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Month: March 2018

Image: David Dixon @ geograph

Thousands sign petition for barriers along Manchester canals

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for safety barriers to be put up alongside canals across Greater Manchester.

A body was discovered in Rochdale Canal by underwater divers on Friday the 2nd of March as police searched for missing University of Manchester student, Charlie Pope.

The 19-year-old went missing on a night out on Thursday the 1st of March and police believe that the body that was discovered is Charlie’s, though a formal identification has yet to take place.

Neal Keeling, Chief Reporter at The Manchester Evening News, was one of the thousands to have signed the petition and wrote on the change.org website: “I have reported too many deaths of young men in the waterways of Greater Manchester and the city centre as reporter at MEN.”

Jodie Whipday, another petition signatory, also wrote on the site: “I live in Manchester and the safety precautions around the canal are none existent. This is happening too often in the city of Manchester.”

By Thursday the 8th of March, the petition titled ‘Put barriers up on the Manchester canals’ had over 30,000 signatories and many have shared their support on social media using the hashtag “#makecharliethelast.”

Charlie People’s father, Nick Pope, has endorsed the online campaign and told BBC Radio Manchester: “We are not going to stop – we don’t want anyone to go through we have been through.”

Police took Nick Pope to the spot where his son’s body had been found and Nick told the BBC: “It was icy and there were no barriers. I was astonished how dangerous it was.”

“I had no idea – people are stumbling out of bars and falling into canals. We could put up barriers in key areas where all the bars are.”

He added: “If this was a company the Health and Safety Executive would have shut it years ago.”

Manchester city councillor Pat Karney told the BBC that the whole canal network could not be fenced off but certain measures could be introduced.

He said: “We have done it at the top of the village area as we had a particular problem and so far it has stopped fatalities up there.

“But I will look at the petition and talk to them and see what measures we can come up with.”

Touching tributes have been paid to the teenager with candles, messages and flowers left alongside the canal.

An open bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale was also left in recognition of the first-year Social Sciences student’s links to the North-East.

Commenting on the discovery of the body believed to be Charlie’s, a spokesperson from the University of Manchester said: “We are all very saddened to hear this tragic news and the university will be providing any support and assistance we can to Charlie’s friends and family.”

Photo: Allocine.fr

Review: Red Sparrow

Written by Sana Ditta on . Posted in Film.

In this Russian spy thriller, Jennifer Lawrence stars as Dominika Egorava, a ballet dancer turned spy. After a career-ending injury, she’s recruited by her weird uncle to train as an infamous red sparrow (a group said to have really existed). Then ensues two hours of Dominika trying to find the mole that’s been leaking Russian secrets to the CIA. And that’s just the beginning of this mess of a movie.

Tinged with dark themes such as the blatant abuse of power, Dominika battles with the dominating male powers around her. Does she do this in a female-empowering badass way? No, instead she uses sex or sexual favours to overcome the various situations she finds herself in. This slowly becomes infuriating. Using sex as a plot point in an attempt at making this a sexy spy thriller is elementary at best. To add to this, sexual assault is a prevalent theme in the first half of the movie, yet it is handled inconsiderately.

The exploitation of the female body is also a frequent tactic used yet Dominika is always devoid of emotions — there is no character development. No look into how these events that occur are affecting her mentally; no scene where Dominika has any sense of freedom. Instead, she’s controlled by the men around her. So yes, Lawrence may be the star of the show, but the men are still very much in power. It’s also useful to note that she dies her hair blonde at one point because what Russian spy doesn’t have blonde hair, right? But I digress.

The acting is great if a little boring mostly because there is no real character development across the board. Every character seems to be very thinly written with bad Russian accents. Honestly, there is more to it than a few rolling “R’s” here and there. There’s an effort to add some romance to the plot but even this is underwhelming with virtually no chemistry between Lawrence and Joel Edgerton (who plays CIA agent Nate Nash). The ‘romance’ is also unnecessary and feels rushed (even in a movie as long as this). Needless to say, there are some pacing issues and it’s no wonder six people walked out during the movie.

The plot itself is one that’s promising, even if slightly overused. And this may be one reason why it is extremely clichéd. Red Sparrow’s attempt at a plot twist (if you can call it that) was extremely predictable especially in this genre of film. Oh, she was a double agent this entire time. No wait, she’s a triple agent(!) Here’s an idea: just don’t make her an agent at all, literally do anything else for the entire movie — it sure would have been more entertaining.

Although a thriller, there’s no suspense nor any excitement. On top of that, there’s barely any action, so for those hoping to see Lawrence fighting off a bunch of people, prepare to be severely disappointed. All this paired with a very underwhelming final showdown, makes the movie more than a little bit dull.

Stylistically, the movie aims at being dark and sexy, but it lacks any real depth. It instead attempts to rely on the style and atmosphere as well as the many, many, torture scenes. In this sense, there seems to be an over-reliance on graphic violence. Some scenes feel like they are there just for the sake of them being violent which gets tedious after a while.

Red Sparrow looked promising but sadly this promise was not fulfilled. In its place is the bitter disappointment and a promise made to myself: never to watch a blonde-haired Russian spy movie again.

2/5 (and that’s me being generous)

Photo: Disney ABC @ Flickr

90th Oscars Roundup

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Film.

Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name — Luca Guadagnino
Darkest Hour — Joe Wright
Dunkirk — Christopher Nolan
Get Out — Jordan Peele
Lady Bird — Greta Gerwig
Phantom Thread — Paul Thomas Anderson
The Post — Steven Spielberg
The Shape of Water – Guillermo del Toro (Predicted)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Martin McDonough

If I’m honest, the outcome for Best Picture surprised me. I wanted The Shape of Water to win as an acknowledgement for the great work Guillermo del Toro has done, but I expected Get Out to get the Oscar. With the amount of build up surrounding Peele’s film and the timely racial discussion it created, it seemed inevitable. There were also a few films that really shouldn’t have been nominated, Darkest Hour and The Post are among them.

Best Director

Dunkirk — Christopher Nolan
Get Out — Jordan Peele
Lady Bird — Greta Gerwig
Phantom Thread — Paul Thomas Anderson
The Shape of Water — Guillermo del Toro (P)

Again, like Best Picture, my heart said Guillermo del Toro but my head said Jordan Peele and if anything, I expected Peele to win this category more. With this win Del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro González Iñárritu, known affectionately as the ‘Three Amigos’, have all won the Best Director Oscar in the past five years for the films The Shape of Water, Gravity and Birdman respectively.

Best Adapted Screenplay

James Ivory — Call Me By Your Name (P)
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber — The Disaster Artist
Scott Frank, James Mangold & Michael Green — Logan
Virgil Williams & Dee Rees — Mudbound
Aaron Sorkin — Molly’s Game

James Ivory becomes the oldest person to ever win an Oscar at 89 for Call Me By Your Name. While I predicted it to win, I felt like it was an outsider, and Logan might buck the superhero curse and win a major Oscar. It was also refreshing to see a coming-of-age drama and a film involving gay characters to get recognition.

