Month: November 2017

Interview: The Rills

Written by Yasmin Duggal on 20th November 2017. Posted in Music.

In a cluttered green room at the back of indie bar Jimmy’s NQ, The Rills squeezed into a tiny sofa, spirits sky-high from their electric show which had dazzled with punk swagger, an undertone of politics and an indie camaraderie…

Great show guys — we loved it. Can you tell us a bit about how the band got together?

Mitch: Well me and Charlie went to secondary school together and he was a drummer at the time and we started a band. Callum was stupid enough to be a guitarist and we said come and play bass for us temporarily, and here we are a few weeks down the line. Then we finished that band and sort of started again when we met Mason, ’cause he’s a fucking mint drummer.

Mason: I’m pretty good. Yeah I met Charlie and Callum at uni in Clapham, and I think it was like the second day, I heard they had a bit of an accent and I thought ‘wow, I’ve never spoken to anyone from Lincoln before!’ So I went over, chatted them up for a bit, and it turned out they needed a drummer. We had our first practice and it was a match made in heaven.

Mitch: We’ve had some bad times in the past. We moved to Sheffield before we moved to London, me Charlie and Callum, and stupidly thought it would be really easy, but we worked really horrible jobs. I used to work in the Marks and Spencer fridges at half five in the morning, and Charlie would do the night shift. So we had a few hours in the day where we could get stuff done, but everyone hated each other.

Charlie: Just ended up smoking too many wacky cigarettes.

So if you were working so much how did you find the time to rehearse?

Charlie: We actually found a great space in Sheffield called the Yellow Arch. Arctic Monkeys used to play there. They’d bring beers to your room if you asked nicely. It was alright for practising, we just needed a drummer. We had a few but they were all just jokers.

Mitch: Sheffield actually really changed the way we wrote songs. Before it was a bit of an after-school club, we were finding our feet with gigs and we were a bit rubbish.

Mason: I feel grateful that I avoided these days. I just came in and it’s all been smart.

So you’ve done Manchester, where’s next on the list?

Charlie: We’ve got Liverpool lined up. Possibly one in Sheffield. We’re just going to focus on videos and getting songs done.

Mitch: We’ve got a couple of songs recorded that are ready to go out. We recently found a VHS from about 1932…

Callum: So we’ve started to just record everything we ever do with that. There’s some right rubbish stuff.

Mitch: Last weekend we played the Nambuka for This Feeling.

What do you guys want to be remembered for?

Mitch: My good looks. Boyish charm.

Charlie: The songs obviously.

Mason: Being the maddest drummer to come out of this century.

You have a kind of early Arctic Monkeys/Libertines sound, so who would you say are your key influences?

Mitch: Oh this is a really, really tough one.

Give us your top 3.

Mitch: I’d definitely say The Beatles, without a doubt. Libertines is definitely one. We sort of found each other through Arctic Monkeys but we’ve made a conscious effort with our music to try and avoid the cliche things they do. A lot of bands who come about nowadays are doing pretty similar things to what they did at the start.

Callum: Yeah they stick on an accent and play fast on stage.

Mitch: Yeah but we kind of do that.

Mason: We were talking earlier in the pub and Mitch was saying usually in music the drums and bass go hand in hand, but we’ve found in our music the drums tend to follow the guitar lead or the vocals, so you get these weird little blemishes.

Charlie: We just try and approach indie music differently. We had similar influences but we’ve brought Mason in and it’s like a new dimension to it.

Mitch: For the third key influence, it’s not just bands, it’s modern England. The state of Lincoln is like Manchester — there are a lot of homeless people and it’s very dominated by spice. Not that we’re trying really hard to be political, it’s just that things are so obviously there, right in front of you.

So what’s on the cards for next year? What’s the first single?

Charlie: Depends whether it comes out in December or not. We’ve got two lined up and we’re off to record next month.

Mitch: But the title is ‘Us and Them’, if that’s what you were fishing for. That’s probably the one we’ll bring out.

Mason: It’ll make you smile in a time of need.

If you could describe your sound visually how would it look?

Mitch: Like a clown.

Mason: With a tear slowly rolling down. Like the album art of London Calling by The Clash.

Mitch: That’s actually an ironic joke of an Elvis album, so probably Elvis — that’s what it looks like.

Mason: Sexy and sort of fat towards the end.

Finally, what’s with the ‘De Niro’ tattoo on your arm Mitch?

Mitch: Oh we’ve all got silly tattoos. Mine’s De Niro.

Charlie: Mine’s Elmo, ’cause everyone called me Elmo when I was younger.

Callum: I’ve got one on both arms. ‘Ringo Starr’. I lost a bet on the football when Lincoln had Burnley in the FA Cup.

Mason: Now they’ve just got to think of one for me.

We can’t wait to see. Thanks for your time lads, and great show tonight.

Look out for future gigs and upcoming singles from The Rills.

Record Reappraisal: The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead

Written by Jake Oliver on 20th November 2017. Posted in Music.

There are very few albums that are capable of standing the test of time and are able to leave a lasting legacy, but The Smiths’ third outing, The Queen Is Dead, refuses to be one of them. Released in 1986 during a whirlwind time in the band’s history, the album was met with high praise from fans and critics alike. Now just over thirty years later, The Queen Is Dead has been rereleased and remastered – but does it still pack the same punch? In a word, yes.

Drummer Mike Joyce propels us in to the titular opener, quickly accompanied by guitarist Johnny Marr’s jaunty riff and bassist Andy Rourke’s funky rhythmic beat. It’s an entirely hypnotic invitation to the album. The musical production throughout really sees the band performing at their peak, delivering sharp, punk-infused vibes at its most bombastic, and solemn slow-jams at its most vulnerable; a multitude of styles that seems to echo the turbulence in Britain during the mid-eighties as a shifting political and ideological landscape. Morrissey’s disdain for the establishment and the royal family within the lyrics are aloof, yes, but that is what makes it so thoroughly entertaining.

As a band that lead the charge against convention, The Queen Is Dead subverts the monarchy and the mainstream, pulling them from their lofty heights in to a more corrupt (and potentially more accurate) portrayal of society — a rather refreshing perspective that is just as relevant today in our post-Brexit, politically twisted world as it was back in 1986. This witty and ever-cynical tone is one that remerges again in the satirical ‘Frankly, Mr. Shankly’, a sharp jab at the music industry, as well as the frankly bizarre yet endearing ‘Vicar in a Tutu’.

Yet, nestled comfortably between the more outlandish tracks of the album lie The Queen Is Dead’s more tender songs. The Smiths were never afraid to delve deep in to the pitfalls and agonies of romance. Here they deliver some of their most poignant material. Tracks such as ‘I Know It’s Over’ and fan favourite of the forlorn teenager ‘There is a Light That Never Goes Out’, both detail the emotional passion that songwriters today can only dream of achieving.

There exists a strange comfort to be found within Morrissey’s harrowing lyricisms. “To die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die” is macabre as it is moving, the melodramatic nature of his words capturing the very essence of unrequited love in all of its desperation. Elsewhere, on the equally as heartfelt ‘I Know It’s Over’, are themes of isolation and loneliness with lines such as “If you’re so funny, then why are you on your own tonight?” The instrumentals for these melancholic songs complement the sombre vocals absolutely flawlessly, and it’s almost impossible not to be moved by the swelling crescendo of agony and heartbreak that these songs so effortlessly convey.

Meanwhile, Marr gets to work at presenting some of his most sophisticated performances on the album, with the furious ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’. It’s yet another fast-paced attack on the media, in which the frontman Morrissey likens himself to martyr Joan of Arc and is a perfect example of the sort of meta-songwriting that gained The Smiths such a cult following.

What makes The Queen is Dead so brilliant and so enduring is that it’s as darkly humorous as it is bittersweet; the hyperbolic nature of Morrissey’s lyrics are in line with our own occasional thoughts of grandioseness, making us feel a little less alone, and the excellence of the album’s instrumentals haven’t aged a bit and still serve as musical inspiration for some of the greatest bands of our generation. It’s an emotional titan of an album and if you have not already had the pleasure of listening to it, I implore you to do so as soon as possible.

Wellbeing Week at the University of Manchester

Written by Nicole Wootton-Cane on 20th November 2017. Posted in News.

