Solo artist and co-frontman of The Last Shadow Puppets, Miles Kane, recently released his third album Coup de Grace, which made it the UK’s top ten album charts.
It features songs penned by Jamie T and Lana Del Rey. His upcoming date at Manchester Academy will be his first headline tour since he released his last album Don’t Forget Who You Are in 2013 and the anticipation is sky-high.
Whether appearing alongside Alex Turner or on his own, Miles Kane never fails to bring the whole Paul Weller-esque persona to his live shows. He not only sounds the part of a true indie rocker, but dresses like one too. As said by Kane himself, “Keep it simple and real, and you can’t go wrong.” Expect incredible guitar solos, quirky mannerisms and attempting to sing every song at the top of your lungs in a Scouse accent.
Having the pleasure of seeing Miles Kane a countless number of times over the years, I can safely assure you each time is different and more exciting. Whether at a festival, or in a more intimate setting, Miles consistently brings an infectious energy and a snazzy new haircut to the stage that is incomparable to other artists.
Whilst Miles and his band have kept the authenticity of mod revival and garage rock, there is never a dull moment when watching him perform live. There’s nothing more that your teenage-self would want than screaming classics like ‘Come Closer’ or ‘Give up’, so don’t miss the opportunity to see the man himself this November.
Towards the end of September I was blessed with the opportunity of paying for general admission to the playoff stage of FaceIt’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major. This has been the first offline event I have attended since Gfinity G3 in 2014, and in my naïvety I also didn’t realise the sheer difference in scale until I arrived at the SSE Arena.
Gfinity G3 was about as packed a Conservative party conference — myself and my friends were able to sit wherever we wanted. Players, casters, and analysts would sit right in front of us to watch the matches. I still remember Kenny “kennyS” Schrub swaggering down the steps next to us, doling out homie handshakes like a real celebrity. Not knowing anything about him apart from this, I reasonably decided to hate how cocky he seemed and took joy in their defeat to Virtus Pro.
The FaceIt Major was a whole other experience. With the SSE seating north of 10,000 people and being filled by the final, it was a far cry from my last experience. The players were now titans, arriving to standing ovation with their flag-bearer, and taking their places in the monoliths that overlooked onto the crowd. All of this was matched by music that went from ominous to explosive and eventually right back down to cringe, thanks to DJ MYMA’s remix of a CS:GO rap battle.
This wasn’t everything though; UK pride was stirring. We had not one, but two UK players in the playoff stage. With Owen ‘Smooya’ Butterfield on Team BIG and Rory ‘Dephh’ Jackson playing for Team Complexity. Who cares if the other four players on BIG are from Germany; we were about to show the world that our scene wasn’t a laughing stock anymore. Truly, it was hard not to be taken in with the excessive production and the narrative. That was until the games started, however.
BIG vs Na’Vi was the first match, and completely set the tone for the rest of the event. Despite our constant chants for Smooya, Na’Vi took the first map a startling 16-2, and the second 16-6.
The odd thing about the series was the stark skill gap between BIG and Na’Vi, causing us to repeatedly look to the person next to us to ask if this was a real game of Counter-Strike we were watching. BIG’s playbook on the first map, Dust 2, probably wasn’t even a double-sided bit of paper. Their approach became incredibly predictable, but their individual fundamentals were also incredibly questionable. One notable example from BIG is Fatih ‘gob b’ Dayik’s attempt to fool a Tier 1 team by placing a smoke in the middle of nowhere, standing in it, and hoping Na’Vi wouldn’t figure that out (they did).
This proved a persistent theme throughout the playoffs, with only the Liquid vs Hellraisers series going to the third map. Both Astralis and Na’Vi appeared to be the only competent competitors as the days went on, having excellent individual play and reads on their opponents set-ups.
Some in the community liked to place the blame for this with the Swiss format that had been used, with Best of One games being utilised to decide which teams would make it to the playoffs. The CEO of Ninjas in Pyjamas, a former Major winning team that failed to get to the playoffs, complained about the format. The argument is that the way teams have been drawn, and the use of Best of One maps, has the potentially unfortunate consequence of ‘worse’ teams being able to play easier opponents or cause upsets.
People that want to argue this tend to apply it only to the two former Swedish giants Ninjas in Pyjamas and Fnatic. Both of whom lost out during the Legends Stage. There’s something quite snobbish about this, assuming that every other team outside the usual circle of winners is somehow terrible and, given the chance, they would have walked over them.
Proving this point, William “Draken” Sundin, at the time a player for Fnatic, tried to flex his muscles and claim that players from the CIS region were simply not up to par. He placed these tweets alongside complaints about the format. Summarily, Fnatic lost convincingly against CIS teams Na’Vi and then Hellraisers to be dropped out of the Legends stage.
Fnatic has since undergone serious roster changes, dropping old Swedish hero Robin “flusha” Rönnquist as well as Draken for other players. NiP weren’t exactly putting up stellar results either, struggling against both Vega Squadron and Mousesports to get their two victories. I suppose the lesson is, your past achievements won’t matter if you can’t show up on the day.
Despite the clear talent Na’Vi has both individually and as a team, the grand final of the Major was an unexpectedly one-sided affair. Astralis really have established this as their era, more recently winning the BLAST Pro Series in Istanbul. The games were overall a complete bore, with very few memorable clutch rounds or even rounds in general.
Even as the last few rounds came around during the grand final, the general admission seats (including myself) were throwing up a mexican wave initiated by a man who looked like Jesus. Rather than chanting for Astralis or Na’Vi we were chanting “We love you Jesus, we do!”.
Without the content to back it up, the magic of the production and the narrative began to collapse during the first day and continually after that. This doesn’t apply to the show match, which was the most tense games of the event. Otherwise, you might have spotted a few people asleep, on their phones, or even reading a book.
photo: TeatonioMatos@Reddit
Weirdly, the best bits were the people I was hanging out with, and the kids in line who, after overhearing my dislike for FaceIt Vice President James Bardolph, showed me a clip on their phone of one of them destroying him during a match.