Best Original Screenplay

Jordan Peele — Get Out
Greta Gerwig — Lady Bird
Guillermo del Toro — The Shape of Water (P)
Marin McDonagh — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani — The Big Sick

Best Original Screenplay was my first mistake of the ceremony. I stuck with my gut and chose The Shape of Water for all Film, Director, and Screenplay and was perhaps too brazen to think it could win all three. The result of Get Out winning an Oscar, however, is that horror films will perhaps receive more attention from mainstream audiences, who connected with the ever-relevant themes it explored.

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet — Call Me By Your Name (P)
Daniel Day-Lewis — Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya — Get Out
Gary Oldman — Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington — Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Best Actor was the second and last mistake I made for the 90th Oscars. Gary Oldman’s victory for Darkest Hour just goes to show, you don’t need to be in a good move to win an award, or even a half decent one. Denzel Washington put in a very good performance in Roman J. Israel, Esq. but I think the lack of advertising hindered its chances. Chalamet was an outlandish choice but the 22 year old definitely has quite a career ahead of him.

Best Actress

Sally Hawkins — The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (P)
Margot Robbie — I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan — Lady Bird
Meryl Streep — The Post

For the life of me, I can’t understand why Meryl Streep was nominated for The Post. I think if Steven Spielberg used a text-to-speech program he could have got more life out of those lines. At this point, it almost feels like an inside joke to nominate her for every role she as much as glances at the script for. Regardless McDormand fully deserved a second Best Actress Oscar to go on her mantelpiece next to the one from Fargo.

Best Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe — The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins — The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer — All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (P)

Sam Rockwell deserved this Oscar. Out of every film I watched in 2017 his performance was the best, by some distance. I don’t think Rockwell gets quite the credit he should for his performances and that is in part to the inconsistency of the roles he chooses. One film he’s playing Sam Bell in the fantastic Moon and the next he’s playing Darwin in 102 Dalmatians. Woody Harrelson will be disappointed he missed out with his career-best performance.

Best Supporting Actress

Mary J. Blige — Mudbound
Allison Janney — I, Tonya (P)
Lesley Manville — Phantom Thread
Laurie Metcalf — Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer — The Shape of Water

Whilst I would have been happy to see Mary J. Blige win Best Supporting Actress, both for her performance and to finally award Netflix for years of making incredible content, I think Allison Janney’s portrayal as Tonya Harding’s mother was the best of the nominees. Lesley Manville was also brilliant as Reynolds Woodcock’s stern elder sister.

Best Animated Feature

Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco (P)
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent

Out of all the categories up for grabs this year Best Animated Feature is the one that was most clearly won before the ceremony began. Boss Baby and Ferdinand were both unexceptional films and The Breadwinner and Loving Vincent, while both unique in style and good films were never going to challenge the Disney machine. A machine that has won the last six awards in this category in a row, including 12 of the last 17.

Cinematography

Roger A. Deakins — Blade Runner 2049 (P)
Bruno Delbonnel — Darkest Hour
Hoyte van Hoytema — Dunkirk
Rachel Morrison — Mudbound
Dan Laustsen — The Shape of Water

A big song and dance was made about this being Deakins’ 14th nomination without him winning a single one. I think the greatest hint that this would be his year was the fact that Emmanuel Lubezki was absent from the nominations this year. The past three nominations Deakins received in 2013, 2014 and 2015 (Prisoners, Unbroken and Sicario respectively) were destined to fall second to the veteran Mexican Cinematographer. He won with Gravity, Birdman, and The Revenant, the first person to win in three successive years in this category.

Best Orignal Score

Hans Zimmer — Dunkirk
Johnny Greenwood — Phantom Thread
Alexandre Desplat — The Shape of Water (P)
John Willams — Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Carter Burwell — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

In stark contrast with Best Animated Feature, I think this was the closest category with all five nominations equally deserving of the award. Zimmer broke new ground in scoring by making use of an auditory illusion, the Shepard-Risset glissando, Johnny Greenwood is going from strength to strength with his swirling score for Phantom Thread, John Williams produced yet another sublime score for Star Wars and Carter Burwell has kept high standard that he set over three decades ago. There could only be one winner though and Desplat, my personal favourite composer, has created a masterpiece for The Shape of Water.

Photo: (Mick Baker)rooster @flickr

Mixed fortunes for English sides in Europe

Written by Sam Cooper on . Posted in Sport.

The English sides competing in Europe continue to impress, as two of three teams will progress so far. City and Liverpool both overcame their opponents to secure qualification into the quarter finals, but Tottenham were knocked out by Juventus.

Having won the first leg 5-0, it was a calm night at Anfield for Jürgen Klopp. Safe in the knowledge his side were all but through, he rested the likes of Mo Salah and Virgil Van Dijk and the two teams played out a 0-0 draw.

Manchester City also boasted a healthy aggregate lead having beaten Basel 4-0 in the first leg. This coforabtle cushion was needed as Basel managed to inflict a rare defeat on Guardiola’s side at the Etihad. A goal from Gabriel Jesus was cancelled out by Mohamed Elyounoussi before Michael Lang netted the winner.

Tottenham meanwhile were sent crashing out of the competition as they los 2-1 at Wembley to Juventus. After securing a respectable 2-2 draw away in Turin, Spurs were feeling confident ahead of this second leg. They took the lead through Heung-Min Son, but quick fire goals from Gonzalo Higuaín and Paulo Dybala sent the Italin juggernaut through.

Manchester United and Chelsea are yet to play in this round of fixtures. The Red Devils host Sevilla with the aggregate score at 0-0 while Chelsea face a trip to the Camp Nou looking to get the better of Barcelona with the aggregate score at 1-1.

Photo: MANIFF

Highlights from MANIFF 2018

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Last Sunday night was the night of the 2018 Oscars. However, another film event, which may have slipped your radar, was happening at the same time in Manchester. The weekend saw the return of the Manchester International Film Festival (MANIFF) — a four-day event showcasing some amazing independent international features and shorts both British and International, hosted by the Odeon Great Northern in the city centre.

The opening gala screening of A Painted Woman, a Western adapted from the novel The Mustanger and the Lady, a “western for women” about female strength and heroism in a harsh world, saw the opening of the festival off to a great start, and whose director, James Cotton won the award for Best Director on the Sunday Awards night.

Shia LaBeouf was a big name at this year’s event, participating in a Q&A “Filmmakers Studio” with project partners Nastja Rönkkö and Luke Turner in which they discussed the inspiration and process of their short documentary film and art project #TakeMeAnywhere, which screened on Friday.

Other familiar faces included Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who won Best Actor for his role in the spy thriller, Damascus Cover. Rhys Meyers, best known for his roles in The Tudors and Match Point took questions from the audience alongside the film’s director Daniel Zelik Berk in a post-screening Q&A.

