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Month: August 2018

NUS launch Totum to replace NUS Extra

Today, the National Union of Students (NUS) launched a new product to replace its long-standing NUS Extra Card, which will be known as ‘Totum’.

Launched in 2010, NUS Extra granted students who held the card discounts to major high street retailers such as The Co-Op, ODEON, and National Express coach travel.

Totum is a discount card partnered with an app which will Ali Milani, NUS’ Vice-President for Union Development, described as a “passport to student life” by providing a more holistic service for students, including student events, volunteering, and a student ID.

The app aims to turn NUS Extra “from a discount card into an engagement platform” explained Adam Bardsley from OneVoice, speaking at the Student Media Summit at Amnesty International’s London centre today.

The app also will advertise student societies available to prospective members, and allow the user to purchase membership where required via a link to the corresponding Students’ Union website.

At the same event, Mr Milani also said Totum would “revolutionise local discounts around campus”. When pushed on who would negotiate these local discounts, Mr Milani said that the onus was on individual Students’ Unions to do so.

Existing multi-year NUS Extra card holders will automatically be added to the Totum programme meaning no extra cost will need to be paid.

He then claimed the NUS “would never sell student data”, calling this “a marker in time for revolutionising our services for students”. Despite this, the app will still collect users’ personal data.

One example is that the app will attempt to tell users available to them in-store, meaning the user should always be able to use the discount, rather than forgetting to after paying. This would have the consequence of knowing users’ device location data.

The Mancunion have learned that users’ data will still be analysed for commercial purposes to target discounts to students, but won’t be sold off to third parties.

Mr Bardsley did however say the app was still in the development phase, and features will be added to it over the next 24 months.

Megan Heath, also from OneVoice, outlined that the annual cost of the card would remain £12 and the app will be launched on 13th September.

Exec Team appeal for dialogue as UCU vote on further strikes

The University of Manchester Students’ Union Exec Officers have called for “all sides to get round the negotiating table” after the Universities and College Union (UCU) announced last week its intention to ballot on industrial action in 147 universities across the UK next term.

The vote will allow members to decide whether to go on strike again, following last term’s pensions dispute.

The joint statement from all eight Exec Officers cited the past year’s strike action as “difficult” and hoped “retaining continuous dialogue… can avoid action which detrimentally impacts our students”.

The Exec team also did mention however that they “fundamentally believe that well rewarded and motivated staff are they key ingredient of a great education”.

Pay issues are the main reason cited for the ballot. This includes problems such as the gender pay gap, a lack of pay rises over the last four years, and pay disparity between top figures at universities and their staff.

Many UCU branches appear to be in support of a ‘YES’ vote on the upcoming ballot. On Twitter, Bristol UCU linked the possible upcoming strike to the one that dominated the last semester at many HE institutions, writing: “Despite the public exposure of HE casualization, the current militancy of HE staff, the gains made in The Great University Strike, university leaders do not acknowledge that casualization is a serious issue and is detrimental to their institutions”.

University College London UCU also made this connection, tweeting: “Reasons to vote for strike action from 30/08: 1. Overworked and stressed-out workforce, 2. The top handing themselves 41% pay rises in period our pay saw real term cuts of 14%, 3. Increments are not pay rises, 4. Tried to steal our pensions, 5. The sector is in surplus, 6. They think we won’t.”

Becca Windsor De Taboada, a second-year Law with Politics student, voiced concern over the possibility of further strikes, telling The Mancunion: “Honestly, this is getting ridiculous…I understand the benefits of strike action and the necessity for decent wages but striking for two years in a row would be utterly detrimental to students that these educational institutions are ultimately for”.

The ballot opens on August 30th and closes on 19th October.

The University of Manchester declined to comment until the ballot closes.

Festival of Manchester comes to Platt Fields Park

The brand new Festival of Manchester is set to launch this weekend in Platt Fields Park.

The event, taking place on 1stSeptember, will see Platt Fields host a variety of family-friendly activities, performances, and street-food. The programme of events will start at midday and carry on until 10pm.

Many of the performances will come from in excess of sixty Manchester community groups, each of them gearing up to celebrate their culture through traditional dance, music, and more.

One such group is the Manchester Malayalee Association, a community organisation made up of people from Kerala in India. The association plans to bring a traditional Keralan drum ensemble, the Chenda Melam, to the festival.

