Month: January 2017

King’s College London admits to email monitoring

Written by Ollie Potter on 27th January 2017. Posted in News.

King’s College London has admitted to monitoring the emails of its staff and students to prevent radicalisation. Forming part of the current government’s Prevent strategy, it seeks to find evidence of suspicious communication activity, at a time of increased terrorism risk following the recent Christmas market attack in Berlin.

KCL Students’ Union members condemned the strategy, stating that “students who have not committed any crimes are being treated as suspects”. A warning on the university’s email login page states members were consenting to the monitoring and recording of their emails by using the service. King’s claims that “under the terms of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act of 2015″, also known as ‘Prevent’, it has a “duty to aid the process of preventing people being drawn into terrorism.”

The subject of monitoring student emails has been particularly contentious, with NUS President, Malia Bouattia, accusing Prevent of “turning educational institutions against their own students, perpetuating a culture of fear, restricting academic freedoms, and normalising Islamophobia”. Much of Prevent’s controversy derives from allegations that it unfairly targets the Muslim community. Bouattia has also described Prevent as an “incredibly racist policy with incredibly racist intentions.”

KCL student Suhaib Majeed was given a life sentence in April 2016 for planning an Islamic State-inspired shooting in London, and had organised a campus event with a speaker with a history of supporting Al-Qaeda extremists. The infamous ISIS member, Mohammed Emwazi, commonly known as ‘Jihadi John’, studied in the nearby University of Westminster. Friends claimed he was radicalised soon after graduation, eventually appearing in several brutal beheading videos of ISIS hostages, including British citizens, before his death in November 2015.

A KCL student, speaking to The Mancunion, has said: “While I agree with our students’ union officer who said that KCL monitoring their students’ emails was a violation of trust, I have to say that I wasn’t surprised or shocked by the news at all. I don’t want this to sound like a conspiracy theory, but I do wonder which internet platforms or networks you can use nowadays without being monitored?”

“The Prevent strategy is controversial but I believe that instead of doing what it sets out do, namely ensuring the safety of all students, it actually creates suspicions and prejudices where there shouldn’t be any. It is a sad state of affairs that the government has felt the need to bring this strategy into action.

“Without trying to sound too dramatic, it is just the reality we live in. I have not felt like there has been a large amount of protest at the university about it either. These stories come up, students are outraged for a day, post angry statuses on Facebook but by the end of the week it is practically forgotten.”

A KCL spokesman said the university was not “actively” monitoring emails, but simply notifying users that it had the obligation to do so, before adding: “King’s College London is proud of its diverse and inclusive community and any monitoring would form part of the usual security process.” The Higher Education Funding Council of England, responsible for implementing Prevent, said KCL’s actions were normal, with other institutions doing the same, calling it “consistent with the Prevent guidance”.

Writing in The Telegraph, Elliot Miller claimed that King’s email monitoring pre-dates the 2015 Prevent policy, with King’s stating it was monitoring “electronic communications at a network level” back in January 2014. He described Prevent as a “vital safeguarding mechanism”, with too many in the student movement seeking to downplay the problem of radicalisation and undermining efforts to challenge it.

Prevent will likely remain a controversial issue for years to come, with some seeing it as key to combatting terrorism, and others believing that it unfairly targets Muslims as potential terrorists.

British people should learn community languages

Written by Shivani Kaura on 27th January 2017. Posted in News.

The UK government is being encouraged to provide Britons with opportunities to learn languages such as Punjabi, Polish, and Mandarin to improve social integration and economic factors.

Since Brexit, people in the UK have started to question the importance of learning French, German, and Spanish from a young age at school. Highlighted during the referendum was the lack of social integration by immigrants which lead to the British people wanting to “take back control.” Wendy Ayres-Bennett, professor of French Philology and Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, stated that “social integration should be a two-way street and should not be the duty and responsibility of solely immigrants.”

Professor Ayres-Bennett spoke out after Dame Louise Casey claimed that “some local communities were becoming increasingly divided because of government failure to ensure that social integration in the UK kept up with the ‘unprecedented pace and scale of immigration.'”

In response to this, Prof. Ayres-Bennett proposed that British people do not feel the need to learn any other languages because English is “difficult and only for the intellectual elites.” A new plan of action was put forward by Dame Louise Casey which involved obliging immigrants to pledge to learn British values and the English language by taking mandatory classes in their spare time, giving the whole immigration process an underlying militaristic tone.

With the sudden need for modern languages outside the classroom to help with economic growth in trading, foreign affairs, and science, it is questioned why British people do not make efforts towards developing multilingualism as a society. Prof. Ayres-Bennett proposed that the biggest problem that English people face is not enough exposure to the outside world, with European and Asian countries “having available sources of the English Language through TV, in pop songs and so on.”

The University of Manchester accommodates international students from 160 countries worldwide and each student must fit English language standards before they can apply. Obviously, international students must learn English to understand lectures, assigned pieces of work and exams, but with just under 100,000 students in the UK coming from China and over 10,000 of them studying at the University of Manchester, surely it would be beneficial for UK students to understand their language so that they can integrate and possibly network with them.

Whilst science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have excelled in the past few years, Prof. Ayres-Bennett has protested that languages have been completely “undervalued both in government and by the general public,” and the importance of learning community languages should be established from an early age or at university in order to develop social unification and to improve economic potential of workers.

Preview: LGBT History Month

Written by Matt Smith on 27th January 2017. Posted in News.

Fifty years ago this July, the Sexual Offences Act 1967 was passed into law. Gay men were free to love and be loved, so long as there were no more than two of them, both were over 21, and they did what they did in private; at least in England and Wales. Scotland followed in 1980 and Northern Ireland shortly after in 1982.

This February, the LGBT History Month is hosting a wide array of celebrations, talks, performances, quizzes, workshops, and stalls taking place across the UK, including Manchester.

The Queer Contact Festival is putting on a number of exciting performances around Manchester, including Outspoken, a showcase of queer spoken word, poetry and literature at Manchester Central Library, and Joan, “an earthy story of courage, conviction and hope” about Joan of Arc, “possibly the world’s first drag king”, which takes place with a number of other performing arts events at Contact Theatre.

The Queer Youth Gathering, also taking place at Contact Theatre, features guests such as George Ikediashi (Le Gateau Chocolat), Maawan Rizwan (BBC Three’s How Gay is Pakistan?) and Annie Wallace (Hollyoaks), as well as a chance for the audience to meet representatives from Manchester Pride, the Albert Kennedy Trust, and many other organisations.

Burnley, a battleground for LGBT+ rights during the 1970’s, hosts two commissioned plays: Stephen M. Hornby’s The Burnley Buggers’ Ball tells the story of a transformative political meeting held at Burnley Central Library, and Abi Hynes’ Burnley’s Lesbian Liberator depicts the political activism of a lesbian bus driver who was sacked for nothing more than wearing a badge. These plays are also being performed at the Liverpool conference.

The month culminates on Sunday the 26th with The National Festival of LGBT History, which will be taking place at the People’s History Museum, Manchester, and features talks from human rights activists, historians, and commentators. The event will be made even more interesting by the LGBT History Tour, the LGBT Banners Tour, and taster tours of Never Going Underground: The fight for LGBT+ rights.

There are of course many more interesting, interactive, and inspirational events taking place through the month, and the full listings and locations can be found on the LGBT History Month website.

Vince Cable: universities in danger of being “main casualties” of Brexit

Written by Elizabeth Rushton on 27th January 2017. Posted in News.

Former business secretary Vince Cable has warned of the serious consequences that Brexit could wreak on UK universities. Speaking at the University of Nottingham, Dr Cable identified a number of key concerns, which could leave universities as the “main casualties” of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

In a speech outlining her strategy for Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May announced her intention that British universities continue to benefit from EU funding schemes such as Horizon 2020, as part of her aim that Britain remains “one of the best places in the world for science and innovation” post-Brexit. However, Dr Cable doubts the feasibility of such a measure, with questions remaining over whether the EU will consider any British participation from outside the Union. It needs to be compatible with the Prime Minister’s intended withdrawal from the single market and non-commitment to free movement of people within the EU to control immigration.

Access to EU funding programmes will be maintained as long as the UK remains a member of the EU and until negotiations for its exit have been completed. Professor Luke Georghiou, the university’s Vice President for research and innovation, has emphasised the importance for the university’s researchers to “continue to take a full role while it is open for them to do so.”

