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Month: December 2018

In Conversation with DMA’S

Aussie indie trio DMA’S are set to start touring the UK following the release of their second album For Now earlier in April this year. With tunes reminiscent of nineties indie classics, but with a refreshingly modern twist, DMA’S have been attracting a lot of well-earned attention recently. Catching up with Tommy O’Dell, the lead singer, he talks about their experience creating their new album and what is yet to come for the three.

For fans of the Mancunian ‘greats’ such as Oasis, the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays etc., the band’s songs such as title track ‘For Now’ have a definite likeness to the indie-rock “baggy” feel of the Madchester nineties scene. But as Tommy highlights, the three songwriters have taken inspiration from a huge range of other genres. From the likes of Sonic Youth and Depeche Mode to folk-rock artists like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan. Their new album marks a sure shift away from the Oasis comparisons that have been made by many. Mentioning artists Frank Ocean and even electronic dance duo Orbital as influences that have shaped their tunes in some way, Tommy says how he could “go on for ages” about all the artists that the trio love.

It’s been an exciting year for DMA’S with sets at multiple festivals and a sell-out of their UK tour which starts this December. Tommy recalls playing at Lowlands, Leeds, and Reading festivals as particular highlights in the band’s busy schedule. They’re set to play with Courteeners when back in Manchester next June. But who would be their dream artist or band to support? “The Stone Roses at a stadium” Tommy answers. The band clearly aren’t straying too far from their musical icons anytime soon! DMA’S were not the only Australian artists to play at Lowlands, and the band had an “awesome” time hanging out with others. On the topic of other Australian bands that we should be keeping an eye out for soon, Tommy names Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, and Hatchie.

For those of you that, like myself, have been wondering what the name DMA’S actually stands for, the name comes from a nickname they had for their old name, Dirty Ma’s, according to Tommy. Describing their new name as being more like a ‘barcode’ or a ‘symbol’, the band realised that they preferred their nickname more.

With a new name, a new album, and a growing popularity, DMA’S are gradually becoming known for their lively performances, and this should not come as a surprise, as band members Johnny, Mason, and Tommy have known each other since childhood. In fact, the six-piece that forms the set up for live shows are all mates of theirs. Tommy explained how when playing with old friends, “you have a connection with them as mates and musicians that you don’t get with just anyone.”

The making of their second album saw the move from home-recording to the studio, but DMA’S have still got that rough, home-recorded charm about them. Polishing tunes up in a proper studio has reportedly had a big impact for the band, but they are continuing to “demo in a home setting.” They still “place huge emphasis on melody and writing lyrics that resonate,” answered Tommy when I asked about how their music has changed or evolved with the release of their second album. Despite For Now placing “more focus on production and instrumentation” than the band’s debut album Hills End, their music still calls out to those well-known, relatable feelings of love and escapism.

And what does the band want people to take from listening to the album? I asked. Simply to “enjoy the tunes and feel emotion”, to “help them have a good time or get through a tough stage.” Whether searching for some tunes that resonate with these feelings or just wanting to enjoy listening, the beauty of DMA’S music is that the interpretation is up to the listener. “That’s what music is about for us,” says Tommy.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled, as there is more to come from DMA’S, Tommy hinting that “a third album with big grooves” can be expected in the future.

Catch DMA’S supporting Courteeners at Heaton Park on 15 June, they can’t wait for the show.

A very Afflecks Christmas

Afflecks has always had a strange mythology within Manchester. Its winding maze of indoor market stalls mixes the vintage, the artisan, and the downright weird. So, when we were invited to attend an event titled Afflecks After Dark, it only added more mystery as to what strange happenings we could expect.

In fact, the night did an excellent job of making its guests feel welcome and at ease. We were immediately greeted with as much free alcohol as we could carry, set free to roam (get very lost) and sample some surprising deliciously vegan bakes from Rowfers, the self-described “alternative” clothing and accessories store.

The event was to mark the official Christmas shopping countdown and there were plenty of festive deals being promoted throughout the night.

Retro clothing store, Your Totes Vintage, provided some extravagantly patterned Christmas jumpers to splash some colour to the autumnal wardrobe; and Jameson’s pop up bar offered jolly red Strawberry Daquiris packed with a juicy fragrance.

But perhaps the most surprising yuletide delicacy came from Ginger’s Comfort Emporium. A small ice-cream parlour run by Claire Kelsey, it boasts a specialised menu of unique, seasonal flavours.

Claire allowed us a sneak preview of December’s upcoming specials, which included a delicious vegan clementine bergamot and a gin-soaked blackberry caramel. They are guaranteed to relieve some of those winter blues.

Served with a delightfully snappy sugar cone, Ginger’s reminded us that ice-cream doesn’t have to be a seaside snack.

One slight dismay was the musical guest of the night. Manchester group, Everything Everything deejayed a short set which didn’t quite showcase the band’s twice Mercury prize shortlisted talents.

Only bass player Jeremy Pritchard actually appeared, representing his bandmates with a disappointing setlist lifted straight from the library of a Year 6 Christmas disco.

We’d been impressed by an array of Christmassy deals and tasty treats, but the evening’s greatest charm was always going to be one of Afflecks’ best-loved features: its people. People like Sean, who runs Panic Posters, gave us an extensive run down of his favourite post-punk December hits. Afflecks has always attracted friendly, creative people, and tonight was an opportunity to showcase their talents one-on-one.

With their wacky hairstyles and unrivalled Northern charm, they’re the people who care equally about their products and their city. And most definitely, they’re what make Afflecks a Mancunian must-visit this Christmas.

#SkiSafe: stay safe in the snow

The season for skiing, snowboarding, and many other winter-based sports is approaching, as people flock to the slopes to enjoy the cold weather over this festive period. The call of the mountainous, snow-capped valley is an obvious appeal, but what is not is the chance of severe sunburn or paying a lot of money for a broken leg without insurance.

This is why the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have launched the #SkiSafe campaign, with the intention of damage limitation for all those with their skis at the ready. I spoke with some members of the university’s Ski Society, whose stories illustrate why FCO advice is so important.

Taking out travel insurance is not always thought about with the excitement of going on holiday, but for an activity-based trip such as skiing, it is essential. When you lose your balance on a particularly steep slope, resulting in a broken wrist, the costs are often underestimated.

An air ambulance can cost upwards of £1,500 in Europe, and hospital stays can be hundreds of euros a night. On top of that, you need to think about emergency flights, for yourself to get home or family to come out to you, meaning a simple misplacement of the foot could cost tens of thousands of pounds.

It is far more economically savvy (and safe) to get travel insurance before you go — after all, better safe than a-huge-medical-bill sorry. At the very least it’s worth making sure your EHIC card is in date, as this means you’ll be charged the costs of a local for medical treatment.

Given the physical intensity of skiing, it is important to know your limits – do not assume you can achieve everything on one day and risk exhaustion. Moreover, do not lose sight that skiing is unlike any other holiday, where you can drink alcohol with lunch and then carry on with your day, given that skiing can be dangerous sober, it is highly advised to not drink and ski.

Another thing often forgotten about when packing for a holiday amongst the snow is the effects of the sun. Every year, countless people turn their skin an unfortunate shade of magenta because they do not consider the fact that sun cream is also an essential.

As are the correct protective gear; although helmets, gloves, and goggles aren’t always considered the most fashionable accessories, given the risk of head injury associated with skiing it seems wise to make an exception.

Mads, a student here at the University, learnt the importance of proper gear through the experience of a family friend: “One morning my uncle’s friend had forgotten his gloves but decided that the temperature seemed warm enough without them so still went skiing. By the time he saw him next, the whole of his arm was covered in blood and cuts – people don’t realise that went you hit ice at speed it’s like hitting asphalt. He’d been cut from his knuckles all the way up his arm.”

Precisely the kind of thing gloves and other protective ski wear are meant to prevent. Even celebrities aren’t exempt. In 2013 Michael Schumacher famously suffered a severe head injury whilst skiing, resulting in him losing the ability to walk or speak. Physicians said had he not been wearing a helmet he would likely have died, demonstrating quite how severe the injuries can be.