The event promises to end spectacularly, with a show on the lake in the middle of the park. ‘Swan Song’ will feature live music, fire, a giant illuminated swan and a peacock.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure, at Manchester City Council, said: “The festival is going to be fantastic… it’s an unmissable chance to celebrate all the many different cultures and traditions that make up our city and make it so amazing.”

The event is free to all to attend and runs from 12pm to 10pm on Saturday 1st September at Platt Fields. For more information go to www.festivalofmanchester.uk.

Bike-sharing company threaten to pull out of Manchester

The bike-sharing firm Mobike have threatened to pull out of Manchester after being plagued by repeated vandalism and theft.

The orange-wheeled bikes have become a familiar sight to Mancunians since they were launched last June. However, they could soon be removed after a final warning has been issued by the Chinese firm.

According to Steve Milton, Mobike’s communications and marketing leader, 10% of Mobike’s Manchester fleet has disappeared or was vandalised each month this summer. Most commonly, these bikes were found at the bottom of waterways such as the canal at Salford Quays. Others had their GPS trackers prised off and were resprayed in an effort to transform their appearance. Some were simply abandoned or locked up in garages and sheds.

“The losses are not sustainable” Milton told The Guardian, explaining the company’s decision to issue this warning. “Everyone is unhappy with the current situation. Users are unhappy because they can’t find bikes when they want them, the police are unhappy because they’re having to waste time dealing with petty vandalism and we are unhappy because we aren’t delivering the service we want”.

It is estimated that 2,000 bikes have been lost, stolen or vandalised in total across Manchester.

Manchester would be the first city that Mobike abandoned because of vandalism if they reach that decision at the end of the month. The company has 200 million users worldwide and has pulled out of cities in the US before, but only because they did not have enough bikes to make the scheme work.

Siemens Unveils Diversity Pedestrian Signals for Pride Weekend

Pedestrian signals across Manchester city centre will be replaced by new designs that use gender symbols to represent LGBT+ relationships in honour of The Manchester Pride Festival.

34 traditional ‘green-man’ signals will be transformed over the course of the weekend on some of Manchester’s busiest streets, including Whitworth Street, Sackville Street, and Princess Street.

The signals are manufactured by electrification and automation company Siemens, who also provided similar designs used during Bournemouth Pride earlier this year and London Pride in 2016.

Siemens is also sponsoring a community café located in the Gay Village during the festival, which aims to provide a space for relaxation and socialising. Jurgen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK, said he was “proud” to have worked with Manchester Pride, and that “Diversity and inclusivity is very important to Siemens”.

Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive for Manchester Pride, said: “It’s great to see Siemens stepping out in support of LGBT+ people”, and added that the traffic lights are “fun and engaging”.

Manchester Pride Festival is an award-winning celebration of LGBT+ life and runs from Friday 24th– Monday 27th August. It is made up of several events, including The Big Weekend, The Manchester Pride Parade and The Candlelit Vigil.

The Big Weekend is set to bring artists such as Rita Ora and Sigala to the city centre. The Parade will take place on Sunday 25th August, and The Candlelit Vigil will end the festival.

Live Review: Sofar Sounds Manchester

There are a few things one will probably only find at a Sofar gig. Firstly, there are rules. Rule number one: no talking when the acts are on. Rule number two: mobile phones must be put on silent mode. Whilst this may seem like a fairly militant approach to a music event, there is good reason for it. You will not find a single microphone in sight inside the intimate venue.

Secondly, the evening is hosted by a Sofar staff member, who introduces each act and emanates true passion for what they are doing. Launched in 2009 and now entertaining 411 cities across the globe, Sofar Sounds was created with the idea of pure music appreciation in mind. No disturbances interrupting the performers’ playing, no indifference to what’s on stage, and no distance, physical or otherwise, between artist and audience. And the most interesting aspect of Sofar’s events? Attendees are given no clue as to who will be playing until they arrive.

For an additional atypical twist, tonight’s show takes place in a baseball batting range that also happens to vaguely resemble a large Anderson shelter. With the lights dimmed, if it wasn’t for the uplifting, excited atmosphere that lingers in the air, you might have felt like you were in one, too.

First to grace the stage, or rather the section of the floor cordoned off with a string of fairy lights, is Australian singer-songwriter Jack Carty, whose soothing ballads are accompanied with funny anecdotes of their formation and his time spent in Manchester that perhaps only an environment like this could allow. His full discography is more varied than his short selection tonight, choosing to go with the more emotional end of his song spectrum, taken majoritarily from his latest LP Hospital Hill.