After a somewhat disappointing iteration of its annual release last year and a shocking year in the headlines for EA, it’s fair to say that you can see some extra effort has gone into FIFA this year. Several modes, most notably kick-off and ultimate team, have received much needed overhauls, whilst EA’s obligatory tweaks to players physicality/off-the-ball intelligence/physics feel a lot more substantial than in the previous few installments. Whilst EA have left themselves plenty to work on next year, FIFA 19 is certainly a promising sign that they are still capable of innovation.
Let’s start on the pitch, which, for all the new bells and whistles evident in menus, is still the lifeblood of a good football game. There’s some pretty big changes here, the most notable being a real attempt to make player physicality a real factor in games. This is a perennial promise of the FIFA series, but this time it’s really been integrated properly. Strong players are capable of holding off others, and there’s a much meatier, weightier feel to physical battles and to the physics engine overall.
Not only does this breathe life into the Girouds and Andy Carrolls of the world, it goes a long way to compensating for FIFA’s chronic struggle with how powerful a weapon pace is. Don’t get me wrong, pace is still the premium offensive tool in your arsenal, but your defensive ability to wrestle speedsters off the ball is a welcome change, and also encourages you to channel the ball down the flanks for crossing opportunities rather than only down the middle.
There’s a famous saying in games development circles (not that I’m part of any). It says: “given the opportunity, players will optimize the fun out of a game.” For a long time, this has been the case in FIFA. Players have always had access to one method of play which is far better than the rest, and, because of every player’s desire to win, the meta has been exploited to exhaustion. FIFA 19, however, adds some genuine nuance to play, resulting in a more varied meta that didn’t feel as cheap and abusable as it sometimes does.
This nuance is added to by a renewed focus on tactics themselves, with in-menu options giving you a lot more options to play with than ever before. The high-press, seven second press and gegenpress have all been integrated, with options to sit deep and counter available as well. The effects of these are really noticeable in game, and allows you to develop your own style and make on-the-fly adjustments in a way you never really could before. It’s certainly no Football Manager–level depth, but it’s a step in the right direction for a game that has ignored the cerebral side of football for too long.
photo:EASports
Playing FIFA is still sometimes a frustrating experience. The gameplay, whilst mainly crisp and responsive, can feel very sluggish – especially with Ultimate Team’s enhanced speed – when the ball gets into crowded areas, and the ball does seem to ricochet backs off defenders shins in the attacker’s favour a little too often.
Elsewhere, the Ultimate Team and kick off modes have received some long overdue attention. Kick off, in particular, has a plethora of new options. Kick off will now track the record of your profile against particular opponents, making every so-called friendly feel like part of an extended battle for pride. Also new are a variety of mutator setting, such as “no rules”, in which there are no rules, the self-explanatory “headers and volleys” mode, and a mode in which every goal you or your opponent score sets you back a player.
Unfortunately, these modes seem to come without much adjustment to the match engine, meaning they’re not quite as fun as they sound. No rules mode, in particular, was very underwhelming: a small attacking adjustment was all it took to make free-fire fouling avoidable, and you can only break the rules so far; you cannot, for example, rough the keeper, and throw-ins, corners and kick-offs still happen as they would in a standard game. Consequently, the novelty of this mode and others wore off quite quickly.
Ultimate Team is the other mode which has seen major changes, replacing the old divisions system with a more in-depth ranking system that assigns you a skill rating (I’m not sure how high they go but my mediocre qualifiers left me just over 1000), and pits you against players in the same division based on that skill rating. If you improve your ranking enough, which I failed pitifully to do, you can go up, whilst presumably enough defeats will see you plummet. The end of each week also gives you far more rewards than the end of a season on FIFA 18, although it does make you wait longer. It’s a positive move from EA which balances reward and challenge online constantly, and rewards – even for sheer perseverance – can be huge.
photo:EASports
It almost counter-balances Ultimate Team’spersistent tugging on one’s purse strings, although unfortunately the modes predatory instincts are very much alive and well. As has been the case since its inception, there’s an awful lot of tedious resource management for those unwilling to spend at least a couple of quid, and every fast-diminishing resource, be it contracts, fitness or injury, seem to be conspiring to drive you off the pitch and into the open arms of EA’s exorbitantly priced online store.
The journey is another familiar face returning to FIFA. This year, you play as Kim Hunter and Danny Williams (a man who insists on referring to himself in third person as ‘The Williams’) and the returning Alex Hunter. The journey is a pretty sordid affair this time around. The timeline really starts to get a little messy, and EA Sports’ lack of experience in narrative and role-playing games really shows as the two elements clash uncomfortably. This, in addition to some truly awful dialogue and some questionable voice acting, meant The Journey lived up to its name as a long, boring experience, which was not helped by being interspersed with playing FIFA’s notoriously dull AI.
EA must have known that I’d be getting close to my word count by now, and mercifully (for me and the sub-editors), there’s precious little to say about career mode and pro clubs. EA probably know which side their bread is buttered, and have spent minimal effort on these features. There’s really not all that much to say here: some pre-existing bugs have been ironed out, but the main additions are minor and/or cosmetic.
FIFA’s shiny new license is the first thing you’ll notice when you boot up the game. Yes, EA have bagged The Champions League, and oh how they love you to know it. In all seriousness, though, it’s a marquee coup, and adds a little majesty to some of the game’s already operatic atmosphere. Two big steps forward there, but one back for losing Brazil and Croatia in a legal dispute.
photo:EASports
Two steps forward, one step back, indeed, is probably a good note on which to leave this review. FIFA has plenty to offer this year, but I can’t help but feel that some new features could have been polished more to make them slightly more compelling. The more conspiratorial, cynical side of me has always felt that each time EA add something new to FIFA, they make sure to leave it with a couple of years of scope to improve, meaning that we never quite get the finished article. Nonetheless, this is an iteration that does enough on the pitch where it really matters and with its major game-modes to out-do its marginally older brother.
En route back from University, I saw a crowd in front of the Whitworth Art Gallery. At this point I was drawn in, keen to see why people were gathering. After crossing the road, I became engrossed in the outdoor performance of ‘Be//Longing’.