Most travel insurance won’t cover you if you decide to go adventuring off-piste. Given this, it is especially recommended to stay in areas that are classified by their difficulty and easy to access. However, if adventurous spirit takes a hold and you venture off-piste anyway, it is essential to bring the correct equipment for this kind of activity; an avalanche transceiver, a probe pole, and a shovel.

I spoke to Alex, a former UOM student, who told me about his experiences venturing off the beaten track: “When I was seven…my parents…booked me in to have ski lessons with other children of similar ages; however, I felt like I was learning a bit faster than them and got bored pretty quickly…I decided to ski past my instructor and went off down the mountain. A few adults tried to check if I was alright, but I sped past them and continued on my mission,” Alex explains. “When I got to the other side of the resort, I got some food and went shopping. Eventually I went back to a very angry reception from my parents and the resort manager – who told me that I’d cost the French government 6,000 Euros because they’d had two helicopters looking for me. I got banned from the resort for a long time after that.”

There seems to be a trend for hits and misses on the slopes, and ultimately you should try your utmost to not get injured or have the French government hire helicopters to rescue you; but in any case, at least be prepared in case it does happen. For more winter sports travel advice, visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Travel Aware campaign here.

A loveletter to Matthew Williams’ ALYX

Originality and integrity is what makes Matthew Williams’ vision at ALYX so distinct. Rising to categorical industry acclaim since its start up back in 2015, and further skyrocketing to mainstream success following 1017 ALYX 9SM’s first runway show in the Paris SS19 menswear collections, ALYX has continued to navigate its own distinct path to triumph. In a heavily saturated market, ALYX has arguably reached the pinnacle of the industry very quickly, distinctly creating illustrious aesthetics from their own timeless codes of the ‘modern classic’.

For those who aren’t familiar with his work, Williams has worked within the creative industries for over a decade, being an influential aide to huge visionary figures such as Lady Gaga and Kanye West. His eye for product came into view when he was 1/3 of the momentous #BEEN #TRILL collective, founded alongside the hugely successful Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston back in the 2012, pre-Instagram era. Unlike the other members of his former collective, ALYX’s work doesn’t depend upon atypical ‘streetwear’ codes such as those that heavily feature within both Preston’s own namesake label and Abloh’s Off-white. Instead, Williams’ vision transcends the seemingly crowded ‘hype’ fashion circuit, with his success rising out of the brand’s unorthodoxy. In an age of hype marketing and logo-centric design, ALYX has become a cult success due to their completely opposing processes, instead focusing on an investment in garment technology and utter perfectionism, ensuring total longevity for their product. The ALYX brand wholly embodies a fusion between being luxurious, forward thinking and functional. Expressing how he feels emotion is heavily absent within many clothes and fashion of today, Williams makes clothes solely for the wearer and their personal experience, rather than the outside world.

ALYX’s signature feature is their rollercoaster buckle, and it is manifested across most of their product, on outerwear, premium crafted leatherwear and most recently on their Nike x AF1 collaboration. Williams’ aesthetic is a breath of fresh air, combining a distinctly underground, hybrid style, embodying features from a variety of inspirations such as Berlin’s bondage scene to his childhood codes of skating in California. Yet, the brand is continually driven and united by the functionality and craftsmanship lying at the heart of the creative process.

ALYX’s vision goes beyond the surface, being a brand that wishes to influence a much wider contemporary culture, rather than just idly producing clothing. They recently rebranded from ‘ALYX Studio’ to 1017 ALYX 9SM, referencing Williams’ birthdate and the brand’s founding studio address in NYC. The rebrand comes from a conscious move to convey the brand’s storytelling elements, and it has clearly worked, as the brand possesses an unmistakably strong identity that resonates with an incredibly diverse market.

Amongst an industry that is currently under scrutiny for its wasteful, throwaway culture, ALYX adopts a sustainable, responsible position at the centre of the brand. Williams, in an interview with GQ claimed, “I believe that there are too many clothes on this Earth. If I am going to take the responsibility of making clothing, I need to make something that deserves to exist”. Certainly what sets ALYX apart within the fashion industry is the consciousness of their collections, striving to create garments that people want in their wardrobes for decades, rather than seasons. This sustainable and controlled approach was mirrored from the outset of the brand, as Williams’ showcased the brand’s first few seasons solely though lookbooks, opting to nurture and develop ALYX’s brand identity away from the rush and pressure of the runway spectacle.

ALYX’s colossal influence hasn’t existed within a vacuum, and instead the brand has been making waves throughout the industry. Williams’ hardware has most recently skyrocketed; being featured in his most recent and well-deserved collaboration within the genius Kim Jones’s debut collection for Dior Men’s. Jones in a recent interview expressed, “I think Matt and I see beyond fashion. We have wanted to work together for a long time, and this was the perfect moment. For Dior, I wanted the most modern interpretation of the buckle, which is what Matt does best.” Kim Jones admirably calls for the retirement of the term ‘streetwear’, and being one of the leading high-profile forces that has combined such culture to luxury houses, he wholly understands the changing codes of what is desirable in the fashion industry; and as a result this collaboration makes intuitive sense. Williams hardware merges utility into luxury, and it is significant how, in an ever-present copycat culture, this collaboration is mutually beneficial to both parties. The rollercoaster buckle for Dior Men’s featured throughout both Jones’ SS19 and Pre-Fall collections, incorporating existing brand elements to form a bespoke CD buckle that was used across an array of belts, hats and leather goods.

Although frequently associated within a repertoire of ‘hype’ labels due to ALYX’s abrupt rise to success, it’s apparent how Matthew Williams’ brand stands head and shoulders above his competition in our current age, obsessed with rapid consumption. Consistently being a visionary on the pulse of innovation, William’s ALYX has taken the industry by storm by working against the grain, instead building themselves up slowly. In the midst of ever changing changing style codes where casual and luxury clothing are malleable terms, ALYX is a brand that is synonymously timeless and elegant, and is wholly deserving of such success.

Wilder and Fury clash delivers Heavyweight drama in LA

Tyson Fury’s unbelievable comeback to the top of the boxing world was all but complete when the bell sounded the end of 12 rounds at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday night. But victory over Deontay Wilder for his WBC World Heavyweight title was not made official, two knockdowns and an especially suspect scorecard from judge Alejandro Rochin made the fight a split draw.

The fight, recognised as the biggest heavyweight contest of the year exceeded expectations, developing into an enthralling, tense battle between the slick Mancunian, and the unrefined but incredibly powerful American. They gave us another heavyweight title fight to remember and showcased exactly what makes them two of the most exciting fighters in the sport.

It began as expected, slowly with the focus being on establishing the lead hand. Through the early rounds Fury’s active guard, proactive head movement, and feints kept Wilder under control with Fury only jabbing the head when Wilder went straight back or was frozen by the feints.

Wilder meanwhile looked to land his missile of a right hand without much success, scoring best with jabs to the body and glancing left hooks when exiting exchanges. In the middle rounds, Fury looked very much on top, getting home with the jab and finding openings for several clean right hands as Wilder failed to adjust to Fury’s disruptive rhythm.

However Wilder can never be entirely neutralised, having knocked out 5 of his last 7 opponents after the 7th round, and in round 9 Fury gave him a chance to get back into the fight. A Wilder right glanced off Fury’s cheek as he backed to a corner. Wilder put on the pressure with the same jab, straight right, left hook combination Fury had been slipping all night.

But Fury had become too comfortable, dropping his hands and relying on his reflexes to defend himself. He was a fraction to slow though, the left hook caught him on the chin, the follow up right hook caught the top of his ducking head and he slipped to the floor.

Unhurt he posed for the cameras before rising to face two minutes of a Deontay Wilder who could smell blood in the water. Yet ‘The Gypsy King’ flipped the script again, riding Wilder’s onslaught while landing a couple of sweet counters, arguably finishing the round in better shape than the fatiguing champion.