Frankie Knight, along with her percussion duo, demands an equally chill combination of tunes, but this time with a dash of synth. “Usually I play with a lot more buttons, so if you could just imagine those synth sounds going on” she requests mid-set. Perhaps a big ask to a crowd who most likely have not heard her songs before, but the more she plays the more you can indeed conceptualise the percussion and drawn out notes that might feature over the released versions of her tracks. As her last song rings through the room, a train travels over the Green Quarter building, making noise that that she wittily suggests could be one of said sounds.

This occurrence is not the only hint that maybe the venue is not the best for music. During a pause in between songs of his own set, Bernhard Eder, performing solo with just an acoustic guitar and a shaker strapped to his left foot, asks if the drinks fridge can be turned off to end its echoing hums drowning his own. The bar staff insist that this is not possible.

Eder, hailing all the way from Austria, admits to being extremely nervous to be playing in such a compact setting but soon seems to relax, even inviting audience participation on a couple of his more upbeat songs. The cheery host of tonight’s gig introduces Eder as citing Radiohead as one of his influences, and this is clearly evident in his slower ones. A surprise collaboration, reportedly a first for Manchester’s Sofar branch, evolves when The 502s drummer Sean joins him on stage for a song, having just met backstage (the side of the room with the batting cages) this very evening.

A complete change in pace, performance, and volume closes the night. Orlando’s The 502s bringing their strand of self-proclaimed “raucous indie folk” to the stage, complete with five members and even soprano saxophone. The southern States can be heard subtly through their music, with twanged-vocals and bluesy tones weaved into their sound, barking back to classic Louisiana jazz troops, but presented in their own modern, folky style. In a demonstration of their talent, the quintet perform one of their songs with just a guitar and perfectly harmonised vocals, before launching back into the party spirit of their ‘raucousness’.

Tonight proves that Sofar Sounds provides a truly unique experience to music lovers everywhere, bringing both seasoned and up-and-coming artists of genuine quality to the small stage.

7/10.

Live Review: Goo Goo Dolls

The O2 Ritz venue has long been a highly sought after and well regarded playing ground for a variety of bands over the years. For 90s indie rockers The Goo Goo Dolls, there was no exception as they raucously took to the stage, delivering an electric performance that sparked with a surprising power and rippled frantically across the dance floor up to the balconies.

A perfectly matched support was found in Scottish band The Xcerts who provided a couple of powerful rock numbers to really catch interest and enter the highly animated crowd into the gig experience. They raced through killer tracks including “Daydreaming” and “Feels like falling in love” with explosive energy and although their set seemed fairly short, it did introduce the crowd to another side of the post 90s indie rock in an appealing way.

After a particularly long break and some substantial adjustment in lighting, the Goo Goo Dolls banner finally rose at the back of the stage theatrically. With a screech his electric guitar, lead singer Johnny Rzeznik appeared at the side of the stage, leaping up the stairs towards the excitable crowd and launching into their opening track “Dizzy” as the eclectic mixture of lights danced across the stage.

Admittedly I attended the gig under the impression that at least a small portion of the crowd was attending for one song and one song only. This is, of course, their 1998 hit “Iris” which is undoubtedly the most well-known track from their album Dizzy Up The Girl. It was crystal clear that the band were aware of this, with Rzeznik chuckling as he played the opening chords: “well, of course, we were going to play this one!” before launching into the epic ballad.

However, this was to be just a small part of this energy bursting performance which enthuse and enthralled the mostly middle-aged but youthfully enthusiastic crowd from start to finish. The band took control of the stage with a typically nostalgic rock feel, encouraging and interacting heavily with the crowd throughout their blistering 2 hour set list of tracks. Stand out songs included “So Alive” which was a punchy anthemic track from 2016’s Boxes that the crowd lapped up eagerly and sung loudly. In between songs, there were plenty of comical moments from discussions about Manchester’s culture (and pubs) to various endearing moments of crowd interaction through call and response. The encore provided a moment of reflection on their latest album with title track “Boxes” and there was a sense of satisfaction within the room as the final chords of “Broadway” rang out and the spotlights faded down for the final time.

In many ways, this gig didn’t offer anything particularly outrageous or new in its approach to indie rock. However, what cannot be denied is that the band has remained true to its roots. In heartfelt songwriting and style, The Goo Goo dolls have found their niche; delivering a range of cleverly arranged tracks and seemingly truthful storytelling to an adoring crowd.

6/10.

Review: TRUCK Festival

“I am not my body, I am somebody” roared the crowd at the feet of Rakel, Dream Wife’s lead singer, a powerful front-woman and one of many who would take to and then take ownership of the stage that weekend.

