Last month Russia’s Daniil Medvedev reached the ATP no. 1 ranking spot. Since Andy Roddick held this spot in 2004, in the last eighteen years, the ‘Big Four’ have dominated the sport. This happened after defeating Djokovic to win his first major title at the US Open, and narrowly finishing runner up to Nadal in a gruelling contest at the Australian Open. Medvedev, after years of knocking on the door, deservedly claimed the top spot in men’s tennis during the Mexican Open.
However, following a shock defeat to Gaël Monfils in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters, Medvedev ceded the no. 1 spot back to Djokovic, ending his stint at the top with only 3 weeks to his name. Although the Russian is likely to return to no. 1 in the near future, for now he sits towards the bottom of the list for total weeks at no. 1. Inspired by Medvedev’s limited tenure at the sport’s pinnacle, this article will look back at some of the shortest stints at no. 1 in the history of men’s tennis.
Marcelo Ríos: 6 weeks
In March 1998 the left-hander from Chile created history becoming the first tennis player from Latin America to achieve world no. 1 rankings. Renowned for his on-court flair and creative playing style, Ríos reached the top spot after becoming only the third man to complete the sunshine double (winning Indian Wells and Miami consecutively).
Unfortunately for the Chilean, he stands alone as the sole world no. 1 to have never won a grand slam title. Ríos’ best result at a major tournament came at that year’s Australian Open where he finished second place to Petr Korda. This undesirable statistic still lingers as a significant asterisk on his career, with many arguing that Ríos’ lack of a grand slam title invalidates his achievement of the no. 1 ranking.
Pat Rafter: 1 week
Truly epitomising the term ‘one week wonder,’ Australian Pat Rafter’s reign at the pinnacle of men’s tennis lasted for all of one week, making his stint at no. 1 the shortest in the sport’s history.Although his time at the helm of men’s tennis was brief, the Aussie enjoyed a glittering career. His reputation as one the game’s greatest net players propelled him to consecutive US Open titles in 1997 and 1998.
His serve and volley style was well suited to the grass courts of Wimbledon where he narrowly finished runner up on two occasions during his career. Furthermore, in his breakout 1997 season, Rafter became the first man in history to complete the US Open series (winning Rogers Cup, Cincinnati Masters, and US Open consecutively), a feat that has been achieved only by Nadal and Roddick since.
Carlos Moyá: 2 Weeks
Hailing from Mallorca, today Moyá is more recognisable as coach to Rafael Nadal than as a former world no. 1. The Spaniard announced himself to the tennis world as a nineteen year old at the 1997 Australian Open when he defeated defending champion Boris Becker en route to the final. His biggest achievement came one year later when he won his maiden grand slam title at Roland Garros. Moyá appeared destined for a lengthy career at the top of the game, however, at twenty one, shortly after reaching world no. 1, he suffered a career hampering back injury.
Although he never reached the same heights at the grand slam level, Moyá managed to carve out a successful remainder to his career, winning his twentieth and final singles title in 2007. Arguably, his greatest contribution to the sport was inspiring his fellow Mallorcan, Nadal, who idolised Moyá from a young age.
Throughout the last two decades, the likes of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have made staying at world no. 1 appear effortless. With each man boasting over two-hundred weeks at the top of the sport, as fans, we don’t always appreciate how phenomenal theses achievements are. In reality, reaching no. 1 is difficult enough, but staying there is a different beast entirely.
Lemn Sissay’s time as Chancellor is set to finish on August 1 as he is replaced by Nazir Afzal. Sissay has been Chancellor at the university for six years, following his election in 2015.
Prior to becoming UoM’s Chancellor, Sissay wrote numerous books of poetry and articles, made records, radio documentaries, public art and plays as well as carrying out significant charitable work.
Having moved to Manchester at 18, his strong connection to the city goes back decades. When in conversation with The Mancunion he revealed that he performed at Manchester’s famous club Hacienda in the 1980s, and now his poetry is displayed across areas of Manchester including Oxford Road. His poem ‘Flags’ is also in the flagstones of Tib Street, Northern Quarter.
