was a much improved performance on last week’s and the final score ended 53-40 in their favour. The player of the match accolade went jointly to WA Katie Lee and GS Beth Payne who combined excellently in attack.

Societies spotlight: Swing Dance Society

Written by Rachel Oelbaum on . Posted in Lifestyle.

I meet Verity in the foyer of the Ellen Wilkinson building. She arrives with a mug of tea in her hand, apologising for being late. Verity’s taken time out from working on her PhD in Psychology to meet me, but she’s happy to take a break. I joined Swing Dance Society last year, which is when I first met Verity, but this is the first time she and I have talked properly. It seems fitting that this conversation is about something we both share a love for: Swing dancing.

“I’ve been doing swing dance for quite a long time, on and off. I started in Bristol in 2009. People always seem surprised that I’ve been doing it so long, like ‘why aren’t you better?’” She tells me with a laugh. “It’s a really good hobby to have when you move to new places, and in Manchester there’s a really good scene and people are super friendly.”

I ask her how she got involved with Swing Dance Society. “I went to the Freshers’ Fair last year and found the Swing Dance Society, though my sole purpose for being there was the free pizza!”

“And now you’re the President.”

“I think the official term is Chair, but I think President sounds better. Or Queen… But the reality is that lots of the old committee are still involved. Last year it was left to a few key people to do everything, but this year it feels much more like a group.”

I ask Queen Verity what her plans are for Swing Dance Society’s year ahead. Immediately, she jumps in, “one of the key things is to make a better plan of teaching, so we’ve got a bit more structure and we can keep track of what we’re doing. We also want to get outside teachers in to do a big workshop, maybe at the weekend. We’re also going to try and get t-shirts made. Hopefully it’ll happen soon, and then we can look really good when we go to events and stuff. That’s what we really want, to be a force to be reckoned with.”

Her sense of ambition is palpable, and it’s no surprise that in the first few weeks of term Swing Dance Society has seen  an average of 120 people turning up to the beginners classes each week. For those who have yet to make it, Verity breaks it down.

“We predominantly dance Lindy Hop, which is a form of… 30s style… jazz… dance? Is that right? Maybe Google the definition.”

“I think that’s right. I tell people it’s dancing from the 1920s-40s,” I say.

“Yeah, OK. 20s to 40s. It’s a partnered dance. You don’t need to bring a partner, because we switch partners throughout the lesson. Each pair is a lead and a follow, and traditionally men lead and women follow, but that doesn’t matter. Everyone can do whatever role they want. We have beginners and intermediate lessons, but we start from the very basics every week so people can join any week. It’s £3 for students for one session, and you can wear whatever you want, just something casual. You need flat-soled shoes, the cheaper the better – nothing too grippy! Cheap Primark ones are a safe choice.”

“I also want to say that it’s a safe space, and we don’t tolerate any inappropriate behaviour, which is something some people are wary of in terms of doing partnered dances. I just want to reassure people and to say that it’s fun, people do it for a laugh, and if you’re not very good then it doesn’t matter.”

I end by asking Verity to describe Swing Dance Society in three words. “Oooh that’s hard. How would you describe Swing Dance Society in three words?” Despite the fact that I wrote the questions, I haven’t actually thought about this. Eventually, we decide on enthusiastic, motivated and fun.

“But I feel like I should pick a more exciting word than fun…” she says.

“I’d say it’s very supportive as well.”

“Definitely. Everyone’s there to look out for everyone else, and I think that’s very much the thing with swing dance generally. It gets competitive at the higher levels, but it’s not like that at our level. Everyone’s very supportive. So let’s go with enthusiastic, friendly, and supportive.”

Review: B!RTH Festival’s Syria & Kenya

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Theatre.

The B!RTH Festival is 7 plays from 7 different countries all exploring the issue of child birth. On Thursday the 20th of October the focus was on Syria and Kenya. The Syrian play was called ‘Q & Q’ and the Kenyan play was called ‘Orchid’.