The sentiment of her words are especially pertinent amongst growing claims of sexual assault being prevalent within the UK festival circuit, yet with many festivals actively addressing these issues, often the line-ups themselves are disappointingly male-centric. However, this year it seems some festivals, such as Truck, a small indie, rock and punk festival held in Oxford, are stepping up. From stunning solo women such as Naaz, to full-on bass to drums female bands such as The Big Moon and Dream Wife to front-women powerhouses such as Fickle Friends and Anteros this line-up, if you knew what you were doing, could be all talent, all women, all day.

These front-women have a stage presence which sets them apart, making them, in my opinion, destined for a main stage slot. There’s a sense that they have something to prove, which means they have to capture the audience, drawing them in and once they have them they do not waste a single second because they really do have something to say.

Dream Wife are a perfect example of this. A power trio birthed at a Brighton art school whose pop power-punk masterpieces are cheeky and all consuming; their crowd lost completely. These girls are properly cool, there’s no doubt about that; true heartbreakers, and their fans lapped it all up.

Another Brighton band; Fickle Friends are alluring and irresistible and they turn every stage they step onto into a party, with TRUCK being no different. Their undeniably catchy songs stretch from one night stands to mental health — their young fans know every single word. It’s no surprise that they just keep growing, packing out festival tents such as this and venues across the country after the release of their debut album; a joyous celebration of indie-pop.

As if we weren’t giddy enough already, Black Honey took to the stage just an hour later. Izzy, their front-woman, was a psychedelic vision of red eyebrows contrasted with a brilliant blue bob as she threw herself from the stage into the arms of Black Honey’s adoring fans. Their music is a lesson in powerful, catchy excellence and their pop-punk sound filled the tent with the aching nostalgia and pin-up girl power they have down to a tee.

The Big Moon are the new understated queens of indie-rock. Their growing cult-like following bounced in unison at their feet as the girls jammed out on stage, delivering another spotless performance. This gathering fame, recently teaming up with Marika Hackman (another angelic voice at the festival) has barely touched them, making them relatable, relevant, and ultimately the indie-rock band you want to befriend. No pretences, just great music; they remain honest, heart-warming and outrageously talented and will have you cry-dancing at every chorus.

Anteros was the god of requited love and his reincarnation took to the stage in the form of the goddess that is the band’s frontwoman, Laura. She was met with a throbbing crowd of fans, returning the love they so deserve. Destined to be legends of indie dream-pop, it was physically impossible to stand still, even in the aching heat. Their set came to a close with a heart-to-heart, Laura’s silver jumpsuit clad legs swinging over the edge of the stage as she touched upon themes of self-acceptance and society’s expectations of image and self-worth, before leaping to her feet and into a fabulous rendition of their self-titled hit.

If you’re looking for something rougher and just generally eerier, Goat Girl are the grunge-punk girl band for you. They transformed their tent with choruses which built, moody and slow before erupting into a moshing frenzy, effortlessly enchanting their crowd of old and newer fans (myself included). They are delectably dark and perfectly rough around the edges.

And this is just skimming the surface (be sure to add Naaz, Pale Waves and Marika Hackman to your summer playlists as well). These women bring the kind of new energy that’s often lacking when music festivals pick the same tired old few headliners.

Within the next few years, these women have the potential to fill that void; they are already overflowing from the small stages. They have something to say and we believe it needs to be heard. So if anyone asks where the women are at, here they are, and I for one will be dancing my heart out when they headline next year.

Written by Winona Newman.

Preview: Humber Street Sesh 2018

Humber Street Sesh is the primary metropolitan music festival in Hull, and just under two hours from Manchester. For only £10 advance and £15 on the door, if you like new music and are looking to get away from the Mancunian buzz, this weekend presents you the perfect opportunity.

Humber Street Sesh has been running annually since 2012 and has swelled in popularity, with the 2018 edition seeing the introduction of a Friday evening to go alongside the Saturday. Additionally, the festival has expanded, with 23 stages making up the new festival site – compared to 20 last year.

The festival has the unique selling point of only including local acts, so any guests are bound to find someone new they love. Whilst there might not be big names in abundance, there certainly is enough talent to compete with other inner city day events such as Neighbourhood or Live at Leeds.

The festival has also performed a vital role in Hull’s year as 2017 UK City of Culture, accelerating the regeneration of the city’s Fruit Market area into a hub of creative industry and culture.