From the 20th to the 24th of November, the University of Manchester will hold its annual Wellbeing Week.

During this week, a series of events are held across campus aimed at helping students and staff cope with stress and maintain their well-being, both mental and physical. All events are free to attend, and address the university’s six areas of well-being: connect, take notice, learn and discover, be healthy, be active, and give.

The week kicks off with on Monday with sunrise yoga, followed by a packed schedule of other activities, such as ‘Calm your brain and have a croissant’, ‘Bungee run bouncy castle’ and ‘softball’. Several of these events are repeated throughout the week, giving students ample opportunity to sample what they wish. Highlights of the week include free massages, a quidditch taster session and a highly anticipated visit from Manchester Dog’s Home.

Event coordinator Katrina M Grier told The Mancunion “Looking after our well-being helps us to support ourselves in everyday life. This year, well-being week has been designed to raise awareness of the six ways to well-being and to get people thinking about looking after themselves. There are a range of activities and all events are free, so come along and enjoy!”

Student well-being has become a major issue over the last few years. In a survey conducted by YouGov, 27 percent of students reported having a type of mental health problem, with 77 percent highlighting depression and 74 percent discussing anxiety.

The number of students dropping out of university citing their mental health as the reason has also risen. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows these numbers were up 210 percent in 2014-15, from 380 in 2009-10 to 1,180 in 2014-15. Events during well-being week are tailored to help assist and encourage students to manage these problems in productive and creative ways, such as mindfulness, exercise and crafts.

The university are also holding a Staff Wellbeing Benefits Fair during the week. The fair is designed to demonstrate a number of the well-being benefits available to University of Manchester staff members. The university’s staff well-being lead, Sarah March, highlights the importance of well-being amongst those employed by the university on a dedicated well-being page on their website, stating “We want our colleagues not only work productively but also to enjoy working here and to lead happy, healthy lives.”

For more information on well-being week including timetables and event information, please visit http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/taking-care/wellbeing/wellbeing-week/, or search ‘Wellbeing Week’ on Facebook.

What did we learn from Germany and Brazil?

Written by James Gill on 20th November 2017. Posted in Sport.

The recent friendlies against Germany and Brazil, arguably the two best teams in the world currently, were a vindication of Southgate’s masterplan. It would have been easy for him to pick the same groups of players, lose both and move on but instead he’s doing what no manager has done for a long, long time. Giving youth players a chance.

Seven of the players that stepped onto the pitch against Brazil and Germany were under the age of 23 with four of those age just 20. Southgate, formerly managing the England youth sides, knows that to develop a competitive and trophy-contending side, we need to give these players the opportunity to play.

Sadly a number of England’s best young players were ruled out due to injury, but the results show that when Winks, Alli, Sterling and Kane come back into the side, we will have not only a strong squad, but a deep one too.

There is no better introduction to international football than a game against Germany, especially when they aren’t quite in the highest gear. It allows them to grow into the game. Ruben Loftus-Cheek on his debut showed that he isn’t afraid to run at players and take them on, striving to always move the ball forward, something that we’ve been failing to do all too often. His impressive performance earned the Man of the Match award and a certain spot in the Russia Squad.

Jake Livermore, while mostly competent, looked a little out of his depth. The West Brom player did the job but provided little in the way of creative passing. With Winks and Alli coming back he will almost certainly not go to Russia. The same can be said about Jordan Henderson too. I think to leave him at home would be a risk but with his safety catch forever kept on it’s one that Southgate needs to take to have any hope of going far in the competition.

With so many of our pivotal midfield and attacking players out, the focus was more on how our defence would perform. The ability to shut out a team of that quality was remarkable. We were rigid in our formation and forced the Germans into mostly potshots from distance. Gomez playing as if he had 50 caps to his name already and Stones and Maguire were both solid with all three surely mainstays in the team for years to come. Phil Jones, although he went off injured, is England’s best defender in a long time, his experience will help to steady the team in the event of any shakey moments.

On top of these white cliffs of defence stood Jordan Pickford, finally given his chance to prove himself and my what a performance. Not only did he make some great saves but his distribution of the ball was excellent, a key attribute is we are to play this counter attacking style of football, something that we can’t say of Joe Hart.

I’m not going to needlessly climb onto the Hart-hate bandwagon, he has been a great keeper for England. Now joint second in caps with David Seaman (75), he is the first England goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet against Brazil since Shilton in 1984. Granted the defence made it easy for him but he did make a couple of saves.

My primary concern about him is the inability to play a counter attacking style of football. When Pickford got the ball he launched it forward, sending Vardy or Rashford on the attack, absolutely necessary to catch the opposition with too many players committed forward. Hart on the other had prefers to smother the ball, and hold it in his hands for ten or so seconds to allow the team to take a breather.

In essence he’s trying to play possession football when we are supposed to be counter attacking. That, and the inability to hold the ball in midfield, mostly down to Dier’s shakiness, inhibited England from posing any real threat against Brazil. Any time I see Hart get passed the ball to his feet too he looks nervous and I get anxious, a sentiment similarly shared by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as he shipped him out.

When the World Cup rolls around he will probably be the third choice keeper. The game against Brazil was clearly Butland’s before his unfortunate injury. I think that would be a good decision for Southgate as his experience, especially in big tournaments, will help to calm the other keepers.

In that game against Brazil there were even more debuts. Dominic Solanke became the 14th player to make his England debut under Southgate, and for the 15 minutes he was on the pitch the youngster looked very exciting. There seems to be a competition between them all to see who can pull of the most nutmegs on their debut. Solanke embarrassed Fernandinho by not only nutmegging him to work the ball into space but by wrong footing the City player so he fell backwards simultaneously.

The difference between this game and the one against Germany was the desire. Brazil put out a full strength team and treated it like a World Cup knockout game, because we are the calibre of team they could face in the last 16 of quarter finals. Not only did we shut them out, but they only had three shots on target the entire game, not testing Hart once.

In his post match interview Southgate said “we couldn’t get hold of the ball and move it as well as we did the other night (against Germany). Tonight we just showed some outstanding defending.”

It would be silly to make rash assumptions based upon one match but with a few small player tweaks, namely in midfield and in between the sticks, we could have won. The defence proved itself to be watertight and the attack had a furious appetite for the ball, we just need to connect the two.

Exclusive: landlord blacklist group closes due to legal threat

Written by Cameron Broome on 17th November 2017. Posted in News.

A newly created Facebook group where students could review landlords has closed due to a legal threat, The Mancunion can reveal.

Popular Facebook group “Fallowfield Students Group” launched a new group, “Fallowfield Student Accomodation”, where members could find rooms and housemates and review landlords.

Members could give landlords a one to five star rating and page also contained a “landlord blacklist”, stating that “landlords that receive regular 1* reviews or complaints will be placed on the blacklist below to make other students aware.”

Following a legal threat from a landlord against students who posted negative reviews in the group, creator of the group Matthew Freestone said that he is closing the group.

The landlord in question was blocked from the group and so was not being given a right to reply to claims made about him.

Speaking exclusively to The Mancunion, Matthew Freestone said: “After much consideration, I have decided to delete the Fallowfield Student Accomodation (FSA) community. It was a popular idea created with Fallowfield Students best interest in mind. Recently a landlord has threatened myself and other members with legal action and it was proving to be a lot of hassle. I am worried about running a group that could potentially get my members into trouble so it will close today.

“I thought that since it is a private community, students would be able to get their honest opinion and help others. Yet, it seems that without the landlords having their right to reply to all claims made about them, they view it as slanderous and hold me partly responsible. I still think somebody could create a great platform for landlord reviews and hope somebody does in near future. It would just require a lot of research into the legality of it all before something similar was to be launched.

“Landlords would have to be members of the community and be given their ‘right to reply’ for the group to be fair. But some landlords will threaten legal action against students based on just posting a negative review, whether they are part of the community or not. I don’t want to give poor landlords a platform to advertise their properties. Nor am I keen to run a group that facilitates constant arguments between landlords and past tenants so I unfortunately have to close it.”

An independent legal advisor, Adam Lindsay, told The Mancunion: “Somebody can take action against anything posted online that they deem to be defamatory, including (but not limited to) blogs, articles, tweets, retweets, status updates, pictures and comments.”