Achievements
Since becoming Chancellor he has significantly helped to shape the university for the better. In 2017, he created the ‘Lemn Sissay Law Bursaries’ to increase the number of black males studying law at the university, addressing the under-representation of black males in the profession.
He also helped to expand the Equity and Merit Scholarships at Manchester for funded Master’s degrees to include prospective Ethiopian students. Additionally, the Lemn Sissay Foundation organises Christmas dinners with care leavers across the UK.
He has taken a hands-on approach to literature at Manchester, making appearances and hosting events at the university. He wrote and performed the poem ‘Making a Difference’ in 2017, which celebrated the university’s commitment to social responsibility. Also in 2017, he hosted ‘An Evening of poetry with Lemn Sissay MBE’. It was one successful night of poetry reading among many, and he read his favourite poetry from the Canongate collection, Gold from the Stone.
He also took part in the Manchester Literature Festival 2021, in conversation with Rachel Holmes. They spoke about Sylvia Pankhurst’s commitment to human rights and activism. This year he launched a climate-themed Creative Manchester Micropoetry competition, entries for which will close June 21.
During his tenure, he also achieved some major career landmarks outside the university. In 2019 he released his highly acclaimed memoir My Name Is Why, where he shares his story of mistreatment under the British care system after being separated from his mother as an infant. This year he was also awarded with an OBE for his services in literature and charity.
Legacy
He had a major impact on the local community by consistently getting involved in charitable work both in Manchester and the rest of the UK. As well as this he will be remembered for his hands-on approach and clear presence at the university, leading to interesting conversations through literature and inspiring all of the students with his work.
The end of exam season is in sight! That means it’s bar crawl season. Despite being a more expensive option for a night out, bar crawls are great for exploring different venues, drinks, and your limits. They’re great for big groups, especially in fancy dress.
The Mancunion has mapped out two routes for bar crawls – one in the student hub in the South and the other towards Manchester’s centre. So, wherever you live, you’re sorted for inspiration.
Withington and Fallowfield:
Photo: Withington to Fallowfield route, Google Maps
The first bar crawl we’ve designed includes seven bars from Withington to Fallowfield. Being in such a popular student area, you can guarantee cheap drinks and a promising atmosphere.
Starting in Withington, stop one is Southside Tequila Joint. Perhaps the priciest venue on our list, it’s a great place for a treat post-exam season. Plus with it being a tequila joint, you’ll need to pace yourself anyway. There’s a good selection of tequila-based cocktails, as well as £1 tacos and loaded nachos for lining your stomach. Head downstairs for a game of darts and a mini-bar.
The second stop on our crawl is Fuel, also in Withington. Fuel is a vegetarian restaurant and music venue, with various drinks available. With it being relatively small, it’s worth visiting at the start of your crawl before the venue gets busy.
Next, you can either take a five-minute bus or fifteen-minute walk to stop three: TheFriendship Inn. Friendship is a classic cheap drinking spot for the student community, with outdoor seating for warm evenings.
Photo: Annabel Benton @ The Mancunion
Another Fallowfield bar worth a visit is Nest, a lively venue opposite the big Sainsbury’s. Nest has two for £5 cocktail offers, great for keeping the bar crawl budget down.
The Fallowfield bars continue up Wilmslow Road with 256 and Studio Bar. Both offer outdoor seating and cheap drinks, and are handily found next door to each other. This makes them the perfect venues for the second half of the bar crawl, where energy might be running low. 256 has particularly low prices, multiple seating areas and an interesting interior.
By 10pm 256 ‘transforms’ into a club – by that I mean the bouncers kick you out of the garden and they turn up the music. If dancing with three middle-aged men isn’t for you, just head next door.
Studio has more of a pub atmosphere with pool tables if you’re wanting to start some friendly challenges. Although be warned they don’t sell food, so no chips I’m afraid.
Our final stop on the list is Squirrels, because where else would you finish up in Fallowfield? The fresher’s bar might not be the favoured place for students after first year, yet you can’t argue with the ridiculously cheap drinks (£2 cocktails anyone?).
They have pool tables, darts, and even a laundrette! It may look like an ugly youth centre filled with 18-year-olds, but it’s an easy way to end the night. Simply drink away the rest of booze budget and reminisce about your fresher golden days.
