Year: 2018

Review: On the Outskirts of a Large Event

Written by Grace Johnstone on 5th March 2018. Posted in Theatre.

Long strips of material hang down from the ceiling of HOME’s studio theatre and a circular sand pit fills the centre of the stage. As the audience come in, Nicola Blackwell, one of the two performers in Joe W’s On the Outskirts of a Large Event collapses onto a chair and twitches occasionally.

We slowly learn that this injured and deformed character is Lucien, and there is an iceberg heading towards him and his island as a result of global warming. Lucien has suffered from complete memory loss, so relies on Rose Gray’s pyjama-clad character to tell him who he is.

It is up for interpretation as to who exactly Gray’s character is. I personally took her to be a projection of Lucien’s mind. Gray informs him that he was once so famous he required a chauffeur who drove a bullet-proof car, which only feeds Lucien’s ego.

The audience is spoon-fed information by Gray, who gives detail about who Lucien was in long, wordy paragraphs. Therefore, in order to understand the play, you had to pay close attention to the chunky text, and I was unfortunately not engaged enough to do so.

Through an extended metaphor, it transpires that Lucien was a politician who thrived off the power and fame that came with his job. He ostracised immigrants — who are referred to as ‘insomniacs’ — while the rest of the population — ‘sleepwalkers’ — let them go screaming into a sort of exile.

Gray’s character helps Lucien to realise the error of his ways, but I did not feel involved enough to care.

It was a technically interesting play, Will Monks’ vivid and colourful projections onto the hanging strips of material combined with the thorough and immersive sound design by Lee Affen helped to locate the piece. However, I perhaps would have liked to see the two performers using the space more rather than statically telling a story as I felt the set, sound, and lights had more to offer.

I can see that the intention of On the Outskirts was to make the audience reflect on world events without directly referencing the migrant crisis. For me, however, the metaphor was a little heavy-handed, and it came to fruition too late on in the play.

Interview: Husky Loops

Written by Jay Plent on 5th March 2018. Posted in Music.

Following the release of their new single, Jay Plent cosied up with the Husky Loops lads Danio, Pietro and Tomasso in the elegant bunkbeds of the Deaf Institute’s surprisingly well-furnished backstage area. They talked art, touring with Placebo, music’s trajectory, and exactly who loves Superorganism the most (spoiler: it was a three-way tie).

Your main logo is an incomplete circle; do you ever get any people with OCD telling you how infuriating that is?

D: It’s me!

(All laugh)

D: So he (points at Pietro) made it, and I am infuriated cos I’m so OCD. I think Pietro enjoys annoying me.

P: People consider visual things as stuff that’s meant to be pretty. So if you’re looking at it with an urge to fix it then that’s good really.

Let’s talk about image because there’s a real minimalism to your artwork, your stage attire etc, which doesn’t necessarily reflect how varied and colourful your music is. Was that a deliberate contrast or a purely cosmetic choice?

D: It’s totally connected to the music, to the space of the music, it’s like with what actors do, dress in black. Underlining moments of the show, which is the point.

T: It matches some of the vibes our music expresses…

D: It’s a standard, it doesn’t say something, it’s just there, makes the music appear and the sound be more.

P: Let the content talk first, no distractions from the show. Black is like a canvas.

T: We talked this tour about wearing all white actually.

P: It really depends on the identity of the band. It’s not black with specific details or decorations…

T: …kind of elegant though.

P: We don’t wanna just look like, random. The minimalism is there to add a frame for everything that can happen in our music or visuals. We’re not narrowing it to a specific genre.

In a previous interview, you talk about using samples and bands using backing tracks live, what do you think is a step too far when it comes to using pre-recorded stuff live? What keeps your shows authentic in that regard?

D: I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to do it — we want to do everything live. In our show now, everything you see and hear is made on stage. There’s a massive risk of fucking up, but that just adds to the show. I hear every mistake, but if I was in the crowd, I’d see something was happening in a different way, and making its own way, which is what live shows are about.

P: One thing we learned early on with the SPD (drum-pad), which is how we play all the samples, is that the possibilities are limitless — it’s too much. You can very quickly alter the sound of a band — bam, there’s an orchestra… you can go into something really fake really quickly. If you narrow the usage of the machine, you get something unique. You need to control the machine not let the machine control you…

D: …Pink Floyd said that in 1971, and I think it hasn’t changed.

You’ve recently released a new single, the excellent ‘When I Come Home.’ It’s a bit of a departure from your more aggressive stuff, and perhaps more sophisticated too, is it a sound you’re going to pursue in future material?

T: It’s one side of what we do. D writes a lot of stuff, different material that goes from harder stuff to more emotional, more intimate stuff. We always try to bring that side into the band. It shows we can work on more intimate stuff.

D: We wanted to show people we can write a pop song, as well.

P: We listened to a lot of RnB and contemporary music this year, and we started trying to make music that’s both in your face and gentle at the same time. Coming from a rock background, we associate intimacy with being slow and quiet, but it doesn’t need to be that way. You can have a fast hi-hat close, in your face, but have it still feeling intimate.

T: Or a massive kick, bass… and it still feels intimate.

P: We discovered we can do many things…

And with so much variety in your music, what do you feel is a common thread connecting it all together? Is it thematic, musical…?

D: Us three really, the process.

P: I think it’s care.

T: Attention to detail yeah…

P: We work on every sound and decision after hours of arguing with each other.

D: The spontaneous nature of this band is definitely what you catch live, but in the studio, we’re much more precise, more about the craft.

You’ve played alongside The Kills, Spoon, Placebo, and many others. Are there any tricks you’ve picked up from watching/touring/partying with them?

T: You learn something with everyone you tour with really. Alison (Mosshart, The Kills) has got an amazing stage presence.

P: It’s not just the way she looks or moves, it’s the way she owns the stage, all eyes are on her.

T: Spoon is an incredible band, and just the nicest guys to tour with. Placebo were just a lesson in touring huge. They’re huge.

P: Having a massive team taking care of the show is crazy too.

D: It was awesome on Placebo’s tour, but then it came to our own tour, like, we got used to the stuff like hearing everything on your monitors, having your own engineer…

P: If you’re not a touring musician you don’t realise that the people hear something different to what you hear on stage. On a big tour you have a dedicated sound tech, and it’s the perfect way to make you feel comfortable. Compare that to playing in a small pub with a sound engineer who can’t be bothered…

T: I love it though, I think I prefer the pub! It makes you feel much closer to reality.

D: It was great to do both things though, going up and down. With Superfood we had like, a gig in a small pub in Nottingham, then played a 3,000-seat arena the next day.

With Husky Loops, there’s a great blend of genres in your writing. There are always rumblings in the media about the relevancy of guitar music in modern music. What do you think is gonna keep guitar music and your own music enticing and relevant?

D: What we consider rock music is definitely dead. It’s a matter of timeless songs. Like, I think Rachmaninoff No.3 is one of the most contemporary things you can hear today, because the way the music describes life is gonna stick with everyone for the rest of time.

With bands, they’ve gotta be creating a sound, more than just a ‘band statement.’ The whole basic drums, bass and guitar thing is gone, because nobody can do it anymore because everyone can do it now. Rock music innovated my life, Led Zeppelin and stuff changed my life, I don’t think rock music is doing that now, it’s just repeating.

How do you feel about the rumours of Gibson’s bankruptcy, about that potentially lost historic company?

D: I mean anything shutting down is sad, but I mean it’s just the way that…

P: Don’t justify capitalism man.

(All laugh)

D: Young people, everyone’s got a laptop or phone in their hands, they can make music anytime.

P: I mean look at Kodak a few years ago. Biggest fucking producer of film in the world. A few years later, it’s picked up again, companies restarted. What we define as music has changed. I think a reason for rock music being dead is that the instrumentation of the working classes is different now. If you’re a kid now you have a tablet, a PC, to make music, not instruments.

T: It all goes in cycles, like 20 years ago vinyls got chucked in the bin, and now they’re more popular than ever.

D: Bands have been doing stuff that’s been happening before, and that shouldn’t be the point. If you concentrate on how to communicate what you want to communicate, that’s what’s important. I mean the White Stripes did something different with similar elements.

P: If rock music is meant to be non-conformative, bringing something new to the table, then rock music will stay alive. If it keeps fitting a repetitive template, it will die.

T: All the people we remember from rock music are the ones that did something fresh. I was reading reviews from NME and Melody Maker from 1968 about Beatles albums — some of them are really bad! They hated the albums! The press at any time is always harsher.

Because, to our readers anyway, you’re a newish band, I thought I’d throw a couple of comparisons at you, and you can just throw ‘em right back with what you think, your gut reactions, first up: Death From Above?

D: We’re nothing like that band

T: Good bass player!