Defamation claims can be made when an individual or organisation is named and they are not given an opportunity to reply or the claim isn’t easily proven to be true and isn’t backed up with any evidence.

“If the group/post is private there is less chance of the defamation being discovered. But there are numerous ways it could still be discovered. The landlord could create a fake profile to get access, be tipped off, etc. And if it was, the fact it was private would not effect the judgement of whether it was defamatory in the slightest.

“There are numerous different levels of privacy settings. But this would only come into play as a mitigation against punishment. If a defamatory statement was made in a private group the complainant would still be being defamed, just to a more limited audience.”

Third-year University of Manchester Biology student, Ben Whittle, previously told The Mancunion “it would be good to get the landlords in the group so that they can respond to any negative feedback.”

Matthew Freestone suggested he “liked” Ben’s idea but said at the time: “the only problem is that if we allow landlords into the group, it will just turn into a huge advertising platform for their properties. Although that may be helpful in some ways, I want it to be primarily used by students.”

Since then, creator of the group, Matthew Freestone, has decided to close the group.

Commenting on the initial creation of scheme, Students’ Union Communities Officer, Jack Houghton, said: “What’s really important is that if there is a scheme already running similar to that, we can contribute and shape that current scheme with your ideas and make it really better.”

Manchester Student Homes, run by the University of Manchester in conjunction with other institutions, have their own landlord accreditation scheme and the University of Manchester Students’ Union have a “rate my landlord” scheme.

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “The University recommends that all students use a landlord accredited by Manchester Student Homes who have a facility for reporting any issues.”

Fallowfield Students Group has over 23,000 members and is widely used by students to buy and sell tickets, report on lost and found items and ask general questions about life in and around South Manchester.

A recent investigation by The Mancunion suggested that students were also increasingly relying on the Fallowfield Students Group to find out anecdotal information about crime and student safety in and around South Manchester, with one student describing the “constant flow of horror stories on Fallowfield Students Group.”

Live Review: 1XTRA Live 2017

Written by Kavindra Huggins on 17th November 2017. Posted in Music.

Celebrating 15 years of their ‘urban’ radio station, 1XTRA, the BBC decided to bring their annual ‘1XTRA Live’ mini-fest to Manchester. The bill featured an ensemble cast from both sides of the big pond, aiming to please the young and the slightly younger.

With live performances from the likes of veteran Donae’o, new girl Stefflon Don and superstar Travis Scott for as little as £15 (+booking fee, obviously) the expectations of the BBC to orchestrate a memorable night were high.

The general crowd was split into two distinct groups. The older half had the generally dressed as if they’d all received invites to a VIP party hosted by Drake. Whilst the slightly younger all sported expensive sneakers and showcased a comfortable but fashionable vibe.

The opening of the night brought more sophisticated RnB and afrobeat music suited to the older half: Bryson Tiller’s autotuned heartbreak, Stefflon Don’s colourful carnival and Donae’o’s golden-age UK funky sent a wave around the 21,000-capacity arena.

Tiller had his day ones (everyone) to thank. Stefflon had her ever-present chart songs and lively, colourful dancers and Donae’o his well-aged showmanship and infectious hooks.

Throughout all the first segment, singular smoke clouds erupted out of nowhere in the crowd, signifying the mellow but encapsulating atmosphere. All around, it was clear that the collective wanted something bigger. The handover after Donae’o brought just that.

Charlie Sloth came out, recognisable from row Z with his black snapback, large coat and cackle of a laugh. An interjection of an all too familiar voice during his insert raised the roof. “Man’s Not Hot” hurled out of the sound system.

Crowds rose like the seas and a collective voice imitated ‘Big Shaq’ AKA comedian Michael Dapaah. It was incredible that a comedian’s creation can command more crowd energy than the previous four acts combined.

This seemingly tidal-shift was then to be followed by imprecise selections by the BBC. Big Shaq brought intensity that was hard to recreate with Ghetts and manc-native Bugzy Malone.

The former brought high powered lyricism with tracks like ‘One Take Freestyle’ and ‘Artillery’ but the crowd were generally displeased as a general conversation ensued. It wasn’t until bouncy vocalist Shakka came on to perform ‘Know My Ting’ that normal service resumed.

Similarly, 0161-rep Bugzy Malone worked up a sweat in his Nike thermal, to little avail with exception to the diehard locals (mainly youngsters) who joined him word for word. These two rappers showed that the night wasn’t for grime, but for its close cousins.

Following came another, less scripted, surprise. After a little nod from presenter A.dot for an “unforgettable night!” out bounced the dad-like figure, French Montana. There were instantaneous roars and it seemed like the crowd were starting to get what they were waiting for. French carried his chain of bangers with experience.

A few songs passed with pyrotechnics and a couple “haans,” and next up was J Hus giving his 15 minutes. The self-proclaimed Hussla brought his pseudo-afrobeats to the stage with energy and enough of a performance to get everyone on the same wavelength for the first time all night. Although, for the majority of it he looked half-awake but carried the show with a well-practised routine.

Finally, the centrepiece. An eagle screeched. A figure donned in skiwear came out: “I came here to rage and rage only!” he screamed. He was clearly the choice of the younger audience member and as he continued through his set, the eagle continued screeching acting as a signal for the crowd on the floor to get messier.

Then, during the mesmerising “Butterfly Effect” a young fan jumped onstage and chanted the chorus with Travis. Clearly used to this behaviour Travis, and his bodyguards allowed the intervention to continue for a good while. The track was finishing and another fan attempted to rush on but was apprehended.

Then, as the security came to grab the original intruder, he jumped back into the sea upon the floor and presumably got away with a once in a lifetime memory. multiple flames roared up onstage and Travis started to shout more than rap – sounding at times flawed as the autotune failed to register with his screaming. He still delivered a highlight performance.

All in all, the night was nuanced between a high velocity and a mellow, good feel. Which didn’t always match up as the time passed. Almost inevitably, it felt like the Travis Scott show, featuring a strong supporting cast. Peppered in the other performances were moments of excitement but the short sets and immense number of acts in one night didn’t allow each artist to give their best. For the price and range on scale, no complaints could be made.

7/10

HOME Cinema Preview: 17th November

Written by James Gill on 17th November 2017. Posted in Film.

Films opening at HOME this week:

Ingrid Goes West

Directed by Matt Spicer – Rated 15

Following the death of her mother and a series of self-inflicted setbacks, young Ingrid Thorburn (the always wonderful Aubrey Plaza) escapes a humdrum existence by moving out West to befriend her Instagram obsession and L.A. socialite Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen). After a quick bond is forged between these unlikeliest of friends, the façade begins to crack in both women’s lives — with comically malicious results in this acerbic comedy that also looks at the destructive effects of social media.

Click here to book tickets

Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool

Directed by Paul McGuigan – Rated 15

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell star in this adaptation of the memoir by British actor Peter Turner, recounting his romance with the legendary (and legendarily eccentric) Hollywood star and film noir stalwart Gloria Grahame during the later years of her life. Detailing a trail of broken marriages and affairs, the film also offers a look at the underside of stardom.

Click here to book tickets

Good Time

Directed by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – Rated 15

After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine “Connie” Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city’s underworld in an increasingly desperate – and dangerous – attempt to get his brother Nick (Benny Safdie) out of jail. Over the course of one adrenalised night, Connie finds himself on a mad descent into violence and mayhem as he races against the clock to save his brother and himself, knowing their lives hang in the balance.

Click here to book tickets

Thelma

Directed by Joachim Trier – Rated 15

After moving to Oslo to study, a young woman falls in love and discovers that she possesses terrifying powers in this superb and cerebral supernatural thriller from acclaimed director Joachim Trier (Louder Than Bombs). Echoing films as refreshingly disparate as Day of Wrath and Carrie, this is an engrossing, ambiguous work.

Click here to book tickets

Films continuing this week:

The Florida Project

Directed by Sean Baker — Rated 15

Sean Baker’s follow-up to the astonishing Tangerines is another lucid, brilliantly realised portrait of life on the margins. The Florida Project tells the story of a precocious six-year-old and her rag-tag group of close friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure, while their parents and the adults around them struggle with hard times. A synthesis of Mark Twain, Gummo and Andrea Arnold’s American Honey, this is a bold, visionary work.