‘Be//Longing’ is a re-worked moving theatre piece, leading the audience through different perspectives and experiences of migration. By stitching together snippets of the stories behind the headlines, the group ‘Take Back Theatre‘ were able to evoke the chaotic nature of the experience of refugees.
Although it was only performed by two actors, the piece was able to raise different personal ordeals and global judgments, by establishing the harsh divide between the characters’ stories and emotionless news coverage. This effect was achieved by the monotonal regurgitation of news headlines. The sense that both the local and the global impact was reinforced by references to local sites in amongst significant international locations.
The audience was encouraged to re-evaluate the proximity we all have with the struggles refugees face on a daily basis, breaking the barrier between the sofa and the regular pictures we see on our TV screens. As a result, I left the Whitworth Art Gallery that evening, and went home to sign up to volunteer at a local BOAZ trust, Refugee night shelter.
What a clear depiction of the importance of art; a performance which connected with the audience, undermining our desensitised perspective of this global crisis.
If you missed this touching performance, rest assured there are plenty more opportunities to explore refugee experiences through great art! Be//Longing was part of the ‘Journeys Festival International’ which showcases a variety of art styles around the city of Manchester during the next week.
Part-home invasion horror, part-jealousy melodrama, The Cleaning Lady is a an initially shocking film, yet ultimately struggles to stand out in its genre.
A slow pace that feels tedious at times is remedied by the twisted handling of dark themes that could sicken even the strongest of stomachs. But leaves you with a feeling that something is missing.
According to the pre-film message by director and screenwriter Jon Knautz, the idea for this film had been in his mind for over a decade. It shows in the dark themes presented to the viewer; it is clearly premeditated. He tells the story of Alice (Alexis Kendra) a basic Los Angeles girl who is tied up in an affair with a married man. She befriends her cleaner, Shelly (Rachel Alig), whose face is scarred by burns. This premise sets up an interesting dynamic between the two, with Alice taking pity upon Shelly, and Shelly being portrayed as a twisted, strange person with a tormented past.
SPOILERS AHEAD: Shelly’s facial scarring is the result of an altercation she had as a teenager with a client of her mother’s. Her rebellion is warranted because she is being illegally prostituted by her bipolar, manipulative mother as a way to earn a living without lifting a finger herself.
The violence portrayed in the film plays a large role in the shock value as well. However, it is just that, a momentary shock to the system that doesn’t hang around. Mediocre writing and a bog-standard, forgettable soundtrack fail to create a story.
To its credit, The Cleaning Lady has creative cinematography that has been carefully crafted to created a feeling of claustrophobia. Much like Alice, the viewer is stuck in a microcosm of insignificant worries echoing off the walls of the small rooms.
Despite its slow pacing, subpar acting and uninteresting soundtrack, Knautz’s film delivers a unique take on a story of jealousy and lost youth with well-executed horror techniques. The story might not be a permanent chemical burn but, at least, it might leave a temporary blister.
The Cleaning Lady was shown at Grimmfest 2018. At the time of writing, the film has not been released in UK cinemas and is unavailable online.
Even with the best will in the world, national treasure Rowan Atkinson doesn’t have the comedic strength to keep this titanic failure of an entry into the Johnny English series afloat.
Laden down with clumsy, flat footed dialogue, Atkinson’s supporting cast are dragged to the lower echelons of entertainment; just as my hopes for a worthy successor to the 2003 comedy, that so captured my heart in my formative years, sank after the first forty-five minutes.
The ham-fisted plot begins with a cyber-attack that exposes all MI7s undercover operatives and led Pegasus (Adam James) to dust off an older file, Johnny English’s file. We then see the aging and hapless intelligence operative slap stick his way between exotic locals at the command of the Prime Minister (Emma Thompson). Along with the good old returning sidekick Bough (Ben Miller) – there to help him track the master of cyber-warfare.
The film starts at great pace, mercifully, with English knee deep in his slap-stick assignment within 15 minutes. Yet this regrettably doesn’t last, as the movie quickly starts to feel like it’s outstaying its welcome by quite some margin. While the jokes didn’t decline in quality, and the stunts didn’t become less preposterous, each new attempt at dramatic irony triggered yet another glance at the exit, or the time.
While by no means on top form, Emma Thompson stood out as the only memorable actor, other than Atkinson of course. This is truly a testament to Thompson’s professional ability — or at least to the low bar set by the rest of the film. She was able to deliver the dialogue of her character with the dry wit befitting an English mother in dire need of a “vodka tonic without ice or tonic”.
Though after a while, this begins to cause pangs of longing for the dry and witty character that Rowan Atkinson brought to life in Blackadder — which unlike Johnny English still holds a special place in this one millennial’s heart. It is evidence that Atkinson’s talent can deliver something truly unique and classic when given the opportunity, even if most people now know him as Mr Bean or the ‘Pink Panther’.
A prevailing theme of old vs new is an interesting choice by screen writer William Davies. While it may have been intended to drag Johnny kicking and screaming into the hearts of the modern-day youth, it has an unfortunate side effect. The ‘comedic’ narrative resembles a pensioner in a vicious argument with a self-service checkout; it just doesn’t quite work as smoothly as intended.
The shortcomings of this theme also spread to the main cyber-based villain, who lacks the outrageous nature of Malkovich’s attempt in the first movie (a highlight of the 2003 movie and the actor’s repertoire of hilarious European accents) or any malevolent or malicious impression upon the audience.
If you think that the ‘gang of friends in the 80s’ trope is overdone – think again. Anouk Whissell, François Simard and Yoann-Karl Whissell’s Summer of 84 is one of the best horror films I’ve seen this year. With the first two captivating acts twisting and turning their way to the final chapter, the climactic build-up pays off, delivering a violent, shocking end that feels like a gut-punch.
Shows such as Stranger Things paved the way for an 80s nostalgia explosion that has infected the mainstream with cliché references and an abundance of synth-filled soundtracks. The show is up-in-your-face with the references, constantly reminding audiences: “HEY, YOU, REMEMBER HOW AWESOME THE 80s WERE?!” Conversely, whilst Andy and Barbara Muschietti’s IT reboot toed the line between a nostalgia-fest and cheese fondue, it paid off to critical acclaim and box office success. Summer of 84 also toes this line without being too cheesy; the only explicit reference to the 80s (aside from the setting) is found in the form of a short scene where Ronald Reagan graces the presence of a family’s television and prompts them to say a few words about the Cold War.