The university has lobbied to retain access to the Horizon project and its successor after 2020 with an associated status after Brexit itself. For Prof Georghiou, such access needs to be high on the agenda when Brexit negotiations begin. “EU funds account for around 14 per cent of our research income, and as of last September we had secured £60m in grants from the programme,” he says.

He also commented on the Horizon scheme’s importance for Manchester, adding that unless the government fulfils its guarantee that the Treasury will pick up the shortfall of any funding lost due to Brexit, the loss of access to the £69m pot “would diminish our ability to perform high quality research and reduce our international influence.”

The possibility exists that the UK could continue to participate in such projects from outside the EU with an associated status, as is currently practised by countries, including Norway and Iceland, although the possible terms of such an arrangement will remain unknown until negotiations begin.

Professor Georghiou added that such a position would allow Britain to maintain the important “collaborative links” that international funding schemes provide, citing “the need to address transnational issues, the access to data and facilities it affords and the opportunity for early career researchers to circulate in Europe” as among the most important of these.

The question hanging over freedom of movement closely affects Manchester’s large numbers of EU students and participants in the £112m Erasmus scheme, which faces an uncertain future in the UK. Dr Cable identified a potential drop in the number of EU students at British universities as cause for future concern, and condemned the Prime Minister’s apparent lack of intention to negotiate for free movement in any form. He says that in doing so, she had missed an opportunity to prevent serious damage to universities. The university has confirmed that EU nationals already studying in Manchester and those who are due to start courses in 2017 will face no change to their fees or financial support throughout their degrees.

In response to Dr Cable’s claim that universities “are worrying themselves silly” over the insecurity hanging over the positions of their EU staff, a university spokesman emphasised that The University of Manchester “is, and will remain, not just a UK, but also a global university that embraces staff and students, and academic and business partnerships from across the world”. They also commented on the importance of continuing to “welcome and support our current and future staff and students from Europe and other continents and show them how much they are valued.”

Global News

Written by Mancunion on 27th January 2017. Posted in News.

Woman wins the lottery and shits on her boss’ desk

A woman from New York won $3,000,000 thanks to a jackpot lottery. As a consequence of getting that fortune, she decided to have a fabulous and copious dinner in a Mexican restaurant. Next Monday (after all the weekend containing her need to go the toilet) she went to her office as usual, but this time with a different purpose; shitting on her boss’ desk. When the boss came back to his office after lunch, he discovered his recently ex-employee shitting on his table. Her explanation for it: “I have been bearing your crap all these years, now it is time for you to bear mine.”

Trump deletes the Spanish version of the White House page

Twenty-four hours into his takeover as president of the United States on the 20th January, Trump deleted the Spanish version of the White House official website. ‘Page not found’ is all that can be read now on the page that was created in 2012 during Barack Obama’s presidency. He has also shut down the Spanish social networks accounts that the previous Government used. Besides this, others link with access to issues such as LGTB, climatic change, Cuba, and the nuclear pact with Iran have disappeared too.

La La Land success

La La Land, the new musical in which Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling have leading roles, is so far the film of the year, boasting the most Golden Globes Award wins in 2017. The film won all the awards that they were nominated for, a sum of seven, including best actor, actress, director and best film in the comedy/musical category. Damien Chazelle’s City of Stars has achieved fourteen Oscar nominations in thirteen different categories, with 2 of its songs ‘City of Stars’ and ‘The Audition’ competing for the same award. The film ties for the record with Titanic and All about Eve.

He finally chose life

T2 Trainspotting, the sequel of Danny Boyle’s 1996 classic film, has finally been released after 20 years. Trainspotting is based on the novel with the same title by the writer Irvine Welsh. Welsh published his own sequel, Porno, in 2002, in which the Scottish group move from heroin to pornography and the film is thought to follow a similar route. Fans have been teased so far as to its content, but the trailer shows Renton’s new monologue telling the viewer to choose life. The original cast are all set to appear.

Cold wave hits refugees

The United Nations has warned that refugees and migrants are dying of exposure to the bad weather that has hit Greece and the Balkans. The unusually cold wave in the Mediterranean and south-eastern Europe is due to a movement of cold air from Siberia which has reduced temperatures to 10 degrees Celsius lower than normal causing heavy snowfall. Thousands of refugees and migrants have been stuck in Greece since the Balkan countries closed their borders last spring, and are now living in shelters that are ill-adapted for a freezing winter like this year’s one in Greece.

You can be a baby seal ranger

The National Trust has advertised a job that involves playing with baby seals and puffins for a living. Nothing short of adorable, tasks include counting the 200 plus seal pups that are born on the reserve each year and looking after 37,000 pairs of puffins. Despite the remote nature of the island, it’s safe to say you’d never be lonely.
However one employee has spoken about the difficulty of the job. She said: “It’s not a job for the faint-hearted. All our water on the island has to be brought in by boat – and we’ve not got a washing machine. Rangers can end up marooned in their cottage during the seal mating season and the island’s thousands of Arctic terns are known for diving at people’s heads in a bid to defend their chicks.”

Giant Buddha emerges from lake

A giant Buddha carved into a cliff face has emerged after the Hongmen reservoir’s water level was lowered by 30 feet. After the project to renovate a hydro power gate had begun, the change in water levels revealed the figure, believed to be Gautama Buddha. The figure was alongside an imperial decree and is thought to date back to China’s Ming Dynasty. This has sparked an underwater detection project by a team of archaeologists, believing that a temple could have existed in the area, as the ancient town of Xiaoshi was once very important for trading. It was submerged in 1958 to create the reservoir.

Puppies rescued from deadly avalanche

Three puppies have been rescued after five days in the aftermath of the avalanche on the 18th January. They were found in the boiler room of a hotel in central Italy, which was destroyed by the avalanche. Nine people have also been pulled out alive, but the death toll had risen to 24 by the 25th of January. Five remain unaccounted for; presumed dead. Several earthquakes and lots of heavy snow have left thousands of people without electricity and emergency services working hard, with an emergency helicopter crashing in the same region, killing six people. The search is now nearing a close.

Puppy swallows eight inch knife

A Scottish twelve-week-old bull terrier called Macie has narrowly escaped death after swallowing an 8 inch knife. Her owner initially thought she had swallowed one of her squeaky toys after she was sick and started choking. However, the veterinarian discovered the long blade inside her, and surmised that she had only survived because she had swallowed the handle first and the knife had not pierced any of her organs. It had passed through her stomach and into her intestines, with emergency surgery needed to remove it. The lucky dog is now in full recovery.

Cameron pretends to shoot Johnson and Gove

David Cameron has revealed that he loves imagining the pheasants he shoots are named Boris or Michael. He is a keen game shooter and divulged this latest information at the World Economics Forum. When asked how he spends his time now that he is no longer Prime Minister, he said he has taken up shooting again and that he “find[s] that when I shoot a few Borises or Michaels I feel a whole lot better.” Perhaps it’s no surprise that he enjoys the thought of this, given their recent history.

New drug cocktail provides hope for Leukaemia therapy

Written by Serena Holloway on 27th January 2017. Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Scientists at the University of Manchester have successfully enhanced the survival of mice with lymphoma by using a novel combination of drugs. The team found that Obinutuzumab — the first-choice drug for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and leukaemia — is significantly more effective when used alongside drugs that stimulate the immune system.

Stimulation of the immune system was achieved by using a drug that activates a protein called TLR7. Results of the study, published in the journal Leukemia, found that combining obinutuzumab with TLR activation successfully eradicated tumours in mice and also prevented their return.

Professor Tim Illidge who led the research believes the results of this study in mice are “very promising”. He hopes that with further work, these findings could lead to improvements in the treatment of leukaemia and lymphoma in humans.

Illidge and his team explain that the success of this novel drug combination is a result of increased activity of two different cell types of the immune system, ‘natural killer cells’ and ‘CD4 helper T-cells’. However, in order to achieve optimal protection from the regrowth of tumours, ‘CD8 killer T-cells’ must also be activated. Therefore, the team are now looking at ways to also increase CD8 activity after obinutuzumab therapy.

Dr Justine Alford, a senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, suggests this may open doors to a new form of immunotherapy for people with cancer.