More highlights and surprises from the festival included the psychological thriller Hippopotamus from director Ed Palmer. Hippo, described by Business Insider as “One of the 28 best films of all time that you’ve probably never seen”, stars Ingvild Deila, who plays Ruby, a kidnapped girl who wakes to find herself in a sterile basement unable to move her legs. Her captor, Tom — played by Stuart Mortimer —, explains that she is his captive until she falls in love with him.

Another stand out was Yoshua — about a group of kids hiding a mysterious blue alien in South Central LA,  which picked up the award for Best International Short. The Spanish language film Can’t Say Goodbye, which contends with the fractured relationship of two conflicted daughters and their father who is dying of cancer, took home the award for best foreign language film as well as the big award of the night, ‘Film of the Festival.’

Sunday Worship won Best UK Short, with Mad Hannans winning Best Documentary. Best Screenplay went to Bernard and Huey. The powerful NONA, starring Kate Bosworth, exploring the devastating issue of human trafficking in the modern world, brought the festival to a poignant close on Sunday night.

Some themes from the festival seemed rather prominent — both the opening and closing gala films focused on the abuse of venerable women. Although from very different eras, both were approached in sensitive and important ways. It felt like an empowering statement signalling the importance of telling women’s stories especially in light of last year’s scandals regarding women and abuse in Hollywood. It could not have felt more relevant, but it also reflected the exclusivity of this independent festival.

The diverse nature of MANIFF was reflected not only in the films which were screened but in the experiences of the independent, young, and debut filmmakers who were present at the event. Micah Bijon (Yoshua) said, “the festival was an incredible experience, for 3 kids from South Central to know that, not everyone in the world wants you to fail.”

And Ed Palmer, Director of Hippopotamus said “MANIFF was a wonderful experience; four days jam-packed with great films, music videos, docs and animations, fantastic workshops, and events. Best of all it was an opportunity to rub shoulders with a vibrant mix of other filmmakers and enthusiasts.”

With local partners and sponsors, MANIFF has cultivated a solid place in the Manchester film cultures scene, resulting in a fantastic four days of good films and fascinating insights. For a festival only 4 years old which prides itself on showcasing independent cinema from both Britain and afar, it is clear to see how much of a success this year’s event was. It is truly a credit to the diverse and dynamic host city.

 

Full list of awards and winners:

BEST MUSIC VIDEO – LOOKING BACK (Stefan Fitzner, Switzerland)

BEST STUDENT FILM – LIEUTENANT AT ARMS (Kerri Ann Foweraker, Australia)

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM – THE DEAD MAN SPEAKS (Marcos Mereles, Netherlands)

BEST ANIMATION – TANGUITO ARGENTINO

48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE WINNER – BET ON IT

BEST SCORE – COVADONGA (dir. Sean Hartofilis, USA)

BEST EDITING – DAMASCUS COVER

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – THE ISLE

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – DAMASCUS COVER

BEST UNCOMMISSIONED SCREENPLAY – HONEY BOY– By SHIA LABEOUF and OTIS LORT

BEST SCREENPLAY – BERNARD AND HUEY (Jules Feiffer)

BEST ACTRESS – CATHERINE EATON (THE SOUNDING)

BEST ACTOR – JONATHAN RHYS-MEYERS (DAMASCUS COVER)

STAFF PICK – SAC DE MERDE

BEST DIRECTOR – JAMES COTTEN (PAINTED WOMAN)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT – FORTY-FIVE: THE SEARCH FOR SOUL

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT – YOSHUA (Matthew Castellanos, USA)

BEST UK SHORT – SUNDAY WORSHIP (Paul Holbrook and Sam Dawe, UK)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – MAD HANNANS (Martin Shore, USA)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – CAN’T SAY GOODBYE (Lino Escalera, Spain)

BEST ENGLISH LANGUAGE FEATURE – DAMASCUS COVER (Daniel Zelik Berk, UK)

FILM OF THE FESTIVAL – CAN’T SAY GOODBYE (Lino Escalera, Spain)

How to hygge: a student abroad’s guide

Written by Calypso April on . Posted in Lifestyle.

The Danish concept of hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity in the UK over the past few years. It is easy to see why. Loosely translated as ‘cosy’ or ‘cosiness’, the idea of snuggling down and relaxing is very appealing, especially with recent weather considered.

However, whilst many British interpretations of hygge have chosen to focus largely on the application of hygge to living spaces, an equally important aspect of hygge is its sociality. It is not only an environment which can be hyggelig, but also an evening with family, friends, or a conversation. Although, the most common setting for hygge is within the home, it is also easy to access hygge outside of the home, perhaps by sharing food or drinks with loved ones.

Whilst there is no direct translation of the word hygge into English, Danish anthropologist Jeppe Linnet has approximated its meaning as “cozy, homey, informal, sincere, down-to-earth, warm, close, convivial, relaxed, comfortable, snug, friendly, welcoming and tranquil.” These words apply to interactions, conversations, and surroundings alike.

With all this in mind, here are a couple of tips that I have picked up from living in Denmark, which are useful for applying some hygge to your daily life.

 

Organise your time effectively

The Danes are known for being organised, punctual and efficient, which is crucial to being able to relax and switch off in your down time. Often it can be impossible to do this knowing how much work you have left to complete, which is why effective time management is both a useful skill in general, and one which will help you add a little more hygge to your life.

Plan and adhere to a timetable of work and relaxation, factoring in activities which are important to you, as well as university work and everyday chores. Planning this allows you to totally relax during your time ‘off’, knowing you have left yourself enough time to complete necessary work and tasks.

 

Take time offline

There is a vast body of work suggesting the benefits of taking time away from our phones and social media for everything from improved mental health, to better sleep quality. Turning off or silencing your phone when spending time with friends and family allows you to be more present, and create deeper connections with people, thus contributing to a more hyggelig experience.

 

Less screen time

Whilst an evening in eating popcorn and watching a movie could certainly be a very hygge one, it’s nice to ensure you also spend time doing other activities with friends, family and housemates. Why not choose some activities that require more interaction? Get out of the city and go on a walk together, play a board game, card game, or cook a meal together.

 

Mood lighting

On the whole, the Danes are a huge fan of mood lighting, particularly candles. Turn off your main overhead light and switch on your side lights, desk lamps, or whatever you have. Pick up some cheap candles or fairy lights and get cosy in your living room.

 

Decorate

In order to create a hyggelig atmosphere, you don’t need to spend a fortune. In fact, anthropologist Jeppe Linnet has argued that spending a lot of money can be counter-productive to creating a hygge space or occasion, as it distracts from the quality time you’re spending with your loved ones. So go ahead and decorate with plants, photographs, cushions, blankets and textiles, and don’t worry about matching everything — there’s no need to break the bank.

Although hygge as a concept is not something that we have a word for in English, it basically connotes quality time, joking and conversation with those that we love, facilitated by a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It’s about enjoying the little moments, whether that’s going for a walk with some friends in the cold, and warming up with a hot chocolate, or playing boardgames in a cosy room.