‘Q & Q’ was focused on three Syrian refugee women who are questioned and interrogated as they attempt to escape the cruelty of war. One woman is searching for her husband and can not seem to conceive a child. Another woman wants her daughter back who is being held by the interrogators. The final woman has been raped.

The play was created by Liwaa Yazji and it explores how these three very different women overcome their obstacles, without help from the interrogators who are supposed to be helping. The play raises issues of the problems with characterising an entire country as terrorists, or at the very least terrorist sympathisers. The victim blaming of rape culture, as the woman is asked why she was in the conflict area instead of focusing on the rapists’ crime. It also touches on refugee camps and the life threatening routes people take to attempt to come to safer countries.

Overall, the play was gripping and compelling as these women are repeatedly questioned and treated with suspicion instead of with compassion. It leaves the audience thinking how they can help both woman and man in these war torn areas, as the plays’ ending was an image of an endless cycle of thousands of women ready to take the seats of the three women. Simply to be interrogated without help. None of the women found help or assistance from the authorities, instead they choose to leave. The play was profound and highlighted the desperate need to help Syrian refugees and not to treat them as criminals for simply not being born in the west.

‘Orchid’ was focused on the struggles of women who suffer from fistula. Fistula is when a woman has a hole in the wall of the birth canal. Orchid explores how women who suffer from this are excluded from their communities and the harsh inequalities facing women in Kenya as they are valued on the effectiveness of their vaginas.

The play was graphic about its detailed description of how women are treated, especially in terms of female genital mutilation (FGM) treatments. The play was created by Mũmbi Kaigwa and it explores how fistula is treatable and how women can reclaim their place in their communities. The play is interlaced with dance, which showcases the vibrancy and culture of Kenya.

Orchid highlights that the birth of a girl is not as celebrated as the birth of a boy, as ‘among my people, in traditional times, the women would ululate to announce the birth of a child, five ululations for a boy … and three for a girl’.  At the end of the play six ululations are performed in appreciation of all girls. This play highlights the inequalities facing women and how medical procedures we take for granted in the west aren’t available or known about for many women in Africa.

The B!RTH festival raises important issues about childbirth and inequality, not just for developing countries, but for the west too. Much is still needed to be achieved, but these two plays, along with the other five, help to raise the issue and debate to a wider audience.

Review: Ghost the Musical

Written by Mia Davis on . Posted in Theatre.

The 1990 iconic film has been given a very broadway-esque makeover. Composed with modern staging and group choreography numbers the production really pulls the tragic love story into the 21st century. Lovers of the film or complete newbies, you should not have any issues with the portrayal of the plot, which still presents the beautiful yet heart-breaking story of Molly Jensen (Sarah Harding) and Sam Wheat (Andy Moss) and does not fail to live up to its tear-jerking reputation.

Both Harding and Moss are stars in their own right, the former being one fifth of the noughties pop-favourites ‘Girls Aloud’, and the latter playing a young heartthrob in soap ‘Hollyoaks’. This will have inevitably attracted crowds to the production, but seemed to serve as a hindrance beyond that. Their chemistry together is undoubtable, and yes, they do make a very attractive and believable, young, in-love couple – however, their inconsistent accents do start to get slightly cringe-worthy by mid-way through the first half, so perhaps Molly’s lack of dialogue in the second half is a blessing. Harding has been hitting the headlines for her lack lustre performance, but I do not think people can say she was that bad – ‘Three little words’, her duet with Moss was moving and her voice was by far the strongest.

The undoubtable star of the show comes in the form of Oda Mae Brown (Jacqui Dubois) who brings much needed humour and likeability. She had the theatre in the palm of her hands, and her chemistry with Moss was very believable; without her, the production would have struggled.

Overall, as cliché as it sounds, the production did take the audience on a real roller-coaster of emotions. However, don not get your hopes up for a sensual and romantic rendition of ‘Unchained Melody’ behind a pottery wheel, as that iconic scene was a real blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.