Cancer Research UK, who funded the project, alongside the Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund, report an average of 37 cases of NHL and and 26 of leukaemia being diagnosed in the UK everyday. Just like other cancers, NHL and leukaemia develop when a group of cells in the body grow out of control. Together, these cancers kill on average 26 people every day.

The study of cancer is one of the 6 research beacons of the University of Manchester; with collaboration alongside the NHS and organisations such as Cancer Research UK, researchers at the university hope to find a solution to one of the world’s biggest diseases.

NSS boycott threatens student economics society campaign

Written by Ethan Davies on 27th January 2017. Posted in News.

The University of Manchester’s Post-Crash Economics Society (PCES) has argued that the boycott of the National Student Survey (NSS), which is backed by the NUS and the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union, threatens one of their key methods of campaigning.

PCES encourage economics students to mark economics teaching down in the survey, hoping that the downward pressure from the Vice-Chancellor’s office on to the department will force some change.

Cahal Moran, the Chairman of PCES, arguing against the boycott of the NSS, said: “I would prefer students to fill out the NSS with a critical mindset than to boycott it”, with Hannah Dewhirst, Head of the PCES Conference Committee, adding “If the point of the NSS is to gain student feedback then I think it’s more effective to use it to give really negative feedback/highlight problems with the course. Also, not boycotting the NSS doesn’t mean we can’t simultaneously continue to campaign for another, better, kind of student feedback mechanism”. However, Moran did later recognise that a boycott could be justified as in his view, “the department clearly haven’t listened to the NSS”.

The boycott of the NSS is in response to the government’s plans to allow universities to increase tuition fees from September 2017, depending on their rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The TEF will use the results of the NSS to calculate the ratings of each university. According to their website, the NUS is “campaigning against any rise in fees and calling on the government to abandon its plans.”

Mr Moran, speaking to The Mancunion, said he recognises the fault in the TEF creating a situation where a boycott is considered an option. He says that, “ideally the TEF would not have to exist, but as things are hopefully it will shift the focus away from the TEF and mean universities have to respond more to the demands of students.”

The society aims to change the way economics is taught at university. In their quest to do so, they are attracting more attention than ever in the national media.

One major development has been the publication of a new book last October, ‘The Econocracy: The Perils of Leaving Economics to the Experts’. Moran describes it as a summary of “our main arguments about the state of economics and why it’s important for everyone that it should be changed.”

It was this book that saw The Financial Times photograph members of the society. Moran calls this “reinvigorating,” adding that,“often it can feel like little is changing in the day-to-day grind of campaigning, but things like the release of the book can help to keep the conversation about reforming economics education going, and hopefully to inform it a little.”

It is this use of the word “grind” that perhaps is most telling. Despite the media attention, very little has changed since PCES started in 2008. Moran blames “institutional inertia” for this lack of change, alongside “narrow demands of modern top-down research frameworks,” resulting in little plurality in the curriculum, even at the biggest university in the UK.

In spite of this, there have been some victories; BEconSc students can now opt to do a dissertation, as well as the introduction Diane Coyle’s course on the economics of public policy, which Moran is a tutor for. He admits that, “there is still a long way to go, but PCES are pushing for new modules on topics such as economic history and inequality,” in order to make the curriculum more relevant and engaging.

PCES is at interesting point in its recent history, with pressure mounts against the TEF and with an NSS boycott, PCES may need to find new ways to campaign for the change they want.

Responding to these criticisms the University of Manchester Students’ Union Exec team said: “The boycott is a tactic to influence the Teaching Excellence Framework and National Higher Education policy. We completely understand that students also use the NSS to critically analyse their course and to lobby the university. We would at any other time encourage them to do this.

“However there is a one time opportunity to make our voices heard over the TEF which will change Higher Education forever. In order to allow students to still have a voice, we are also launching the Manchester Student Survey which is similar to the NSS but will be used for genuine feedback to improve our education. The survey will launch on the 30th January and we encourage all student to fill it out (as it’s more valuable for ALL students to have their say, not just those who are about to leave), and especially final years, INSTEAD of the NSS.”

What is coming to Manchester’s theatres in semester two

Written by Elise Gallagher on 27th January 2017. Posted in Theatre.

There is a wealth of theatre coming to Manchester during semester two! Whether you are planning on going for a date, taking the parents out when they come to visit, or just fancy something slightly different. There is something on for everyone.

Educating Rita

Although the Octagon Theatre is a bit of a journey, Willy Russell’s classic is definitely worth your time. ‘Educating Rita’ follows mature student Rita as she is inspired to get her degree whilst battling life outside the campus, alongside her lecturer Frank.

When: January 19-February 11, Octagon Theatre.

Bat Out Of Hell

Written by Jim Steinman ‘Bat Out of Hell’ is a a story about rebellious youth and love set amongst the backdrop of a post-cataclysmic city adrift from the mainland. The musical is based on Meat Loaf’s best selling album of the same name and will be debuting in Manchester.

When: February 17-April 8, Manchester Opera House.

Funny Girl

Sheridan Smith leads the cast in this version of the Barbra Streisand classic, 50 years after it first shot Streisand to global fame. The audience will follow the comedic story of Fanny Brice and her dream of making it out of Brooklyn and onto Boradway. Hits include the classic ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ whilst further dates have been added as the show is set to return to Manchester in August, ending their tour where it began – here in Manchester.

When: February 18-25, Palace Theatre.

Not Today, Satan! : Bianca Del Rio

The self confessed ‘clown in a gown’ and star of RuPaul’s Drag Race is the alter ego of seasoned comic Roy Haylock, who is returning to Manchester with her tiny waist and foul mouth. ‘Not Today, Satan!’ is another joke style set as she discusses with her audience the past twelve months.

When: February 14, at Manchester O2 Apollo.

Cradle to Stage: Danny Baker

Broadcast legend Danny Baker is turning his hand to stand-up comedy with an adaptation of his most recent and much loved hit TV series ‘Cradle to the Grave’. The story takes us through Danny’s childhood and starred Peter Kay as his infamous docker dad, the TV series was also filmed in various locations around Manchester.
Aptly renamed ‘Cradle to the Stage’ the show promises a barrel load of laughs as well as the big style questions he famously poses on Radio 5.

When: February 18, at The Lowry.

The Suppliant Women

The Aeschylus classic is reinvented by David Greig with direction by Ramin Gray. In it, 50 women leave everything behind to board a boat in North Africa and flee across the Mediterranean. They are escaping forced marriage in their homeland, hoping for protection and assistance, seeking asylum in Greece.

When: March 10-April 1, Royal Exchange Theatre.

Humanity: Ricky Gervais

The man behind ‘The Office’, ‘Extras’, ‘An Idiot Abroad’, ‘Derek’, and many more, Ricky Gervais has already proved that he’s a funny man, but thirteen years and a trilogy of shows later he is back with show four: ‘Humanity’ – which is about to enjoy a national tour in 2017.

When: March 13-14, Manchester O2 Apollo.

Susan Hill’s The Woman In Black

Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt and directed by Robin Herford the West End favourite comes to the Lowry Theatre. The retelling of Hill’s tale follows a lawyer who becomes increasingly obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over him and his family when he visits a desolate village haunted by the spectre of a Woman in Black.

When: March 20-25, Lowry Theatre.

Jane Eyre

A massive hit at the National Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic collaboration comes to the Lowry Theatre which shows Charlotte Bronte’s heroine facing poverty, injustice, and betrayal in this timeless drama. Coincidentally, the classic book itself will celebrate the 170th year since it was first published.

When: April 8-15, Lowry Theatre.

Twelfth Night

Jo Davies takes hold of this Shakespeare comic classic in her Royal Exchange debut, addressing notions of gender, politics, and sense of belonging. Washed up on the shores of Illyria after a shipwreck, Viola hides her true identity by disguising herself as a man – but that’s only the beginning of her problems.

When: April 13-May 20, Royal Exchange Theatre.

Wonderland

TV and West End star Wendi Peters appears as The Queen of Hearts in this adaptation of the Alice In Wonderland story, while West End and Broadway superstar Kerry Ellis takes on the magical role of Alice. Labelled by the New York Times as “inspirational”, ‘Wonderland’ is a musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

When: April 24-30, Palace Theatre.