Click here to book tickets

The Killing of a Sacred Dear

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos — Rated 15

Steven (Farrell), an eminent cardiothoracic surgeon is married to Anna (Kidman), a respected ophthalmologist. They are well off and live a happy and healthy family life with their two children, Kim and Bob. Their lives take a darker turn when Martin (Keoghan), a fatherless youth with whom Steven has a strained friendship ingratiates himself further into the lives of the family. Lanthimos’s follow-up to The Lobster is a brilliantly realised, Kubrickian look at human behaviour.

Click here to book tickets

The Death of Stalin

Directed by Armando Iannucci — Rated 15

Based on the graphic novel The Death Of Stalin by Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin, writer and director Armando Iannucci’s (Veep, The Thick of It) acerbic satire is set in the days following the Russian leader’s stroke in 1953 as his core team of ministers tussle for control. An all-star cast includes Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, and Olga Kurylenko.

Click here to book tickets

Special events this week:

November 17th – Manifesto: Live from Tate Modern + Recorded Intro and Q&A

Directed by Julian Rosefeldt – Rated 15

Manifesto, starring Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett, pays homage to the moving tradition and literary beauty of artistic manifestos, ultimately questioning the role of the artist in society today. Ahead of the film’s general release there is a special live event exclusive to cinemas — Manifesto: Live from Tate Modern – which will include a private view introduced by Cate Blanchett and featuring artworks in the Tate Modern’s collection related to the film, plus live on-stage conversation at the gallery with the film’s Director, Julian Rosefeldt and Editor Bobby Good, hosted by a leading cultural critic.

Manifesto draws on the writings of Futurists, Dadaists, Fluxus artists, Suprematists, Situationists, Dogma 95 and other artist groups, and the musings of individual artists, architects, dancers and filmmakers. Passing the ideas of Claes Oldenburg, Yvonne Rainer, Kazimir Malevich, André Breton, Sturtevant, Sol LeWitt, Jim Jarmusch, and other creators through his lens, Rosefeldt has edited and reassembled thirteen collages of artists’ manifestos.

Click here to book tickets

November 18th – Don’t Torture a Duckling + Q+A

Directed by Lucio Fulci – Rated 18

A great example of the ways in which a popular form, here the giallo style of violent thriller, can be used to critique society’s institutions. Set in rural Italy, Lucio Fulci’s film focuses on a series of brutal murders where the killer seems to target young boys on the verge of adulthood. As the media flocks to the village where the victims lived, suspicion falls on those residents who due to their lifestyles are considered outsiders. Rumour has it that Fulci was subsequently blacklisted due to his critical representation of Italy’s powerful social institutions.

This screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Professor of Film Studies at University of Salford.

Click here to book tickets

November 19th – State of Seige + Post-screening discussion

Directed by Costa-Gavras – Rated 15

Perhaps the greatest political thriller of the 1970s, Costa-Gavras calls on Yves Montand to lead this story of an American who is kidnapped by guerrillas in Uruguay. The taut story is told against the backdrop of repressive politics, death squads and American involvement in Latin America.

The screening will be followed by an informal post-screening discussion led by Maggie Hoffgen, Freelance Film Educator.

Click here to book tickets

November 20th – Days of ’36 + Intro

Directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos – Rated 12

During the 1970s Angelopoulos made films that were formally challenging and highly stylised; on occasion these used the narrative conventions of the political thriller to a very different effect to the slick films that make up the majority of this season. In Days of ’36 an imprisoned murderer takes a government official hostage in prison sparking a political crisis. Full of Angelopoulos’ trademark symmetrical compositions, this reads like a thriller but through the director’s use of film form resists the normal pleasures of the genre.

This screening will be introduced by Dr Eleftheria Rania Kosmidou, Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Salford.

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November 21st – Remember Baghdad + Panel

Remember Baghdad is a fascinating exploration of the rich Jewish life and culture that had flourished in Iraq before the events of the 20th and early 21st centuries dramatically changed the course of the country – and the fate of its Jews.

This screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Fiona Murphy, Dr Moshe Behar and Mickie Akka. Chaired by Rabbi Amir Ellituv.

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November 22nd – Special Selection + Intro

Directed by Costa-Gavras – Rated PG

With Special Section, director Costa-Gavras turned his attention to events in France during World War II. When a German officer is killed, the Nazi occupying forces demand a quick response, threatening to kill 100 civilians. To appease them, a special court is created, presided over by a group of ambitious and subservient judges, with the aim of convicting a group of six men coldly used as scapegoats. Another of his engaging political films, Costa-Gavras was awarded Best Director at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival for Special Section.

This film is presented with the support of the Alliance Française de Manchester, the official centre for French language and Culture.

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November 23rd – Killer Cop

Directed by Luciano Ercoli – Rated 15

In this Milan-set low-budget gem, director Luciano Ercoli creates a political thriller full of 1970s Italian style. After a terrorist bomb explodes in a busy hotel, the official investigation gets caught up in politics and bureaucracy. As the bombers go on the run, the only hope of catching them lies with Cassinelli’s determined narcotics cop, who accidently got caught in the mayhem. This highly effective Poliziotteschi shows how the radical politics of the decade bled into genre filmmaking in Italy.

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EA temporarily disables all microtransactions in Battlefront II

Written by chrisglover on 17th November 2017. Posted in Games.

In a surprising development, EA has temporarily removed microtransactions in Star Wars: Battlefront II, after days of tumultuous criticism from fans, and just hours before the game’s release.

“We hear you loud and clear, so we’re turning off all in-game purchases,” writes Oskar Gabrielson, general manager of Battlefront II in the second blog post on EA’s site in 3 days. “We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning.

“This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we’ve made changes to the game. We’ll share more details as we work through this.”

Some players are excited by the ostensible victory for consumers over a microtransaction model which many criticised as exploitative. Before the change, it was possible to spend real currency on crystals, which could in turn be exchanged for loot boxes containing player bonuses such as reduced ability cool-downs and increased range. As these give paying players a tangible advantage over others, Battlefront II attracted widespread criticism for being a ‘pay-to-win’ experience.

However, not all are convinced by EA’s apparent token of good faith: many players have taken to Reddit to label the move as nothing more than PR manipulation. They argue that EA is simply endeavouring to turn public opinion in their favour for long enough to sell copies of the game, in a damage-limitation strategy Redditors are calling ‘outdating the outrage’.

It will be interesting to see whether EA will indeed return to an anti-consumer payment model after the hiatus, or if they will prove the cynics wrong by using the break to implement meaningful change.

Obituary: Lil Peep

Written by Jake Oliver on 17th November 2017. Posted in Music.

Rising star Lil Peep has died tragically at the age of 21.

American lo-fi emo rapper Gustav Åhr – better known by his moniker as Lil Peep – passed away last this week on the 15th of November after a suspected overdose whilst completing his tour of the States. This comes just months after the release of his debut album Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt.1, and a plentitude of singles, mixtapes, and collaborations with other artists such as Lil Tracy and contemporary collective GOTHBOICLIQUE.

For some of you reading this, you may never have heard of Lil Peep, or have only recently come to know him through these very unfortunate circumstances. Even I myself had only really started listening to his music just weeks before his death, but the fact that I am so deeply saddened by his passing truly speaks volumes about his work. As someone who never really strays too far from the indie rock genre, it was an absolute pleasure to be swept up by Peep’s raw and heartfelt sound.

Originating from Long Island, New York, Peep came from a dysfunctional setting. At 18 he moved to Los Angeles and began his venture in to his career. Musically, Peep is a blend of 00s emo with modern day trap beats, with lyrics oozing with millennial tragedy, centered around failing, toxic relationships, mental health and substance abuse.

The release of his 2015 mixtape Lil Peep, Part One saw an immediate following develop, and Peep continued to release his genre blending music via Soundcloud. A long time sufferer of depression and anxiety, Peep relied on music as an outlet, channelling his hurt in to his work.

The sincerity of Peep’s lyrics are where he really triumphed. He grappled controversial and uncomfortable topics such as drug use and mental health with such easy mastery, that he elicits empathy without even breaking a sweat. Rather than glorifying these negative aspects of himself, Peep managed to humanise them, and presented them in such a digestible way that listeners are able sympathise and relate with his character on an entirely personal level.