Hygge is almost like a philosophy. It highlights the importance of simplicity, taking time out and relaxing. It has even been suggested that hygge is the key to why the Danes are some of the happiest people in the world. So why not take a leaf out of the Danes’ book, and add a little more hygge to your life.

Photo: Advice Service

How to make a complaint – the right way

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Hopefully, this will help you to understand the different University complaint procedures and help it all feel a little less complicated. This guide will shed light on how you would begin the process.

Students who are currently studying (or have completed a course recently) have the opportunity to raise a concern to the University by using a complaints procedure.

At the University of Manchester, there are two types of complaints. The first is a general complaint, and this could be about something on your course, or about a service which you have received.

The other type is a ‘Dignity at Work and Study’ Complaint. This is the kind of complaint that you would make if you felt that you had been subjected to bullying, harassment or discrimination, by either a member of staff or another student.

There is a university complaints form which you will need to complete, and this is the same for both of the complaints procedures. However, the procedures do have different policies so this is something to watch out for. You can find all of the relevant documents on the university website, including the complaints form and the regulations for each of the complaints.

The complaints form has questions for each section, and we would advise you to include any information that you feel is relevant to the case. Then, you would also be required to attach any evidence you may have, to support your case. This could include emails, letters, and any other type of correspondence you may feel is relevant.

Once you have done a draft of your complaint, you can send it to the Students’ Union Advice Service and one of our advisors would be happy to review this for you. We can also offer you any comments or suggestions that we feel may help you and you can then decide if you feel our advice is useful to your case.

One of the first things to remember when considering whether to raise a complaint, is that if you are seeking an academic outcome (such as a change in grade, or another chance at a piece of work or an exam), then you would need to do an academic appeal and not a complaint. For further guidance on the academic appeals procedure please see our website.

If you are unsure about anything to do with the complaints procedure you can always pop into the Advice Service. And remember you can also send us a draft of your complaint to [email protected] and receive some feedback from one of our professional advisors.

Jake Oliver @ The Mancunion

Live Review: Pale Waves

Written by Jake Oliver on . Posted in Music.

Like the rest of the Dirty Hit gang, Pale Waves are following in the hugely successful footsteps of their fellow label cohorts. Within the last two years, this hotly tipped quartet have received accolade after accolade. Following on from several massive tours with The 1975 and their own headline tour across the States, Pale Waves are one of the best bands out there at the moment.

The group drifted onto stage, accompanied by an ominous electronic hum in the background that set quite an eerie tone throughout the venue. Drummer Ciara Doran counted us all in to the single ‘Television Romance’ and suddenly the lights came up and everyone was dancing. Lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie was already commanding control over the crowd with her crazed expression and floaty voice.

I’ve genuinely not seen people go this mad for a band since The 1975, and if that’s any indication as to how big Pale Waves are and will no doubt go on to be, then I don’t know what is. With would-be-mentors Matty Healy and George Daniel being involved in their musical production, you could definitely feel their synth-pop influences shining through. But rather than rely on the success of their contemporaries, Pale Waves are able to blend 80s aesthetics with a 21st century flare.

“And I swear that I’ll never stop loving you, and I’ll die by your side if you want me to” are the sort of emotionally charged lyrics that the crowd screamed in unison back to Heather. It’s a nod towards 80s romantics inspirations such as The Cure. Pale Waves have indeed placed themselves at the forefront of goth-pop and certainly have the looks to match.

Songs ‘The Tide’ and ‘Heavenly’, had clearly been polished and perfected to arena anthem quality after being ‘brought back from the dead”, according to Heather. This rebirth was greeted with electric enthusiasm from the crowd, especially from fans who knew these tracks from when Pale Waves were in the early stages of their career. Hearing them live after such a hiatus had everyone in the venue screaming.

Despite the somewhat sombre nature of the lyrics that may otherwise want to make you lock yourself in your room and cry with a bottle of Echo Falls, Pale Waves have this uncanny ability to make you feel inexplicably happy. The combination of jangly riffs and undeniable catchy melodies from the entire band just make you want to get up and dance. Even with the showcasing of some unreleased songs, the band never disappoint.

I promise you now, in a year’s time (or maybe even less), Pale Waves are going to be massive. Genuinely. This isn’t speculation, rather an assertion. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for fans of The 1975, being a hopeless romantic or just having a good old bop with your mates, Pale Waves are the ones to watch this year.

10/10

Photo: Album Artwork

Album review: Camp Cope – How To Socialise And Make Friends

Written by Jack Saddler on . Posted in Music.

By all accounts, it would be fair to expect Camp Cope’s second major label record to continue where they left off. Their short yet enthralling self-titled debut certainly left me eager to hear what would follow from the Melbourne based trio. Would they expand on their punk-fuelled, abrasive yet melodically-charged slam on misogyny? In part, Camp Cope have done just that. But How to Socialise and Make Friends is so much more than this alone.

What makes this album so rewarding to listen to is its self-awareness, and the despair and doubt it ultimately provides. This is brought by lead singer Georgia “Maq” McDonald, whose heart becomes ever-growingly visible on her sleeve throughout the record with her lyrics and delivery. Each passing track feels like a new layer of her thoughts in this descent of emotion. The record swings from the accusatory spits of, “it’s another man telling us to book a smaller venue” (‘The Opener’) to apathetic casts of doubt, “Just get it all out, put it in a song” (‘Anna’). Some parts could be related to by many, and others have a more personal edge, yet it all shares a common ground of honesty and compassion.

Georgia McDonald’s up-front lyrics placed over Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich’s infectious bass line creates a perfect start the album, with ‘The Opener’. It takes aim at all-male festival bookers that create a divisive atmosphere through their disproportionate bookings of male acts. Camp Cope accuses men of placing women too low on the bills whilst they play to packed out tents. It ends memorably with its sarcastic and chord-striking, “Yeah just get a female opener, that’ll fill the quota,” and perfectly affirms a call to arms to end these outdated trends.

Anger turns to hurt in ‘The Face of God’, a heart-breaking address on the topic of sexual assault. “You couldn’t do that to someone / Not you, nah your music is too good,” calls out abuses of power, as well as the feelings of self-doubt and questions that arise from these actions. The song tackles the subject of victim-blaming and repeats lines to portray the agonising thought processes that stem from these awful experiences. Her vocal lines are tinged with pain and it is an element that comes back and fourth throughout the record.

‘UFO Lighter’ showcases a real mix of the emotions put forward by Georgia McDonald whilst also best demonstrating its level of self-awareness. She confronts fears of facing her feelings towards an ex-partner then seemingly tackles it down saying, “and he expected that I was gonna fail and run back, well fuck that.” It feels like a victory on an album that is at times filled with loss and despair and propels its self-belief in the triumph of her success. The song fits this around family issues with her hand tattoos and perceptions differing when a woman is “unfaithful” compared to a man. It’s delivered in the albums discussion-like manner that lets you delve into the subject matter and is a significant moment.