The Studio: How My Light Is Spent

Premiering in the Exchange’s studio, the production is directed by Liz Stevenson and has already won the Judges Award in the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwrighting. Alan Harris’ play is set in a small town in Walers and explores the somewhat curious relationship between the two protagonists: Jimmy and Kitty.

When: April 24-May 13, Royal Exchange Theatre.

Million Dollar Quartet

Already a dominant force in Broadway and the West End, ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ heads out on tour with Jason Donovan as the lead in a story that brings back the days of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.

When: May 15-20, Palace Theatre.

Thoroughly Modern Millie

Winner of six Tony Awards, including best musical, ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ is a comedy set in New York in 1922 and based on the award-winning film. Strictly Come Dancing’s Joanne Clifton stars as the loveable Millie.

When: May 22-27, Palace Theatre.

Operation Black Antler

As Cornerhouse and The Library Theatre became HOME, the pair scored quite a reputation for off-site experimental theatre, scoring awards for ‘Angel Meadow’ and ‘On Corporation Street’.
A joint project between four-times BAFTA nominated artists’ group Blast Theory and theatre company Hydrocracker, the production asks questions about the morality of state-sanctioned spying.

When: June 7-17, HOME.

Fatherland

Manchester International Festival’s new collaboration between Underworld’s Karl Hyde, Stockport playwright Simon Stephens, and Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham, examines conversations between Northern fathers and sons. The show will use the main theatre and other unconventional spaces in the venue, too.

When: July 1-15, Royal Exchange Theatre.

Sister Act

Directed and choreographed by Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood ‘Sister Act’ is making it’s return to the Palace after a triumphant run earlier this year. ‘Sister Act’ is the magical tale of nun on the run Deloris Van Cartier who is hidden in a convent after the singer is witness to a murder, starring X Factor winner Alexandra Burke.

When: July 24-29, Palace Theatre.

Student Manchester City tickets available in the Students’ Union

Written by Harry Newton on 25th January 2017. Posted in Sport.

Whilst here in Manhchester, make sure you make the most of it and visit every part of it! For your chance to go to one of the best stadiums in the country, to watch one of the world’s greatest teams, buy a Manchester City ticket from the Students’ Union helpdesk — for a subsidised student price.

With Manchester City bouncing back from a disappointing 4-0 loss at Everton, with a rousing performance against Tottenham Hotspur, Pep Guardiola’s team may just be beginning to click. With every game a big game, tickets are available for students from the Students’ Union helpdesk, when you buy with your student card.

Tickets for City’s Premier League tie against resurging Swansea City on the 5th of February: £16.

Tickets for City’s Champions League clash against high-flying Ligue 1 leaders, Monaco, on 21st of February: £21.

The Club will continue to be selling student priced tickets at the Students’ Union helpdesk throughout the season, so keep your eyes pealed for more big games.

NUS react to Ipsos MORI’s early release of the NSS

Written by Jennifer Sterne on 25th January 2017. Posted in News.

The National Student Survey (NSS) was emailed by Ipsos MORI to final year students before their institutions’ NSS release date, on the 19th of January, a move which has been criticised by the National Union of Students (NUS).

The NSS is aimed at final year undergraduates, and gathers their opinions on their experiences at their institutions. The NSS website sgates this is an “influential source of public information about higher education and gives students a powerful collective voice to help shape the future of their course and their university or college”.

The NUS is boycotting the NSS as the results of the survey will be one of the ways universities will be assessed on their teaching quality through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), along with dropout rates and graduate destinations and salaries.

Through the TEF universities will receive a bronze, silver or gold ranking, and these rankings will decide the levels of fee increases each institution can make, with the higher ranked being allowed to charge more.

In a recent article in The Guardian Sorana Vieru NUS Vice President (Higher Education), said: “The government has left us with no choice. We cannot stand by and allow misinterpreted student feedback to be used as a sly way of raising tuition fees. That is why, following students voting for this at our national conference, the NUS is coordinating a national boycott of the NSS.”

Vieru responded to the early release of the emails, arguing that this decision was made because “IPSOS MORI is bricking it”.

Vieru stated that “as more unions sign up to the NSS boycott weekly, the impact of mass student action is clearly being felt. It’s really quite concerning that IPSOS MORI are contacting students in advance of their institution’s NSS release date in order to promote the survey. It’s not standard practice, and it’s a clear indication that the boycott is working”.

She added that “students are busy revising for exams and doing their essays. They don’t need to be distracted by panicked pleas to fill out the NSS. There’s a simple solution to this, the government needs to drop the TEF”.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union is also boycotting the NSS, after a motion to join the boycott was passed through senate last semester.

In a statement to The Mancunion the University of Manchester Students’ Union said: “Final years have already been receiving emails from Ipsos MORI asking them to complete the National Student Survey (NSS). We resent that Ipsos MORI are pressuring students to focus on the NSS while stressful exams and assignments are going on.”

They have not yet officially launched their boycott campaign, explaining they “will be launching the campaign against the NSS #DontFillItIn this week once the exam period has wound down. In the meantime, we would encourage students to spend their time concentrating on their work, or taking it easy if they’re already finished. If you’re concerned with the NSS or want more information on why we’re campaigning against it, please don’t hesitate to contact us.”

The Mancunion contacted Sami Benyahia, Director of Higher Education (HE) Research at Ipsos MORI, but he declined to comment on the situation.

We have also contacted Jo Johnson for a comment, but are yet to receive a reply.

Moving to China is too good an opportunity to miss for footballers

Written by Harry Newton on 24th January 2017. Posted in Sport.

In an attempt to improve and promote their growing league, the Chinese Super League (CSL) have been throwing cash at high calibre players and managers from around the globe in order to bring them to China… and we are all royally pissed off about it.

Only British teams can buy their way to prominence. Diego Costa being offered a shed load of money to join Tianjin Quanjian has disgusted Chelsea fans. The same Chelsea fans that welcomed Roman Abramovic in 2003 when he took over the Club and bought the likes of Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Essien for large amounts of money to catch-up.

This is not going to turn into an article bombasting Chelsea for ‘buying the league.’ Ultimately, it was an investment into football that saw Chelsea prosper, football improve, and they have since turned over a profit. It is all a little unfair if you are a fan of a football Club that did not get a wealthy investor and have languished because of this, but there is no need for us to feel bitter. The point I am trying to make, however, is that what the CSL are doing, is not much different to what some English Clubs have done — paid lots of money to play catch-up.

Some notable footballers have moved to China in recent time: Oscar, Carlos Tevez, Hulk, Alex Teixeira, Jackson Martínez, Ramires, Axel Witsel, Graziano Pellè, Paulinho, and Demba Ba to name some of the most notable. Although it is argued that not many of these players — except perhaps Carlos Tevez — are the highest calibre of player, they are all still a higher quality of player than the CSL has seen. Even Sven-Goran Eriksson, Marcello Lippi, Luiz Felipe Scolari, and Manuel Pellegrini have joined the Chinese revolution as coaches.

Photo: Hangzhou Yellow Mountain – Harry Newton

Contrary to popular belief, money is not the only thing attractive about China. It is not like Jupiter FC have put in a four billion pound offer for a player, and that player is so money obsessed that he is moving all the way to Jupiter for the cash. China is a beautiful country. There are beautiful mountains and lakes, massive parks and countryside, and the variation of modern cities mixed with them. There is a rich culture, a fantastic sense of togetherness and respect, and some of the nicest food in the world.

Britain is also beautiful of course, and everybody loves a fish and chips, but we should not kid ourselves in thinking that China is some distant hovel players are being forced to move to because of the money offered. Furthermore, with such a thriving economy backing football in China, it shows no signs of slowing down.

It is all the more an attractive proposition when you are being offered a beautiful country and a hefty wage packet, but of course the CSL is nowhere near the standard of British football. British football Clubs and fans alike have allusions of grandeur, as they often describe the Premier League as the ‘best league in the world.’ They are completely livid that anybody would leave our fantastic league for anywhere else.

Personally, I think there is just as much footballing quality in the German and Spanish leagues — even the Italian league is not far behind. Labelling the Premier League as the ‘best league in the world’ is beyond debatable. However, there is no doubt that the CSL is not up to the same level… but what’s to say that without an injection of cash, it couldn’t be?