With this in mind, The Mancunion previews Humber Street Sesh 2018, and gives you our top tips on who to see and what to expect.

 

Friday Evening

The key thing about Friday is that it’s a new addition, and as such it doesn’t cover the full festival site. Only six stages are open, but they do provide some huge local outfits the opportunity to raise the curtain on the weekend.

Top tip: Polo. It’s pop music, written brilliantly. The three-piece feature a myriad of synths and drum machines, but singer Kat McHugh’s vocal really stand out. They’re powerful, piercing, and pure – which ties together the beautifully crafted songs together succinctly. It’s the perfect way to whet your appetite for Saturday: nothing too intense, good vibes only, and a small boogie afoot. Find them on the Strummerville Stage at 9.30 pm.

Also make time for: Jack Conman and The Paddingtons. Conman has been creating a huge buzz in the North lately over his latest EP release, Heddison, with his gentle indie offerings resulting in rave reviews from the music press. He’s on the Strummerville Stage at 8 pm.

The long-awaited return of The Paddingtons is also not to be missed. Securing a headline slot after a small reunion last year, they were once mentioned in the same breath as The Libertines in the early-2000s. Indeed, guitarist Josh Hubbard went on to play in Carl Barât’s outfit Dirty Pretty Things. A cult band nationally with legendary status in Hull, expect a large crowd and a rapturous reception. See them on the Spiders From Mars Big Top at 10.10 pm.

Worth stopping by for: Black Delta Movement (Spiders From Mars Big Top, 8.25 pm), Pork Recordings (Funky Wormhole, 7 pm), and Fiona Lee (Speak Easy, 7pm).

 

Saturday Afternoon (11 am – 5 pm)

Top tip: False Advertising. They’re a Mancunian masterpiece of aggressive post-punk, and have dual vocalists Jen Hingley and Chris Warr to keep things fresh throughout the set. Josh Sellers ably keeps everything rooted in their frustrated message on bass. Guaranteed to make you angry at the system or make you move, any stiff legs will be banished by the end of their set. Find them on on the Spiders From Mars Big Top at 4.30 pm.

Also make time for: Mint and Sex Injuries. Mint have a small element of The Cure’s early days in them, but can delve into more fast-paced rhythms to ensure their set ticks over consistently and dramatically. See them on the Main Stage at 3.35 pm.

A Sex Injuries set might leave you with the latter half of their name. Violent, melodramatic, and more importantly, playing the relatively small venue of Rock Stage. With this in mind, the hardcore punks are not for the inexperienced, but if you do take the plunge then you’ll see spilled drinks and sweaty t-shirts. See them on the Rock Stage at 3 pm.

Worth stopping by for: King Orange (Dead Bod Stage, 11.30 am), Dylan Cartlidge (Main Stage, 2 pm), Kitty VR (Speak Easy, 2.45 pm).

 

Saturday Evening (5 pm onwards)

Top tip: Bunkerpop. They’re like nothing else you’ve ever seen. A hugely experimental party band that push things to the limit, you probably won’t see as many instruments on stage at Humber Street Sesh all weekend. Clad in paint suits, even the most hardened fun-hating killjoy can’t help but fail to shout the singer’s post code, dance on stage, or whatever else they do this time. The perfect way to end the weekend, see them on the Dead Bod Stage at 10.30 pm.

Make time for: Chiedu Oraka and La Bête Blooms. Oraka has a new single out a new bounce after his triumphant set at the first night of the Bonus Arena. A man proud of his city, without shying away from its ills, this is one for Hullensians to go to to be proud about, and for outsiders to see what it’s like to come from Hull. He is generating some serious momentum and spearheading the emerging Hull hip hop talent which in years to come may rival some other cities’ scenes. See him on the Main Stage at 7 pm.

La Bête Blooms are similarly cutting with their lyrics, but play up to their soft indie underbelly more. Singer Daniel Mawer has an unassuming but thought-provoking stage presence, meaning audiences don’t expect the cutting commentary on society they deliver, but it stays with them. See them on the Main Stage at 5.15 pm.

Worth stopping by for: Lumer (Spider From Mars Big Top, 5.15 pm), Fonda 500 (Main Stage, 7.45 pm), Of Allies (BBC Humberside Introducing Stage, 10.30 pm).

 

That rounds off our top picks for Humber Street Sesh 2018 – tickets are only £10 in advance and £15 on the door. If you’d like to know any more about the festival, head to www.humberstreetsesh.co.uk/.