It’s so immensely comforting to have artists like Peep who are able to illustrate and vocalise some of our more reserved emotions — it’s largely what attracted the legions of fans to him, and why it is equally so tragic that that voice has now been silenced. Peep provided people with a unorthodox beacon of hope.

Although his history has been short, the impact he has had is already immeasurable. His death garnered condolences from some of music’s biggest names at the moment — Post Malone, Marshmello, and Diplo — with tracks with a few of these artists in the pipeline, now lost forever. He was destined for superstardom, a position that has been so cruelly pulled out from under his feet.

Behind the tatted face and slightly askew aesthetic, Peep was a genuinely gentle and sensitive individual. His position on women’s rights and their treatment within society and the industry, as well as his advocation for LGBTQ rights — he came out as bisexual himself on Twitter — never took a backseat and would always strive to be as inclusive and as open as possible.

The music video for his 2017 single Girls demonstrated this, with the inclusion of trans women and women of colour, which was met with high praise from his adoring fan base.

The death of Lil Peep means that the world has lost one of its most promising talents of recent times, and the gap he leaves behind is one that won’t be filled with ease.

What we can learn from his death is to be vigilant, to look out for our friends and loved ones for signs of unhappiness. In the last few years alone, we have lost so many of our beloved idols due to mental health and the stigma that surrounds being open about our emotions — Robin Williams, Chester Bennington, just to name a few. We must be unified and transparent with others but also ourselves; don’t suffer in silence.

What more can I say? I am truly devastated.

Rest easy, Peep.

LGBT Confidence Conference with Claudia Carvell

Written by Mancunion on 17th November 2017. Posted in Features.

Situated in the centre of Manchester’s Gay Village is 5 Richmond Street. Inside lies the bustling hub of the local charity, The LGBT Foundation (LGBT-F). Sitting in the waiting room, it was impossible to not notice the sense of inclusion, kindness, and passion surrounding LGBT people and issues. This week, I spoke with the LGBT-F Women’s Officer, Claudia Carvell.

Having recently held The Confidence Conference, whilst spearheading the Women’s Department’s reformation within the charity, I was keen to ask what Claudia had to say about the work that the charity had done for women in Manchester.

As Carvell stipulated, the LGBT-F is a “local charity with a national reach”. It’s core services focus on a range of health and well-being issues, with separate departments focusing explicitly on issues facing trans, bisexual, gay, and lesbian people, to name but a few.

Having been working at the charity during its name change from The Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF), to the LGBT Foundation, I wanted to ask Carvell what effects this has had on the charity’s reach and work.

“It’s made a massive difference to the visibility and representation of trans people across our organisation,” she said, “It’s not that we didn’t support these people before, it’s that this was our first visible step towards increased inclusion.”

Photo: Claudia Carvell

Such inclusion was evident also from her recent event, The Confidence Conference. The website of which explicitly expressed how all women were welcome to attend, such as:

“Women of colour, older women, disabled and neurodivergent women, trans women and non-binary people.” I asked her how important it was that these women were specifically named.

“The Women’s programme here had its funding stopped in November last year,” she replied.

They needed to assess what had been missing from their events and work and rectify it in order to regain support. After research, Carvell found that three demographics were under-represented at the previous women’s events: trans women, older women and women of colour.

“One of the tricks that a lot of people miss is it’s not enough to say LGBT, you see LGBT and your mind will always go to the most privileged, visible groups within that. If you say explicitly, this service is inclusive of trans women, bi women, women of colour, they will start to see themselves in that space.”

The event itself was a launch for what Carvell called “The Confidence Movement of 2017/2018”. Its focus was encouraging lesbian, bi, and trans women to “access social networks that were already there and form new ones”.

Beginning with a fair featuring local groups and clubs who are open and welcoming to LGBT women, the event went on to feature talks from comedian Kerry Hall and drag queen Lydia ‘Dick Slick’. The event culminated in workshops on how to make friends, aimed at more neurodivergent, socially anxious people, and how to set up social groups. All of which in aid of encouraging women to “get out there and be your best self”.

“Confidence doesn’t sound like an urgent issue,” Carvell said, “but it’s something that everybody deals with, and it can impact lesbian, trans, and bisexual women in ways that it don’t affect others.”

In previous campaigns, the LGBT-F has headed straight for more ‘urgent’ issues such as mental and sexual health etc. “Now those resources exist,” she informs me, “we can focus on the confidence issue that encompasses them all.”

An example she referenced was the act of coming out to friends and family. “That’s something that can impact your access to healthcare and social networks,” the Women’s branch of the LGBT-F is focusing on confidence to ensure this process is as easy as possible for each woman undertaking it. This work is visible in their LGBT-F YouTube vlog series.

Named: ‘Coming Out Where We Want, When We Want’, it provides “an empowering platform for lesbian and bi women to talk about their experiences and be heard.” Just as her Confidence Conference focused on including all of the wide range of peoples you can find within the category of LGBT women, the series aims to display how coming out is different for everyone, making women feel more comfortable in their own narrative and highlighting that they are not alone.

The future of the Confidence Movement looks bright. Featuring radio takeovers on local stations over the next few months, a monthly skills workshop provided for LGBT women, and their thriving meetup.com account which has already helped hundreds of LGBT women gain friends and confidence in social situations.

Check out their website at lgbt.foundation, email them at [email protected] and, as Carvell emphasized, if you want to get involved then get in touch and volunteer!

Review: Kaleidoscope

Written by Jamie McEvoy on 17th November 2017. Posted in Film.

Golden-Globe and BAFTA nominee Toby Jones has become a household name for many since his breakthrough performance as Truman Capote in 2006’s Infamous. He has enjoyed an illustrious career thus far, with roles in the first two Captain America and Hunger Games films and Tinker Tailor Solder Spy (2011), as well as taking over from Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring in the 2016 Dad’s Army remake.

A lesser known name is that of his brother: Rupert. The more obscure Jones brother has had a sparse directorial career, with sketch show Beehive and a 2007 Jennifer Saunders sit-com constituting the bulk of his back-catalogue, but with Kaleidoscope he has made the audacious transition to the big screen.

His brother is on hand to spearhead this cinematic debut. Toby Jones plays Carl, a timid, meek and socially reclusive middle aged man who lives alone in a gloomy, confined London flat. After a call from his mother (Anne Reid) declaring she is coming to visit, Carl’s monotonic life is plunged into disarray, anxiety and paranoia.

As the toxic and disturbing relationship with his mother becomes apparent, a macabre end to a blind date also takes its toll on Jones’ protagonist, and questions start to arise as to what is reality and what is delusion?

There are a multitude of parallelisms which can be drawn between Kaleidoscope and other cinematic works. It almost feels like a sibling to Gareth Tunley’s The Ghoul (2017), and there is evident influence from Polanski (namely Repulsion and The Tenant).

The relationship between Carl and his venomous mother very much alludes to that of Norman Bates and his mother in Hitchock’s Pyscho (1960), yet fortunately Rupert Jones gives the film just enough unique flavour to avoid his project descending into pure pastiche.

Toby Jones, much like in the fantastic BBC series Detectorists, plays the perfect ‘nobody’ – an unassertive character whose every step and movement oozes a crisis in confidence. It is his performance which ultimately is the film’s tour de force, yet Aileen – Carl’s mother – is a close second.

Excellently portrayed by Anne Reid, Aileen acts as a poisonous thorn in her son’s side, with a mysterious and sinister past-relationship between the two characters casting an omnipresent shadow over the scenes which the pair share.

The cinematography from Philipp Blaubach is also to be applauded. The recurring, slowly spiralling shots of the Escher-esque stairwell leading to Carl’s flat are mesmerizing, and lengthy zoom-ins give seemingly innocent objects a new sense of danger and omen.

The design and location of the film’s scenes have evidently all been construed to mirror the effect of the titular kaleidoscope – from the apartment wallpaper which resembles a Magic Eye, to the swirling drums of the laundrette which our protagonist visits.

It is these factors which fundamentally make Kaleidoscope a triumph. However, the plot and ending unfortunately fail to match the movie’s visual and dramatic vehemence. The narrative is initially compelling, yet as the film progresses it is Toby Jones’ performance which keeps the audience enthralled and desiring to find a solution to the character’s predicament.