The album closes by returning to its poignancy and heartbreak. ‘I’ve Got You’ is an acoustic track dedicated to Georgia McDonald’s father who passed away in 2016. It pours out her feelings of inspiration that he gave her describing him as, “a defender of freedom, an advocate of truth,” in a pain-filled but beautiful tribute. The inspiration spoken of on this track is part of a record with its own inspiring tale, and hopefully goes on to serve that exact purpose to anyone that hears it. How to Socialise and Make Friends is a real and empowering piece of art, and should be heard by all to throw in the face of sexism.

8/10

Photo: Album Artwork

Album review: Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone

Written by Callum Lunn on . Posted in Music.

Almost nine years since his last studio release, the sublime ’55 Cadillac, and seventeen (yes, seventeen!) years since his seminal (and by far his most well-known) album, I Get Wet, motivational speaker, classically trained pianist, and 24-hour party person Andrew W.K. is back.

You’re Not Alone combines W.K.’s hard rock stylings with short, self-help tape style segments featuring his trademark motivational speeches. These often touch on very dark topics and seem to be inspired by the recent high-profile tragic suicides in the rock scene. These speeches try and imbue a new lease for life, explaining that we can’t beat our demons, but we can ‘party with them’.

These definitely fit in with the lyrical style of the album. The first full-length track on the album is the uplifting ‘Music is Worth Living For’. Other positive, uplifting tracks featured are ‘Keep on Going’, ‘(We Won’t) Give Up on You’, which sounds almost like a fanfare, and the album’s title track, ‘You’re Not Alone’. The overbearing feeling of the album, even down to the art, is that of a hard rock motivational tape. It makes sense, as that’s what Andrew W.K. does the best, but I find it difficult to square off with some of the other tracks on the album.

Alongside self-help, the other theme of the album is W.K.’s staple: partying. One track that seems (to me, anyway) to break with the theme of the album is ‘Party Mindset’. It explains how W.K. apparently needs no friends to party, which sort of goes against the title of the album.

While there are some technically brilliant and exquisitely produced tracks on this album, the driving hard rock guitars just don’t seem that driving, the punchy drums aren’t that punchy, and the lyrics are often a little quieter than they should be. The whole album has this quiet, muted, feeling, and lacks the raw energy and punch W.K. had on I Get Wet. While I appreciate that this was 17 years, ago, it seems that subtle changes to the mixing could have really brought out that energy. You can still hear Andrew really giving the lyrics his all, but the number of layers on pretty much every track seem to drown it out.

While this is by no means a bad album and the message is truly uplifting, it makes me feel like some key part is missing, that would complete the whole thing and make it truly great.

6/10

Preview: Mallory Knox

Written by Hannah Brierley on . Posted in Music.

Mallory Knox are one of those bands that has been around for what feels like forever. However, 2018 marks the start of something new for the legendary rock group.

After nearly a decade and three albums, frontman Mikey Chapman announced on the 14th February that he was going to step down and leave the group. Whilst this was still some pretty devastating Valentines day news, all is not lost. Bassist Sam Douglas, who frequently sang backing vocals, has stepped up to fill the role.

Sam said in relation to ‘Black Holes’: “I think it shows a completely different side to my voice. In taking on lead vocals, that was something I wanted to be able to show from the get-go. It’s a song we’ve played at rehearsal for a while and we’re all really excited about integrating it into the set.”

The 2.0 version of Mallory Knox recently released latest single ‘Black Holes’, which showcased the impressive vocal talent which Sam has been harnessing. It has put to bed any questions or reservations about the band’s quality despite the recent changes, as it continues to produce an impressive almost ‘come back’ track.

Douglas says about the lyrics of the track ‘Black Holes’, “it’s all too easy in this day and age to post every single thought we have online, and at times too much can be said. Everybody seems to be so quick to have an opinion on something, which they often know nothing about, and I struggle to defend how much negativity is spouted online.

“We really wanted to make sure that emotion was captured in the recording and our producer Adrian Bushby really brought out the bare bones of the song in the best way. It’s a conscious effort to go back to basics. We really want the listener to be able to hear every part being played and I feel we’ve achieved that.”

Their new and improved sound has held on to their dark grungy rock sounds, without sounding too similar, but neither sounding a million miles away in a new direction. Whilst it is still a shame that Mikey has departed from the band, as he had an undeniably talented vocal, it has not been in distaste. In a recent statement from the band, they respect his decision and wish him well. It’s a new and exciting chapter for the band and I can only begin to imagine the possibilities of how far the band’s musical talent will take them in the future.

Mallory Knox has also released a string of intimate venue gigs in April, make sure you get down as a gig at this intimate scale will probably be a rarity in the future, catch them at their Manchester show on the 23rd April at Manchester Rebellion.

APRIL:

16 Brighton The Haunt
17 Cardiff The Globe
18 Exeter Cavern
20 Stoke Sugarmill
22 Glasgow King Tut’s
23 Manchester Rebellion
24 Birmingham Mama Roux’s
26 Nottingham Bodega
28 Selby Pop Punk Pile-Up Festival

Photo: Sonic PR

Feature: in conversation with Georgie

Written by Yasmin Duggal on . Posted in Music.

Not always destined for a life in music, Georgie once had a promising career in professional football looming ahead of her. But the sudden discovery of a guitar and her uncle’s record collection whisked her off the pitch and into her bedroom to hone her musical craft.

She quickly mastered the art of blagging her way into pubs underage to play open mic nights, and it wasn’t too long before her relentless graft paid off when her music caught the attention of local hero Jake Bugg, who took her with him on an intimate UK support tour.

Since then she has fulfilled support duties for stars ranging from Blossoms to Jack Savoretti, and was flown out to Virginia, USA to record her debut single ‘Company Of Thieves’ with the legendary Matthew E White and his Spacebomb house band. Blending her British grit with such an accomplished American soul band resulted in a truly spellbinding single that earned Georgie spots on a whole host of watch lists for 2017.

Supporting Jake Bugg on Monday at Manchester’s stately Albert Hall, Georgie still seemed humbled by the support shown for her. With a voice regularly compared to Stevie Nicks, her influences were clear as she story-told her way through life’s everyday in her beautifully husky tones.

Few words were spoken, and few were needed — her voice said it all. The hauntingly relatable ‘Hard Times’ struck a chord whilst gorgeous track ‘This Ain’t Heaven’ was met with admiration for the young singer-songwriter. An unusual acoustic cover of much-loved Dirty Dancing number ‘Be My Baby’ was a smart choice from Georgie, who appealed to popular taste with an undertone of East Midlands grit.

Her girl-next-door vibe is sure to swing awfully well in the music industry, let alone her unmistakable vocals, and she’s surely got a bright future ahead of her under Mr Bugg’s wing.

We were lucky enough to catch Georgie prior to her Manchester show for a quick chat.

How’s the last year been for you?

It’s been great so far! This tour’s been a real highlight. It’s also nice to put some more music out.