On the technical side of things, the witty writing is executed perfectly by the cast, making their performances believable. The camerawork is meticulous, with angles being used cleverly and edited pleasingly, allowing dialogue to flow effortlessly between the cast members. Their dynamic brings inevitable yet permissible echoes of Stand By Me and The Goonies. The soundtrack by Le Matos fits the nostalgic journey perfectly, filling your ears with humming synths and a rumbling bass line that pushes you to the edge of your seat.
Without spoiling the plot, we can delve into the eventful story line: teenager Davey Armstrong (Graham Verchere) is convinced that a serial killer is living in his uneventful, suburban town. He convinces his gang to help him hunt down the suspected killer. The twists and turns in the story don’t let the pace falter until the violent final act. My jaw dropped throughout the whole final half hour, and I wasn’t the only one – I was surrounded by the noise of other audience members gasping too. The wait through the initial build up pays off, arriving at a point where every minute deals a different blow, and you still smile through the tears because it’s delightfully twisted.
Summer of 84 stuck with me for days after I saw it and almost made me wish I’d been born in a white American suburb in the 80s with a serial killer living next door. Almost.
Summer of 84 was shown at Grimmfest 2018. It is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
On the Loan is not just about giving you a match report, but a review of the whole experience from different teams in the North-West. It takes the wealthy world of football and asks, can it be enjoyed on a student budget? This week we head to the National League North, and Ashton United vs Leamington FC.
It’s important to give a bit of context, to what we believe is the best division in English football. The ‘National League North’ is the sixth tier in the football pyramid. Nine teams in the division are in the greater Manchester area, and it boasts some big-name clubs. Many of these have ended up where they are due to a combination of mis-management, bad ownership, and the fact the league itself is so competitive and tough to get out of. Stockport County for example, were beating Manchester City in the championship as recently as 1999. Oh how the fortunes of the two clubs, 10 miles apart, have changed in the 20 years since.
On Saturday we were at recently promoted Ashton United, with 189 others. The Robins got off to the worst possible start, Ghanaian forward Ahmed Obeng headed in a first minute opener for the visitors. Ashton were un-phased, however, and on the 18th minute, following a failure by Leamington to convincingly clear Matt Regan’s cross, the ball fell to Bradley Jackson, who finished emphatically from the top of the area. “Top bins or no bins”, was the cry from Alex Thrower, and he was not disappointed.
The second half went by at a slower pace, and until stoppage time the most exciting event of note was Ashton striker Matty Chadwick being booked for a dive in Leamington’s area. Ashton were knocking on the door however and as the visitors sat back, apparently happy to settle for a point, they were made to pay. A 92nd minute goal mouth scramble meant the ball eventually fell to substitute Martin, allowing him to seal 3 points for Ashton, moving them up to 14th place. 5 points off the playoffs, 5 points off relegation, a fitting symbol for our love for the division.
Although we drove to the fixture, Ashton United is not tough to get to by public transport. A 10 minute train from Manchester Victoria will take you to Ashton Under-Lyne, from which one can travel 20 minutes by bus or by foot to the ground.
A concession ticket was £8, which we did feel was a tad steep, but these clubs have got to stay alive somehow and Ashton are clearly struggling to bring in the punters. This could be due to the extreme density of clubs in the area. £3.50 got us a pie and chips, from one of the most impressively stocked food stands we’ve seen on our travels. The £2 programme gave excellent background on the opponents, and so with a bit of petrol money it came to a £16.50 day out. This is not bad at all, though given the very reasonable £12.30 we paid last week for Manchester United Women’s, it’ll be interesting to keep a league table, so to speak, of the costs of such days out. Nevertheless we undoubtedly got value for money.
A score, it would have to be a 9.3/10. The ground was lovely, even if it is in need of some major TLC. The ticket was more than one should expect, but the standard remained high and a last minute winner automatically adds (1) to any score.
On the Loan can also be found on Instagram, @ontheloan for more football experiences both in the UK and abroad.
England’s first cricket match since their 4-1 Test series win against India was abandoned after 15 overs due to heavy rain. The one-day international, played in the town of Dambulla, was called off mid-afternoon due to a sodden outfield.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to field but the England team looked eager to get started. In the 15 overs that were played England managed to reach a score of 92-2. Johnny Bairstow and Jason Roy were the openers and managed 25 and 24, respectively, before getting caught out.
The first wicket came as a delivery from fast-medium bowler Nuwan Pradeep, it was edged by Bairstow and comfortably caught behind the stumps. Five balls later Roy completely misjudged a ball from Akila Dananjaya to get caught at mid-off.
Third and fourth at the crease were Joe Root and Eoin Morgan who picked up runs quickly, reaching 25 and 14 respectively before the game was called off.
Talking to BBC Sport about the match Morgan said “It has been a little bit frustrating but there is plenty of energy in the camp, we’re excited about being here and getting into the series. This has halted that energy a bit but we’re hoping to get a full game in for the second match, especially with the reserve day. Only time will tell if we’ve had enough preparation but we certainly will be fresh.”
The second ODI will also take place in Dambulla, in the centre of Sri Lanka, on Saturday, with a reserve day on Sunday in case rain becomes an issue again.
After the five-match series of ODI’s concludes on October 23rd there is a one-off T20 game on the 27th followed by a three-match Test series to finish the year. In January 2019 the English team will begin a 3-month tour of the West Indies with a similar format to this tour of Sri Lanka. This time, however, three T20 games will be featured instead of just one.
In only his third attempt, Great Britain’s Mo Farah has won his first marathon in Chicago. The four-time Olympic gold medallist previously competed in London in 2014 finishing eighth, and again in London this April where he finished third, setting a new British record of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 21 seconds in the process.
This time Farah’s clock stopped at 2 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds shaving a massive 70 seconds off his previous attempt. He became the first British athlete to win the event since Paul Evans in 1996.
After retiring from the track in August 2017 to focus on road racing, Farah won his record fifth-successive ‘Great North Run’ last month — this success in Chicago further solidifies him as a force to be reckoned with.