The twist ending – a bizarre combination of Fight Club (1999) and Psycho’s resolutions – is somewhat telegraphed towards the latter stages of the film, and despite the audacity, it disappointingly feels hollow. The suspense, claustrophobia and turmoil which appears ready to implode, instead goes out with a whimper, and come the credits certain plot-holes already begin to become apparent.

Carried by its cast and visuals, Kaleidoscope does just enough to be deemed a successful arrival by Rupert Jones onto the cinematic scene, yet akin to Tunley’s The Ghoul its narrative suffers from over-ambition and anti-climax.

3/5

The Manchester Sleep Out with Lib Dem councillor John Leech

Written by Mancunion on 17th November 2017. Posted in Features.

Photo: Paul Crudgington

Over £90,000 was raised on Friday the 10th of November in an organised Sleep Out to help combat the homeless crisis in Manchester. The annual event was organised by the Booth Centre. Attendees of the Manchester Sleep Out were sponsored to sleep rough on the grass of Manchester Cathedral.

The aim was to show the challenges and hardships that homeless people face every night, as well as to raise funds to support vulnerable people across Manchester. Over 400 people attended — nearly double the attendance of last year’s event. Students attended in large numbers both years.

Last year the Booth Centre, based in Manchester’s Green Quarter, raised £60,000 at the same event. The continuing goal of the Booth Centre is to bring positive changes to the lives of people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Originally set up in 1995, the charity has over 20 years of experience helping Manchester’s homeless community. They are supported by Comic Relief and have been award large grants from Manchester County Council.

One of the 400 rough sleeping volunteers on Friday was Liberal Democrats Councillor John Leech. The former MP for Manchester Withington spoke to the Mancunion about his experience on the night. Mr Leech and his fellow volunteers arrived in the early evening feeling positive and enthused.

The night started with a series of speeches in Manchester Cathedral. The CEO of the Booth Centre, Amanda Croome, discussed the charitable works and aims of the organisation. Several homeless people supported by the Booth Centre discussed their personal experiences of life on the streets. They explained the reality of homeless life in Manchester. A reality that was about to become a lot more tangible, if only for a night, for the assembled volunteers.

Photo: John Leech Press Office

Before attempting to sleep on the Manchester Cathedral grounds, the rough sleeping volunteers were serenaded by Streetwise Opera performers, comprised of people with experience of homelessness from across Manchester. The positive start to the night was washed away by a classic Mancunian downpour.

Mr Leech recounted the mistake of forgetting his umbrella, a necessity for staying dry for rough sleepers. Volunteers were on hand to provide a ‘life-saver’ in the form of a small umbrella, allowing Mr Leech to stay relatively dry.

Sadly, as many citizens of Manchester are aware, an umbrella is not enough to keep out the rain. Mr Leech found it ‘impossible to get any sleep whatsoever’ because of how wet, miserable and cold the weather was. He went on to say that ‘tomorrow night I will be back under a roof and in my bed – that, however, is not the reality for anyone else sleeping on the streets of our city tonight.’ A sentiment likely shared by everyone at the Manchester Sleep Out.

The Streetwise Opera performers that started the night is just one example of the support work that the Booth Centre provides for Manchester’s vulnerable people. Providing structure and a creative outlet for vulnerable people is a method of managing their mental health and social needs. Arts programmes have been found to be very effective in increasing the long-term well-being of at-risk people. Last year the Booth Centre committed over £200k of funds to Arts programmes for vulnerable people.

Photo: Paul Crudgington

Local Authorities also provide support for vulnerable people. However, who is classified as a vulnerable person is a topic of controversy. Mr Leech told the Mancunion the struggle of an elderly man who was at risk of becoming homeless. The gentleman was living off of savings after returning from living abroad for several years.

Whilst waiting for the first payments of his state pension the man’s savings were exhausted. The local man had no money to support his housing costs and was on the verge of becoming homeless.

The man asked for help from the Local Authorities, who responded that they ‘did not have to provide him accommodation.’ The man did not meet the eligibility criteria for support as a vulnerable person – despite the impending homelessness. Therefore, the Local Authorities could only offer advice.

Mr Leech provided the man with a place to stay and calls for the Local Authorities to ‘change their policies in terms of vulnerability’ in order to provide a stronger safety net for local citizens.

Although Local Authorities cannot provide early intervention in all cases, such as this pensioner, it is a priority for Manchester City Council (MCC). Early action for at-risk people is a top priority of MCC’s Homelessness Strategy. They are also working on evidence-based approaches for early interventions. Funding has also been awarded by the council to local charities partners, such as the Booth Centre.

Manchester academic wins award for climate change film

Written by Elizabeth Rushton on 17th November 2017. Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A Manchester academic and honorary research fellow has been commended with a prestigious award for a film concerning her research on climate change in Bangladesh.

Dr. Joanne Jordan, a lecturer in Climate Change and Development, received the International Development Award at the Arts & Humanities Research Council’s annual Research in Film Awards for her 20-minute documentary film.

“The Lived Experience of Climate Change: A Story of One Piece of Land in Dhaka”, tells the story of a research project she conducted in the Bangladeshi capital.

Over a period of several months, she conducted interviews with over 600 residents of the city’s slums on the everyday issues they faced relating to climate change and their methods of dealing with these issues.

Some of the most pressing concerns facing these communities included flooding, drainage congestion and heat stress – a condition arising from overheating, which has been frequently observed throughout South Asian counties in recent years.

The estimated 40 per cent of Dhaka’s population of almost 15 million who are slum residents are at increased risk of being affected by these factors, due to cheap slum housing being situated in low-lying areas close to large bodies of water.

The film, directed by Ehsan Kabir of the Bangladeshi media company Green Ink, also shows the development of a traditional Bangladeshi performance to share the findings of Dr. Jordan’s research with her interviewees and the wider community in Dhaka.

Together with the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Dhaka, Dr. Jordan also coordinated the creation of a Pot Gan.

This was described by a representative of the department as “one of the earliest forms of storytelling which has been performed for generations in Bangladesh.”

In this case, it was used to dramatise the environmental issues raised by the interviewees, as well as the social issues which arose in their community as a result.

The film sees the Pot Gan performed in the slums and at a reception at the British Council, with the aim of making the findings of the research accessible to a broader range of audiences across Dhaka’s social spectrum.

Versions of the film exist with English and Bengali subtitles, which have collectively been viewed more than 100,000 times online.

Photo: ahrcfilmaward

The prize winners at the Research in Film Awards each received a trophy and a grant of £2,000 towards future film projects at a ceremony, which took place on the 9th of November at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

All films, across a range of genres including drama and animation, were less than 30 minutes long and the winning candidates were chosen by a panel of judges including arts and film academics.

Jan Dalley, the panel chair and Arts Editor at the Financial Times, remarked on this year’s “wonderfully varied” selection of winning films.

She praised their ability to “demonstrate the real impact of this art form and how carefully crafted work can take us on a journey of discovery and amazement in under 30 minutes”.

Another panelist, Professor Tom Inns of Glasgow School of Art, described Dr. Jordan’s film as “excellent”, adding that it “shone out from all the other films as a dynamic piece of practice-based research”.

He particularly emphasised the thoroughness and clarity the film offers into Dr. Jordan’s work: “The film captures the entirety of the research process – unlike other films that only showed the output or the discourse that the research stimulated, Joanne’s film really got under the bonnet of the actual research itself.”

Dr. Jordan said on the shortlisting of the film in September that this demonstrated “crucial support and recognition of the important role of film and performance theatre in challenging audiences to actively engage with the personal experiences of slum dwellers affected by climate change in Dhaka”.

She also emphasised her hope that the film would “raise some of the voices and stories from the communities living on the frontline of climate change. We must hear their stories.”

Brand new women’s theatre society taking back the stage

Written by Saira Baksh on 17th November 2017. Posted in Theatre.

Ready to take back the stage, the Women’s Theatre Society (WTS) is aimed at women of all religions and ethnicities. The group aims to be a safe and accessible space for drama enthusiasts of every level. Committee members want to encourage diversity and inclusion in the world of theatre.