Rounds 10 and 11 returned the bout to its usual rhythm though Wilder was able to land on Fury more regularly in the penultimate round. The 12th round though is where this fight wrote its way into boxing history, with Wilder needing a knockout in the view of the majority of viewers, fireworks were guaranteed.

Wilder refused to throw caution to the wind, still trying to set up the right-hand Fury had been calmly ducking away from to his right all night. But by defending the straight right identically almost every time, Fury allowed one aimed just a few inches lower to crack him on the temple and send him to the canvas, Wilder had finally adjusted.

A left hook on the way down appeared to have sealed a remarkable title-saving victory. Those watching underestimated Tyson’s resolve, his chin, and the year and a half he spent working his way back to the top, culminating in a resurrection from a punch which had knocked out every single one of the Bronze Bomber’s previous opponents.

From flat on his back, with his eyes shut Fury finished the round clowning with his arms behind his back in between sharp counters which potentially won him the round. Fury demonstrated the mental strength that led him out of drug addiction and depression in making it through 12 rounds on Saturday, and in the eyes of most claimed a decision win and a world title.

However, history has shown it is very difficult for a British challenger to win a decision over an American heavyweight champion in the US, going back as far as Tommy Farr against Joe Louis in 1937, and most notoriously in Lennox Lewis’s first fight with Evander Holyfield in 1999.

And again, history was not kind to the British fighter. Winning most rounds without dominating, meant the champ often got the benefit of the doubt in those less busy rounds, and Wilder held on to his belt with scorecards of 115-111 Wilder, 114-110 Fury, and 113-113.

This is despite public opinion favouring Fury, and the American boxer’s promoter being heard on the broadcast telling Fury ‘you won’ before the decision was announced. As expected we will now likely get an even more lucrative rematch, offering an opportunity for Wilder to silence his critics and keep Fury down for a 10 count and for Fury to add another chapter to his now remarkable post-Klitschko career.

The undercard offered up a series of showcase fights for intriguing talent at varying stages of development. British Super Heavyweight Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce maintained his momentum towards bigger fights by knocking out American journeyman Joe Hanks in the first round with the same combination which Fury survived in the main event.

A potential next opponent for Joyce and Deontay Wilder’s last victim veteran Luis Ortiz got a win on this card as well, dominating a cautious Travis Kauffman who he knocked down in the 6th, 8th and the 10th before stopping him on his feet a minute or so before the final bell.

The co-main featured unified light middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd getting back in the ring after his impressive victory over veteran champion Erislandy Lara in April. He fought domestic British middleweight champion Jason Welborn who came forward all night, while Hurd appeared to work on his defence and look to get rounds in.

In the 4th Hurd finished the Englishman with an accurate right uppercut to the liver to halt Welborn in his tracks. Expect to see the winners in much more competitive fights in the new year.

West Indies Batsman Chris Gayle awarded £173,000 in defamation case

Former West Indies Test captain Chris Gayle has been awarded £173,000 in damages as part of the closure to a defamation case that has been ongoing for over two years.

The 39-year old is widely considered to be one of the greatest T20 batsman of all time, and has scored two triple centuries at test level, against South Africa in 2005 and Sri Lanka in 2010, one of only four players to do so.

The defamation case surrounds accusations against Gayle made by a massage therapist, who claimed that the cricketer exposed himself to her in a changing room in Sydney during the 2015 world cup.

The story was circulated through a number of articles published in national newspapers, including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times, in January 2016.

Gayle was cleared of any wrongdoing in October 2017, in a ruling that confirmed that the series of articles reporting on the alleged incident were false, and motivated by malice.

Gayle’s legal them then announced that would sue Fairfax Media, the company behind the story’s reporting, arguing that the media firm had set out to ”destroy” the Windies international’s reputation.

In the trial that cleared Gayle of any wrongdoing, it was found that Fairfax Media had not taken necessary steps to ensure the truthfulness of published content on the issue.

The claims against Gayle had gone viral in early 2016, with the Jamaican not cleared by jury until 21 months later.

On Monday 3 December, New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum ordered that Fairfax Media pay $300,000 AUD to Gayle, who she said had been seriously affected by the allegations, that harmed his image as a respected batsman.

Gayle’s spokesman Grant Vandenberg said that Gayle was ”vindicated today by the judge”, having ”already been vindicated by the jury.”

“All he wants to do is play cricket and he’d really, really love to come back to Australia — a country that he loves as much as anywhere.”

Fairfax Media are reportedly planning to appeal the verdict.

Green Bay Packers fire coach Mike McCarthy after 13 years in charge

The Green Bay Packers have fired head coach Mike McCarthy after 13 years in charge. McCarthy’s fate was sealed after their 20-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, leaving his side third in the NFC North division with a poor 4-7-1 record.

The Wisconsin-based team won Super Bowl XLV in 2010 under McCarthy but have struggled in recent seasons, failing to make the play-offs last year – breaking a streak that went back to 2009.

McCarthy arrived in 2006, replacing Mike Sherman, following stints at the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints as the offensive co-ordinator. His greatest achievement didn’t happen until his third season, however, when departing quarterback Brett Favre was replaced by first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers proved himself to be an incredibly influential player as he led the Packers to the Super Bowl XLV championship in 2010. He was named Super Bowl MVP as the Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in the most-watched program in American television history at that time. The game is also notable for having perhaps the worst ever halftime show, performed by the Black Eyed Peas featuring Usher and Slash.

Since then, the Packers have failed to return to the Super Bowl, twice losing the NFC Championship game in 2014 and 2016. This season has been the worst under McCarthy with his side unable to win a single game on the road, as well as losing five out of their last six games.

Team president and Chief Executive Mark Murphy, therefore, made the decision, with four games of the regular season left, to fire McCarthy. “The 2018 season has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers,” he said. “Mike has been a terrific head coach and leader of the Packers for 13 seasons, during which time we experienced a great deal of success on and off the field.”

Offensive co-ordinator Joe Philbin has been named as the interim head coach for the final games of the season. The chances of Philbin turning this season around and gaining a spot in the playoffs is incredibly slim, with all four games needing to be won as well as favourable results everywhere else just for the chance of being a wild-card qualifier.

Ada Hegerberg wins debut Ballon d’Or Féminin

A landmark day in women’s football has provided Ada Hegerberg with the first ever women’s Ballon d’Or trophy. The Norwegian striker, only 23 years of age, blew away the competition in 2018, her goals being crucial in Lyon’s domestic and European double.

Hegerberg’s achievements transcend both the women’s game and football in general. The Lyon star was awarded the Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year in 2016, truly showing her to be an inspiration on and off the pitch. After receiving the Ballon d’Or Hegerberg stated, “I wanted to end with some words for young girls around the world: believe in yourselves.”

Hegerberg’s rise to the top of global football is one to be admired. Alongside her sister, Andrine, she quickly shone in Norwegian football, scoring 15 goals in 30 games with Kolbotn, before moving to Stabæk. It was at Stabæk that Hegerberg truly showed her talents, finishing top scorer in the 2012 season as well as lifting the Norwegian Women’s Cup.

A swift, and successful, spell in Germany was followed by a move to European giants Lyon in 2014. In France, Hegerberg began to show her dominance on the pitch. In her first 4 seasons Hegerberg won the Coup de France 3 times, the Division 1 Féminine 4 times and the UEFA Women’s Champions League 4 times, scoring a staggering 175 goals along the way.

Hegerberg has also had a great impact on her national team, helping Norway to the final in the 2013 UEFA Women’s European Championship. Her side narrowly lost out to Germany, losing 1-0 in the final.

Although this was a historic day for women’s football, the event was tainted by a comment made by the host, Martin Solveig. In a shocking moment on stage, the DJ asked Hegerberg “do you know how to twerk?”

The room fell silent as Hegerberg brushed off Solveig’s later self-proclaimed ‘joke’. In what was an evening where both the career of Hegerberg and women’s football in general seemed to be looking towards a bright future, the presenter managed to reveal himself to be living in the past.