Talking about the race Farah said: “The conditions weren’t great and everyone was thinking about conditions rather than time, but towards the end we picked it up. I felt good towards the end of the race. At the beginning I felt a bit sluggish but overall I’m very happy with it.”
In the wet conditions Farah looked strong for much of the race, though he wasn’t alone in this display of form; it wasn’t until the final half-mile that he began distancing himself from Mosinet Geremew. A strong runner in his own right, Geremew became the first person to win twice at the ‘Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon’ with back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016, setting the fastest ever half marathon time in a Chinese race.
The 26-year-old had to settle for second place in Illinois though as Farah crossed the line 13 seconds clear of the Ethiopian. Farah’s win means that he receives the mantle of victor from his former training partner Galen Rupp, with whom he competed in three Olympics.
Elsewhere in Chicago Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, won the women’s race with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 35 seconds, and Manuela Schar won the women’s wheelchair race in 1 hour, 41 minutes and 38 seconds. Six-time Paralympic gold medalist David Weir had to settle for third in the men’s wheelchair races as American Daniel Romanchuk took home the victory with a time of 1 hour, 31 minutes and 34 seconds.
Following worldwide media uproar surrounding the SU’s recent decision to promote BSL applause at their events rather than traditional clapping, students haven’t been afraid to add their collective voices to the discussion on what it’s only right to call ‘Clapgate’.
Today’s feverish media climate means any story that could potentially cause outrage certainly will and likely done so with copious amounts of misinformation flying around social media. The SU’s recent clapping scandal is no different; Twitter, Good Morning Britain, and Fallowfield Students’ Group (FSG) alike were packed full of hot takes and ‘one-upmanship’ seeing who could add the edgiest response to the conversation. Most of the discussion generated by the issue could certainly be described as ‘general outrage’, people were incredibly ready to criticise the new policy and substantive discussion was few and far between — as one might expect.
A poll on FSG asking for people’s thoughts on the matter saw the most popular answer: ‘What is the world coming to,’ indicative of the attitudes taken on what is largely seen as a trivial policy. A grand total of 235 people pledged their support to the clapping-induced downfall of society, with the more traditional ‘support’ and ‘oppose’ options garnering less impressive figures of 15 and 51, respectively. Honourable mentions go to the 21-strong anarchist faction of ‘Abolish the SU’ and the equally hilarious ‘what about blind people’. While I’m sure visually impaired members of the student community will remain strong at SU events, only time will tell.
Performative consideration for members of the disabled community, presumably for comedic effect, raises a very interesting question within this discussion — despite this not being their intention. Whilst support for blind students here is undoubtedly just rhetoric, the forgotten demographic within this entire issue is those who actually suffer from disabilities. An idea such as the clapping ‘ban’ was entirely brushed off by students, and a whole host of other commenters, across the country as ludicrous without voices of those suffering from sensory-related disabilities ever really entering public discourse. As many of those who are affected by these disabilities would rarely show signs of it, there exists very limited visibility and therefore very little empathy as people struggle to understand the challenges faced by someone with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) or other such conditions.
A further survey found that overwhelmingly, students felt the policy wouldn’t be beneficial to those with sensory-related disabilities. 71% of respondents held this view, which indicates either a lack of relevant information on the side of students or a very misinformed policy decision from the SU. Sam Hyatt, a student suffering from ASD, stated that “despite whatever backlash, it’s a policy that will help me and a lot of other people in my position.” Over 1% of people in the UK are affected by ASD in some way, and while not all cases result in sensory issues, it presents a significant challenge for many. “When people aren’t familiar with something obviously they won’t completely understand it, and it seems like that’s what we have here,” Hyatt added.
Multiple survey respondents posed a question along the lines of ‘Why aren’t affected students consulted before these policies are put forward?’ In light of Hyatt’s comments, it would appear that the SU is consulting the right people on this matter but that the student population’s backlash is one from a position of ignorance. There exists such a strong push-back against most calls for inclusivity and accessibility from a wide range of people that measures implemented to support those with disabilities, especially those that are less visible, will always create huge controversy.
The assumed heavy-handedness of the policy created a lot of issues for many of those who complained, and the SU was quick to release a subsequent press release clarifying their decision. However, despite the statement revealing that those caught putting two hands together on uni property won’t be shown the wall, student opposition remained strong. The survey revealed that only 30% of respondents were more in favour of the policy after reading the press release, with 50% having their opinion unchanged and the rest even more opposed.
An important aspect of Clapgate is remembering how these decisions are actually made. The political processes of the Students’ Union are supposed to act as a democratic means for students to have their voices heard and affect legitimate change across the university. The decision to ‘ban’ clapping, however, was made by some 20 people at the most recent Senate. Other motions included campaigning for greater QTIPOC (Queer, Trans, and Intersex People of Colour) inclusion and advocacy, and issues surrounding Islamophobia, Black History Month, and LGBT History Month.
The Senate deals with a wide range of significant topics which have incredibly tangible consequences for large portions of the student body, and yet attendance and engagement remain uninspiringly low. Students appear unphased by university politics, either feeling it doesn’t adequately serve them or simply having no knowledge of the various Elections and meetings and opportunities to be heard.
Many spaces exist for students to have a significant voice and to put their wills and visions into action. However, most of the campus carries on with disregard, until the time comes to get 50 likes on FSG.
Last week, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham announced a new mental health service to be implemented at universities across Manchester. The service aims to make it easier for students to access help, regardless of where they live and work.
The announcement revealed that GPs will oversee students throughout their university career and university student GP passports will be distributed to guide this.
This effort to combat mental health comes following findings that many students across the country struggle to access adequate mental health support.
The measures will be part of Greater Manchester’s vision of a ‘21stcentury NHS’ set out by Burnham as part of the new public service model within the city.
In his announcement speech, Burnham said:‘We have a huge student population – more than any other city in the UK – and we need to do more to support them,” he will say. The transition to university can be a tough time, with many young people living away from home, family, and friends for the first time. We also know that around one in five 16 to 24-year-olds experience depression or anxiety. Despite this, students are poorly served when it comes to mental health provision’.