Hana Jafar, the founder of WTS talks to The Mancunion about how the society came to be. She said: “I started the women’s theatre society this year because I saw a need and wanted to fill it. As a Muslim woman who wears the hijab, I used to feel like there weren’t spaces I felt were safe, accessible and inclusive enough for me to engage in something as intimate as acting. I haven’t done much drama, but I know how important it can be in letting women find their voices.”

Whilst Margherita Concina, treasurer for WTS, is quick to highlight the inclusive nature of the society saying that it’s for, “every theatre-loving woman, from any religious or cultural background, to have a comfortable space to express and challenge herself. For example, the wide-spread existence of female actors is a genereally accepted phenomenon now, but female directors are much rarer. We would like to inspire women to develop a new passion, be it in performance, writing, directing, tech, lighting, costume designing… In short, all things theatre.”

The overwhelming response this rising society has gained since they started is presented through their diverse and varied membership, and over 100 sign ups just during freshers’ week!

So far, the society have held a meet and greet, and a few workshops surrounding issues such asconfidence building, and theatrical writing. These are usually handled by Eleanor Maxwell, Co-Chair and head of performance at the WTS, who has a theatrical background herself. She says that, “theatre has always been an inclusive space for me, and it makes sense for this inclusion to be extended to everyone.”

Elena Brearley, first year Drama student and member of WTS, tells us about why she joined: “I liked that the society seemed both socially and culturally conscious and had the intention of bringing about some positive social change. Everyone in the group is respectful of each other’s opinions and it’s a diverse group of people which allows for some thought provoking conversations and discussions. It’s relaxed and has a bigger focus on building confidence and learning new skills, whether you’re a beginner or have a lot of experience with theatre.”

Edda Vallen, active member of WTS told us she thought “it was really attractive to have a women’s only theatre society because generally I found other societies to be quite male-dominated and I want to use my creative skills on my own terms. There’s also real opportunities to get involved; I’ll be running our next workshop (on the 20th of November) and hopefully performing in the winter showcase!”

The winter showcase, according to Eleanor, will be a platform and voice for women. Working with their members, they will create a variety-filled showcase full of monologues, short dramas, and poetry. All the profits of the showcase are going straight to a charity, called Independent Choices, which Eleanor tells us is, “a helpline which helps women escape abusive domestic environments. The volunteers have a well-rounded knowledge of issues that might keep people trapped in a toxic situation, like the languagebarrier or immigration bureaucracy. They are based in Manchester but are active across the UK.”

The University of Manchester Women’s Theatre Society is open to all self-defining women, to explore their skills and gain confidence. Whether they want to act, to take up take up technical roles, or even just to watch.

For more information, follow them on Facebook.

DSquared2’s ‘Be Nice, Be Cool’ range

Written by Maddie Rodbert on 17th November 2017. Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

November is the official anti-bullying month and alongside many in the public eye promoting awareness for bullying and cyber-bullying alike, the fashion company DSquared² has partnered with the charity ‘Be Nice, Be Cool’ to launch their own fashion line in support of the cause.

In an interview with GQ, Dean and Dan Caten — cofounders of the fashion line — admitted that the charity was very close to their heart as they had been bullied for a lot of their school life and wanted to make a contribution through their work.

The brothers claimed that the bullies particularly focused on their position as immigrant kids as well as their interest in fashion over football. With this line, they seek to teach kids that it is cool to be kind. In a Vogue feature, they go on to say that they hope the line can teach people to approach everyone with a different kind of attitude and they hope to have a continuous working relationship with the charity.

Many high profile Italian celebrities turned out to support the brand at their launch during Milan fashion week on the 20th of September, all wearing various items that can be seen on the brand website. The designers describe the collection as a ‘capsule wardrobe’ that includes denim jackets, hoodies, t-shirts and accessories that all come in various bright shades with the slogan emblazoned on all of them, to purvey an “attitude of strength, confidence and positivity”.

The collection is available to men, women, and children, through various retailers and online, with part of the profit being donated to the charity. The clothes are cool, bright, and colourful, to support the positive message of the organisation and due to the nature of a capsule wardrobe, all work well together. The brand announced that the line will be open to the public in late November, with the promises of lots of sweatshirts for those colder winter days.

Live Review: Wolf Alice

Written by Olivia White on 17th November 2017. Posted in Music.

North-London quartet Wolf Alice returned to the Manchester O2 Apollo with their electric second album Visions of a Life. With support from Birmingham-born Superfood who perfectly prepped the audience with a bold, and yet funky performance playing songs from both their debut Don’t Say That and their second album, also released this year, named Bambino. Also supporting were rock ‘n’ rollers Sunflower Bean who I was greatly impressed by, as I captured influences of Thin Lizzy incorporated within their riffs, plummeting me back into my childhood wannabe 70s phase.

From the moment the indie-rock heroes strolled on stage, the crowd erupted with elation as fans that had been waiting well over a year, now finally blessed with the ethereal presence of Ellie Rowsell once again. The air was instantly infused with a peculiar charged, nostalgic warmth and a certain reassurance that the next few hours would be just the mystical distraction you’ve been craving all year.

Wolf Alice effortlessly combine the two polarities of delicate harmonies with heavy, rupturing riffs exhibited in ‘St Purple and Green’ and ‘Heavenward’. In fact, despite also being a pretty dominating aspect of ‘My Love is Cool’, ‘Visions of a Life’ takes these defining aspects of their sound to a whole new level. The distortion and spiritual elements within ‘Visions of A Life’ were flawlessly executed as the musical efforts of Theo, Joff and Joel were incredibly tight and cohesive, painting a canvas for Rowsell to exhibit her compelling vocals.

A vintage backdrop of a forest drenched in reds, purples, blues and greens accompanied with glimmering and shimmering white lights proves Wolf Alice certainly did not fall short in any aspect — this aesthetic greatly complimented the artwork of the album. A slow, spinning blanket of the hazy light cast over their performance of the 4th track named ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’ which, to be cliché, wholeheartedly stole the show with personal lyrics resonating what I consider to be incredibly emotive, particularly for the youthful fans as they tackle adolescence.

Given the boundless energy emanated by all four members, you wouldn’t believe they performed a setlist lasting just short of two hours. Consisting not only of new songs but also much-loved classics such as ‘Your Loves Whore’, ‘Lisbon’ and of course, finishing with ‘Giant Peach’. ‘Giant Peach’ was an almost spiritually cleansing experience, invigorating you with self-assurance and vast carelessness. Nothing else mattered when Ellie clambered into the first row of the crowd before screaming and clutching at her fans. From synchronised, the whole body flinches to Ellie’s high-pitched shrieks, every movement, and every sound was performed with conviction and confidence.

For heaven’s sake grab yourself a ticket and/or a copy of ‘Visions of a Life’!

10/10

Travel Story: Sarajevo’s tin can

Written by Aisha Al-Janabi on 17th November 2017. Posted in Lifestyle.

I never thought the highlight of a walking-tour would be a sculpture of canned beef. I doubt I will forget this sculpture any time soon.

This masterpiece was created by Nebojsa Seric Shoba and was unveiled in 2007, in memory of the Siege of Sarajevo by the Yugoslavian People’s Army during 1992 to 1996. Despite this statue seeming random, far from it.

During the siege, the United Nations provided food aid in the form of canned beef. Some cans were so old they had been produced during the Second World War. Despite the label, not all of the cans necessarily contained beef. To me it sounds as if the UN was trying to clear cupboard space, and saw this as an ideal opportunity.

The inscription on this tin reads, “The Monument to the International Community” from the “Grateful Citizens of Sarajevo.” Wonderfully ironic and passive aggressive, this is certainly a monument to look out for.

After having been there, I don’t believe I would be doing the marvellous country justice by only discussing the past. In Sarajevo, there is a mixture of architecture of the Middle East and Eastern Europe — unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It’s as if you were wandering between two different countries, a feast for the eyes.

Bosnia also has some of the best food I’ve had. Everywhere sells Burek, a flaky pastry stuffed with cheese and spinach or spiced meats. The owner of one hostel I stayed in proudly stated that McDonald’s in the town of Banja Luka had to close shortly after opening because Bosnia already had the best fast food — cevapi and burek. I can only agree.