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Moving to China offers footballers the chance to be part of something that could really take off, to be part of history. We often see Sky Sports run specials on the glittering careers of players in the Premier League history; Ryan Giggs, Alan Shearer, Fernando Torres etc. (although they don’t often glorify players from before the 1992 ‘rebirth’ but that’s a discussion for another day).

A move to China offers players the opportunity to make themselves the Ryan Giggs of Chinese football — to be a hero to millions in a football-loving country. David Beckham did something similar when he moved to America during their ‘re-branding’ period, creating himself to be a Hollywood brand – so there is definite evidence that players moving to China can gain hero status.

The CSL’s recent regulations have restricted teams from shopping abroad too often. The CFA have announced that Clubs can field a maximum of three foreign players, and that one Chinese player under 23 must start every game, and another be in the match day squad. This may slightly curb the evolution of the Chinse League, along with transfer and wage caps expected to come into play.

Or perhaps, this is China’s answer to evolving their national team and League simultaneously. England currently have a problem where the top Clubs’ youth prospects are struggling to break into the first team. Pep Guardiola stated that this is linked with the lack of competitive football in the youth leagues. A resolution to the problem, however, could come in the shape of a similar rule to that of the CSL.

There are more than a few powers at play in the Chinese Super League debate. Is the intensity of football up to standard? Is this purely a discussion over wealth? Is there a chance these players could become part of history? No idea — but in the next couple of decades we will find out.

Interview: Lizzie Nunnery

Written by Brogen Campbell on 24th January 2017. Posted in Theatre.

Lizzie Nunnery has embarked on a dual-career, for the past ten years she works as a playwright and a singer-songwriter. The Liverpudlian’s debut play, Intemperance, was an accomplished drama about Liverpool’s Irish-Scandinavian underclass, written in the style of her literary hero, Henrik Ibsen. It appeared at the Everyman in 2007 when Nunnery was 25, shortly before her first album Company of Ghosts made it to Radio 2’s folk records of the year. Nunnery takes her new play Narvik to Manchester’s HOME theatre.

How did you first come up with the idea to write the play Narvik?
It was through conversations with Hannah at Box of Tricks. We worked together on a couple of other things and she suggested to me over a cup of tea about four years ago that she would be interested in bring together the music that I make and the playwriting that I do. We wanted to create a play with songs. From the start actually she was really interested in doing something quiet ambitious with the music, so it wouldn’t just be a scene and then a song. Both of us always wanted the music to thread through the play almost like a live sound track. That was really exciting for me from the start.

We began with that and then started talking about existing ideas I might have for stories. My grandfather was in the artic convoys in the Second World War and for a long time I had an idea that I would like to write a story that was inspired by his experiences. Not a true story because it’s nice to be freer than when you are writing, but something that draws upon his strange and particular war that he had. It’s an unusual version of the war that a lot of people don’t know about. As soon as I came up with that and started to talk to Hannah about it, we quickly realised that memories as a theme and music go together really well.

There is a particular relationship between music and memory. A song immediately takes you back to a certain place or a certain person. So that’s how we structured the songs through the play. They occur in naturalistic contexts. A character might sing to one. For instance, the central characters father sings him songs when he was a little boy, but when those songs come back later they are slightly transformed and immediately bring back that memory of the father. It started to make sense and we did a lot of development. We had days where we had walls covered in maps and lists of ships. We did loads of research into the Second World War and those sailors and really started to piece it all together.

So what came first the songs or the script?
They happened at once. I found that as I was writing the script I was getting ideas for lyrics and initially writing them in quite a rough way, then really redrafting the lyrics as I was redrafting the dialogue. I was living with ideas and melodies that were going round and round in my head. It became a bit more solid over time. In 2015 we got into rehearsals for the first run of the play that was in the Liverpool Playhouse. Myself and the three musicians who are in the play took the bare bones of the songs and arranged them and expanded them and developed them further. Creating compositions beyond the songs that threaded through the play. This aided transitions through the scenes. All the performers, the three actors and three musicians are on the stage throughout. The actors sing and play percussion too so in a way everyone is part of the music. The music is present all the time. The music is a storytelling tool.

How long did the process take you to write the play?
I think it took me roughly four years. We did a 10 minute version in the Everyword Festival in Liverpool, which was about four years ago. I wrote that incredibly quickly. I wrote the first song for that piece. The Everyman Theatre wanted to stay involved as we developed the piece so that’s why Narvik did its first run there. So from that 10 minute version we did a week’s development with three actors at the playhouse. At that point we had 40 minutes. That was a lovely way to work to cut things there in the room and get the actors to try things out. From there I went away and did a full draft. It’s been a lovely process as a writer. I’ve never felt rushed. Everyone has been really tuned in to what we want to achieve and the point of inspiration. We’ve always had the same ambitious for it

What is your standard approach to writing a play?
I think every play is different. I don’t have a standard approach to writing all my plays. It changes depending on the idea of the play.

What is the overall main aim of the play?
I think the ambition was to treats live music in an unusual way through its form in the play. The other ambition was to put this little unknown part of World War Two on stage to show what these men lived through. Bigger than that I think there is a question at the centre of the play about identity and morality. What defines a person? Ultimately the character (Jim) says you are what you do. This along with the idea of how do we reconcile ourselves with the past are central to the play.

Were you keen to make sure this play based on history was relevant to a contemporary audience?
Yes because I think the only way to make a history play work is if it is relevant to now. It’s got to answer that question of why now? Why this story on the stage now? I actually think it is more relevant since 2015. The themes of moral confusion and the relationships between different countries, the idea of different countries being tangled up with each other, how far they are and shouldn’t be? All these themes feel really relevant to today. I keep hearing that we live in a post-truth age and I do feel like it’s a moment of slight bewilderment. We don’t know who to trust in the world. Or how to interpret the world necessarily at this point? I feel those ideas are tied up with the central character who is unsure of himself and everything around him. He doesn’t know where he stands in this conflict. Is he the good guy, bad guy or something in-between? I think it has been quite fortuitous.

What advice would you give to young writers?
The huge thing for me was taking part in the young writers programme at the Everyman Theatre. I would recommend people to join groups like that and attend these courses. Join all the mailing lists for literary departments and theatres that are local to them. Just keep an eye out for opportunities. I do think in theatre so much is based on, one, a relationship with people who run those theatres and two, an understanding of the work they produce and the audience they cater to. You can only really do that by getting in the building. Make sure you see lots of shows. Work out how you can enter into a conversation with these theatres. Beyond that, just keep writing. Keeping writing until you have a finished play that you can slam on people’s desks, so you can prove how good you are. This will give you a calling card to say here I am, a writer and here’s my script.

Why should people see Narvik?
It’s a really gripping love story with a really surprising ending. It has great momentum to it. It rockets along. Lots of pace and energy. I’m very proud of the music. The cast are phenomenal. A beautiful set.

What else are you working on currently?
I’m redrafting a play called ‘The Sum’ which will be going on in May at Liverpool Everyman. Writing a play for the Royal Exchange studio to be performed in April. I’m also creating in collaboration with other brilliant people a piece of live poetry and music for the Unity Theatre to celebrate 50 years since the Mersey Sound.

Lizzie Nunnery’s play Narvik is being performed at HOME Theatre from the 31st of January to the 4th February. You can buy tickets here.

Manchester City 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Written by Harry Newton on 21st January 2017. Posted in Sport.

With Liverpool losing at the hands of a Swansea City resurgence, and Manchester United only just salvaging a point against Stoke City, the door was left wide open for Tottenham and Manchester City to take advantage and climb the table. A frustrating day for the Blues left them with a point, whilst Tottenham will feel much the happier of the two.

If this game was a film… La La Land

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Okay a loose link this week. That’s half because of my lack of originality, and half because I really, really, really wanted to tell you all about this very cute thing that Pep Guardiola did. For his birthday on Wednesday he took some of the team, including Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sané, who played excellently today, to the Printworks to all watch La La Land together. You know why? Because musicals are cool and I don’t want to hear you say otherwise!

InSané Performance

Leroy Sané had a particularly impressive performance from start to finish, as his skill was matched by his positional ability! The German under-21 international was put back into the team to hit Spurs with pace. Along with Raheem Sterling, they worked magic for the first half, as the Spurs defence could not handle their pace. Sané opened the scoring, after asking for Kevin de Bruyne to loop the ball over to him. He did. Hugo Lloris came rushing out but got a migraine on the way, so Sané could simply tap the ball past him into an open goal.