A Manchester local, Everything Everything?

D: We’re nothing like that band. I guess you could compare stuff but we’re nothing like ‘em really.

Superorganism?

P: We fucking love Superorganism.

T: Amazing band.

D: Unfortunately, we’re not as good as them. I don’t think we have much in common musically, but I really respect their project, it’s clever on so many levels, so new.

T: (Superorganism) are so good, they’re what pop music needs right now.

P: They’re opening up the internationalism of our generation — pop tracks that are instant classics, and at the same time so relevant. So much respect!

Coldplay? EARLY Coldplay, I should specify…

D: People associate us with Coldplay? Ok. ‘Yellow’ and ‘Fix You’ are incredible songs. But recently… I don’t know Chris (Martin) but I don’t think Chris gives a shit anymore, sorry Chris.

Any surprises in store for tonight?

P: We have a whole new set…

D: Tom’s gonna get naked…

T: You can’t say that in an interview man…(Laughs)

D: I so wish you’d do that…

P: He’s got a massive dick…

D: This is our very Italian sense of humour… (Laughs)

Are there places on the tour you’ve never played, and where are you most excited to play besides Manchester?

T: Glasgow, but also we’re headlining here (Deaf Institute) for the first time.

D: I’ve heard good things about the art school in Glasgow, so we’re excited to play there, but I’d say we’re the same level of excited as we are for everywhere on this tour.

Husky Loops are on tour now. Check them out at your nearest convenience, and listen to their newest single ‘When I Come Home’ on Spotify.

Electric Six at Club Academy. Photo: Callum Lunn

Live review: Electric Six

Written by Callum Lunn on 5th March 2018. Posted in Music.

Wednesday 21st February, Club Academy

Say what you will about Electric Six, but they have perseverance. You likely know them as the band that had two hits 15 years ago, with ‘Danger, High Voltage!’ and ‘Gay Bar,’ but to end one’s assessment of the band there would be a disservice.

Last year, Electric Six released You’re Welcome and How Dare You, their 16th and 17th albums respectively, and they are showing no signs of slowing.

Part of Electric Six’s charm is that they don’t really take themselves too seriously. Each member of the band has an alias, with frontman and original member Tyler Spencer adopting the stage name ‘Dick Valentine.’ This definitely showed in the performance; most band members had a wide grin on their face throughout.

Playing an impressive 21 songs, Electric Six opened with ‘Rock and Roll Evacuation’ from 2005’s Señor Smoke, followed by ‘Naked Pictures (of Your Mother)’ from their most well known 2003 debut album, Fire, drumming up a party atmosphere with songs pretty much everyone in the crowd was familiar with.

Clad in suits gaudy enough to rival a stereotypical 80s used-car salesman, the band powered on through the set.

Between songs, Dick worked the crowd with the fluency and grace only a veteran in this industry could pull off. Finger guns, slick spins, and off-microphone talking gave the impression that while Dick was entertaining the crowd, he was also entertaining himself.

Playing both songs from their new album (Valentine alluded to the fact they were being ‘asked’ to do it by their record label) and classics, it was obvious what the crowd was there for.

While their newer songs were met with some dancing, applause, and cheers, when ‘Gay Bar’ came on, the crowd went wild. While I expect Electric Six expected this, it shows that they really can’t shake the songs they are most well-known for.

Finishing the marathon set, the band members all swapped instruments for a cover of The Dean Ween Group’s ‘Show Stopper.’

Electric Six showed they could still ride off the success of their two most famous songs while keeping the gigs fresh, aided by the fact they don’t take themselves too seriously and just want to have a little fun.

7/10

Live Review: Jessarae

Written by Imogen Doyle on 5th March 2018. Posted in Music.

18th February 2018, Deaf Institute

At just 22 years old, this young singer-songwriter has already opened for the likes of Sunset Sons and 5 Seconds of Summer.

This Los Angeles-raised, Canadian-born, London-based artist — who is influenced by Bon Iver, Nick Drake, and Ryan Adams — has just finished touring the UK. With nearly 1.2 million streams for his cover of ‘One Dance’ on Spotify, he’s able to really bring it when recording in a studio, but is this also the case in his live performances?

Upon arrival to the concert, it was hard to ignore the mass of young, excitable fans stood awaiting Jessarae. It’s important to note that this intimate concert was certainly an experience, with the crowd reacting to every song, conversation and pause — the atmosphere in the Deaf Institute was electric throughout both the support act and Jessarae’s set alike.

After both Danny Boyle and The Shades graced the stage, it was Jessarae’s turn to show the crowd what he was made of.

The artist really commanded the stage. However, maybe a little too much in some instances… I love a good stage kick as much as the next person, but at times it appeared as though his vocal performance suffered.

Initially, he seemed to really be focusing on increasing his stage presence — somewhat channelling his inner Mick Jagger — however, thankfully this wasn’t the case throughout.

When he went on to sing some of his slower songs, choosing to simply play his guitar and stand by his mic as opposed to jumping around the stage, that’s when his vocal abilities really shone through. Jessarae was definitely one of those artists who grew into his set.

The song which particularly stood out was ‘Milk and Honey.’ The song which appears to be influenced by the likes of The Lumineers and/or Hozier is one which simply isn’t done justice when listening through headphones.

This song live captivated his young audience and their parents alike. Starting off with a combination of drum and guitars, it effortlessly built up, complementing Jessarae’s strong vocals throughout. This type of song is one where he really seems to thrive — if he was able to make more music like this, he’d surely go from strength to strength.

All in all, as someone who is new to Jessarae’s music I could appreciate his set — more and more so as the evening went on — especially when he played some of his slower songs.

Jessarae is an artist that appears to still have some figuring out to do, but definitely has a lot of potential. It’ll be interesting to see how he comes into himself over these next couple of years.

Also, a special shout-out to The Shades, who were one of Jessarae’s support acts. Their harmonies were bang on — this young boy band successfully captivated the crowd from the get-go — singing a combination of their own songs and covers of those which have previously graced the charts, not dissimilar from a young One Direction.

7/10

Tenants fighting back: an interview with ACORN

Written by Cliona Linehan on 5th March 2018. Posted in Features.

Many of Manchester’s estimated 99,000 students are concerned about the increasing common stories of landlords forcing people to live in inadequate conditions and letting agents refusing to communicate with tenants.

The ACORN union is standing up to private landlords on behalf of tenants, fighting housing poverty and the exploitation of tenants. “ACORN is a tenants union, by members for members” said Rachel Twaites, a member defence coordinator of ACORN Manchester. “We focus on community organising, opposed to something like Shelter which offers legal advice.”

Although the group aims to help tenants from all sections of society, Rachel highlighted that university students are particularly vulnerable to evasive landlords. “Something we’ve been finding with a number of people we’ve been in contact with is that many don’t know their rights which is a big problem for them…University tenants don’t realise that landlords have a duty to provide a standard, you don’t have to pay for it.”

In October, ACORN Manchester helped a group of students in Withington who were having problems regarding the legal standard of a rented property. With a broken central heating system, this house of eight had reached the point that they “could see [their] breath in bedrooms.” Jack Sutcliffe told us how ACORN helped the group “draft an official letter from them [ACORN] outlining our 13 demands.

“ACORN works by quickly escalating its course of action and the next step after the letter was to visit their [the letting agent’s] offices. However, in our case one of the directors of the letting agencey responded the next morning asking if we could meet.”

ACORN helped this group of students achieve all 13 of their demands, which alongside fixing the central heating issue included replacing expired flooring, a halt to “unfair late fees”, and the provision of contact details for their landlord.

Twaites mentioned a few key things to be aware of when searching for accommodation. “Always look to make sure you have got all your paperwork. There are certain amounts of paperwork that have to be given to you with your contract. When signing your contract, they should give you a package with a few different pieces of paperwork.” Rushed viewings also presented as a key area to be cautious with. Twaites suggested to “give yourself plenty of time and space, and be very clear on how much this is going to cost.”

As well as their advice and services for students, Twaites discussed ACORN’s Universal Credit Campaign: “a number of our other branches across the UK have started doing it and have successfully got councils to agree to not evict any tenants on Universal Credit.”

Whilst many students use social media to raise awareness about dodgy landlords, students can get involved with the ACORN tenants union, as it is a community based organisation. “If you just sign up to our Facebook, if you are not willing to start actively organising, but would like to support us. We always advertise things like door-knocking, stalls in towns to talk about what [ACORN] is doing. If you actively want to help we have got all sorts of positions like communications, or even more active roles like member defence which would be more case work.”

ACORN is “a community based organisation, not an advice service” that offers help to tenants fighting against private landlords. Ultimately, as described by Sutcliffe, “what is clear is that ACORN will do all they can with the resources they have to help those having issues with landlords/letting agents.”