Route: Southside > Fuel > Friendship Inn > Nest > 256 > Studio > Squirrels
University of Manchester to the city centre:
Photo: Manchester City centre route, Google Maps
The second bar crawl we’ve designed is a more central option, meaning the drinks will probably be pricier and nicer. This route begins at the UoM Student’s Union’s 532 Bar, perfect for those who’ve just finished exams and want to celebrate asap. The SU also has lots of good offers and student friendly prices.
As does stop number two: Kro Bar. Kro is a student favourite, with lots of seating both inside and on Oxford Road. It has a bit more of a homey cafe-bar vibe too. You’re also less likely to be surrounded by students.
As you walk along Oxford Road towards Manchester city centre, stop off at venue number three Brewdog for a cheeky pint of craft beer. If you’re feeling worn down, fill yourself up with some Brewdog grub, including burgers and chips.
The following walk is slightly shorter, as you pass through three universities to reach The Deaf Institute. Although best known for its intimate live music and themed club nights, the independent venue has a spacious bar area, as well as vegan curry if you’re already needing some sustenance.
Stop five on the list is Hatch, an outdoor venue only a minutes walk from The Deaf Institute. There’s a selection of independent drinks retailers on offer on the online ordering service, meaning there’ll be something for everyone at whatever strength seems sensible. Though, with the venue being outside, maybe bring a jacket.
After enjoying the atmosphere in Hatch, take a trip to The Courtyard. As the unofficial Manchester Met bar, the venue has tons of space as well as a jukebox machine to get the tunes flowing. Despite being closer to central Manchester, the prices here are still ideal for students.
Photo: Annabel Benton @ The Mancunion
The final two spots take the bar crawl into central Manchester, and are my suggestions for places to treat yourself with something fancier. You could really finish up anywhere after reaching the top of Oxford Road, however I’d suggest passing through YES. YES is a four floor bar and club with both food and drink options – a great place to let loose near Gay Village.
Finally, if you’re still up for one final walk, Escape to Freight Island is a fitting venue for finishing a celebratory bar crawl in style. The huge converted freight depot has multi-layered seating areas, seven different bars and the occasional live entertainment. Even if it’s not for a bar crawl, I’d recommend a visit with a group of friends (you can find it next to The Warehouse Project).
Route: 532 > Kro Bar > Brewdog > Deaf Instute > Hatch > Courtyard > YES > Escape to Freight Island
Hopefully we’ve given you some inspiration for how to relax with friends after the end of exams, whether it be for a full bar crawl or just a couple of drinks. Either way, its always a good idea to plan some fun post-exam activities to give you the motivation to get through the deadlines!
Norwegian indie sensation Marie Ulven Ringheim, known as girl in red, came to Manchester’s O2 Ritz with her 2021 album If I Could Make It Go Quiet as part of her World in Red tour. Expressing at the start of the long-postponed show that her doctor had just advised her against going on tour again, she calmed the cheering crowd that she didn’t want to postpone the concert any further. However, in order to take care of her damaged vocal cords, she could not perform some of the more demanding songs.
Unfortunately, in a statement released only two days after the Manchester concert, she wrote that after seeing another throat specialist she is forced to postpone the remaining part of the European tour. Marie will go back home to see a speech therapist and she’ll “essentially relearn the way she speaks and uses her voice” in order to avoid having to undergo surgery. This made the Manchester show possibly one of the last girl in red shows for the upcoming weeks. Regardless, the vocal cord damage was nowhere to be heard in her passionate singing on the Manchester night.
Opening with one of her more upbeat songs, ‘You Stupid Bitch’, she instantly spread her passionate energy across the sold-out venue. In the mostly teenage crowd, it was more than evident that almost everyone is a huge fan. Indeed, being an openly queer artist and arguably the most acknowledged lesbian singer of her generation, girl in red recognises her role in “normalising queerness” and providing an inclusive safe space for her audience.
With the themes of her songs dramatically switching between desire and pain or love and heartbreak, the atmosphere among the crowd was also changing within moments. There is, after all, not much similarity in tone between the tenderness and raw emotional honesty of ‘we fell in love in october’ and the empowering, lively nature of ‘girls’.