Flappy Birds

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

You know when they deleted Flappy Birds and you could sell your phone for millions on eBay if it was still downloaded? Hugo Lloris’ price-tag went up a few million that day too. After an almighty blunder for Leroy Sané’s goal, Lloris was consistent as he did it again for Kevin de Bruyne’s goal. Raheem Sterling drilled the ball across the six-yard box and Lloris comfortably collected the ball. Then he remembered the Snickers he’d left out of the fridge at home, and wondered if it had melted. He dropped the ball and de Bruyne tapped in.

Comeback

Against the run of play Tottenham got themselves a goal from courtesy of a Dele Alli header. A beauty of a cross from Kyle Walker landed on Alli’s head and there was nothing that Claudio Bravo could have done. Alli had moments before pushed Nicolas Otamendi to the ground; many in the stadium called for a red. A red would have been harsh though.

Frustration

I used to play Frustration with my sister and then storm off when I couldn’t do it. I think a lot of fans in the Etihad Stadium today almost did very similar when the referee Andre Marriner did not spot a clear shove on Raheem Sterling when through on goal. Sterling managed to stay on his feet but it put him off balance and the shot went straight to Lloris. It was a clear penalty, that Kyle Walker admitted to after the game. Sixty seconds later Son had scored at the other end and the Blues fans were sick to the stomach.

Jesus Cameo

On for his debut, Gabriel Jesus came on for the last ten minutes. Within two minutes he’d got on the end of a Kevin de Bruyne cross and scored! The crowd went wild, and Jesus celebrated madly running around the stadium. Jesus was actually in an Uber home still high fiving people out the rolled-down window, when he realised that it was offside. Despite that though, Jesus really impressed in his little cameo, showing speed, skill and that killer instinct. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s made of, but also to make lots of near-the-line-Jesus-puns throughout the rest of the season.

Chances

There were masses of chances for City, especially in the first half. A personal favourite being when right back Pablo Zabaleta almost scored with a long range effort! The Argentinian isn’t best known for his goals but de Bruyne pulled back from a corner and he drilled it just wide.

Quotes of the Presser

PEP GUARDIOLA:

“When we miss a lot of chances, the referee doesn’t matter… I know you like honest people and I think Walker was, and Raheem was” — on the penalty decision that was not given by the referee. Kyle Walker admitted to pushing Sterling after the game.

“After Everton, we were out [of the Premier League title race]” then he added that he was still never going to give up.

“I am sad for the players again because when we play shit, I say we play shit, but it has not been the case for a few games… maybe in the future this will make the club stronger… these kinds of games these kind of situations.”

“We performed outstanding. It was déjà vu game.”

Presidential pondering: A philosophical analysis

Written by Mark Montegriffo on 21st January 2017. Posted in Opinion.

Obama’s 2008 election was probably the first time so many of the millennial generation followed politics in any detail. Personally, the momentous campaign drew me in from the start. America’s financial instability just prior to Obama taking office had enormous implications to the functioning of the world economy; the American middle-class family was under threat and the working-class family faced virtually insurmountable odds to recovery.

But the Obama campaign rallied around the idealism of hope, the spirit of American perseverance and the brave inclusive responsibility that was required. What followed was, undoubtedly, eight years of mature and consequential governing, whether you feel Obama’s administration was a net benefit or a net loss (I happen to take the prior view).

These lessons from the grafting experience of holding a government together in one of America’s most turbulent periods in national politics were taken on board and fully accepted by the Hillary Clinton campaign. But this acceptance turned out to be of less relevance than analysts and academics had suggested. Indeed, Clinton was the perfect opponent for Trump who, much like the Leave campaign in the UK, managed to galvanise the ‘left behind’ — a significant group of the electorate that felt ignored by the political establishment.

As Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek’s interpretation of Walter Benjamin’s old thesis goes: “Behind every fascism is a failed revolution.” Without descending (or ascending, as the case may be) into an indulgent adaptation of Hegelian political philosophy, it is certainly an apt diagnosis of the clutch moment in politics we are experiencing.

The radical centre that stand for what now seem like banally accepted liberal values are completely and explicitly serving the interest of a Western neo-liberal capitalism. As Tariq Ali describes them, they have become victims of their own success in perpetuating their established power.

Much like the 1930s, moderate orthodoxy has not provided satisfying answers to the economic problems (as well as fears of security and war) that have lingered even after a recovery from crisis. What remains from the rubble is a direct confrontation between two radicalisms – in this case, it is Trump’s authoritarian American exceptionalism versus a Sanders-esque, 21st century ethical socialism. On one hand, we have a strongman who subverts established public morality as an unapologetically vulgar and arrogant businessman, and on the other, a long-time campaigner of social rights movements. The only similarity between them is that they challenge the lethargic stupor of political elites, as figures of the Leave campaign did in the UK right, and Corbyn did on the UK left.

Hence, this dichotomy is not limited to the US election. But it is also not limited to the current political climate: similar scenarios have occurred since Plato’s time. In fact, Plato’s Republic brings to light the contradiction in democracy that is evident in the post-truth populism we are now seeing (there is an argument that all political theories run into contradictions after they have been accepted as default ‘truths’ for a while).

In Plato’s dialogue, Socrates asserts that “tyranny is probably established out of no other regime than a democracy.” His argument was centred on the values that democracy purports — equality and freedom. As democracy grows and more freedom and equality is achieved in all sectors of society but economic inequality remains, it runs the risk of repealing itself. Every kind of inequality that is left in this gradually liberalising society is despised, and elites are treated as suspect and conspiratorial.

This is fertile ground for a tyrant-in-waiting to mobilise a cult following and offer up himself as the sole solution. This is where the autocracy and rule-by-decree begins. People can ‘rest easy’ knowing that there is a powerhead that will rejuvenate the nation. They no longer have to worry about the state of democracy, because it has turned in on itself.

Fact and truth become subservient to national interest and rhetoric and the appearance of power takes precedence over diplomacy and long-term politicking. Most importantly, with Trump, the façade of ‘draining the swamp’ is more impactful than the fact that, during his oath of office, he was virtually hand-in-hand with the elites of the Republican Party and transnational corporations. If this does not remind you of Orwell’s Animal Farm, it is time to read it again.

In an attempt to be terse, Trump is repulsive. But it is these indictments to a political system that should act as motivation to change it. If the state of politics were eternally blissful, there would be no reason for anybody to feel righteous indignation or interest in playing a part in changing it for the better. This is why one can envisage a counter-attack from the millions of Sanders supporters, who would do a good job to provide a vision for people that will see that Trump is a fraud when he cannot deliver on the high expectations he continues to provide for himself.

Further suggestive of the possibility of a pendulum swing in US politics is this analysis by Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times during inauguration week: “Voters are fickle and promiscuous, suffering an eight-year itch for a fling with someone who is the opposite of their last infatuation. Sick of Bill Clinton, we turned to a Texas governor who was utterly different. Eight years later, weary of George W. Bush, we elected his polar opposite, a liberal black law professor. And now we’ve elected Obama’s antipode.” Perhaps Trump’s antipode awaits…

Tracks of the week: 16th January

Written by Joe Casson on 21st January 2017. Posted in Music.

‘Tummy Ache’ – Diet Cig

New York ‘slop-pop’ duo have always been happy to call people out for their nonsense over the course of their short career so far, but on ‘Tummy Ache’, the new single from their forthcoming debut Swear I’m Good at This, things feel a little different. Singer Alex Luciano’s charming yelp is as compelling as ever, but here the riffs are grungier and the subject matter weightier. Leaving snobby ex-boyfriends and lousy dinner dates in the past, here Luciano is all about ‘radical softness’ and the difficulties associated with carving out her own space in the macho DIY punk scene. With songs this good, Diet Cig and like-minded contemporaries PWR BTTM just might succeed.

‘Star Roving’ – Slowdive

Though they’ve been touring the the last few years, it’s been twenty-two years since Slowdive last put out any new music. Comeback track ‘Star Roving’ overlooks the experimentation that characterised their swansong, 1995’s Pygmalion, and looks back to the loud, reverberating shoegaze that they made their name on. The return of beloved bands is always an intimidating prospect, but this track oozes confidence: after a bright, minute-long introduction that adds layer after layer of guitars, the track introduces a driving rhythm and soaring vocals. It’s considerably brighter and more anthemic than anything else they’ve put out before. Unfortunately, it’s curiously bloodless: lacking any of the queasy romance and weightless feel that made their prior peaks so memorable, this track ends up feeling like a somewhat generic alternative-rock song.