If you are looking for additional housing advice, head to the Students’ Union ‘Advice Service’ webpage.

Review: Peaky Blinders series four

Written by Sana Ditta on 5th March 2018. Posted in Film.

Series four of Peaky Blinders starts with a bang or two. Yes, I’m referring to the death of one of the Shelby’s, and no I’m still not over it. Nonetheless, it set the tone for the rest of the series. After all, if the show was willing to kill of one of the main characters, no other character was safe.

Loosely based on the real crime gang, the critically acclaimed drama follows the Peaky Blinders in post-war Britain as they navigate the streets of gritty, smoke-filled industrial Birmingham. Led by the ambitious Thomas ‘Tommy’ Shelby (Cillian Murphy), it centres on the Shelby brothers and their Aunt Polly (Helen McCrory) as they expand their criminal organisation to an international level.

After the rise of the Blinders in series three (finishing with a hell of a cliff-hanger), the Shelbys are scattered from each other and seemingly living in domestic bliss — well, as domestic as cocaine, arguments, and excessive amounts of alcohol can be. The Shelbys have retreated to their own families until they each receive a letter by Luca Changretta (Adrien Brody) as a part of a vendetta dating back to the previous series. More importantly, the letter marks each of the Shelbys for their deaths. This results in the the family returning to Small Heath once more (finally, it is where they belong), but that’s not the only thing returning.

Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) is officially back. I think we can all agree that calm, rule-abiding Arthur was rather boring compared to the cocaine-fuelled, gun-wielding Arthur from the previous episodes.

The entire series is fast paced, tense, and gripping. Packing all the events into six one-hour long episodes seems to be miraculous when you sit back and think of all that has happened this series. From Ada returning from Boston to knock some sense into her family, to Tommy becoming an MP — it’s a lot to unpack in six episodes, yet Steven Knight somehow successfully manages to do so.

Knight also manages to weave themes of betrayal throughout the series. First was Polly’s (seeming) betrayal of Tommy halfway through the series which came as a shock to all as she sacrificed Thomas in exchange for the safety of the other Shelby’s. Then comes Michael’s betrayal of Tommy — it seems as if everyone’s betraying him this season — as the former fails to inform Tommy that Changretta is coming after him next. Alternatively, Changretta is also betrayed by his own, it would appear money matters more than loyalty to his men.

The remarkable show would not be so if it wasn’t for the acting. Cillian Murphy is impeccable (despite the less-than-stellar Brummie accent). As always, Helen McCrory wields Polly in all her arched-brow glory yet the series villain Changretta (portrayed by Adrien Brody) is definitely a standout and believable character. His gravelly voice and somewhat sad eyes make Changretta someone who could possibly out-manoeuvre the Shelby’s. Another newcomer, the mysterious Abarama Gold, played by Aidan Gillen, is a character who can or cannot be trusted – and the show does little to convince you either way. Still, for such a phenomenal and chilling character, I wish more was shown of him.

Tom Hardy reprises his role as Alfie Solomons, the leader of a Jewish gang who is sometimes an enemy and sometimes an ally. Although met with an unfortunate end — in a rather peaceful scene on the beach — his character is one that will be always memorable. Hardy manages to make Solomons intriguing by pushing him to be over-the-top but not so much so that Alfie is irritating. This magnificence paired with excellent quote-worthy writing make the bullish Alfie Solomons a personal favourite.

Often compared to The Wire or Boardwalk Empire, the shows fourth series reminds us of what makes it so great. Amazing production design with an amazing soundtrack, be it a haunting rendition or full-on rock and roll. paired with amazing dark and smoky cinematography is what make the show visually and aurally stunning. Peaky Blinders shows us time and time again that it doesn’t mind killing off main characters. No one is safe; here’s a good luck to the Shelbys for series five.

4/5

Long-read interview: Jack Houghton, SU Communities Officer

Written by Cameron Broome on 5th March 2018. Posted in Features.

It’s safe to say that Jack Houghton, has had a busy time in his since being elected as Students’ Union (SU) Communities Officer in March 2017. His role involves addressing student safety concerns, notably after the petition titled “Greater Manchester Police & Andy Burnham: help us to make Fallowfield safe for students!” was signed by almost 10,000 students and handed to Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, Beverley Hughes, on Tuesday the 7th of November.

Though I wanted to use my interview to talk about the work the Students’ Union is doing to tackle these concerns, I also wanted to find out more about what makes Jack Houghton tick.

So before we began discussing student affairs, we chatted about his background and life as an SU Executive Officer.

From prospective welder to SU Exec Officer

Having grown up in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, Jack Houghton left school with one GCSE graded C or above and took a year after his GCSEs to work towards becoming a welder.

“That’s what everyone I knew had gone and done so I never really thought to go to sixth form or go to college” Jack said, explaining that he “wanted to go to college to do welding or steelworking or something.”

Jack explained that he “dropped out of that” and “worked in a few jobs throughout the year and then went to sixth form after that.”

Commenting on his time at Sixth Form, Jack said: “[I] Enjoyed it, learnt that actually education is actually pretty cool and that I’m not too bad at it.”

Having secured excellent grades at Sixth Form, Jack then gained a place at the University of Manchester to study History and Politics, before deciding to take a year out after his second year to stand to be the Students’ Union Communities Officer, for which he was successful elected in March 2017.

“I was never really from inside the Students’ Union through my student experience . I came from very much outside the Students’ Union into it” Jack says as we start talking about his role.

Asked about what he enjoys most about the role, Jack said: “what it offers compares to other jobs: the opportunity to problem solve, coming up with solutions to problems that you did see coming through your student life and that really frustrated you. Safety, for example, student housing, and trying to come up with solutions to deal that. And then having the means to do something about it, having the contacts at the University, the council and the police and things like that.”

Jack Houghton describes institutions such as the University of Manchester as bureaucratic. Photo: Joshua Poh @flickr

Describing institutions like Manchester University as “bureaucratic”, the Communities Officer suggested that the most frustrating thing about the role was at times “relying on the University or the council.”

“You can only ever do so much, you get to this point and always its seemingly blocked and you have to really fight and fight and fight until it actually goes through. I like to work at my speed which tends to be very fast, things like not having to wait overnight if I want something done there and then.”

Jack did add that it is “an important process for [schemes] to be checked because then you get the best outcome” but said that it “would be really good to move things super-fast and get it in place for students as quickly as possible.”

Jack also talked passionately his involvement with “Love For The Streets” which he describes as a “a brand new campaign that me as well as many other people are running…. It’s so innovative and new, focusing on things like marketing, culture, music and art so it funnels to people into the issues of homelessness.”

Student Safety

A hot topic at the moment, it didn’t take long for myself and Jack to begin discussing student safety.

“I don’t want to release too much information on specific policies; they’ll be released soon” Jack said as I ask him about what the Students’ Union is doing to address student safety concerns.

Jack added: “I don’t want to rush into anything. When a government or housing company or anything builds something too fast, for example a house, all you do it build the slums of tomorrow and a scheme that causes issue the next five years, ten years down the line.

“What I want to do is create a strategy which puts things in place for future years basically long-term.”

Image: James Shuttleworth — Students are worried about nighttime crime in Fallowfield. Photo: James Shuttleworth

Explaining the general strategy he has developed in conjunction with the Students’ Union, Jack said: “basically, what we’ve done is broken it into our short, medium and long-term strategies into three themes to make it more concise, more effective, and more efficient in dealing with the safety issues which you see in Manchester.

“One is student safety at night called Night Time Safety which has a range of measures. ‘Night Owls’ has been one of those. There have been other measures as well to supplement those schemes. It’s not a replacement of the police, it’s a proactive measure to help students when they are drunk get home. Basically, it is taking those steps to prevent students being in any situation where they may be in harm…

“Then its safety awareness, trying to increase the amount of awareness students have of the current schemes and what is going around to help them as well.

“And thirdly, is their student safety voice, someone that is there for them at every single moment to receive those messages.”

Commenting again on the need for long-term solutions to student safety issues, Jack said: “what I want is an officer to be there every year so there is a consistent and coherent so every safety initiative put in every part of the University or the Union will have someone there that’s been there for five years, six years, however long, that can tell them this is what it needs to feed into, this is the strategy we’re trying to work towards.”

On the 14th of November 2017 the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham,wrote a letter to Chancellor Phillip Hammond urging him to use the Budget on the 22 of November to “end the police funding crisis and end the risk to public safety.”

Endorsing this message, Jack said: ” the Students’ Union has been fighting for years, ever since the cuts began years ago has always been fighting for increased police, for increased measures to protect students and also residents around those student areas. It is really important and I also love the fact that Andy Burnham represents these interests.

“I’d still like people to do a bit more like the council to fight harder for that. I think funds can be released and this is what the Students’ Union is fighting to do.”