With a burek in hand, I was wandering around the city and joyfully stumbled upon the giant chessboard, which I had previously read about. If I could play chess I would have loved to get involved, but as I can’t I decided to watch from the side lines as a mixture of generations were completely engrossed in a game. The cheers and groans that you would more likely hear at a sports match than a chess game fuelled my hope to return once I’d learnt how to play.

There is of course more to Bosnia then Sarajevo. It is full of beautiful landscapes with lush greenery. I headed down to Mostar where I spent an afternoon swimming by a waterfall, walking through old ruins taken over by nature, and looking over vast expanses of rolling hills. Mostar is most well-known for its bridge, Stari Most, standing at an impressive 24 metres, with skilled jumpers dropping elegantly into the water.

I was always pleasantly surprised that whenever I met others who had been to Mostar, they all spoke fondly of their hostel hosts and described them more like family. I opted for Hostel Majda, which certainly did feel like a family home. Majda — the hostel owner — often told stories after breakfast, accompanied by photos and videos from which I learnt a great deal. Her cooking was fantastic, as one evening she surprised us all with a delicious stew which we ate under the stars.

I can’t recommend visiting Bosnia enough, and this is somewhere I will be going back to in the near future. Once I’ve learnt to play chess.

Live Review: Weezer

Written by Chris Drew on 17th November 2017. Posted in Music.

25/10/17, O2 Apollo

Touring with an unreleased album always carries an element of risk for a group, especially when their previous material is so well-loved. Weezer’s visit to Manchester was a clear demonstration of how it can be done well.

Rivers and co have a back-catalogue of hit-laden albums from which to draw, and the hardest decision must be which tracks to leave out of a gig. This is no more evident than when you consider two of their early songs at the Apollo (The World Has Turned and Left Me Here & In The Garage) hadn’t been played live since 2015.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, tracks from the group’s debut The Blue Album featured most heavily throughout the set alongside a handful from most of their other releases. It would have been nice to hear a few more tracks from The Red Album but nobody can deny they packed a lot into their set.

It wasn’t until the midpoint of the gig when they played songs from their new release Pacific Daydream but the assembled fans’ energy didn’t abate, a real seal of approval for their new material, as they sang back the lyrics to Thank God for Girls and Happy Hour.

Shortly afterward, Rivers Cuomo impressed the crowd with his humorous Liam Gallagher impression, zipping up his jacket and holding his hands behind his back as he sang the first few lines of Undone before a shortened cover of I Took a Pill in Ibiza that provided a calming segue into Island in the Sun.

The four-piece rounded out the gig with a feast of energy as they played Hashpipe, Beverley Hills (during which the frontman donned the now customary sombrero) and Say It Ain’t So. After such an animated show, it’s no surprise the crowd quickly called on the group for an encore and they did not disappoint. Coming back out with a powerful performance of Buddy Holly which had even those in the seats up and moving, Weezer sent the Manchester public home more than happy and, thanks to some canons, covered in confetti.

Fans will be pleased to hear that, despite their age, Weezer still know how to put on a proper rock show and, as they announced on Wednesday evening, they are now planning to make the UK a regular fixture in their yearly tour dates.

8/10

Review: The Levenshulme Food Market

Written by Daisy Tolcher on 17th November 2017. Posted in Food & Drink.

Levenshulme Market initially started off as a community run weekend enterprise, but due to its overwhelming success it has now expanded and also operates on a Tuesday at the University of Manchester.

The dishes change weekly as vendors rotate, and you can be sure to sample a wide variety of different cuisines every time you visit. The market features an eclectic mix of flavours from Middle Eastern, Mexican, Eastern European and Belgian stalls, plus many, many more.

As a regular market customer, I finally decided to review a range of the food to give readers an insight into what’s on offer. Stay tuned for next week’s article for further food for thought on more market meal magic.

The Ottö-Men

Serving Middle Eastern and Mediterranean inspired dishes at reasonable prices, you can see why this stall is a hit with both students and staff. The stall allows shoppers to choose from a number of ingredients to personalise your box. Having tried their Middle Eastern box before, I opted for the falafel wrap. Like the box, you can choose what you would like in your wrap — including harrissa dressing, tahini dressing, pickles, and hummus — all of which looked visually stunning as well as delicious. The wrap itself was huge and tasted amazing!

Photo: Daisy Tolcher

Viva La Toastie

Viva La Toastie serve sarnies that taste as good as they look! Drenched in butter and oozing a secret “3 cheese blend”, these may not be suitable for those watching their weight but nonetheless they are an absolute joy to eat. I opted for the chicken and pesto toastie which I cannot recommend enough.

Photo: Daisy Tolcher

Nasi Lemak

I took my vegan friend along to the market and she tried Nasi Lemak’s vegan jackfruit curry. The smells emanating from this Malaysian street food stall were incredible and the menu consisted of a wide range of both vegetarian and vegan dishes. The dish itself was spicy, fragrant, and very filling!

Photo: Daisy Tolcher

Overall, I would try all of these dishes again but the stand out for me has to be Viva La Toastie. You’ve never tasted a toastie as good as this before, so make sure you get yourself down to Levenshulme Market and tuck in!

You can find the market on Tuesdays between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm, on Bridgeford Street M15 6FH, just off of Oxford Road next to the museum.

Rugby League World Cup 2017 – group stage round-up

Written by Jamie McEvoy on 17th November 2017. Posted in Sport.

With the group stages of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup concluded, it is time to look back on the key results and face-offs, and ahead to the unforgiving quarter finals, where the tournament’s strongest competitors will face off, the semi-finals in sight.

The first round of fixtures saw a brilliant opening to the competition. In Group A England had a tough opening fixture against co-hosts The Kangaroos, which resulted in an 18-4 defeat, whereas fellow home nation Ireland got off to a more promising start against Italy, winning 36-12.

Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea all blew their opposition out of the water with two of their victims being Scotland and Wales. Scotland’s troubles worsened when skipper Danny Brough was sent home along with Sam Brooks and Johnny Walker, after the trio were refused passage onto a flight for being drunk and disorderly.

In the second round of group games, England registered their first points of the tournament with a 29-10 victory over Lebanon, but Australia remained two points clear at the top of the table after annihilating France.

Scotland’s hopes of qualifying for the last eight were crushed after being thrashed by co-hosts New Zealand 74-6, and Wales and the Irish faced similar fates after losing respectively to Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

The top of Group B could not have been any tighter, with both New Zealand and dark horses Tonga level on points after two victories each. However, in the final round of matches within the group, Tonga pulled off a fabulous win against their co-host rivals, meaning they topped the Group B. Due to a flurry of bans and squad changes there was a multitude of scepticism surrounding New Zealand’s tournament campaign leading up to the competition, and failure to top the group has reignited this doubt.

Elsewhere at the weekend, England beat France comfortably to seal second place in Group A behind the Aussies, meaning the French were eliminated and Lebanon claimed a shock place in the quarter finals. Groups C and D unsurprisingly saw Papua New Guinea and Fiji finish on 100% records.

Come the last eight, there is no such thing as an easy fixture, but Tonga will definitely be relieved to have avoided Fiji, who the Kiwis will face instead on Saturday afternoon. In the morning, the Group B victors will play the considerably weaker Lebanon. This favourable match-up gives Tonga an excellent opportunity to make their first ever World Cup semi-final.

Favourites Australia will host Samoa on Friday, and Group A runners up England will meet Papua New Guinea in Melbourne on Sunday. Comfortable triumphs in their latter two games of the group stages will have boosted the morale of the English side considerably, as well as the return of the injured forward Sam Burgess, but Papua New Guinea will be looking to keep up their perfect record and book a place in the semi-finals on their own turf.

Group Stage Final Standings:

Group A: 1. Australia 2. England 3. Lebanon 4. France

Group B: 1. Tonga 2. New Zealand 3. Samoa 4. Scotland

Group C: 1. Papua New Guinea 2. Ireland 3. Wales

Group D: 1. Fiji 2. Italy 3. United States

Quarter Final Fixtures:

17/11 – Australia v Samoa (06:30)

18/11 – Tonga v Lebanon (04:00)

18/11 – New Zealand v Fiji (06:30)

19/11 – England v Papua New Guinea (05:00)

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Month: November 2017