In an interview that took place after the awards, Hegerberg revealed that Solveig had apologised but more importantly to her, she felt the achievement of winning the Ballon d’Or to be “incredible” and that she was “just happy”.

Being only 23, Hegerberg’s reign is surely one that will be long-lived. However, after only just pipping fellow Scandinavian Pernille Harder to victory this year it is evident that the competition at the top of the women’s game will only get stronger.

Elsewhere, Luka Modric won the men’s Ballon d’Or, putting an end to the decade-long supremacy of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. With the Argentinian and Portuguese superstars sharing 5 trophies each since 2008, the 33-year-old Croatian has, to many people’s surprise, been the one to topple the duopoly.

The awards were rounded off with Kylian Mbappé taking home the Kopa (under-21) trophy. The young Frenchman won the award at a canter, proving why he is one of the most talked about talents in world football at the moment.

England to play Netherlands in UEFA Nations League semi-final

England have been drawn against the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League. The tie will take place in Guimaraes on 6 June 2019, with the winner playing either Portugal or Switzerland in the final on the 9th.

England impressed in the group stage against Spain and World Cup runners-up Croatia, securing their place in the semi-finals last month after an inspiring comeback against Croatia at Wembley. Although England may fancy their chances of reaching the final, the Netherlands will prove to be a challenging test for Gareth Southgate’s side.

Not long ago, the Netherlands appeared to be lost in the wilderness of international football. The Dutch failed to qualify for both the 2016 European Championships and the 2018 World Cup. You’d have been forgiven for thinking that they would not have the quality to overcome Germany and France in a tough Nations League group.

Yet since the appointment of Ronald Koeman in February, the Netherlands have enjoyed a resurgence. Against the odds they finished top of their group. Two commanding victories in front of home support stood out; 2-0 and 3-0 wins against France and Germany respectively.

Like his English counterpart, Koeman encourages his team to play a free-flowing, attacking style of play, well-suited to his young and energetic side.  The spine of the Dutch team features some familiar faces to English fans: Liverpool stars Virgil Van Djik and Georginio Wijnaldum, and former Manchester United striker Memphis Depay, who has started living up to his potential at Lyon.

The last encounter between the two nations was a friendly in March, when a Jesse Lingard goal secured the win for England. Both teams have developed a great deal since then, and the stakes will be much higher this time round.

Some have belittled the Nations League, but it presents a great opportunity to win silverware. Both England and the Netherlands will relish this opportunity. The semi-final next June promises to be exciting contest.

Breaking the Occupation of the Mind: Art and Culture in Palestine

Any mention of Palestine immediately brings to mind the conflict which characterises the region. Given these seemingly intransigent struggles, it is difficult to imagine the survival of loftier ideals like art and culture. Yet this event at the Manchester Museum brought together academics and artists to showcase exactly how artistic expression is thriving amidst conflict.

It soon became clear that despite the ostentatious setting, the event itself would be a little less well-presented. Even with the late start and short supply of seating, however, the audience was undeterred, craning their neck at the back or peering through railings on the second floor (as I found myself doing) to glimpse the stage.

Former NUS President Malia Bouattia and current doctoral students at the University of Chester, Fadel Alsawayfa, and Muayyad Elwaheidi, started things off. They presented poetry and spoken word, interspersed with stories about daily life in Palestine.

Bouattia performed “To Our Land” by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, whilst Muayyad evocatively told of his torturous wait for permission from Israeli authorities to leave for England, before being given only one days notice to say goodbye to his family and friends.

Respected artistic curator James Warmsley and current PhD student Beesan Arafat then showcased a variety of visual art. Work from contemporary artists like Larissa Sansour and Rana Bishara spanned photographs of cacti (a historic symbol of resistance in the region) to evocative geometric paintings. They serve as clear testament to a culture that persists in the face of existential threats.

What quickly became evident was that this was not, and perhaps could not be, a demonstration of art alone. The Palestinian experience has become so characterised by struggle that it is now inseparable from conflict.

Arafat, for example, recounted how patterns sewn into traditional Palestinian clothing came to reflect the colours of military badges from when Palestine was under British colonial rule – a reminder of our own role in the suffering.

The event then moved upstairs for a performance of the celebratory folk dance dabke, accompanied by various traditional Palestinian pastries. There was no doubt that the four dancers from Hawiyya Dance Company, an all-female collective established in 2017, brought that sense of celebration. Spirited and lively, the pleasure the dancers took in their art quickly spread to the audience, who clapped and cheered throughout.

A return downstairs saw Yemeni-Scouse poet Amini Atiq perform some of her work, before the arrival of a panel of speakers including rapper and activist Lowkey brought a more sombre mood. His firebrand speech dispensed with discussions of art and culture, instead explicitly denounced Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and the British military-industrial complex.

However, it was Dr Judy Price who best bridged this gap between art and politics when I asked what the role of young people could be in the ongoing discussion surrounding Palestine.

She explained by saying that it’s “about experience… it’s really around friendships… that’s where solidarity is at its strongest,” a fitting explanation for the importance of the event itself.

Art and culture are ultimately a way to share experiences and show solidarity, something that, despite the teething problems, this event did admirably for the Palestinian people.

Interview: Everyone Can

When I walked into Everyone Can’s Sale headquarters, I was greeted by what I can only describe as a gaming nirvana: a row of huge screens adorned the walls, and a row of bean bags sat lined up in front of them. A driving wheel sat off to the left, and I spotted a number of other devices, including a Nintendo Switch, scattered about. Whilst the room was darkened and vacant at the time of my visit, it was clear that getting people in here wasn’t going to be a hard sell.

And so it has proved for the increasingly popular Everyone Can, a Manchester-based charity whose remit is to help the disabled with all things accessibility. In particular, however, much of their focus over the last five or six years has been helping disabled people play video games. I sat down with Julian Lee (General Manager), Paul Sullivan (Gaming Manager), and Nikki Jones (Community Engagement and Fundraising Officer) to find out more about the charity’s work.

“Basically, we look at existing technology and match that to the needs of disabled people. Whether it be controlling their environment, whether it be reading, writing, or indeed having fun, which is where the gaming comes,” explained Julian.

“We are a charity and charities are there to help out where the government or society won’t.”

Paul expanded on this, saying, “Getting (governmental) funding for gaming is incredibly difficult. It’s only been recently in the last five or six years that we’ve been able to offer that kind of service. But children are children; whether they’re disabled or not, they just want to have fun. That’s why accessibility is important, to enable them to play alongside their friends, siblings, and able-bodied people.

“It’s a form of escapism for everybody. Having as equal a playing field as possible is massively important.”

Our conversation moved to the more practical aspects of providing such a service, and the kind of disabilities Everyone Can aimed to cater their services to.

“Everything and anything,” said Julian. “Some people have very complex disabilities, and we try to enable them to have as much fun as possible. Unlike some other charities, we don’t block people because of age or disability type.”

“We have a few people with physical disabilities: wheelchair users, cerebral palsy; the people who need the assistive technology,” explained Nikki. “And then a lot of children with Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, things like that, so they don’t need the assistive technology as such, so for them it’s things like socialising, building confidence.”

Everyone Can, as their staff explained, help people with an extremely wide range of disabilities, both physical and mental. Their core service is split into two main arms: individual assessments and open sessions. Individual assessments are a more bespoke service, aiming to “try and help (individuals) in whatever they’re trying to achieve” by recommending them a range of specially designed technologies. The open sessions are “about gaming together,” and focus on getting visitors playing local co-op games in a relaxed, sociable and purpose-built environment.

Photo: Everyone Can

Accordingly, whilst some of Everyone Can’s roster of games are niche games specially designed for certain types of disability, the main game names that came up were familiar ones: Mario Kart, Rocket League, FIFA, Gang Beasts, and similar titles.

Whilst the Everyone Can team were upbeat about everything their technology could achieve, it was tempered with the kind of realism that years of experience brings.