SU democracy and student engagement

Another issue that is high on the agenda at present is student housing. Jack Houghton is in regular contact with the admin team of the ‘Fallowfield Student Group’ who a few months ago created a new group titled ‘Fallowfield Student Accomodation’ where members could find rooms and roomates. The group also featured a “landlord blacklist”, a feature that was dropped for the potential for students to leave defamatory reviews on a public systems.

Although Jack praised ‘Fallowfield Student Group’ as a resource for students, he was visibly frustrated at the fact schemes such as this are being pursued without full co-ordination with the Students’ Union.

“I really, really love how interested and proactive some students are in taking measures to try and deal with issues. Like I said, that’s one of my favourite things to do. One thing I would really love, I’d love people to come here first. And if it isn’t something that’s already been done, we’ll help you do it at the Students’ Union. We want you to change, we want you to do something. But what’s really important is if there’s a scheme already similar to that, we can contribute and shape that current scheme with your ideas and make it even better.”

Asking him what can be done to bridge this gap, Jack said: “I’m trying to look to create ways, for example through Students’ Union apps, through new marketing techniques and collaboration with GMP, Manchester City Council, the University, and the Union all sitting round a table and creating a more united front to get that information out because it is vital for students to be fully aware if these schemes that have large amounts of money poured into them, manpower, and a lot of care and effort by the people involved. I can certainly say that Manchester Student Homes and the Students’ Union with the Rate My Landlord scheme do really want to help.”

Photo: Students' Union — The 2017/18 Executive Officer team. Photo: Students’ Union

The democracy of the Students’ Union and its engagement with students is something Jack considers essential. In response to questions about November’s Senate, he made a particularly bold claim that, “we’re the beacon of democracy at the Students’ Union; we’re there to be better than what is going on at Government or other levels of business or anything like that. We’re there to be fully democratic.”

I found these comments particularly interesting given the 1.3 per cent turnout in the ‘All Student Vote’, so I asked Jack about the ‘preferendum’.

“Although it is disappointing, we’d like to see a larger turnout, what we need to focus on now is what went wrong, how we can improve it and we are analysing that data and how to improve it for the exec elections coming up for 2018”

He added: “I think that what we’re seeing with the student safety initiative, for example, is that students do care and that they are proactive and want to do things. Getting information out, however, is difficult for everyone. Most people don’t even have an awareness of a government scheme that’s being put out that effects everyone. What it is it’s a process, it’s a process of improvement.”

Commenting on the Students’ Union communications and marketing strategy, Jack said: “we have to test what content does well and doesn’t do well, and how to engage students in that content. There are people currently look at how to improve social media like analytics.

“Looking at, for example, trying to get students in to create their own content to then release to students because the Students’ Union is run by students for students and it is important that students are there to get that information across as well. They know how to do it best.”

Looking to the future

Asked what he hopes to achieve between now and the end of the year, Jack said said he hoped to have a “range of measures passed which increase student safety at night, student safety awareness and having that coherent Officer to ensure there’s a student voice… Like I said , it is slow in terms of what we have to wait and it is frustrating for me and for everyone…

“I also want to create a new marketing strategy for student safety issues… working in collaboration with all these different groups. In terms of homelessness, I’m hoping that and I know this campaign I’m working on, Love For The Streets, is going to do excellent. For example, between the 18th and 25th of March, we’re going to see homelessness week which will have a series of events, for example, at Whitworth Art gallery taking over to showcase street art from photography to drawings to poems. We’re going to have an event in Owens Park basically to really raise awareness of homeless to really get people engaged with charities so they can increase volunteering.”

“I also really want to have homelessness on every strategy of the University so it’s embedded within it because I think that is vital for the long-term because, for me, it’s about the long-term.”

Jack also said: “I am still trying to create a unified student home website through the students’ union and that basically will be a means of advertising and it will be interesting to see how we can work together with FSA, with Manchester Student Homes.”

Looking beyond his work at the Students’ Union and his future career aspirations, Jack said: “basically, I want to, and I’ve been in the process of, setting up a charity. I want to work in the voluntary sector, the third sector… I want to work with charities which help other charities achieve their goals.

“Whether that’s getting more students involved, for example, in homelessness, or whether it’s trying to use new online marketing techniques where it’s hard for other charities to maybe engage with because they haven’t got the time, the resources or even the manpower…that’s where I see myself going.”

I finished the interview by asking Jack Houghton if he would ever consider standing to be an MP.

He laughed and said: “I don’t see why you would want to be a politician. If you want to actually change something, work in an NGO. Politicians maintain the system, they don’t change the system.”

Spring Fiesta: an all-day food festival with a difference

Written by Daisy Tolcher on 2nd March 2018. Posted in News.

On the 10th March, environmental charity Feedback, pay-as-you-feel cafe Real Junk Food Manchester, and a host of other local organisations are coming together to present a feast to fight food waste.

The aim of the event is to demonstrate how we can re-imagine and reuse food waste in a number of delicious and interesting ways. Throughout the day, mancunians are invited to nourish themselves and the planet by joining a celebration of diverse local food and community organisations to make a free lunch from surplus fresh ingredients. Other activities include a family friendly “alternative market” in Sadler’s Yard, kids activities such as “make a Mother’s Day gift”, a host of workshops for all ages and film screenings.

The fun won’t stop there with the festival going on into the evening. From 6pm the party with a purpose heats up and attendees will come together to co-create a free feast from fresh, top quality produce that would otherwise go to waste. The feast will be accompanied with disco, funk and soul beats from local DJ’s and there will be a bar stocked with waste-busting craft beers from Runaway Brewery and Toast Ale.

The purpose of this free event is to demonstrate to that we need to rethink our current food system. According to the event organisers, “globally, around one-third of all food produced is never eaten. Meanwhile one third of the UK’s poorest families are skipping meals because they cannot afford to put food on the table”.

The Spring Fiesta will therefore be a unique and important event, celebrating the many alternative solutions to food waste to help educate us on ways to nourish our planet rather than deplete it.

The Spring Fiesta is a FREE event and will be taking place at PLANET NOMA and Sadler’s Yard on 10th March between 11am-1pm.

To register for a ticket follow this link Register online at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feedback-presents-spring-fiesta-tickets-43169791007

International Women’s Day: ten Musical Inspirations

Written by Mancunion on 2nd March 2018. Posted in Music.

Stevie Nicks (Yasmin Duggal — Deputy Music Editor)

The queen of bohemian rock, Stevie Nicks is, and always has been, her own woman. Draped in layers of originality and lace, she is an inspiration to any girl with guitar bands plastering the walls of her bedroom, gazing out of the window onto a hazy horizon. Killer vocals and a dreamy aesthetic coupled with a prowess for story-telling and a middle finger to the patriarchy, Nicks is is the rockstar we all dream of being. Doing it for girls since 1967.

Rebecca Macintyre, Marmozets (Jack Saddler —contributor)

Becca Macintyre and Marmozets have kicked the door back open for the British underground rock scene. Their debut The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets (2014) reignited what was virtually dead in the ground, buried by saturation, and made it possible for bands like these to stand up and be counted again. Knowing What You Know Now (2018) features the best vocal performance on an album released this year and she has reaffirmed her status as the most important figure in Brit-rock.

Lorde (Jake Oliver — contributor)

Ever since young Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor burst on to the music scene during her mid-teens, people have been in awe at her incredibly mature, raw, and experimental sound. With her first EP coming out way back in 2013 at the tender age of just 16, Lorde has consistently demonstrated that age does not equate to talent. Very few artists out there are able to capture so effortlessly the highs and lows of adolescence and early adulthood in such powerful ways. Now two studio albums deep all before her 21st birthday, Lorde shows no signs of slowing down on her way to world domination.

Lady Gaga (Hannah Brierley — Music Editor)

There are so many women I could reel off as being inspirational, but for me and probably a few million others Lady Gaga has probably got to be number one. She broke every kind of boundary possible and changed the way people perceived female musicians. Lady Gaga challenged, on so many levels, what was the ‘norm’ and what was deemed ‘perfection’ for women. She encouraged people to feel normal in their own skin. Her bravery to stand up against the grain and her off the wall persona launched her to be a household name. Lady Gaga has used her platform to make noise and raise awareness for such a long list of charities you’d probably lose count.

“Being a lady today means being a fighter. It means being a survivor. It means letting yourself be vulnerable and acknowledging your shame or that you’re sad or you’re angry. It takes great strength to do that.”

She brought a wave of fun and creativeness to a pop-music world that was becoming ever so slightly monotonous and encouraged people just to be who they are; I am forever indebted. Put your paws up monsters.