Due to university timetables and waiting lists many students are forced to return home, drop out or move across healthcare trust boundaries before they’re offered treatment.
Key features of the scheme include an integrated single hub for all students, a Student Screening Tool to ensure student issues are identified and trusted assessor status granted to avoid repeated assessments.
There are also plans to publish data on waiting times for children and young people’s mental health, making Greater Manchester the first place in the country to do so. Sessions may also take the form of Skype, Fuze and other similar sites to discuss issues.
Burnham commented in the plans, stating: “It will allow us to fully understand the baseline we are working from and how far we need to go to deliver on efficient and effective children and young people’s mental health services across Greater Manchester.
“For the first time, devolution has enabled us to work together as a whole system _ from our schools to our universities – to build a conurbation where our children and young people are supported to achieve their full potential.”
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester added: “Mental health is one of the top issues that students tell us about and we have invested significantly in services at The University Manchester and in this important new initiative.
“The next logical step is to share expertise and resources across the whole region, and create a model that will benefit thousands of people. I am very pleased that The University of Manchester will play an important role in this and I hope that it is an idea that can be used across the whole country.”
UFC 229 was the subject of a mass brawl after Khabib Nurmagomedov beat Conor McGregor in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The Russian won in the fourth round through submission before jumping over the cage and diving towards McGregor’s team with his entourage soon following.
Dana White, UFC president, said: “Police officers were getting punched, security guys were getting punched. I actually think police and security did an incredible job. Khabib jumped over the cage like one of those parkour guys. What are you expected to do?”
While the brawl outside the cage took place, two of Khabib’s team climbed in and started attacking McGregor. The first came from the front and shortly after another sucker punched him from behind. British boxer Tony Bellew said that there is “not a chance in the world he deserves to be attacked by two men! One in front and one from behind!
“Both bare knuckle after he’s just been fighting for 20 minutes anyway. It’s a disgrace. The coward jumping the cage is a disgrace. UFC have to deal with this.” According to White, Nurmagomedov’s fight payment has been withheld until further notice while the Nevada State Commission, who originally sanctioned the fight, investigate the events.
Three members of Nurmagomedov’s team were arrested as a result of their post-match actions but were later released. White said that McGregor had refused to press any charges.
Once the brawls were broken up each fighter was individually escorted away surrounded by a mass of security guards and police officers. McGregor went first and looked amazed at what had happened, both during the fight and after. Nurmagomedov left second but not before demanding his belt from White.
“I know if we put the belt on him in the octagon there’ll be things thrown,” White said. “I just said let’s try and get him out of here.” It turned out that the Irish fans would throw things regardless of whether the belt was handed over or not and Nurmagomedov was bombarded with objects as he left the arena.
The victory for the Russian means he is now unbeaten in 27 MMA fights, the longest ongoing undefeated streak in UFC; it is not yet clear, however, for how long he will be suspended. “He is going to get suspended so maybe you give him four to six months,” said White. “If Nevada puts a suspension on him everyone will put a suspension on him. We are not going to go around the athletic commission in this country to put on a fight.
When asked whether he will keep the belt White said “he absolutely keeps his title. They’re talking about keeping his purse. I do not think that should happen. You should not be able to keep his whole purse. I think they should take £250,000 from him.”
Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, announced that he will punish his son more severely than whatever the UFC gives out: “I warned him. For me, discipline comes first. You do whatever you want in the Octagon, (but) outside, this is the border of civilians, where there are children, women, strangers.”
The Clink Café, a café ran almost entirely by former prison inmates opened its doors to the public in May this year.
The Clink Charity, founded in 2009 in partnership with Her Royal Majesty’s Prison Service, aims to give inmates formal training in catering as well as running a professional restaurant and kitchen in order to help them find employment upon release.
The first restaurant, set up in the grounds of HMP High Down in Surrey was quickly followed by three more in prison campuses in Brixton, Cardiff and, the first in the North of England, Styal.
These restaurants, located within the grounds of prisons, offer the public a fine dining experience whilst supporting the work of an innovative rehabilitation scheme.
The programme has also proven to be highly successful with reports that the chances of former inmates who have completed the scheme re-offending have dropped by 41%. The chief executive of The Clink Charity, Chris Moore, said in a statement that he and the rest of those working at the charity were “delighted” with these findings.
Moore added: “The Clink offers more than just training, we provide a five-step integrated programme for our trainees that consist of not only the recruitment and training while they are in prison but also support, employment, and mentoring upon release.
“All five elements are key to the reduction in reoffending as it is providing the graduates with the assistance they need to readjust back into society.” The opening of The Clink Café in Manchester is a clear way of achieving this aspect of their mission.
The Clink Café in Manchester is The Clink Charity’s first site that isn’t based inside prison grounds; instead it finds it’s home at Canada House, a grade II listed building in the city centre.
As well as offering jobs and prospects to ex-inmates who have completed the scheme, The Clink Charity has partnered with Centrepoint, a charity that aims to provide housing and opportunities to young homeless people in the UK to prevent young people from potentially becoming first-time offenders.
This opportunity is often one of the first that these former inmates and vulnerable young adults have had to gain work experience in a place that values them.
General manager, Jenny Thomas, has spoken highly of the staff at The Clink Café, “We see their confidence grow massively […] It gives them a realistic view of what it’s like to be in the workplace.
“We want to make sure they’ve got the competency to work within a normal kitchen or cafe and to be able to do the job properly.”
‘The Crystal Maze Experience’, Manchester, has introduced a new student discount scheme. The award-winning attraction, based on the hit 90’s show is offering a 10% discount for students.
The attraction is run by a dedicated ‘Maze Master’ who leads you through four time zones while you attempt to win crystals. The number of crystals you obtain equals the amount of time you and your team receive in the Crystal Dome. This is where you attempt to gain tokens to get on the leader board. The four time zones include; Aztec, Medieval, Industrial, and Futuristic.
Each time zone challenges different skills be it physical, mental, skill or mystery — your team captain then nominates a member of your group to partake in these.