Tell us more about the tour?

I went to Europe with Jake too which was amazing. I went to places I hadn’t seen before like Oslo and Stockholm. The UK leg has been amazing too. London Palladium was great. When you read who’s played there like the Beatles, Dusty Springfield… it was cool to get the opportunity to play that stage.

How has touring with Jake been?

Yeah amazing, I’ve learnt so much and seen some great places, met great people. It’s been fun and so far successful too!

Will you be looking to embark on a headline tour soon?

Hopefully, it would be nice! Maybe the end of this year, that would be cool!

Are you getting out to some festivals this summer?

Yeah we are just booking them now, so I have quite a few lined up!

Is there an album on the cards soon?

The songs are there! There are so many songs, so hopefully soon. Could even be this year.

Your voice gets compared a lot to Stevie Nicks — is she a big influence?

Yeah I love her and Fleetwood Mac. My mum brought me up with all that great music. My middle name is Stevie which she picked *laughs*. So yeah, she definitely has been a great influence.

We love the new track ’Too Much TV’ — was it an easy one to write?

Thank you. I’d say so yeah. I already knew what I wanted to write about so once you have that idea it’s just a case of creating some music that vibes with it. Then it can just roll out! Which is what happened with this song. It’s not the case all the time however!

What are you listening to at the moment?

I love what Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and Chance The Rapper are doing — I feel it’s so ahead of everyone else. It’s exciting and fresh that they’ve taken a great genre and created something new with it, which isn’t easy! I love them. I like Bruno Major too, yeah I’ve been listening to him a lot.

Photo: Samuel Pigott

Recipe: Garlic Chicken Schnitzel

Written by Samuel Pigott on . Posted in Food & Drink, Uncategorised.

Ingredients:

  • Three large waxy potatoes
  • One chicken breast
  • 100g plain flour
  • One beaten egg
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • One tsp each of onion salt, garlic salt, smoked paprika, thyme, basil and oregano
  • 150g butter
  • Three cloves of garlic, one peeled and finely chopped
  • One branch each of fresh thyme and rosemary
  • A large bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
  • Salt and pepper
  • One lemon cut in half
  • Salad leaves

Method:

  1. Begin by peeling the potatoes and cutting into inch cubes, ensuring they are all the same size so they cook at the same rate. Place these into a pan of boiling, salted water and cook for approximately ten minutes, or until a knife easily passes through the cubes and they are on the brink of falling apart. Drain the potatoes and set aside to dry
  2. Take two pieces of cling film, large enough to fit the chicken breast in with at least 5cm space either side, and brush a little oil onto one side of each piece. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the cling film and then place the chicken breast inside before sandwiching the cling film either side. Using something like a meat mallet or a rolling pin bash the chicken breast down to flatten it to approximately 1cm thick in all places.
  3. To three separate bowls add the beaten egg, the breadcrumbs and the flour. To the bowl containing the flour add a generous amount of salt and pepper and mix. To the bowl containing the breadcrumbs add a teaspoon each of celery salt, garlic salt, smoked paprika, thyme, basil and oregano
  4. Take the flattened chicken breast and coat it in the flour, followed by the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. To achieve an even firmer crunch you could also do flour, egg, flour, egg and then breadcrumbs.
  5. Preheat a non-stick frying pan with a splash of oil and a small knob butter. Take two of the garlic cloves and simply squash them slightly under your hand, add these and the fresh thyme and rosemary to the pan. Next add the schnitzel which will take approximately 4 minutes on each side to cook. While the schnitzel is cooking mash the potatoes along with 50g butter and half the fresh parsley and then season to taste.
  6. When you flip the schnitzel over halfway through its cooking time add to the pan the remaining butter and the chopped garlic and then tilt the pan and baste the schnitzel in the melted butter and garlic. Cut the lemon in half and add it cut-side-down into the pan to begin to char.
  7. Once the schnitzel is cooked remove it from the pan and allow to rest for half the time it took to cook. In this time remove the frying pan from the heat and ad the fresh parsley, finely chopped.
  8. Place the rested schnitzel onto a plate and then pour over two thirds of the sauce left in the frying pan, pouring the other third into the mashed potato. Remove the lemon from the pan and squeeze the juice over the schnitzel. Serve alongside the mashed potato and salad leaves
Photo: www.thebodyshop.com

Free-from hair routine

Written by Kitty Mitchell Turner on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

When researching hair routines for maximising health, I found a huge buzz around opting for more ‘natural’ hair routines. As well as discouraging people from bleaching, dying, or styling their hair with heat, many people online (who also happened to have long, healthy hair) advised using products without sulphates and silicons.

Sulphates are the chemicals that make your hair lather in such a satisfying way but can also be found in many household cleaning products like washing-up liquid. They effectively strip everything from your hair and leave it feeling squeaky clean. The bad news is, that in removing the dirt and grease from your hair, they take all the natural oils and nourishment from your hair, which makes it dried and damaged, and as a result your hair gets greasier sooner and you end up in a vicious hair-washing cycle.

Silicones on the other hand, are found in most conditioners. Silicones are a kind of plastic, and they behave no differently when in hair products. They wrap around the hair follicle and seal it, which makes it seem softer and shinier when they prevent nutrients from getting in or out.

So, after being told what I shouldn’t be doing and using, what should I do? I searched far and wide for shampoos and conditioners free from these nasty ingredients and found the Rainforest collection from The Body Shop at a reasonable price (Rainforest products start at just £2).  I also invested in a brush with wooden teeth which was gentler on my hair. I also stopped brushing my hair when it was wet, as wet hair is the most fragile and that is the time it breaks most, which is why we end up with so much hair down the plughole.

When I first changed from my regular hair products to these, it was like weening my hair off drugs. It went through a horrible withdrawal where it was dry and knotty, and I seriously considered switching back. But I stuck with it, covering my hair in coconut oil a couple of times a week, reducing how often I washed my hair, and not having scolding hot showers, and the difference has been incredible. My hair is so much softer and shiner, it has been falling out a LOT less, it gets greasier and knottier far less, and a lot of people have been commenting on how long and healthy it looks.

It turns out that the hair industry spends their time promoting products that feel and look good, rather than those that do good, so consider switching next time you feel your shampoo bottle getting lighter.

Photo Credit: www.lacoste.com

Lacoste X Save Our Species

Written by Amy Nguyen on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Last week, eponymous French brand Lacoste, engaged in a commendable marketing campaign aimed to advance environmental goals and animal conservation. The organisation collaborated with the International Union for Conversation of Nature to provoke the thoughts of its customers and drive awareness regarding endangered animals and rising rates of extinction across our worlds landscape.

To set the scene, it is worth contextualising the scale of this problem. As a planet, we are currently witnessing a period of accelerated biodiversity lost, in which species are becoming extinct at a rate that has not been witnessed since the previous global extinction event (i.e. the age of the dinosaurs). The sharp wave of extinctions occurring has been partially driven by man-made climate change. The increased vulnerability of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems has been made so by the altering climate and levels of acidity in oceans.