“I don’t think there’s a game that you can make that is fully accessible. There’s levels of accessibility and games for different accessibility traits. If you made a game that was totally accessible, it probably wouldn’t look much like a game,” explained Julian.

“It’s not that we’re helping everyone to play at a higher level; a lot of the time it’s that we’re helping people to play full stop.”

“We do have to keep it real; we can’t get all disabled people playing AAA titles. We get them playing at the highest level our technology can afford them.”

What could not be played down, however, was the positive impact that the charity had on the lives of those it is dedicated to helping.

“The difference we’re making, you can see it in the smiles, the laughter, the noise level. It’s the sound of fun. It’s a sound every person, every kid, should be able to have,” said Julian.

Photo: Everyone Can

“I always just think back to the last one or two people that we saw. There was a young lady yesterday who has a severe form of cerebral palsy, and the only thing she can physically do is press a switch with her knee, and we got her playing a small range of games, which will be increasing, and she just had a huge grin on her face because she’s never been able to play a game in her life before.”

I got the sense that Everyone Can were thriving and growing – Nikki had said as much – but, like for most charities, securing funding has never been easy. Paul, in particular, was vocal about the the difficulty they could sometimes have in explaining the social benefits of gaming to governmental bodies and society in general.

“We’re often asked, ‘what are the takeaways?’ We say, ‘Can there not be any? can they just not have fun?’”

I knew what Paul meant. Fun, in the view of Everyone Can, should be an end in itself, never mind the numerous social, developmental, and psychological bonuses the team had observed. As Julian had said earlier, fun is something every person should be able to have.

“The question of funding always pops up with issues like, ‘what are the benefits?’ And with it being gaming, and gaming being responsible for most of society’s evils, it can be difficult. Gaming can be such a force for good, but it can be difficult to convince the people who write the cheques, who often aren’t gamers,” said Paul.

This frustration, I imagine, is fairly common to all charities, being, as Julian pointed out, produced axiomatically by a lack of government funding. And like all charities, Julian emphasised how reliant they were on donations, volunteers and fundraisers in order to keep on doing their work. “We don’t charge for what we do, but we do cost,” he said, wryly.

Nonetheless, the team remained upbeat about the future. Paul was effusive in admitting that the awareness and appreciation of accessibility in gaming was, “growing and growing” and said “it’s far more at the forefront now, helped by the accessibility controller from behemoths like Microsoft. If companies like them are on board, then hopefully the rest will follow suit.”

As for their own work, Everyone Can were committed to continuing their core mission whilst constantly adapting to the ever-changing landscape of game design, a discipline Jason Schreier compares to constructing a building in an earthquake due to its frenetic nature.

“We’re going to change, because technology changes and we change with it. It’s a full-time job to research the technology, to apply the technology, and that’s how we change. As long as technology changes, we’ll change with it.”

“We see ourselves carrying on with the technology, but that doesn’t mean we’re standing still.”

Review: ‘SIX’ The Musical

“Okay ladies let’s get in reformation.”

Nothing can prepare you for the genius that is ‘SIX’ the musical. It empowers, exhilarates, and leaves you desperate to learn all the lyrics and sing along.

Previously defined by their slightly famous royal husband, this musical written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, turns this on its head, as the Ex-Wives take back their stories.

Beginning as a student production from the Cambridge University, ‘SIX’ was a smash hit at Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and has since been transformed into a professional show. It returned to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe as part of its national tour and is visiting the Lowry fresh from the West End (and soon to return).

This show was a triumph of music, performance and vocals. It was impossible not to grin as these six incredible women lit up the stage, accompanied by their all-female band (ladies in waiting). The Queens announced that they were holding a competition to decide who should lead their band, the criteria: who took the most ‘BS’ from Henry himself.

Photo: Idil Sukan/Draw HQ
Photo: Idil Sukan/Draw HQ

The music and lyrics of this show are both genius, retelling the story of these six women with history, pop, and 21st Century references. The Queens were all incredible: Anne Boleyn (Millie O’Connell), Jane Seymour (Natalie Paris) Haus of Holbein, where Anna of Cleves (Alexia McIntosh), Katherine Howard (Aimie Atkinson) and Catherine Parr (Maiya Quansah-Breed); both as individual soloists and as an ensemble, belting out mind-blowing six-part harmonies.

Having seen the original at fringe last year, the reimagining of the show elevated it without losing its original magic, really showcases some seriously incredible vocals, girl power and more. The direction by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage was excellent, the concert style kept the audience always involved in the performance relating to every age.

It was incredible to experience a show that is camp, crazy and a total party and still manages to tackle the silencing of women throughout history, up to the present. As the show progressed, the Queens appeared to make light of stories of exploitation, betrayal and beheadings, all to win a competition. This was done in style with songs such as ‘Haus of Holbein’, complete with ultra violet light and neck ruffs and ‘All You Wanna Do’, personifying pop princess.

The Queens and the audience were left slightly sobered, when the final queen Catherine Parr (Quansah-Breed) reminded us all in ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ that we are not defined by men. This message was one not only to women, but to all those oppressed and silenced.

It was so powerful watch the Queens step away from competing and comparing and instead take back the power to re write history. I won’t compare the queens either – each was unique, badass and inspiring. The show was not only exciting and extremely funny, but educational, not just about history.

You cannot help but leave ‘SIX’ elated, impressed and singing one or more of the wonderful songs. Find the ‘SIX’ studio album on spotify, listen, sing, get obsessed because this herstory lesson is not to be missed and remember, there is nothing better than seeing them ‘Divorced, Beheaded, LIVE’!

Review: ‘First Time’

‘First Time’ by Nathaniel Hall was a mediocre execution of an important and powerful subject. Hall’s one-man performance about his experience contracting and living with HIV was touching and educational. However, some of the gravity of his story felt lost due to the muddled performance style.

Hall started the performance well. Entering a stage strewn with glitter, balloons and empty bottles; Hall’s tone was conversational as he apologised to the audience about the mess left over from the night before. This witty rapport continued as he told the story of attending his high school prom as a closeted gay man (circa 2003). A hilarious sequence ensued where Hall invited a member of the audience to join him on stage. The couple slow danced to Evergreen by Will Young as Hall reminisced about the suburban heterosexual life he once thought that he wanted, complete with a Vauxhall Astra. (The Pop Idol joke was one of many early noughties references which went slightly over my head).

The comedic aspects of ‘First Time’ were undoubtedly high points of the performance. For example, Hall depicted his first visit to a sexual health clinic by becoming the character of ‘Sue’. He dressed behind a hospital screen, occasionally shaking out a gloved hand, in a style reminiscent of a burlesque show. Hall then emerged as a middle-aged NHS nurse who “just fell arse over tit in the lube cupboard!” This sequence was amusing and effective, Sue was warm and relatable which made it even more poignant when she told a 17-year-old Hall he had contracted HIV.

However, this section of the play was immediately followed by Hall, stood centre stage, reading from a sheet of paper all the things he had done after his diagnosis. This was theatrically unimpressive, and the statements seemed to have been curated for shock effect rather than to further the narrative.

Throughout the play light-hearted moments were often swiftly followed by shocking and grave declarations with no warning.  These drastic changes of tone repeatedly left me feeling uncomfortable and suggested a lack of care for the audience.

Some moments, unfortunately, were excruciatingly self-indulgent. At one point, Hall offered two rather blank faced audience members crumpled tissues from his own pocket and told them it was ‘okay to cry’. This moment embodied Hall’s entire performance, an important sentiment with poor execution.

The importance of Hall’s message must be noted. To have an HIV positive performer speak openly about their experience is a brilliant form of education and representation. The performance was created with support from The George House Trust — an excellent charity which provides confidential support for those living with or affected by HIV. I think the work Hall does with the charity, like speaking in schools is extremely important. Furthermore, the poetry that he has written and performed at vigils was both witty and moving.

Regrettably, Hall’s talent as a public speaker did not translate theatrically. His performance, although powerful at times, often felt clunky and without clear direction. It felt centred around his role as a performer rather than including the audience in a collective experience. ‘First Time’ tackled an important subject, however the performance needs honing if it is to effectively communicate a (potentially) very powerful message.