Although the faster songs in girl in red’s repertoire are fuelled with passion and energy, it still came as a surprise to see it reflected to such a degree in the live performances and the crowd’s reactions. The people were there for every second of every song, singing along to every line and jumping to any remotely up-beat sound.
With massive moshpits forming to most of the faster songs (and being encouraged by the singer), the security was non-stop delivering water to those in the front rows. It was hot indeed, with the temperature reflecting the emotions that girl in red’s music is formed around.
Finishing the concert with crowd-surfing to the extended version of ‘i wanna be your girlfriend’ was a memorable ending to an evening full of emotional honesty and empowering passion, leaving no fan disappointed. Giving her best despite the health problems that would soon force her to postpone the upcoming concerts, girl in red proved that she is not only a talented singer but, most of all, an artist who truly cares about those who look up to her.
Fans are counting down the days until Alfie Templeman’s debut album Mellow Moon is due to be released, and in the meantime, Alfie Templeman blessed the world with his latest single ‘Leaving Today.’ ‘Leaving Today’ is the third song to be released from Mellow Moon, the other two being ‘Broken’ and ‘3D Feelings.’
Throughout the song, Alfie takes us on a journey, floating through different musical rhythms and patterns, ensuring there is not a dull or repetitive moment in ‘Leaving Today.’ The use of different rhythms is clever to keep listeners engaged given the shortening attention economy of society. The overall vibe of this track is chilled and mellow, yet its use of the changing rhythms gives it a groovy feeling and nature.
Starting off with a guitar loop before layering the sound with other instruments creates an enchantment and hypnotises his listeners for the duration of the song. With a solely instrumental opening for the first 40 seconds or so, the track is somewhat unusual for modern day songs. However, it passes quickly and lays the foundations for the song; these foundations being the groovy and ethereal sounds and therefore the creation of an ethereal atmosphere. This perfectly entices listeners to stream or purchase the upcoming Mellow Moon, an escape into an ethereal, groovy space where one can take a moment to just be, and to enjoy the length of a song with no worries or chores being thrown at them.
The final 40 seconds are solely instrumental with a stripped back, but still musically layered outro of 18 seconds. This somewhat mirrors the opening, creating a satisfying cyclical nature to the latest track.
Mellow Moon is out on 27th May, you can pre-order it here!
What would you do if one day you got a phone call and were told that your online accounts had been hacked, your private photos got leaked, and they were going to be published in the tabloids? That your family, childhood friends, and colleagues will all see them?
Henry V, Grantchester, former Coronation Street and Life star Mellisa Johns’ answer was taking control of the narrative by telling her story in her latest autobiographical play, Snatched. The one-woman show finally premiered at The Lowry after being delayed by the pandemic. It was directed by the visionary Lily Levin, who did justice to Johns’ incredible script, in which she shares her childhood memories of growing up as a working-class girl in a small town… with a disability.
However, Snatched is not about being different. It is about being made different. It is about social ignorance, abuse, judgment, bullying, and betrayal. But most importantly, it is about overcoming them and learning how to accept, embrace, and love ourselves again.
Sadly, what happened to Johns is not unprecedented. Talented actresses fall victim to online predators every year: Pamela Anderson, Emma Watson, Kate Hudson, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lawrence… the list goes on and on. By shining a light on misogyny, body shaming, and the heavy weight of words, Snatched unapologetically breaks down the taboos of female sexuality in the form of an audiovisual diary.
Although Johns’ body also became ‘public property’ against her will overnight, it was her choice to open up to us and allow us to see the depths of the human soul, which is the very essence of true art. Indeed, the core of the night’s magic was its realness that we, as a society in the shallow world of social media’s facade, crave so much: the unfiltered, uncensored, raw human experience that reveals the many shades of the psyche.
It would be difficult to describe Snatched as anything less than an emotional roller-coaster with beautifully crafted monologues, perfectly timed puns, and heartbreaking moments that literally made the auditorium laugh and weep at the same time. However, they were not tears of pity, as Johns did not create this masterpiece to feel sorry for herself or to get any sympathy. We cried because we got to know someone’s dreams, memories, feelings, heartbreaks, insecurities, strengths, anger, hopes, happiness, courage, weaknesses, fears, sense of humour, confidence, desires, guilt, sarcasm, sensuality, resilience, vulnerability, and disappointments. Normally, it would take a lifetime to get to know someone on this level, but here, it all happened within just eighty intimate minutes.