‘Wild Fire’ – Laura Marling

A new cut from upcoming album Semper Femina, this track takes a few steps away from Marling’s characteristically English folk towards the sweet soul of the USA. Borrowing some vocal affectations from Bob Dylan, Marling complements the song with some clean guitars and soft keyboards, giving the song a warm and laid-back tone. Marling comes across as a wise figure imparting some wisdom on those around her: she sings “you want to get high? You overcome those desires before you come to me”, promising “I can take that all away”. In a press release, Marling explains; “I started out writing Semper Femina as if a man was writing about a woman. And then I thought…I don’t need to pretend it’s a man to justify the intimacy of the way I’m looking and feeling about women”, suggesting a subversion of traditional musical tropes in favour of an empathetic approach that is well complemented by the warm instrumentation on this song.

‘New York’ – Peter Silberman

It’s been a long time since anybody’s heard the Antlers frontman Peter Silberman sing in such a sparse context, having been happier to surround himself with soulful brass, post-rock bluster and hazy electronics for his full-band efforts. For his upcoming solo record Impermanence, Silberman strips things down and puts his silky, fragile voice at the forefront, accompanied by softly reverbed guitars and some swelling strings at the song’s climax. Once again he is lonely and pensive, on this track ruminating over half-memories of New York, a city that fits with the album’s titular theme. It’s comforting to know that, coming from a band better known for their complex, fussed-over instrumentals, that Silberman can be just as compelling in the format of a stripped-down ballad.

‘I Don’t Ever Wanna Leave California’ – Allison Crutchfield

After spending most of her musical career sharing the spotlight with her sister and sometimes-collaborator Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee or her former band Swearin’, Allison Crutchfield is finally stepping out of their shadow to release some music under her own name. Turns out it’s surprisingly sunny: she’s ditched the stormy punk of her previous projects for surf guitars, lilting vocals and sugary keyboards. It’s a surprisingly flattering change of style, if highly reminiscent of her sister’s foray into bright, keyboard driven pop on the Waxahatchee song ‘La Loose’. Apparently this is a big week for location-based metaphors, because alongside Peter Silberman’s ruminations on New York, Crutchfield uses California as a metaphor for a relationship that’s long been past its prime but she can’t bring herself to end anyhow: “I’m really starting to hate you and anyways I am looking to move…I keep confusing love and nostalgia.”

Album: The xx – I See You

Written by James Gill on 21st January 2017. Posted in Music.

Released 13th January via Young Turks

7/10

I See You is the third album from the London based indie band The xx. Surging into stardom in the late 2000’s, The xx is known for minimalistic production and sedated beats. However, this latest effort is their most musically complex to date.

With each subsequent release, it becomes obvious that Jamie XX is incorporating more and more electronic elements into the band’s tracks. Their self titled debut album was noted for using very few artificial components, employing a laid back acoustic style. The follow up, Coexist, a more atmospheric work, is a perfect middle ground between the two.

A key difference between this album and those before it is the use of samples. In order to easily transition from studio to concert, Jamie and co previously restricted the variety of their arrangements, however this is not the case for I See You. Using samples has allowed them to create a sound which is not only catchy but also familiar, and as a result we see some surprisingly lively tracks such as lead single ‘On Hold’. Released at the tail end of 2016, ‘On Hold’ wonderfully samples Hall and Oates’ 1981 hit ‘I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)’, becoming by far the poppiest track in The xx’s discography.

Another new aspect is the use of additional accompaniment. The ballad ‘Performance’ beautifully uses strings to add to its emotional nature, discussing the illusion of pretending to be fine when in reality everything is falling apart. Furthermore, ‘Lips’ has a wonderful choral backing which is unlike anything we’ve seen from them before. Featuring a sample of David Lang’s ‘Just’, guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley Croft explained how the lyrics were written around the beat, which presented them with new challenges.

Unfortunately, there are a few minor issues in the album, most notably the sudden endings to a few of the songs such as ‘A Violent Noise’ and ‘Say Something Loving’. It comes off as lazy songwriting and is immensely disappointing given the excellent build-ups present. Additionally the vocal chemistry between Romy and Oliver seems nonexistent at times, especially in ‘Say Something Loving’. This leads to the emotive and often hard-hitting lyrics not having as much of an impact as intended.

Shortcomings aside, I See You is the xx’s best album to date. They seem to be taking more risks by increasing the number of layers used and it pays off, creating a more mature and compositionally richer sound. The finale, ‘Test Me’, is a testament to the band’s previous struggles and a signal that they are far from finished.

Live: Shura

Written by Cassie Hyde on 21st January 2017. Posted in Music.

9th December at Academy 2

5/10

After releasing her debut album earlier in the year, Shura rounded off her year in her home town. Between asides to the crowd about growing up in ‘Alty’, she played a set of her own brand of synth-pop. From the first song, it was clear why Shura has been on heavy rotation both at Radio 1 and 6 Music: the easily accessible pop music fits well into the Radio 1 A and B lists whilst Shura’s unique queer perspective in her lyrics appeals to the 6 Music crowd.

Yet the music often has interesting textures adding more complexity to her radio-friendly dance pop. Queer lyrics are in plentiful supply, the song ‘311215’ features a quiet spoken word interlude and the ending to ‘2Shy’ sounds like early U2. There are definitely enough interesting elements to get your teeth into. But barely.

The main problem with the show, and Shura’s music in general, is that there isn’t enough to get into. She has her moments sure, but after half a dozen very similar songs about heartbreak and love in a row, her queer perspective stops being a perspective and becomes a novelty. It stops being interesting and, since novelties tend to wear off, you end up being left with not very much. Just simplistic synth pop.

The band’s stage presence doesn’t help matters either. Make no mistake, Shura is often funny and charming, but when you and your band stand static onstage, you don’t add anything extra to your performance. However, you did get the sense that Shura did feel passionate about her final show of 2016, especially when playing to a home crowd. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to keep the ultimately disappointing show interesting.

Live: The Julie Ruin

Written by Cassie Hyde on 21st January 2017. Posted in Music.

4th December at Gorilla

7.5/10

As a punk performer, you’d think Kathleen Hanna may be struggling in 2016. With her band Bikini Kill, she was the figurehead of the Riot Grrrl movement of ’90s DIY music, not to mention being a poster child for third wave feminism. Now Riot Grrrl is twenty-five years old, and Hanna now has the decidedly non-punk matter of a ‘legacy’ to contend with. This leaves many artists crushed by the weight of their past successes: fans are left disappointed, crestfallen that they’re not as good as they were ‘back in the day’.

However, The Julie Ruin are the exception to this rule. The most commendable thing about the show was how it never felt like a victory lap. Old ground was never covered. Hanna talked openly about Trump (her brand of political punk rock runs deep), but also the election in Austria and the tragic fire at DIY venue The Ghost Ship in Oakland, CA. There was no trying to be relevant: The Julie Ruin are relevant!

The music played throughout the night was also diverse. Ranging from standard garage rock in songs such as ‘I Decide’ and ‘Mr So and So’, to the dancey, electroclash style of Le Tigre in ‘Time Is Up’. The highlight of the show was the set closer of ‘Rebel Girl’. It may be Hanna’s biggest song, but seeing it being played never felt like an obligation or a chore for them. Hanna and the crowd sung it as loud and energetic as possible, not caring who was watching.

Overall, what stuck out about The Julie Ruin is their unabashed enthusiasm. Even on occasional slip-ups, mainly a butchered version of Courtney Barnett’s ‘Pedestrian At Best’, it’s hard to judge them too harshly. With Hanna wigging out in every song, and Kenny Mellman, the keyboardist, thrashing the keys in a shirt and shorts covered in rainbows and dolphins, how can you not enjoy them play?

Album: The Flaming Lips – Oczy Mlody

Written by Cassie Hyde on 21st January 2017. Posted in Music.

If The Flaming Lips are experts in anything, it would be experimental, psychedelic music. So, when frontman Wayne Coyne described their new album, Oczy Mlody, as “Syd Barrett meets A$AP Rocky … trapped in a fairy tale from the future”, you can tell this is an accurate assessment. Oczy Mlody combines together 60s style psychedelic guitars, along with distorted drum machines, with limited success.