Interview: Stuart Turton and Laura Purcell

I met Laura Purcell and Stuart Turton before the first show of their joint UK book tour. “Our books aren’t similar in any way really,” Purcell said, when I asked why they were touring their new novels together. “But they’ve both got a bit of a gothic link.”

The books are definitely very different. Purcell’s The Corset is a “gothic chiller” set in Victorian London. According to Turton, it’s a novel “that you can give to almost every reader and they will find enjoyment in it.”

Shortlisted for The Costa Book of the Year Award, Turton’s debut, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, merges Agatha Christie with Groundhog Day and Quantum leap. It’s your favourite murder mystery, but with a sci-fi twist. The protagonist embodies one character for the duration of a day, before starting all over again in a different character’s body. With each repetition he hopes to get closer to solving the mystery and saving Evelyn Hardcastle’s life.

“That sounds mad,” Purcell remembered thinking, when she first heard about Seven Deaths. “I thought it’s either going to really work, or really not — and it really works.”

Turton noted that Purcell’s The Corset “is based on a lot of more gothic tropes,” whereas Seven Deaths “is based on a lot of the Agatha Christie tropes. But they’re done with so much love, they’re twisted and inverted, elevated and changed.”

The relationship between their work and their respective genres was something Turton and Purcell were eager to talk about. “They’re not straight retreads of the genre,” Turton said, “but they’re affectionate nods to their genres.”

Writing in a genre means placing yourself in a long lineage of writers. Purcell discussed how this is a difficult thing to do as an aspiring writer: “you end up starting off in a weird fan-fiction way.” She had “always been a big fan of classic books. Dickens, Jane Austen, Brönte, Thomas Hardy. My imagination plays in the past a lot so I’ve always set my novels in the past, and during periods I know a lot about.”

Turton has been a life-long fan of Agatha Christie. “It’s really hard to write an Agatha Christie book, as I discovered trying to do it. I tried to write in her style and it didn’t work. Which is why I ended up putting this sci-fi, fantasy stuff in it, to make it my own.”

Both authors clearly take on pre-existing genres and make them their own. What struck me as new in both their works was the way that both authors shift perspectives throughout their novels. The Corset is told through a joint narrative, where chapters switch between the perspectives of the two main characters, and the protagonist of Seven Deaths is literally put in other people’s shoes, sees the world through their eyes.

Purcell said that “if you see someone through someone else’s eyes, it’s really effective. Ruth [The Corset‘s main character] comes across as quite bolshy and a bit evil, but when you see her through the eyes of her prison visitor, you realise how pitiable she can be.”

Both novels are set in the past, though Seven Deaths is “not actually set in an exact time period. It’s in a sort of fantasy realm.” The Corset, like Purcell’s best-selling debut, The Silent Companions, is set in Victorian Britain, and its historical accuracy makes the narrative all the more affecting.

Purcell believes in doing deep research before (and during) writing. She “did a lot of research into Victorian seamstresses and how terrible their working conditions were.” She even “did an online sewing course, and learnt to make a corset by traditional methods.”

A large chunk of The Corset explores the strange pseudo-science of phrenology — many Victorians believed that the shape and size of someone’s skull said a lot about their character. To write well about the subject, Purcell “taught [herself] phrenology using the self-instructors that were around at the time.”

Turton added that The Corset “is impeccably researched, but at the same time, you can’t be too enamoured to your period.” Purcell agreed. When she began her first novel, she “was writing it too period. When I first started writing, I was very mannered and Victorian, because I’d read a lot of Dickens and Hardy. I wanted to make the book like that, but to a modern reader it’s just unreadable.”

While Purcell clearly spent a lot of time researching, Turton had a more direct approach. As he was writing an Agatha Christie novel, not a historical one, he wasn’t tied to historical fact, instead opting to recreate a historical tone. He called his process “method writing — where I feel like I have to go out and actually experience what I’m writing about.”

While the idea of the novel came to him when he was working as a travel writer in Dubai, he “ended up moving back to England, because an Agatha Christie novel demands Agatha Christie country. I wanted to be in manor houses, I wanted to be rained on, I wanted to be miserable all the time.”

The method-writing style is clear in the water-tight plot of Seven Deaths. Reading it, it’s clear that Turton had thought through each minute detail. Because of this, readers can zip through the 500 pages of Seven Deaths, propelled on by dynamic plot twists.

The length of the book is justified, there’s not a detail in it that isn’t significant in some way. Turton dislikes novels where, for example, “there’s about five pages of description about a hill. I don’t need that, because I know what a hill is. I needed to get my point across in about two lines.”

Purcell added that when a writer like “Dickens [was] writing, [he] was being paid by the word. So of course he’ll make it as long as possible! We don’t get paid by the word.”

“The idea of what a novel is has solidified over the years,” Turton said. “When Dickens was writing, a novel wasn’t really anything, so it could be anything you wanted it to be.”

With The Corset and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, both Laura Purcell and Stuart Turton keep a bit of that idea alive, that a novel can “be anything you want it to be”. And it’s novels like these that readers want more and more of.

Review: Three Identical Strangers

Three Identical Strangers is directed by Tim Wardle and tells the story of the initial reunion and multifaceted aftermath of triplets who were unbeknownst to themselves, separated at birth.

This documentary had been on my radar for some time and I was pulled in by the promise of the unearthing of a shocking secret. When it came down to it however, the fascinating reveal disrupts the heart-warming narrative of the reunion of long-lost brothers and brings it to a heart-breaking close that I wasn’t quite ready for.

The documentary follows Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran. It can be separated into three distinct parts, beginning with the emotional high of their reunion, followed by the excitement of their subsequent professional and personal success. And, finally ending with the devastating consequences of their involuntary participation in a sinister twin study to explore nature versus nurture. This arc is developed in a subtle way which makes for a powerful but depressing close.

There is nuance in the way Wardle portrays each of the subjects. The triplets are very likable men, but he does not shy away from exposing their human flaws. Most notably, through the strangely charming presentation of their hedonistic partying in New York City following their reunion. This establishes an authenticity that juxtaposes and enhances the incredible nature of the story itself.

Wardle strikes an excellent balance between the uplifting and the unsettling in a way in which one informs the other; the sinister nature of the reveal is potent through its hyperbolic positioning within the core of the brothers’ relationship.

It is revealed towards the end that those affected by the study were granted access to the archive of the research because of Tim Wardle’s investigative film-making. This result is somewhat diluted by the subsequently sinister revelation that much of the information was redacted as there are still subjects out there who are unaware of their participation in the twin study.

This disclosure is almost darker than the initial revelation. We have just witnessed the heart-breaking consequences this study has had on the triplets and the fact that there are still oblivious victims is at best disconcerting.

Whilst this real-life occurrence is an innately interesting story, the complexities within it have potential to be tricky to untangle. Wardle however tells the story in a manner that is both emotional and scientific. I remained fascinated by the nature versus nurture debate but felt indignant on the part of the triplets. Wardle’s ability to establish this dichotomy within this narrative makes it clear to see why he was awarded the Sundance Special Jury prize for storytelling.

The documentary is compelling and unearths the age-old question of nature versus nurture in a totally new way that forces audiences to consider the emotional waves this debate might have on human kind.

4/5.

Live Review: SG Lewis

At 24 years old, Sam Lewis is better known as a singer, songwriter and producer under the moniker SG Lewis. The past few years for the young artist has been hectic to say the least. Since his EP release Shivers in 2015, he has collaborated with artists such as RAY BLK, G-Eazy and Clairo, and has also found himself and his remixes featured by big names like Flume and London Grammar.

2018 has been no less frantic for the rising artist. Releasing his debut album in three parts, Dusk, Dark, and Dawn, Lewis brings these parts together to offer a story of night out. The first of the trilogy, Dusk, released in April of this year, focused on the “magnetic” genre that is disco music: an unstoppable force of a sound that never fails to bring people to the dancefloor.