Kate Tempest (Ethan Davies — Deputy Station Manager, Fuse FM)

I wasn’t really a fan of political songs until I listened to Kate Tempest. Anyone can attack a system, but she intwines the evils of modern-day UK government with the lives of everyday characters she creates which genuinely astounds me. Her finest work is a tale of seven people, all living in the same area. Their paths all meet on the same night a huge storm comes to amaze them. It’s hip-hop, but it’s also philosophy. Kate Tempest inspires not because she came from a disadvantaged background to become a prodigious poetry talent. She inspires because she opens eyes to musical possibilities.

Régine Chassagne. Arcade Fire (Sam Cooper — Sport Editor)

The daughter of Haitian parents who fled the country to escape the dictatorship of François Duvalier, Régine Chassagne has not had the stereotypical route into rock music. She is a founding member of Grammy award-winning band Arcade Fire having been invited to join by future husband Win Butler and in an industry, as well as a genre, dominated by men, Chassagne has been a breath of fresh air.

She is insanely musically talented. Any given Arcade Fire show she can be seen playing instruments ranging from the accordion to the hurdy-gurdy to the drums to the keyboard and even the xylophone. She has spoken about how she sometimes hears music so clearly that it might as well be real and very clearly has such a passion for it.

Haiti continues to play a big part in her life and after the earthquake in 2010, Arcade Fire helped to raise $1 million in the relief fund. The band continue to donate $1 of every ticket sold to Haitian charities and Chassagne is a driving factor behind that.

To see someone who has been closely related to modern-day atrocities such as the Duvalier dictatorship but continues to pursue music is inspiring and you can do worse things today than listen to ‘Sprawl II’, an Arcade Fire song from The Suburbs sung by Chassagne that remains one of their best tracks to date.

Courtney Barnett (Tristan Parsons — Deputy Editor-in-Chief)

Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett is pretty damn cool. Of the car albums I never updated since sixth form, her 2015 album Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit is the classic that shines through the bunch. Courtney inspires me because she offers good road advice. As well as letting us know that big business “is overtaking, without indicating”, her meditative method of ‘sometimes sitting, sometimes sitting and thinking’ was essential for navigating the contrasts of empty dual carriageways and overwhelming small towns that characterised my teenage driving experiences in Devon: sometimes I think (about ocean pollution, pasties, or Sydney’s suburbs) but sometimes i just sit and try not to crash. Life is just like driving a car — and Courtney would tell you that’s a terrible metaphor, plug that dirty guitar in, and sing a song about swimming lessons.

Julien Baker (Ciaran McLaughlin — contributor)

It hasn’t been four months since I started listening to Julien Baker but I struggle to think of an artist that has managed to connect with me on a personal and emotional level as her in recent memory. Julien’s ability to lay herself bare and expose herself is probably my favourite thing about her. That upfront honestly intertwined with simple, yet effective melodies will captive you to the very core. It creates a sense of intimacy that is rarely found in artists nowadays. It’s partly the reason why Sprained Ankle has pretty much been on repeat ever since I first heard it. There is just no other artist like her.

Ellie Roswell (Winona Newman — contributor)

Wolf Alice’s lead singer and songwriter Ellie Rowsell continues to be the goddess of indie-rock. The band is actively engaging young people in politics whilst creating masterpieces like their latest album Visions of a Life. Ellie lacks pretence; she’s relatable and talented and an inspiration for young women.

Avril Lavigne (Kirstie O’Mahony — Editor-in-Chief)

Other than my mum, there is no other woman who had a greater impact on my formative years than Avril Lavigne. She influenced my style (fingerless black and white striped elbow length gloves anyone?), and my attitude, as she taught me to put two fingers up at the world when it seems like it’s against you. She also taught me that it’s fine to care about boys, to love them, and to worry about them, but when they don’t treat you right you drop them like a tonne of bricks. I can think of no greater musical role model.

Stardew Valley developer confirms another game is in the works

Written by Jeremy Bijl on 1st March 2018. Posted in Games.

The developer of Stardew Valley, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has confirmed that he is working on a new game.

Barone, who developed the entirety of Stardew Valley alone in his bedroom, broadcasted a tweet saying:

“Today is the 2 year anniversary of Stardew Valley. I’ve got that strange sensation of both the shortest and longest 2 years of my life. Thanks for joining me on this journey everyone. With MP close, my next (secret) game in the works, and more… there’s lots to look forward to.”

MP (multiplayer) is the last facet of indie hit Stardew Valley, one of the most successful alumnis of Steam’s much-maligned ‘greenlight’ programme, which was scrapped in 2017.

Whilst Barone seems adamant on keeping his next game an enigma, there may be several things we can assume about it based on the development of Stardew Valley.

The bad news is that it may take a while. Stardew Valley was a solo project which took Barone four and a half years, even whilst he spent 8-15 hours a day ,with precious few holidays, on the project.

Barone is a perfectionist who refused to put Stardew Valley into early access or accept pre-orders as he wanted the game the game to be a complete product.

Judging on the use of the word ‘my’ in his tweet and a lack of any information to the contrary, allied with the eventual critical and commercial success of Stardew Valley, this preference for solo development and perfectionism is likely continue.

However, Barone will now be a vastly more experienced and confident developer, wise to the technical, financial and personal challenges of solo development.

Whilst developing Stardew Valley, he was having to work part-time as an usher at a theatre on minimum wage, and went through periods of self-acknowledged “extreme unproductivity” and burn out.

Despite these challenges, Stardew Valley ended up a being a hugely popular game, with critics praising its breadth, its intertwined stylistic and mechanical polish, and its immense playability.

With the millions earned from Stardew Valley ready to be reinvested and a heightened insight on how to develop games without running himself into the ground, Barone’s next project will doubtless be something to keep a very close eye on.

Tony Hawk puts final nail in Pro Skater’s coffin

Written by Jeremy Bijl on 1st March 2018. Posted in Games.

The figurehead of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, Tony Hawk, has delivered a final blow to lasting fans of the series, confirming that he is no longer working with the series’ publishers, Activision.

Speaking on Twitter, Hawk said of the series:

“To anyone asking me to ‘remaster” old games, or complaining about THPS servers being down: Activision owns the THPS license but I am no longer working with them. If I had the skills / authority to reboot servers or code games for newer systems on my own, I would be happy to…”

This may not come as a surprise to long-standing fans: a spell of metacritic mediocrity saw Neversoft (the original studio behind the Tony Hawk series) shut down in 2014, and there followed a marked perceived drop off in quality, with metacritic scores falling with each release.

EA’s Skate series did further damage: skateboarding games tended to attract a modest but dedicated audience, and Skate, the mechanics of which were considered more realistic, divided the player base.

The fact that Tony Hawk is no longer working with Activision seems a pretty clear statement of intent (or lack thereof) from both parties: Activision own the license, preventing Hawk from working on a project with someone else but seem unlikely to work on a game without his blessing, given the influence of the skater of the audience.

Moreover, whilst Hawk seems open to working with other studios, the fact that he cannot use the iconic Tony Hawk name may deter prospective studios, and Hawk himself.

The once divided player base of skating games seems scattered to the wind. The morsel of good news for fans is that, with the niche uncontested, a studio may see an opportunity to capitalise on an audience hungry for a quality skateboarding game.

Review: Lady Bird

Written by Esther Hamilton-Ivory on 1st March 2018. Posted in Film.

Lady Bird has been the film at the forefront of award show discussion with it being nominated for multiple Oscars, not least including best original screenplay and best director for the film’s creator Greta Gerwig. It is an impressive feat for Gerwig as only five women have ever been nominated for the best director category in the entire 90 years of the Academy Awards history and it is one which is seemingly deserved.

The film is a beautiful coming of age tale which opens with a scene all too familiar amongst teenagers world over in which seventeen-year-old Christine (Saoirse Ronan) — who insists on being called Lady Bird — is desperately trying to portray to her mother (Laurie Metcalf) her despair with their small Californian town of Sacramento and her intense desire to pursue a better life in a city far away where “culture is, like New York… or at least Connecticut.” It is this universality of these shared experiences of young people no matter where they are from which is so appealing and which the audience can connect to.

As the film progresses, Christine becomes more and more frustrated with those around her, specifically adults, who do not share in her enthusiasm for wanting to better herself in moving away to a reputable university in an east-coast city. As such, Christine and her mother have a very strained relationship.

But as Christine becomes more and more frustrated it becomes clear that it is not that her mother does not want to see her daughter succeed, rather it is that she is a realist, as many other of the lower-middle class parents of families in Sacramento had to be in a post 9/11 America. Perhaps a little envious of Christine’s naivety in thinking that everything will work out for the best, her mother takes on the role of being cruel-to-be-kind with the hope that the sooner Christine figures out that things often don’t fall into place as hoped in life, the easier her journey will be.