The original price of the attraction ranges between £31.50-£52.50 depending on the popularity of the slot you are booking and the number of people in your party. The discount runs from Sunday to Friday and only includes selected shows. All booking must be completed online, prior to the date and guests must have a valid Student ID photo card.
Located near the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, off Lower Byrom street, the attraction is easily accessible.
Cultural modules are obligatory for students undertaking degrees in foreign languages, unless learned as part of the University of Manchester’s Language Experience for All Programme (LEAP). These could include, but are not limited to, courses on the history, literature, cinema and identity of the country or countries where the studied language is spoken. This is the case in almost all universities, and most language students will admit to having complained at some point during their degree about having to undertake this type of module.
The question is, are cultural modules a vital part of the learning of foreign languages?
Arguably the most important concern for language students is the highly anticipated year abroad. Those who are solely interested in learning grammar and vocabulary may well be able to converse with native speakers, but these interactions will lack the profound understanding brought about by knowing about what brings the country to life.
There’s a reason that students from the same country tend to group together during their time abroad: they have things in common and understand each other not just in terms of language. The relationships we do manage to form with natives would be rendered all the more difficult if we were merely aware of their language and completely ignorant of their habits, traditions and identity.
Perhaps a more important consideration is the possibility of getting ourselves into trouble abroad. Learning a language should go hand in hand with developing awareness of pragmatics and the politeness codes in any given culture. The thumbs up, for example, which would be a perfectly adequate way to express agreement in most cultures, can be offensive in the Middle East and even parts of Greece.
Viewing a language as a system of words and grammatical rules dehumanises it, detaching it from those who bring it to life. It is also invaluable to be able to avoid embarrassing slip-ups when spending time abroad, such as making a joke about the French grèves (strikes) during a car journey with a stranger. The resulting silence taught me that this topic is not considered comedic material…
Moreover, there is the excuse of “but this isn’t relevant to my career goals”. Admittedly, I have pondered this idea too, having always considered teaching or translation. The reality is, however, that a teacher is not only responsible for imparting their knowledge of various tenses or setting vocabulary tests, but also sparking the pupils desire to engage with the speakers of a given language.
Cultural awareness is essential in translation in order to differentiate the shades of meaning that lie within certain words. A tortilla to a Mexican is a thin layer of unleavened bread, whereas to a Spaniard it is an omelette made from potatoes and egg. Being conscious of these nuances is crucial in order to translate accurately and convey the correct meaning to the target language.
Personally, I struggle to understand where the desire to learn any language stems from if there is a complete lack of interest in the identity of its speakers. It is widely accepted that language and culture are inextricably linked, and that a valuable part of forming relationships with people from another country is being able to experience a different way of life that opens the mind and renders us more tolerant to diversity. Of course, this is not to say that we should be able to recite the most famous poems written in a certain language, nor name the previous ten Prime Ministers, but having a good awareness of touchy subjects and social etiquette can be a huge aid.
On National Drink a Beer Day the Thinking Drinkers told me about their touring show complete with free drinks! The Thinking Drinkers are the award-winning drinks writers and comedy performers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham.
They told me about their first Edinburgh Fringe experience, explaining that it was perhaps the most fun as they “had no idea what [they] were doing” and learnt as they went. They agreed that every fringe is different and commented that fringe has taken on a different meaning now they are both fathers. The ‘Thinking Drinkers’ Pub Crawl’ has now completed its eighth year at Edinburgh Fringe.
Ben McFarland has been crowned winner of ‘British Beer Writer of the Year’ three times. He is also the author of ‘World’s Best Beers: 1000 Unmissable Brews from Portland to Prague’ and ‘Boutique Beer: 500 of the World’s Finest Craft Brews’. Tom Sandham is a leading expert on spirits. He launched the ‘Top 50 Bars of the World and House Tonic’ magazine for the Soho House Group, and is also the author of the award-winning ‘World’s Best Cocktails’.
Ben and Tom are both top drinks columnists for the Daily Telegraph and regularly contribute to an array of international publications. The focus of the ‘Thinking Drinkers’ Pub Crawl’ is the “drink less, drink better” message. Tom and Ben explained that this means that no one should be ashamed to enjoy a drink. But, once informed, you can be more discerning about what you drink.
Ben and Tom explained that as the ‘Thinking Drinkers’ Pub Crawl’ grew from a diversification from writings to tastings they wanted to further how engaging the tastings were, so they added jokes. They told me about how they started with no performance experience and just their expertise. With a ‘bootcamp’ from a theatre director and a producer they embarked on a performance with tastings. They laughingly explained that the jokes have improved over the years. There show is a blend of entertainment, facts and jokes.
My final question to the Thinking Drinkers was whether they could pick only one alcohol to drink and if so, which one. Tom went for Cognac and Ben, after ruminating about Lagunitas, ultimately went for red wine, a burgundy, having studied in Dijon.
The ‘Thinking Drinkers’ Pub Crawl’ will be at the Lowry 23rd November.
“What is this nostalgia you lot have for your fucking me-ness?” ‘Future Bodies’ seemed to continuously ask. Is ceasing to be human such a bad thing? ‘Future Bodies’ was a powerful and emotional show to experience, visceral and thought-provoking from beginning to end. The show brings together computer science, neuroscience, and the science of touch in a theatrical setting.
Parts of ‘Future Bodies’ was performed in British Sign Language, the beginning of the physical theatre elements of the show which grew in dominance as the show progressed. The physicality of signing led into the wordless contemporary dance-like final section of the show. This was fascinating and multi-layered in its approach, and at times disconcerting to watch (this felt intentional).
Lara Steward, a deaf actress had great comedic timing and it was great to see hearing actors sign. The whole show was accompanied by projected subtitles, adding to its technological feel, yet this also made it difficult for the actors. The audience could see whenever the actors deviated from the script or forgot a line. Despite a few stumbles, it was impressive how easily the scientific language was embedded into the script, creating the illusion of the norm.
As well as subtitles, projections of rather forceful statements appeared frequently: “no one cares if you don’t understand”, “no one cares if you do understand.” It was sometimes hard to know where to look with so much going on!