Sounding bleak? Consider this: the current rate of extinction we are experiencing amongst animals is estimated to be between 100-1000 times more than what is considered natural for our world. Scientists have predicted that up to a staggering 30 per cent of all mammal bird and amphibian species will be threatened with extinction within this century.

Que Lacoste.

Their designers embarked on a partnership with the IUCN Save Our Species (SOS) department, a group within the organisation that is fully committed to pursuing the long term survival of threatened species and their habitats.

Lacoste designed ten limited edition of their class polo shirts, announcing ‘the crocodile has left its spot’. In the iconic logo’s place, an array of embroided endangered species currently threatened by extinction have been elevated to centre-garment-stage.

The new white shirts  feature creatures so few in number that, to many, they may be unfamiliar and unrecognisable. These are the Sumatran tiger, Javan Rhino, Burmese Roofed turtle, Vaquita dolphin, Northern sportive lemur, Cao vit gibbon, Kakapo parrot, California condor, Saola, Sumatran tiger, and Anegada ground iguana.

The quantity of polos  produced was scarce, 1775 to be precise. This number totals the current population size of each of the ten species. Retailing at RRP $183, the proceeds from each polo were donated to the ICUN to promote and engage in the battle for wildlife conversation at a global level. To no surprise, the collection has sold out but proceeds are still being collected for the cause.

Whilst Lacoste is not the first brand to bring awareness to pervasive issues regarding the environment and sustainability, their campaign and partnership is commendable. Efforts should be mirrored and replicated by both high street retailers and luxury designers, following in the footsteps of pioneers such as Patagonia, to raise awareness amongst all levels of consumers.

Petra Collins Gucci campaign Photo: Vimeo

Profile: Petra Collins and imagined nostalgia

Written by Liv Clarke on . Posted in Arts.

You might not recognise the name Petra Collins, but you’ll probably know her face from the recent advertising campaign for the new Gucci Bloom fragrance. Though, Collins isn’t just a model or a muse, she’s an influential photographer and video artist, having created videos for fashion houses such as Bulgari, directed a music video for Selena Gomez, and her images have featured in Wonderland magazine and Teen Vogue.

Alongside these commissions she has an extensive portfolio of personal artwork exploring themes such as femininity, nostalgia and adolescence. Every photo she produces features her signature dreamy style giving her work a strong voice in a world which is saturated with Instagram images. Her recent book, Coming of Age (2017, Rizzoli) is a collection of her photographs and personal essays, revealing some of the ideas behind her work.

Collins turned to photography at 15 after injury prevented her from pursuing a career in ballet and her relationship with her body has been an idea continually explored in her work. She began by photographing her younger sister Anna and her friends, capturing teenage girls in their bedrooms as they struggle with what the outside world throws at them and what the inside world of their body presents them.

Her next project was capturing life in high school, with her sister continuing to be the muse, posing in baseball jackets and knee-high socks. In Coming of Age Collins describes how she used photography to escape her reality and capture a version of adolescence she missed out on “I shot my sister at high school dances, in the library being bored, or at a basement party with our friends – situations I was rarely in.”

There’s a certain irony in the fact that its not only the viewer who feels left out of these ‘All-American’ experiences but the photographer does too — emphasising the sad nostalgia in these images.

There’s a longing for something which never happened and never will, and it reflects how the teenage experience is filled with moments of disappointment and sadness. The idea of nostalgia is enhanced by the hazy style of her images; they look almost amateur, but that’s no bad thing. In a time of super-airbrushed, HD photos Collins’ style is refreshing and unique today.

Moving away from the teenage bedroom her latest work continues to hark back to a different era, this time taking inspiration from the 70’s with brightly coloured disco lighting rather than a 90s softly lit haze.

Collins, who is Canadian, ventured to Hungary and photographed her mother’s family for Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2017 eyewear collection. The resulting images are saturated with colour and almost verge on Kitsch, but the deliberate poses of her subjects ground them in the present day. Her accompanying words perhaps reveal why nostalgia is a recurring theme in her work, “Budapest: the place that has stayed constant in my life. It’s a city with a rough history, which has caused it not to change…When I was younger, visiting felt like travelling back in time.”

But if Collins’ images are so imbedded in the past, why is she relevant today? One word: feminism. Firstly, she’s a female artist photographing women and this female gaze affects how the viewer sees these women; they are not reduced to just a sexual object.

She captures aspects of the female form and bodies in general which you don’t see elsewhere such as bruises, braces and pubic hairs (Collins’ own Instagram account was recently deleted after she posted a photo of herself with an unshaven bikini line). Furthermore, she’s supported women throughout her career so far.

In 2010 she founded The Ardorous, an online art collective for female artists; since 2011 she’s worked closely with Tavi Gevinson, editor of Rookie an online magazine for teenage girls; and in 2015 she curated the book Babe, which featured the work of The Ardorous artists.

However, for Collins the pressure felt by women to look a certain way is still very present, and she highlights the fact that her bikini photo was one out of “5,883,628…images at the time to be tagged with bikini” which wasn’t deemed appropriate. That’s a lot of women conforming to beauty ideals. Collins’ photographs are aesthetically perfect; however, she captures the imperfections around her which is what makes her work so captivating.

Photo: Gucci.com

Gucci’s turban ‘accessory’ is disgraceful

Written by Ginah Shergill on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Gucci have received a highly critical response on social media after their Autumn/Winter 2018 runway at Milan fashion week. The luxury Italian fashion brand sent a series of white models in turbans down the runway in an attempt to showcase them as fashion accessories.

In Sikh culture, the turban is a traditional, religious emblem that carries high importance within the community. However, many Sikhs have to deal with chastisement for this aspect of their appearance. Why is it fair for them to be torn down for expressing their identity, only for it then to end up on the runway?

In the current social climate in which Sikh people are discriminated, racially profiled, and abused for wearing a turbans, it was an irresponsible, and frankly offensive move from Gucci to have models wear them for the sake of fashion. It was only recently that a Sikh man was attacked outside Parliament. Someone had tried to rip his turban off of his head. It is cases like these which make it ever more important to normalise other people’s cultures, not merely steal aspects of it for the benefit of something like a fashion show.

Gucci’s actions are a typical case study of cultural appropriation: adopting an aspect of a minority’s culture, whether that be clothing or a hairstyle, without the consent of those people. This only reinforces the lack of diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry. Gucci, a hugely influential global brand, completely missed the mark and, importantly, the opportunity to hire actual Sikh models to show their turbans on the runway. The lack of representation combined with the disregard for the Sikh religion and culture in order to display a fashion collection, is not acceptable.

Religious and cultural dress is not a fashion accessory. It is not a costume for high fashion designers such as Gucci (who have such a profound impact in the fashion world) to use at their disposal, whilst turban wearing Sikh’s are falling victim to abuse.