Lady Bird is not all heavy, hard-learned life lessons; however, it is also a film which is tremendously funny and jovial. Ronan and her co-stars, Beanie Feldstein who plays her on-screen best friend, Timothée Chalamet who plays the seemingly dark and mysterious but ultimately shallow and vacuous object of Christine’s teenage affection and Lucas Hedges who plays her confused, musical-theatre boyfriend from the rich part of town, all create characters such that when watching them interact, one is transported to the intense yet playful world of teenage-hood.

Despite its brilliant beginning, however, as the film progresses, it seems to lose its way as the tone becomes confused which ultimately results in the conclusion of the film feeling awkward and unsubstantiated. However, this is not to say that Lady Bird is not worth a watch, far from it in fact. It is a beautiful coming of age tale, indeed, but it is also a film more generally about people simply trying their best to navigate through life and the humility or lack of with which they do it.

4/5

Review: You Were Never Really Here

Written by James Gill on 1st March 2018. Posted in Film.

Director Lynne Ramsay proves there is still life in the revenge thriller yet with her latest project You Were Never Really Here. Based on the novella by Jonathan Ames, the plot follows Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), a former Marine and FBI agent who is tortured by the violence he has witnessed. When he returns from duty he becomes a contract killer who focusses on breaking down paedophile rings and rescuing the young girls who are helplessly trapped within them.

In preparation for the role Phoenix puts of a staggering amount of weight in both fat and muscle and when combined with the mass of facial hair he is almost unrecognisable. Joe has very few lines of dialogue in the film and he instead conveys emotion through body language, facial expression and an intent to his movement that is terrifying. The nature of this role suits Phoenix, who has mastered the skill of evoking so much by doing very little.

Even in the lighter scenes where he is singing a song with his elderly mother, his massive frame and haunting expression keeps me unsettled, always expecting something to be waiting around the corner. In the dark lurks disturbing flashbacks to Joe’s past. Unlike traditional flashbacks that only serve to throw exposition at the audience, the ones here are sliced into fragments and are spattered chaotically to reflect on the character whose memory they depict. We see a hammer-wielding father who beat his wife and son, and the monstrosities he witnessed in the Middle East.

When he picks up a new contract, it turns out that the man ordering the hit is a Senator whose daughter Nina was kidnapped to be a part of a Manhattan-based brothel. “They say that you’re brutal,” the Senator says, after a brooding-filled pause Joe replies “I can be”. The ring that Joe begins to shatter turns out to have far bigger political ties than just the Senator who’s daughter has been taken. It’s sad that such a twisted and evil story can mirror similar events in real life as high profile arrests and accusations of paedophilic activities are not a rarity, even with politicians.

The fantastic editing work done by Ramsay and Joe Bini lays at the core of the film’s success. It keeps the plot ticking over whilst also weaving the nightmarish flashbacks. The effect is almost hallucinatory and exacerbates the metaphorical punch packed. Johnny Greenwood, who composed a sumptuous score for Paul Thomas Anderson’ Phantom Thread, steps in again here but he produces a something very different. Similar to Hans Zimmer’s work for Blade Runner 2049, Greenwood builds a brutalist soundscape that feeds into this hallucinatory feeling. Nothing in this world feels real. Even a simple photograph becomes a horrific reminder of a mass murder.

At a touch under 90 minutes in length, You Were Never Really Here does not overstay its welcome. In fact, you could argue it is too short. There’s so much left unexplored in the character of Joe that the film could double in size and still not drag, a testament to the powerful performance by Phoenix and the deeply visceral viewing experience that Ramsay creates. If you saw Joaquin Phoenix bounding down a corridor wielding a hammer you would truly wish you were never here.

Review: Klimowski Poster Book

Written by James Gill on 1st March 2018. Posted in Books.

Andrzej Klimowski is an artist and designer who, during the 1970s, created some of the period’s most iconic poster designs. Among his extensive catalogue of posters made are those for films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II, Alfred Hitchcock’s Family Plot, and Roman Polanski’s Chinatown.

Having studied at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art, Klimowski developed an international reputation as a poster and book jacket designer while also experimenting with other forms of media such as film. His work is heavily and clearly influenced by folk art, Surrealism and the work of Henryk Tomaszewski, his mentor at the Warsaw Academy, but he has also developed his own personal style which keeps his works from being simply imitation. Using techniques such as photomontage and linocuts, he has been able to produce works that stand the test of time.

When creating the film posters, Klimowski was often given just a synopsis or script to work with instead of a viewing of the film and so they offer different interpretations of the narrative than what the director himself gives. This beautifully embellished book contains over one hundred of his poster designs from 1975 to 2017 along with a detailed introduction written by academic David Crowley about his life and work. Each piece printed is a complex work of art that enthusiasts of both art and film will find a lot of value in.

Klimowski is currently Emeritus Professor of Illustration at the Royal College of Art in addition to his work as a graphic designer and illustrator. If you are interested in getting a more hands-on look at his artistic process he will be at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London on 24th March for a poster making workshop as part of Playback Festival 2018. Tickets are £1 each and can be purchased here.

Review: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art Book

Written by James Gill on 1st March 2018. Posted in Books.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art book is the second collaboration between the band and the award-winning graphic novelist Reinhard Kleist. Their first, Nick Cave: Mercy on Me, is an unconventional biography, his journey to become the novelist, poet, and actor he is today through expressive portraits rather than extended prose. Nick Cave himself called it “a complex, chilling and completely bizarre journey into Cave World.”

This second entry delves into the band’s live performances, writing and recording. Each turn of the page brings more visual delights in a kaleidoscopic fashion, with the spectrum of colours evoking memories and emotions of his songs and concerts.

The range of artistic style causes the book to be enchanting from the first page to the last from brush pen sketches to full-colour portraits, to re-imaginings of the band’s songs in comic book fashion. The last of those is perhaps what sets this book apart from other art books with the songs ‘Deanna’, ‘The Good Son’, and ‘Stagger Lee’ depicted, all set in a gorgeous imaginative world.

This LP-sized art book is a beautifully designed and produced portrait of Nick Cave’s wide-ranging career that would appeal to those with interests in graphic novels, music and Nick Cave specifically. The graphic designer behind the book, Reinhard Kleist has also created other books similar to this including artists such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds go on tour later this year and will be performing in London on Sunday 3rd June.

Animated Shorts Oscar Nominees

Written by Mancunion on 1st March 2018. Posted in Film.

Negative Space

In a moment of reflection, the protagonist of Negative Space recounts the way he bonded with his late father whilst growing up, through the art of packing.

Adapted from Ron Koertge’s poem of the same name (2014), film students Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata carefully created a masterpiece worthy of the sorrow and nostalgia that the story carries. The narrator takes us through the steps of perfectly packing his father taught him, each item laying itself out, folding itself up and making its own way into the suitcase, as if animated by a life of their own.

Remembering, the narrator revisits his memories of these times he felt close to his father, together and apart, now forever in the past. The short concentrates on just using Koertge’s short poem for narration, the rest of its message coming through the beauty and attention to detail it possesses. His father now gone, all that is truly left of him is this inherited special knack for making good use of any nooks and crannies, or negative space. Can you blame him for only being able to wish there was not so much wasted space in his father’s coffin?

Negative Space is not only a technical marvel, but also a strikingly moving story of lost parents, the characteristics we pick up on as children that make them our parents. The loss of a parent is one almost too painful to bear, yet it is through our memories of them, the traits we inherit from them (good or bad) that allow us to keep hold of something from them.

Revolting Rhymes

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes is here brought to life in a two-part animated film co-directed by Jan Lachauer, Jakob Schuh, and Bin-Han To with breath-taking detail and care that gives the entire viewing experience magic. It takes some of our internationally canonical fairy-tales, such as Snow White or Jack and the Beanstalk, and provides a number of delightfully unexpected twists and turns to the original plots.

The first episode of the two opens one rainy evening in a small café, where a middle-aged woman settles in the window booth with her cup of hot tea. A lone, tall wolf dressed in a trench coat and hat follows in tow, asking the woman if he may join her as he waits “for an old friend”. We are as suspicious as the sweet lady, who, perhaps to her own detriment, is too polite and frightened to refuse.

The Wolf notices her book of fairy-tales on the table and, opening it, voices his dislike of Little Red Riding Hood, and pointing out the book’s error in Snow-White’s hair colour. Hence begins a small exchange which gives the premise to the wonderful story-telling we are about to behold.

In this version, the lives of Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood intertwine so imperceptibly that one wonders how this is not how the story originally goes. Other fairy tales are merged together throughout the two episodes, and much like a Russian doll, a story seems to naturally come out of another.

With each episode being 28 minutes long, only the first episode was able to be nominated for Best Animated Short, which rules out the second from being taken into consideration. As much of a delight as the first part is, the pure brilliance of the animation comes through when watching both parts as there is a continuity within this special universe where one is not quite sure what is make believe or not.