The highlight of the album is its four singles. ‘How??’ feels like the Blade Runner soundtrack smashed together with Pink Floyd’s The Wall. ‘The Castle’ is an unashamedly just the Rolling Stone’s ‘She’s A Rainbow’ with heavy electronic drums, but it works well. The best track of the four is ‘We A Family’. With Miley Cyrus’ distorted vocals, colourful melodies and spidery guitar riffs, this track’s a total romp. The reason these singles work so well is that this is where the Flaming Lips’ ambitions are on full display. Syd and A$AP do meet and they are indeed throwing a giant party.

On the other hand, much of rest of the album is made up of experimental instrumentals. Those that work well feel cinematic: the titular opening track ‘Oczy Mlody’ is a short, ambient track, reminiscent of the cold, creepy electronic score from John Carpenter films. ‘Galaxy I Sink’ combines tremolo-heavy, reverbating guitar work with overwhelming horns and strings, making something that’s straight out of Sergio Leone western.

However, whilst the instrumental type tracks are experimental and ambiguous, most of them don’t work. ‘One Night While Hunting for Faeries and Witches and Wizards to Kill’ is six minutes long and is decidedly one-note. ‘Listening to the Frogs With Demon Eyes’ is seven and a half minutes long, and all you end up wondering is “Where is this going?”, only to realise it’s not going anywhere and you never want to listen to it again. Just dull.

Partly why these tracks are so frustrating is because there is a genuinely good, 40 minute album in here somewhere. The four singles are great and the instrumentals that stick the landing really add something to Oczy Mlody. Yet, these tracks add nothing to the album and only end up disrupting the flow that this album may have had. Overall, it is a good album, but barely.

6/10

MUFC Ratings: Manchester United vs Liverpool

Written by Magnus Henderson on 20th January 2017. Posted in Sport.

The faceoff between two of the most historically successful clubs in England was always going to attract attention. This time, however, both Manchester United and Liverpool are just a few steps away from getting back to their ‘historic’ best. Going into the fixture, United boasted a nine match winning streak in all competitions while Liverpool, despite faltering recently, looked daunting up in third place. Although, with this rivalry, form really does mean nothing. In the 80’s, the Red side from Manchester often stole points off the Scousers, while they repaid that favour in the 90’s, despite not being as strong.

Jose Mourinho, after rotating his side for Reading and Hull City, reverted back to his strongest starting eleven from the past two months. From a tactical point of view, however, Jürgen Klopp had done his homework. The German knew that if he targeted his ‘gegenpressing’ on Michael Carrick’s distribution then he could cut off United’s counter attacks before they began. This worked effectively for Liverpool, and they subsequently dictated the tempo for much of the first half.

When Paul Pogba was pressured into handling the ball inside the area, the ever reliable James Milner dispatched his

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penalty confidently and gave Liverpool the advantage heading into the break. Mourinho sent on Wayne Rooney, chasing a record-breaking 250th goal, for Carrick in the second half to ‘reverse the pyramid’ of United’s midfield and counter Liverpool’s high press. The Portuguese’s in-game management switched the momentum of the game back into the Red Devil’s favour, and Mourinho’s men managed to dominate the chances and territory for the rest of the game.

United managed to scrape one goal back, courtesy of a smartly cushioned Zlatan Ibrahimović header, but could not break through Liverpool’s deep defensive line for a second time. A 1-1 result was a fair reflection on both teams and will probably be accepted by both teams’ fans at this stage in the season. United still have a long way to go if they want to disrupt the current teams in Champions League positions, while Liverpool slipped further behind the rampant Chelsea in their bid for the title.

Player Ratings

GK: David De Gea: 8

Was called upon too many times for comfort, commanded his penalty area with real authority, and made some very good saves in both halves. His distribution, in particular, was fantastic as his kicks and throws were often at the beginning of promising United counter attacks.

RB: Antonio Valencia: 8

One of only a few United players who could walk away with full confidence that they had put in a shift. Very solid defensively against the rotating forwards that he faced. Valencia made the joint most tackles of any defender on the pitch (3) and was one of United’s most dangerous attacking outlets. His cross to Ibrahimović for the equaliser exhibited his smart offensive positioning and composure. The Ecuadorian has deserved his contract extensive for his sublime consistency this season.

RCB: Phil Jones: 7

A very decent game from the player who was so close to leaving the club last summer. Jones has showed consistency this season, however, the ex-Blackburn Rovers defender showed that he is not completely dependable yet. His loss of concentration in the 25th minute led to Liverpool’s corner which soon after became a penalty. Other than that, Jones won the second most aerial duels of any player on the pitch (7) whilst putting in two tackles and three interceptions along the way.

LCB: Marcos Rojo: 7

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It feels slightly uncomfortable to type this but Rojo was a much needed addition to the first team against Liverpool. His no-nonsense style helped United out of a few sticky situations, making a gigantic twelve clearances in the process. The Argentine looks more composed on the ball than he ever has before, which helped United play out of Liverpool’s aggressive pressing.

LB: Matteo Darmian: 7

Looked reasonably comfortable defensively but struggled to support Antony Martial effectively at the opposite end of the pitch. His reluctance to overlap with penetrative runs often means that United switch the play to Valencia, who can make those direct runs. With Luke Shaw set for another chance at the left back position, it looks unlikely that Darmian will be as depended upon as he has been for the previous two months.

CDM: Michael Carrick: 5

Really struggled in his regista role against Liverpool’s ‘gegenpressing’. His pace and inability to shift the ball quickly saw him dispossessed a dangerous amount of times, which led to his subsequent substitution for Wayne Rooney at half time. The Geordie excels when he has more time on the ball, something Mourinho will have to remember the next time United face a high pressure opposition.

RCM: Ander Herrera: 8

Like Valencia, Herrera has become one of Mourinho’s dependable men, along with Zlatan and Pogba. His dynamism and industry in the middle helped paper over the horror show performances of Pogba and Carrick. Made the joint most tackles of anyone on the pitch (5) and the joint most interceptions (4). At the opposite end of the pitch the Spaniard played a good ball into Henrikh Mkhitaryan just before half time which should have led to a United equaliser.

LCM: Paul Pogba: 4

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A shadow of the figure who strutted over Old Trafford so confidently over the last two months. Had the worst pass accuracy of any United player at 71%, was dispossessed a further three times on top of that and gave away the penalty with a needless handball. Completed zero dribbles and zero key passes, which is very unlike the Frenchman. Pogba, and his fans, will be hoping this was a one-off with his haircut now being paraded around the Old Trafford advertisement boards like a new global sponsor.

RM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 6

A very ‘meh’ game from the Armenian who tore Tottenham Hotspurs apart just over a month ago. While his direct running and subtle movement created plenty of attacking opportunities, his sloppiness often let him down. Should have scored at the end of the first half and was moved to an auxiliary left back role during the second half, where, surprisingly, he looked his most effective. Was dispossessed the joint most of anyone on the pitch (6).

LM: Antony Martial: 6

Like Mkhitaryan, Martial had an up and down game. Started very brightly with his weaving runs but ran out of ideas very quickly when his dribbles were not coming off. Made a hospital pass in the 25th minute which very nearly put United in a deep hole. Was hauled off by Mourinho at the hour mark for the more insightful Juan Mata.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimović: 7

While Ibra’s lack of movement can be infuriating at times, his genius is subtle, as shown again against Liverpool. Almost scored from a bullet free kick in the 32nd minute and managed to grasp United’s equaliser with a stooping header of underrated difficultly.

Subs

Wayne Rooney: 6

Added more steel to United’s attacking link-up play and got involved from the get-go. Missed a few half chances but put in a very good cross for Fellaini to head against the post. Still looks unlikely to be a regular starter for the Red Devils.

Juan Mata: 6

Came on a drifted around seamlessly, picking good forward passes to Ibrahimović and Rooney. Was unable to add the touch of quality which United needed to steal all three points.

Marouane Fellaini: N/A

Sent on as Mourinho’s favourite ‘hoofball’ option, and actually worked wonders. His header which came back off the upright led to Ibrahimović tucking away the equaliser. His physicality and presence gave United the edge in the final 15 minutes.

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Month: January 2017