Photo: Style Hub8 @ Flickr

Riccardo Tisci replaces Christopher Bailey at Burberry

Written by Alice Reynolds on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Since it was announced in October that Christopher Bailey would be stepping down as the creative force behind Burberry, fashion’s high society have been working overtime to figure out who might fill his boots. After all, those are not insignificant boots to fill.

Bailey’s work for the house transformed it from a small UK name to a global fashion powerhouse. He took the heritage Burberry check and pushed it beyond relevance, to icon status. With all of this to follow, Bailey’s successor would have to be fearless. They would have to inherently understand Burberry’s history and identity as a quintessentially British brand. But most crucially, they would have to be able to stamp their own identity onto that brand without cheapening what Bailey has created.

You can see then why Phoebe Philo, British designer and fashion darling – after her immensely successful run at Celine – was a hot contender. And you can see why the announcement that Italian-born, Givenchy radical and avant-garde trend-maker Riccardo Tisci would take over, was the shock of the season. No-one was expecting this.

This is the man whose penchant for embracing both sexuality and sensuality had him tipped to be next in line for the Versace throne. Whose tenure at Givenchy pulled the now supremely popular streetwear trend into the realms of luxury fashion.

Herein lies the major issue people have with this news. The Burberry brand is steeped in history and over the last nine years, under Bailey’s leadership, it has become synonymous with British fashion. Will introducing this non-traditional, subversive style twist Burberry into something it’s not? Will the label’s Britishness be lost to Tisci’s brand of dark drama and leather kilts (see the infamous Kanye West/Riccardo Tisci fashion collaboration from West’s ‘Watch the Throne’ tour)? Will we see streetwear at Burberry?!

The answer to that last question is probably, yes. Streetwear was specifically mentioned in Burberry’s statement and fits perfectly with the brand’s plans to refresh their image to attract a younger, more adventurous customer-base. This is something Tisci has always had a talent for. He sees things before anyone else does and his ability to reinvigorate a house has been emphatically proven at Givenchy. Bailey has already begun planting the seeds for this, with puffer jackets and parkas a key feature of his final collection for the label. Not forgetting the SS18 capsule collaboration with Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, which paired the ultra-classic Burberry check with trackies and polo-necks to celebrate the legacy of British football.

In answer to the first two questions: we can only wait and see. There has been a general emphasis on “Burberry’s British heritage” and Tisci’s connection to London, who was once a student at Central Saint Martins. This at least provides some reassurance that both brand and designer are aware of the risk they are taking and, more importantly, what they stand to lose if it goes wrong.

To be honest, no-one really knows what’s going to happen but that’s what makes the whole thing so exciting! Unpredictability has been an integral quality of the fashion industry for so long and now more than ever, when the status quo is being challenged from both sides, it’s refreshing to see Burberry embrace the chaos and do something utterly and completely unexpected.

Photo: Virginia Saul

Review: Aldo

Written by Alana Cook on . Posted in Theatre.

Some of us broke students love to turn to supermarket store Aldi for a cheap food shop. But no one could love the store more than the protagonist of the latest Drama Society play, Aldo, written by Lucio Gray and directed by Emily Tandy.

Aldo (aptly named) is a wholesome, friendly, and slightly eccentric boy who works at the store, providing outstanding customer service all in the name of his love for Aldi. The story is a simple one: socially-awkward Aldo is crushed when the Aldi he works at closes down, but rather than be defeated he sets up his own (slightly shady) version of the shop, using left over stock, and with some help from the other ex-employees.

The cast was great and all had a chemistry which made their relationships with each other believable and enjoyable to watch. Roman Armstrong delivered a bright-eyed, bubbly, and strong performance as Aldo, bringing to life the character from the moment the audience arrived, greeting them and asking what they’d bought at the shop recently. There were also some great comedic moments, particularly from actors Lauren Ellis-Stretch as Sam the thief and Gary Gannon as Ben and other parts.

A notable laugh-out-loud moment was when Welsh Ellis-Stretch’s character met with Welsh Lego-loving lorry driver Arthur (played by Jordan Jones) and both actors, very seriously, began to have a conversation in Welsh, much to the confusion of Aldo. Something else of note was Mary’s (played by Chloe Wilson) unzipped fly for around half of the performance. I have no idea whether or not this was intentional, but nevertheless it provided some added entertainment that fitted the character well.

The play was minimalistic, with labelled cardboard boxes functioning as different objects, such as the aisles in the shop or a lorry. This was very effective in portraying the different settings whilst adding to the quirky vibe in the play.

The play’s ending was slightly odd, but sweet nonetheless. Overall, Aldo was a lovely, quirky, heart-warming, funny play that restored my faith in humanity somewhat. It also made me really want to buy some Stroopwafel.

Photo: Julia Morgan

Interview: Cara Looij on (IN)SANE

Written by Orla Quilligan on . Posted in Arts, Theatre.

Cara Looij boiled down for me what her event (IN)SANE, taking place at Texture on 19th March, is all about: “(IN)SANE is a multimedia arts event which aims to open a platform for artists to explore testimony through creative practice regarding mental health experiences, and all the money raised for the event will be going to 42nd Street.”

42nd Street is a charity that aims to support young people aged 11-25 with their mental health. They also (in their own words) “champion young person centred approaches that demonstrate local impact and have national significance.” The charity is so important in Looij’s eyes as she believes, “young people often aren’t taken seriously enough, especially when it comes to mental health.” In particular, she thinks that young women’s mental health is often belittled; their expression of it sometimes seen as just attention-seeking.

With the aim of raising £1000, Looij, along with Julia Morgan and Sam Williams, have involved over fifty artists to contribute to the event — all using completely different media, from spoken word to duologues, film, and more. Looij’s mother is even in on the act, making a portrait of a friend from university who suffered from fluctuating mental health. Looij believes it was important to exclude no one from the event and instead create a safe space that acts as a platform to create discussion and to both celebrate and empower.

Looij spoke on her fears of how the the event could be anticipated: “we were worried that it could come across as something harrowing, or something that made people dwell on sadness. We wanted it to be about moving past those times and what people have learnt from their experiences. We want to reimagine the conversation around mental health because everyone has mental health in the same way they have physical health. We want to talk about something hard without it being hard to talk about.”

I asked her if she thinks drama lends itself particularly well to collaboration and campaigning. She pointed out that although it was through drama that she met Morgan and Williams, as well as learnt how to go about putting on events, the artists and collaborators featured at (IN)SANE hark from all sorts of artistic disciplines, including no creative experience at all.

In fact, she believes that “everyone is creative in their own way” and that work coming from those untrained in any particular discipline is “fresh. It’s less filtered. There’s no pretence to it. I think sometimes that’s the best type of art — it’s true to you – it’s not made to be good, but to simply make something.”

With this philosophy, I can certainly see how (IN)SANE will be a positive platform to get people creating art and performance and to really open people up to talking about the ‘challenging’ topic of mental health and I can’t wait to see what the event has to offer.

You can purchase tickets for (IN)SANE on Skiddle.