Revolting Rhymes ends with the unexpected, and was an incredibly emotional experience. Its beauty and eloquence were truly astonishing, communicating some truths that may have escaped its predecessors, bringing a perfect balance to the old and the new. Therefore, I am afraid that part one was not intended to be a stand-alone episode, and may suffer from that when it comes to selecting a victor amongst the 5 nominees for the Best Animated Short Oscar.

Dear Basketball

On November 29th, 2015 Kobe Bryant wrote a letter for the Player’s Tribune, a media platform for professional sportsmen. It detailed his love for basketball, a love which brought him five NBA Championships and 18 NBA All-Star appearances.

Narrating the film himself, Bryant talks about his upbringing, his determination and his challenges. About how his work ethic made him become the legendary player we admire today. Accompanying these powerful words is an awe-inspiring animation painstakingly drawn frame by frame with pencil and then filmed in sequence. Glen Keane, a 2013 Disney Legend, directs the short and is joined by fellow cinema great John Williams who composes a subtle yet powerful score.

The short ends with Bryant saying how, although his heart and mind could play until the day he dies, his body cannot take any more, and this season will be his last. In his final game, against the Utah Jazz, he scored a season-high 60 points. A special end to a special career.

Perhaps the only disappointing aspect of this film is its length, only five minutes 21 seconds. Three greats of their respective fields came together to make something beautiful, with such purity and heartfelt sincerity that when the credits appeared I wished for more.

Lou

Disney-Pixar have a long history of showing a short animated films immediately before one of their major releases and Lou is no different. It was released in June 2017 alongside Cars 3 and follows the guardian of a children’s playground.

Lou, who gets his name from a ‘Lost and Found’ box with the missing letters L, O, and U, is an anthropomorphised collection of random toys and clothing children have forgotten on the playground. When the bell rings and the kids go back inside, he collects everything left behind to return later. One playtime Lou spots a bully taking away the toys from others. With each stolen toy he gets angrier and angrier until he decides to give the bully a taste of his own medicine.

As is the case with all Pixar films, the level of quality and polish is second to none, a neat lesson for children about bullying without being overt. That said, in comparison to shorts that have won the Best Animated Short category in the past for Pixar, such as Geri’s Game or For The Birds, Lou is a tier below. While enjoyable, it lacks that same innovation, that something special that separates the good from the great.

Garden Party

Garden Party is a sumptuously animated, if strange short by a group of French students as their graduation project. It follows a group of frogs as they explore a mansion and it’s surroundings.

The film opens to a small frog leaping into an unkempt pool and immediately we notice the incredibly photorealistic CGI. The attention to detail is exquisite with even the little ripples of the water shown. As we become introduced to more frogs we are given clues as to why the mansion is abandoned; food left to rot, bullet holes in the security camera’s and doors — there has evidently been a shootout.

Nevertheless the frogs roam around without a care, gorging on the food and generally exploring. One frog jumps onto a control board, buttons that switch on lights, pool jets and music. With the pool lit up an army of frogs go over, in all shapes and sizes. Suddenly and concluding the short, we see a body size to the surface, animated in gorey detail.

The short is a magnificent display of the possibilities of modern animation yet the peculiar story they chose takes away from that slightly. That final shocking moment seems unnecessary and could have perhaps been presented in a manner more in line with the rest of the short.

How should we approach gender within the realm of fashion retail?

Written by Rona McCann on 1st March 2018. Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

In recent years we have seen a rise in awareness and understanding of gender as a spectrum. More non-binary celebrities are in influential positions and social media has allowed others to share their experiences. However, walk into most high street clothing stores and you’ll find it unclear where this significant number of the world’s population should shop.

Many high street brands have attempted to launch unisex lines. H&M’s ‘Uni’ range hosts a limited amount of denim designed for all. In a similar vein, Levi’s sells unisex jeans under its ‘Line 8’ label.

It may be past its heyday of success in the UK, but American Apparel was one of the first major brands to model itself on gender-neutrality. Despite this positive step in the right direction, as with many attempts of its kind, its unisex collection seems to just contain attire you would find in the men’s section.

This highlights a key problem with gender-neutral lines on the market currently. They tend to only contain basic hoodies, t-shirts and joggers, which have long been socially acceptable for everyone to wear anyway. It perpetuates the idea that to be non-binary is to be bland and to be non-binary is to aim to be confirmative. But this shouldn’t be the case. To mark real change we should also be seeing items expressing femininity as well.

It’s not just people who identify with neither male nor female who are negatively affected. Whilst it is acceptable, even celebrated, for women to dress in a masculine manner, for men to wear traditionally female clothes, say dresses or skirts, is for them to be put at risk of ridicule. The existing divide between men’s and women’s sections in stores further promotes the idea that men should not dress beyond a narrow scope of clothing types when in fact there seems no reason for there to be this forced limit. An expansive gender-neutral range in stores alongside the men’s and women’s sections shows customers, and society as a whole, that everyone is free to wear whatever they desire.

We can go further than just clothing. Make-up companies could consider hiring more than just female models for their campaigns and perfumers could easily release more uni-sex fragrances.

So how would these gender-neutral ranges work? Whilst accepting fluidity of gender it cannot be ignored that body shapes often still conform to those of assigned sexes, and clothing still needs to fit these. The solution is simple: clothing size ranges should be expanded so that shoppers are able to select both size as well as body shape for each item, like how when buying jeans waist size and leg length can be chosen separately. This option is already being used by Brighton-based stockist GenderFree World. The company was set up to cater for non-binary people who were struggling with the issue of correct fit, but it seems unjust that they have to be dealing with this issue in the first place. High street stores should be offering this all-accommodating approach too.

After Twilight: A Youth take over of the Whitworth

Written by Bella Jewell on 1st March 2018. Posted in Arts.

On the 22nd of February, the Whitworth opened its doors for an evening of art, music, film and workshops organised by Whitworth Young Contemporaries (WYC) in collaboration with Raqs Media Collective and Band on the Wall.

The event presented an artistic response to the current Raqs Media Collective Twilight Language exhibition at the Whitworth, which makes up part of Manchester’s New North South programme.

According to the Whitworth’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, Sally Thelwell, the event “came out of a project to engage more young people from the South Asian community”, an aim which is particularly relevant given the gallery’s position amidst Rusholme, Moss Side and Hulme – areas of Manchester which are renowned for their richly diverse populations.

Thelwell admitted that the Whitworth often “struggles to get young people from these communities to come to our events or to visit the gallery” therefore changing this reality was central to the stimulating evening of empowering drama, music, workshops and installations. To spark this change, Thelwell recounted how the WYC “employed two young artists [as curators]: Lubna Ali and Matilda Glen” who the Whitworth supported “to deliver outreach workshops in the community with local youth groups Youth on Solid Ground in Whalley Range and Hideaway in Moss Side.”

Young people were put firmly in the centre of the evening with the opening performance of Meerut by members of the WYC group. They read a script created by the young Manchester activist group, the Red Megaphones, in 1932. The performance called for public attention to the cruelty perpetuated by British Colonialism in the case of the Meerut Conspiracy Case whereby trade unionists were arrested for organising an Indian railway strike.

The members of the cast claimed that the play continues to be relevant eight decades on, as “human struggle has not ended.” Cast member, Ruby Sherwood Martin, claimed that “the exploitation that continues to occur in sweatshops as a result of capitalism’s dominance” is a modern issue highlighted by the performance. The group performed the piece standing on the steps leading to the Mezzanine gallery space to replicate how the Red Megaphones performed standing on steps in public spaces to render the message accessible to all, so “working class people could hear the message”’ being portrayed.

The theme of youth empowerment continued in the breath-taking performances of young talents from KYSO of the Hideaway group, who put together a series of acts ranging from singing, to dancing, to beatboxing. In an interview with the group, young dancer Asal Roostaei informed me that “everyone has a talent and KYSO helps you find it”. The founder of KYSO, Kemoy Walker told me how he established the group “in 2012 in response to the Government cuts in Manchester which left nothing for young people.” Through providing a support network for nearly 100 young people in Moss Side, the group “represents a diversion away from negativity” and an opportunity for self-expression to young people who often “get told they’re not worth anything.”

The young musical talent continued with performances from Manchester-based poet-rapper Haleemah X, who announced to the audience with a heavily ironic undertone: “I listen to people’s stories and make them my own, as my life is kind of dry!” Her songs bring to light the often taboo subjects of abusive relationships and their impact, body shaming and the issue of weird ex partners, which resulted in an unusual yet powerful combination of pathos and empowerment. Fellow up-and-coming Manchester musician, Sangy, followed Haleemah’s performance with a selection of his “underground rap” which presents an intimate insight into his coping mechanisms in life.