Just a few months later saw the release of another six songs under the name, Dark. The experimental release tested fans used to the usual sound of SG Lewis, ranging from dark pop, deep house and even trap. Representing the deep hours of a night out, Lewis brings out a hazier, dreamier side of himself in tracks like ‘Again’ and ‘Release’.

With two parts of the three-part series already released, the crowd was eager to hear his finale of the album is close to completion. The impressive 18-strong track list across three releases features songs that encapsulate the build-up and release of energy on the dancefloor. Lewis sought to cherry-pick the moments he loved most about club culture and capture them in the sound of his music.

It is safe to say that the rising artist managed to achieve this: his live performance was simply refreshing. With a new take on club culture, Lewis wasted no time to get the crowd moving. His infectious beats saw the basement of the Student’s Union grooving under the sunset spotlights. The tale he sets out to tell in his debut album suits a gig well: start with crowd-pleasing disco anthems, move onto heavier hitting beats and finish with slower, conclusive cuts to round off the night.

SG Lewis has a unique stage presence: one full of cheek and youthfulness. He had an undeniable spark, bouncing off the energy from his band and his fans. With a smirk in the corner of his mouth, he admitted his allegiance to Manchester United, generating a wide range of cheers and boos from his audience.

“I may have accidentally split the crowd in half”, he jested.

It was so refreshing to see is how much he and his instrumentalists enjoyed their music. Lewis seemed to find himself lost in the sound as much as his audience. What is personally intriguing about SG Lewis is how successfully he has crafted a cohesive sound; songs blend seamlessly from one into the other. This should not be mistaken for artistic laziness however, since he has already demonstrated he can expertly delve into multiple genres in his sophomore release Dark.

SG Lewis’ final part of his three-part album, Dawn, is due to release before the end of the year and more details of his work can be found here.

7/10

Feature: A Brief Inquiry Into The 1975

With The 1975′s latest album — A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – receiving vast amounts of critical praise, The Mancunion’s Music Section editors, Olivia and Jake, revisit the band’s entire discography to see how they’ve progressed over the years.

EPs and The 1975 

In an era already oversaturated with guitar-driven indie music, The 1975 presented something that was tangibly different. Their debut EP Facedown was laced with intricate guitar reverb, haunting synthesisers and distorted percussion. Most importantly, frontman Matty Healy’s lyricisms were a dark, but refreshingly honest take on the problems of growing up and struggling with finding your place in the wider world. These idiosyncratic differences would mark The 1975 as one of the most exciting new acts around.

Their willingness for experimentation continued within their next three EPs (Sex, Music for Cars, IV), each one pushing the band’s abilities and repertoire to new levels. The beautifully crafted soundscapes of songs like ‘Intro / Set 3’, ‘Haunt // Bed’ and ‘Anobrain’ established The 1975 as much more than just another pop group. The lyrics were dark, the instrumentations foreboding, but yet they had this uncanny ability to comfort you.

By the time their 2013 self-titled debut (The 1975) came about, the group already demonstrated themselves to be masters of their craft. Rather than abandon so many avenues that had been explored, The 1975 takes the best elements of the EPs and perfects them, adds to them, and succeeds in creating a stunning first release.

Embedded amongst the stereotypical angsty youth anthems of ‘Girls’ and ‘Sex’ are some masterfully produced instrumental tracks. ‘An Encounter’ and ‘12’ inject a much needed breather at their intervals, allowing for a moment of reflection. They’re not just sonically pleasing, but create an atmosphere synonymous with that era as one of brooding uncertainty and, in a way, fear.

Lyrically, Healy’s fragility is often concealed behind up-tempo beats or wry social commentary — but it is there. Feelings of rejection, isolation, regret and excess are peppered throughout the debut if you pay close attention. It’s a deeply personal LP as much as it is a riotous journey through adolescent chaos — themes that greatly resonated with audiences.

9/10.

I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It (ILIWYS)

Olivia says: Pioneered with ironic hit-single and accompanying garish music video ‘Love Me’, The 1975 plunged 2016 into a year of reigning the industry with the release of I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. The 1975 shot straight to the top of UK, US and Australian weekly charts, finishing 25 by the end of the year in the UK and ILIWYS was crowned NME’s Album of the Year.

ILIWYS is arguably The 1975’s most sentient, polished, and poignant record. As a collection of Matty’s tragic, nostalgic and beautifully raw narratives, the band’s UK platinum scoring second album is nothing short of genius. With its release followed an era of spiritually cleansing live light shows and tingling aesthetics that will certainly linger in our subconscious for decades to come.

‘Somebody Else’, ‘If I Believe You’, and ‘Nana’ define the album’s most stirring moments, each track is led by Matty’s pain-stricken lyricism that is perfectly echoed by the band’s ability to concoct a soundscape leaving you missing someone you’ve never even met. Straying away from the largely defining guitar riffs of The 1975, ILIWYS illustrates a venture into a resurgence of 80s synth pop beats and soulful harmonies especially in the hypnotic ‘She’s American’, and ‘Loving Someone’.

ILIWYS is a clear progression from the band’s youthful and angsty self-titled debut. It features far more experimentation, a greater range of influences and most importantly, a recognisable confidence that The 1975 know exactly who they are and what they want to create as artists.

As far as pressures go for bands to maintain their reputation with a solid second album, ILIWYS cemented The 1975’s image as one of the most exciting and polished pop-rock bands of the 21st century.

10/10.

After an incredible journey, is it safe to say that A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (ABIIOR) has solidified The 1975 as “the best band of the decade”? The editors give their hot takes below:

Jake says: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is lyrically raw, musically diverse and perhaps the most culturally relevant record of our time. It is also potentially the greatest record that the 1975 have ever produced – arguably more so than their sophomore release.

The narrative weaved throughout ABIIOR is one that perfectly encapsulates the negative feelings of a generation living online: isolation (‘The Man Who Married a Robot’), obsession (‘Inside Your Mind’), self-doubt (‘Give Yourself A Try’). But it also delivers a sense of hope, sincerity and compassion. Modernity may have failed us, but The 1975 point us in the way of redemption.

Here, The 1975 expertly grapple different genres with ease — jazz, swinging piano ballads, trap, techno, and even Britpop make notable appearances. Yes, some tracks might sound jarring (especially when autotune is employed) but I’d argue that this abrasion is fitting with the story ABIIOR is trying to convey; our intimate, personal moments are slowly being superseded by technology and if that isn’t startling then I think you’re missing the point.

It took me a while to settle in to this one — I wasn’t expecting it to be as soft as it transpires to be. But once I’d listened through a few times, it was immediately clear as to why this record is being praised as much as it is.

Their debut was a gloomy insight in to adolescent strife. I Like It When You Sleep… played more like a façade, a bombastic showstopper that hid Healy’s troubled mental state brilliantly. ABIIOR is unflinchingly honest and composed. It feels personal, rather than at an attempt at grandiosity – and as we continue living in a culture steeped in deceit and falsehoods, I’d argue that ABIIOR is the most necessary album out there.

10/10.

Olivia says: Kicking off ABIIOR is the band’s traditional opener ‘The 1975’, but this time, instead of being soul reaching or nostalgic, it’s horrific. I understand why the band have decided to use a far more experimental endeavour into it this time, but I don’t think it works. It’s not sonically satisfying in any way. Instead it comes across just as abrasive as the leading guitar riff in ‘Give Yourself a Try’.

However, overall ABIIOR is yet again a piece of art showcasing the extent to which The 1975 are determined to constantly defy their critics presumptions about who they are. This is a very intelligent record, and is particularly relevant given the technological and social-media obsessed age we are living in. Tracks like ‘The Man Who Married a Robot’ is just so raw and unique given the band’s decision to use the voice of Siri to narrate a tragic story. Its outro is utterly euphoric and really illustrates just how skillful the lads are not only as musicians but also producers of their own work.

‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’ and ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You) offer a subtle nod to ILIWYS, both climaxing into a warmth of Matty’s soothing vocals which are embellished by blissful harmonies and the band’s ability to concoct an anthemic soundscape. ‘I Like America and America Likes Me’ is proving to be a reigning song off the record with every listen, despite my usual abhorrence for the overuse of autotuned vocals. The power and desperation of the actual lyricism is still able to breakthrough the production making it a really prominent track alongside ‘Love It If We Made It’ (the album’s stand-out track).

While a unique and intelligent record, it appears as if it’s a statement with a purpose to stick to a theme rather than genuine truth.

7/10.

Behind the scenes at Fuse FM

Based in a professional standard studio within the Students’ Union (SU), and broadcasting a little bit of everything, from discussion shows to an eclectic mix of music, Fuse FM has a reputation for high quality student radio. I spoke to the people behind two of the many shows on what goes into creating radio content, and the importance of student radio.

Alexandre and Andrew have a show called Neon Sunrise, which they describe as “a casual chat show with musical interludes”. “We talk about TV, films, games, comics and books,” they tell me, “delving into nerd culture in an open and excited manner.”

A fun part of student radio is the show names, and Neon Sunrise has a story behind it. “We wanted to get the word neon in there somewhere as a nod to our love of tech-culture and cyberpunk-synthwave music, which underpins many of the musical themes in our episodes,” they explain. Sunrise reflects the early morning slot of the show and functions as a metaphor for bringing this excitement for new things, and nerd culture out into the open.

Like a lot of student shows, it resulted from a conversation between friends with lucky timing. “We were literally having a conversation about comics and games; and found it pretty entertaining. Alex turned to me and said: ‘This is funny, it could be a radio show'”.

In contrast to professional radio shows which are usually thoroughly planned, student shows are a bit more ad hoc. “I’d love to say we discuss it beforehand and plan our episodes. In reality however, it depends. Andrew gathers music for the episode minutes before we go live, and while the first songs are playing, we either pick a topic that relates to some TV [or a] game, or talk about some news that happened that week in the geek world.”

It’s clear that they enjoy doing the show together and they find the process satisfying too. “One of the most important feelings we want to get across is the casual nature of the show, it is just a discussion between friends and live radio makes it feel real,” they tell me. “It’s pretty rewarding having this growing catalogue of podcasts as a product of these chats.”

Highlighting the variety of shows on Fuse FM, I also spoke with Adam and Ollie from The Hour of Power, where they play as many ‘bangers’ as they can squeeze into an hour. They met and bonded over their shared music taste in halls during first year and thought about starting a show together, but due to timetabling issues they had to wait until this September to go on air as a duo. “We’ve always been the DJs of the living room, so being actual DJs was the next logical step,”.

They have one requirement when it comes to choosing a song: “Is it a banger?”.

“We like the idea of having all the week’s tracks linked in some way, but typically it tends to be songs relevant to that week,” they explain. “We do try and have at least a couple of songs related somehow — how tenuous the link is depends on the week!” they tell me.

The Hour of Power is not just limited to music though, and Ollie and Adam also chat about their football team Little Court Veterans, made up other friends of theirs. Each week Man of the Match gets to choose a song for the pair to play on the show, and although they admit they were worried about some teammates’ questionable music tastes, so far their selections have been good.

They both agree on the huge benefits of student radio to any aspiring DJ, pointing out that many professional broadcasters began their careers at university. “As much as Ollie and I would love the idea of seeing our names in shining lights as professional DJs (on the airwaves or on the turntables) in the future, we’re not holding our breath,” they admit.

However, student radio is not just about your CV, as they have found, “More than anything we’ve found that hosting the Hour of Power for the past seven weeks has been great fun for us, and we it really is something we look forward to every Tuesday — we hope the same is true for our listeners!”.

“We’re also really appreciative of everyone on the Fuse FM team for all the hard work they put in to make us sound good – it’s not an easy job so a huge shout out to them.”

For them the best part about hosting a radio show was getting texts in from listeners. Whether friends or family, constructive or complimentary comments, even if it’s a simple request for a shout out; the fact that their friends enjoy listening to them playing their favourite songs means a lot.

Their advice for anyone wanting to start their own show? “…don’t worry about filling the time with chat, especially if you have a co-host! I find we usually have too much to say, rather than the opposite. If you like the music you play, it’s not often you’ll be lost for words.”

Keep up to date with Fuse FM via their Facebook page.

Manchester stands up to Misogyny as GMP fail to attend rally

More than 150 people attended a rally on the 5th of December, calling for misogyny to be made a hate crime in Greater Manchester. But according to organisers, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) failed to make an appearance at the event.

The ‘1000 voices’ rally, organised by student group Misogyny Is Hate in collaboration with Greater Manchester Citizens, included a combination of testimonies, speeches, spoken word, and live music.

Misogyny is not currently recognised as a hate crime in the region, although Greater Manchester Police have the ‘operational power’ to implement misogyny as a hate crime at any point.

Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, was expected by organisers to make an appearance at the event but pulled out at the last minute meaning neither he nor a representative from the GMP turned up.

There had been a social media push to persuade Mr Hopkins to attend the rally, and activists have been mentioning him on Twitter for months on end.

A spokesperson for Misogyny Is Hate told The Mancunion: “Ideally what we wanted and we had been hoping for was that Ian Hopkins would come down and give a statement. However, very last minute and very flippantly he has said he has other things to do.

“We did tell him two months ago that this was a thing that was happening and we have been reminding him. He has also received two emails from Andy Burnham encouraging him to come along. We’re very disappointed [the GMP] hasn’t sent a representative.”

At the end of the event, the attendees of the rally recorded a video for the GMP, urging them to make misogyny a hate crime.

In 2016, Nottinghamshire police became the first police force to recognise misogyny as a hate crime. It was recently revealed that there is overwhelming public support for the policy among Nottinghamshire residents.

According to campaigners, 45% of women have been groped in a public place and a third of young women aged 14-21 have been sexually harassed.

In September, it was announced that the government would commit to a comprehensive review of hate crime legislation. This could mean that misogyny will soon be recognised as a hate crime nationwide.

Activists have told The Mancunion that they are hopeful the intervention will eventually make misogyny a hate crime in the country as a whole, but worry they will have to wait for up to two years — although Greater Manchester Police can act at any point to define misogynistic practices as hate crimes.

A statement was also read out on behalf of Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, who played a key part in getting the government to commit to a fully funded review.

It read: “We have now won a commitment from the Government to carrying out a full review into all hate crime law, including misogyny — this is an opportunity to make sure we have a hate crime framework that is fit for purpose and makes sure that no one is targeted because of who they are.”

Representatives from Manchester City Council also attended the event, with Fallowfield councillor Grace Fletcher-Hackwood making a speech. The venue was decorated with signs saying “sexual and physical violence starts with everyday acts of misogyny” and “my hijab is not yours to take off or put on.”

Hatty Ruddick, a University of Salford student and NUS delegate who gave a speech at the rally, said: “The GMP didn’t turn up today. It makes me angry because we had councillors and MPs here and didn’t have the people who can make the change.”

She added: “I’ve got a lot of hope because we have prominent people speaking out about this. The turnout tonight was fantastic in the middle of December with torrential rain outside. But we still need to do more, this isn’t it, we still need to work on it.”

The GMP has stressed that they “understand the concerns of Citizens UK” and have said that they are “committed to ensuring the safety of women and girls across Greater Manchester”, arguing that the current legislation around sexual offences and violence already helps the GMP protect those who are most vulnerable.

Chief Superintendent Paul Savill, Head of Local Policing and Criminal Justice at GMP, said: “As a police service we are unable to change the law and recognise misogyny as a hate crime. The Ministry of Justice has asked the Law Commission to review hate crime legislation and the Commission has been asked to specifically consider the broadening of strands to include misogyny or gender.

“Unfortunately we had to advise UK Citizens that we were unable to attend the 1000 voices rally on Wednesday 5 December due to other commitments. We are planning to meet with them in the near future to develop how we work together to protect all members of our communities.”