Becky Wilke, co-creator of the show (and music) was a one-woman band. As one third of RashDash, she was almost entirely blue (including her face) and under ultraviolet light. Her voice and ability to create songs seemingly from scratch using only a loop peddle was very impressive. Lines such as “my upgrades bring all the boys to the yard” produced laughs, an amusing if slightly worrying variation on a well-known lyric.
The interlocking scenes covered ideas of enhancements for your child, upgrades not dissimilar to the narrative on getting your child vaccinated. In other scenes, employees were effectively being forced to ‘upgrade’ if they wanted to continue working. Is a trip into your brain really an invasion of privacy? Or are we already being controlled, and the physical chip simply the final step?
The show was firmly placed in ‘the future’ by the fact that one of the characters had to ask who Beyoncé was! Another amusing, if sobering scene was one where the actors sat on stage staring at their phones, as the flashing screens increased in speed with the music. This went on with no speaking for an uncomfortably long time, likely reminding the audience of similar moments where people meet-up to sit on technology.
The underlying concept of the show seemed to be the different ways in which humans could transcend their bodies, transferring their consciousness into machines and beyond. Or at least that’s the level to which I understood all the scientific language! It was fascinating to watch conversations unfold around the idea of a person’s consciousness existing in more than one place simultaneously, including at a quantum level.
A stand out scene was Alison Halstead’s monologue about the loss of her wife to breast cancer. A previous scene saw her wife (played by Kate Maravan) receive a phone alert that she had breast cancer and dismissively say she would get checked later. Halstead delivered her speech in such a moving manner, as she sat making the decision whether to have the memories or pain of the event removed. A particularly stand out line was “I want to stop stubbing my toe on the memory of her over and over…” — a profound way to describe grief over time.
The co-creator of ‘Future Bodies’ and artistic director of Unlimited Theatre commented that he hoped audiences would leave “…feeling like the world is a slightly different colour.” It certainly had this desired effect on me.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is closing in on his fifth F1 Championship crown after a comfortable victory at the Japanese Grand Prix — finishing almost 13 seconds ahead of teammate Valterri Bottas.
The Englishman secured his sixth win in seven, and was in cruise control for much of the race. This was in thanks partly to Sebastien Vettel’s collision with Max Verstappen, a consequence of the German’s over-zealous attempt to move from eighth to fourth in the standings.
At the spoon corner, Vettel went spinning off the track after attempting to slip inside of Verstappen, and after a frustrating wait, re-entered the track in 19th position. The Ferrari driver had already been slapped with a five-second penalty for misjudging braking at the chicane. The 31-year old recovered impressively, however, to finish the race in sixth place.
Verstappen, meanwhile targeted Bottas as he attempted to crack the dominance of Mercedes, but ultimately fell just over a second short of the Finn. Despite this, a third-straight podium finish in Japan was welcomed. With the Dutchman having also clashed with Kimi Räikkönen on track, concern lingered over the condition of his car going into the final few laps.
Aside from the podium finishes, Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo’s clever use of the chicane for overtaking saw him secure fourth place, a substantial improvement on his 19th place grid start. Meanwhile, the top finisher behind the top six of Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari drivers, was Racing Point Force India’s Sergio Perez, his colleague, Esteban Ocon, two places behind in ninth.
The race was a disappointment for Nico Hülkenberg, Kevin Magnussen, and Charles Leclerc, all of whom failed to see the chequered flag after collisions.
While a competitive race further down the rankings, it was plain-sailing for Hamilton, who wrapped up his 50th Mercedes victory with a lights-to-flag victory. The aftermath of the Belgian Grand Prix, in which Hamilton saw his lead in the standings cut to just 17 points, with a serious title challenge a real possibility, seems a distant memory.
After his ninth victory this season, the 33-year old has now extended his lead over rival Vettel to a mammoth 67 points, having increased his advantage by 50 in the last four contests; a further eight over Vettel and Hamilton will have won another championship. This can be done in Austin on October 21st, if he finishes top and Vettel ranks lower than second.
It is a been a favourite track for Hamilton since its introduction to the F1 calendar in 2012, with the Brit finishing in pole position in the last four years.
The possibility that Mercedes could wrap up a fifth consecutive championship, with three races remaining, marks the different class that Hamilton and Bottas’ team sit in. Despite his dominance, Hamilton has urged the media to pay more respect to Vettel, who he says has come under too much criticism.
Despite this, Hamilton will surely be yearning to get on the grid in Texas, with the knowledge that his fifth F1 victory will take him above Vettel, to joint-second in the all-time list.
E-sports is a growing global phenomenon. With an estimated global revenue of $905.6 million and a fanbase around the 380 million mark, the burgeoning discipline has now ascended to one of the globe’s other major franchises: the Premier League.
The official ePremier League (ePL), which is making its debut in January 2019, has been well supported by Premier League clubs, with all 20 of them to compete in the competition’s inaugural year.
Amongst these, of course, are Manchester giants Manchester United and Manchester City. Manchester City, in particular, will be hoping to add to their glittering year with another trophy having recruited former FIFA world champion Kai ‘Deto’ Wallin.
The competition is still in its infancy. As such, the fledgling enterprise will comprise of three stages: online qualifiers, club playoffs, and a grand final, rather than taking on the traditional league format that the grass-based players adhere to.
Photo:Premier League
The first stage will be used to narrow the pool down to a total of 320 players. Of these players, 16 from each club will then face off to ascertain two representatives for the final.
Each club will enter two players – one on the Xbox One, and one on Playstation 4 – for the final, which will take place over two days at the end of March. Although it is unclear precisely how the final will work, the ePL webpage states that “matches will take place over two legs in a group-stage format on both PlayStation and Xbox to determine an overall champion”.
The Premier League has been quick to praise the initiative, with Richard Masters, the Premier League’s Managing Director, saying, “millions of fans play FIFA and this new eSports competition will provide our clubs with an exciting opportunity to engage with them.”
However, this growing trend has not always been met positively. In September, a match between Swiss clubs FC Basel and Young Boys saw console controllers thrown onto the pitch in a protest against football eSports, whilst news that eSports could one day be in the Olympics was met with widespread public derision.
Nonetheless, negotiations with Olympics eSports continues, and the ePL provides another marker for the growth in popularity of eSports.