Thelwell described how whilst “music is always really important, it is also really important to [the WYC] to have a wide spectrum of arts, and of course not forget about the exhibition that is the basis of the event”, in this way in the background to the musical performances there were opportunities to interact in light writing and mask-making workshops.

The evening also included the interactive installation If the world is a fair place then… curated by Lubna Ali and Matilda Glen, which gave visitors the opportunity to leave a message in a time capsule to be opened in ten years’ time, and a film-montage of artwork from the WYC outreach programme with youth clubs Hideaway and Youth on Solid Ground.

Overall the WYC event, After Twilight put a spotlight on the young South Asian talent that often does not receive the recognition it deserves. Both young and old, new and regular visitors came together in the Whitworth for a night of activism and celebration of diversity presented through the lens of art, music and performance.

The Whitworth Young Contemporaries’ next event shall be ‘Lament’: a film produced by Thirty Pound Gentleman in response to Steve McQueen’s Ashes. 15th March 7-9pm.

For more info about WYC find them on Instagram: @WhitworthYC

Make sure to check out Haleemah X and Sangy who can be found on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Review: Superorganism Debut Album

Written by Hannah Brierley on 1st March 2018. Posted in Music.

Superorganism is about to drop one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2018. The group, who have shot to fame with such force, will release their debut album, Superorganism on March 2nd, 2018.

The album features previously released singles such as, ‘It’s All Good’, ‘Everybody Wants To Be Famous’, ‘Something for your M.I.N.D’ and ‘Nobody Cares’. These all clearly display the groups vibrant, psychedelic elements to their music, as well demonstrating the obvious innovative musical talent that Superorganism possesses. Cleverly layering different sound recordings, instruments make the tracks fun to listen to over and over again, each time hearing something different, and finding those ‘ easter eggs’ that you missed before.

‘Reflections on Screen’ takes a more relaxed and melancholy tone. In contrast to previously released work from Superorganism, this track shows off Oronos flawless and floaty vocal talent. It works nicely with the gentleness of the lyrics, vocals and sounds of birds chirping during the verses, against the moody, rumbling roars of thunder during the choruses.

‘SPRORGNSM’ switches us back to the familiar bubbly dystopian surroundings, followed by ‘Nai’s March’ which is probably the most unusual on the album. The combination of video game sounds, water trickling and an audience cheering halfway through the song before breaking down to absolute chaos… (there’s even a frog ribbit in there a few times).

I’ve got to say ‘The Prawn Song’ is a stand-out track. The lyrics which at the beginning feel like nonsense, over the course of the song begin to make sense and almost relatable, as the band explain how they’re happy just to relax and chill…like a prawn.

“Have you ever seen a prawn cause a world war? Have you ever kissed a prawn and got a cold sore, Have you ever seen a prawn kick off?”

The album begins to wind down with ‘Relax’, flowing nicely into their final track ‘Night Time’. The concluding track becomes hypnotic and lulling and a very clean way to finish the album. My favourite part, if you were to listen to this album on loop it would almost feel like its narrating the day, finishing the album with a yawn and talking about going to sleep, then to go back to the first line of the first song of ‘It’s All Good’.

“Good Morning Orono, you are awake, the weather today is dark”.

This album is clever and calculated the whole way through, designed to take you on a journey with them, and transport you audibly through the use of their soundscapes and smart layering of not just instruments, but recordings of the things they see and hear on a daily basis. They use their undeniable talent to mash all these different elements, resulting in a beautiful, chaotic mind fuck. But it creates an absolute gem of an album.

There is honestly nothing like Superorganism at all right now. They are exciting and somewhat confusing and chaotic, but you can’t help but love it.

9/10

Superorganism is released on the 2nd March.

£4.7m collaborative Zika vaccine project launches

Written by Fiona Batchelor on 1st March 2018. Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A new initiative to create a viable vaccine against the Zika virus has been launched, with a fund of £4.7 million provided by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. The project is a collaborative effort led by the University of Liverpool, alongside the University of Manchester and Public Health England.

The project’s goal is to develop two new vaccines in the next three years, taking them through to clinical trials in human volunteers. They will use a ‘twin track’ approach, where both antibodies and killer T-cells will be activated. The hope is this will create a vaccine that has effective, long-lasting immunity to Zika.

Another key aim of the project is to develop a product that will be suitable for use in pregnant women, as this group are amongst the most at-risk of the effects of Zika virus.

Zika virus is a mosquito-bourne tropical disease, and although symptoms are usually mild in adults, Zika virus can cause severe foetal birth defects in the children of infected mothers. This includes microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, with other possible neurological consequences still under investigation.

Despite the severe effects on foetuses, there is no approved vaccine or treatment currently available for Zika virus. Control of the disease largely relies on protection against mosquito bites, and the use of contraceptives to prevent sexual transmission.

Professor Neil French, of The University of Liverpool, reiterates the danger the disease still poses:

“Although the current Zika outbreak has slowed, there remains a significant risk of foetal abnormality when pregnant mothers become infected, and the changing climate raises the possibility of major epidemics occurring in previously unaffected parts of the world. A ready to use vaccine would dramatically reduce the threat that we face from Zika.”

The candidate vaccines for the new project are based on a derivative of a pre-existing smallpox vaccine. They have already demonstrated beneficial effects when used in combination and are likely to be adaptable for use against other diseases in the future.

Dr Tom Blanchard, one of the project’s lead researchers from The University of Manchester, spoke of the importance of achieving a viable Zika vaccine:

“Making an effective, affordable and safe vaccine for Zika is a priority. I’m delighted to have brought about this collaboration of the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, The Royal Liverpool Hospital and Porton Down to maximise the chances of success”

The new vaccine project, and its significant funding, will provide great hope for the people and areas who still fear the effects of Zika in their community. However, the virus has so far evaded any previous attempts at developing a successful vaccine, which could cast doubts over the ambitious three-year goal.

Tickets for ‘Alive! Festival: Solstice’ o...

Universally Manchester festival: details released for...

Students’ Union will not adopt a BDS policy des...

From Our Correspondent: Almería, ‘The Indalo Ma...

Association Chairs: Bringing practical change and a s...

In conversation with Islamic Society: “Here for ourse...

200 years of the University of Manchester… cele...

Why are we still talking about ‘women who have ...

Stick or twist: Why do students choose to stay in the...

What Game Theory reveals about the science of coopera...

Celebrating 70 years of science at CERN

Why are you laughing: The science of humour

Fallowfield’s 18.35%: Why are students not voting?

“They decided they didn’t want a Nightline any longer...

Spot checks on international students attendance set ...

Victory for MMU as Varsity returns for 2024

FA Cup Semi Final: “Who is everyone talking abo...

The new generation of F1 drivers: Wasted potential?

Tickets for ‘Alive! Festival: Solstice’ out now

Three years at university: What have I learnt?

How do we tackle the student loneliness crisis?

Keeping on top of the news cycle: How to stay up to date as a student

Another tequila bar lands in Manchester, as Casa Pomelo opens its doors in Fr...

The Alchemist Cosmic Supper Club review: Unlocking celestial delights

Brunch at Santé: A slice of sun

Houseplant heaven: The best plants to brighten up your student home

Why is everybody obsessed with minimalism?

How to have a routine when you have so few contact hours

The most iconic closets from TV and Film

Summer’s best defence: The top five sunscreen picks for your skincare

The Fashion x LQBTQ+ Society’s Charity Fashion Show is back!

Three years at university: What have I learnt?

Bleachers live in Manchester: Fan-centric show from t...

The Pleasure Dome present ‘Liminal Space’: A surprisi...

bar italia live in Manchester: An embrace from ‘...

Audible plunges listeners into the depths of George O...

The problem with publishing

Spotify vs Audible: The battle for audiobook dominance

Making Manchester #3: Eleanor Haigh

Horoscopes: Art meets star signs

Making Manchester #2: Laurent Swyngedauw

42 Balloons review: An inspiring musical about dreams...

Urinetown: The Musical review – UMMTS doesnR...

Hedda review: A misguided imitation of Ibsen’s ...

Live Review: Caroline Polachek at Albert Hall

Eyes Wide Shut 25 years on: A feast for the eyes, a n...

Mothers’ Instinct review: How far will you go to prot...

My formative film: Sprinkles of Stardust can be seen ...

Taskmaster: Why it’s so good and where to begin

The fourth season curse: Why do TV shows get worse af...

Drive to Survive season 6: Get strapped in for more F...

A bittersweet ending: Outer Wilds retrospective

Boys can cry, and girls can game

Hades 2 is bringing sexyback

Eyes Wide Shut 25 years on: A feast for the eyes, a nightmare for the mind

Year: 2018