The multi-instrumentalist Imogen Halsey’s enchanting voice in the background perfectly mixed with Johns’ front-stage narrative: the nostalgic songs of the ‘90s and ‘00s created an ambience that gave goosebumps to those who grew up in that era, including me. The stage by Sophia Simensky (design) and Katrin Padel (lights) became a storytelling time machine: by projecting Johns’ personal photos and videos, not only did we listen to her anecdotes, but this set-up also allowed us to be in the middle of her stories physically. However, there was also an ingenious balance between involving the audience as part of the act and then turning us into the gazing, peeping, staring, watching, spectating eyes that Johns has had to endure since the day she was born for her disability and, after her photos got leaked, for her sexuality.
Johns, an inspirational activist, continues to prove that an actor who happens to be disabled can play just as many roles as those who are not: a daughter, a sister, a lover, a victim, a heroine, a champion. There is so much more to this story than I care to spoil. I cannot encourage everyone enough to get a ticket and watch Melissa Johns’ empowering show.
“Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery… all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.”
With music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Ebb and Bob Fosse, and choreography by Fosse – it’s no wonder that Chicago is so majestic.
The musical had its Broadway debut in 1975, later being revived in 1996 – and it’s been playing there since, becoming the second longest running show in Broadway history.
After all these years, Chicago is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one show-stopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen. No wonder Chicago has been honuored with 6 Tony Awards, 2 Olivier Awards, a Grammy, and thousands of standing ovations.
The legendary musical is embarking on a brand-new UK tour, with an incredible cast – after all, the musical is known for its star (if not even stunt) casting.
Faye Brookes (Coronation Street) is playing Roxie Hart, whilst theatre darling Djangela Scott plays Velma Kelly (a role which needs someone who has a background in musical theatre). Matron “Mama” Morton, meanwhile, is being played by Sheila Ferguson, the former lead singer of the Three Degrees – a role she is sharing with singer Sinitta and TV personality Gemma Collins.
Photo: Matt Crockett.
Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, the musical tells the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her – and she realises that her dreams of stardom are shattered. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.
Believe it or not, this sensational musical is inspired by true events. The musical is based on the play of the same name, written by Maurine Dallas Watkins. Whilst fiction, the play is a satire based on two unrelated 1924 court cases involving two women, Beulah Annan (the inspiration for Roxie) and Belva Gaertner (the inspiration for Velma), who were both suspected and later acquitted of murder – whom Watkins had covered for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter.
With the musical celebrating its 25th anniversary, you’ve got to come see why the name on everyone’s lips is still… Chicago.
This will be Sheila Ferguson’s final stop. Gemma Collins takes over the role on the 31st, seeing the tour through Sunderland, Cardiff, Blackpool, Sheffield, Norwich and Oxford – the last stop of the tour. Sinitta, meanwhile, is playing the role in Belfast and Plymouth (June) and Llandudno (July). If you’re keen to see a certain performer, be sure to check the casting beforehand so to avoid disappointment (granted, for some, the cast reveal might, itself, lead to disappointment).
I first went to the opticians when I was in school because I started to get headaches when staring at the board in lessons. I was prescribed glasses and told to reserve wearing them for when I really needed them, in a classroom.
I ignored this invaluable advice and wore them constantly. Gradually my eyesight declined from a slight short-sighted prescription to a significant one. Eventually, I became dependent on the visual correction.
How do glasses work?
The eye is made up of a lot of structures which light has to pass through for images to be created. Light passes through the front of the eye (the cornea) and into the lens. The lens bends the light to focus it on the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (the retina). This tissue is made up of specialised cells (rod and cone cells) which transform the light into electrical energy so it can be processed by the brain.
When you are short-sighted, your eyeball has often grown longer than normal, causing distant objects to appear blurred. Short-sightedness is often genetic but can have environmental factors, such as regular near work. When our eyes focus on close objects like books or laptop screens, they can sometimes produce a blurred image behind the retina. To correct this, our eye elongates to focus the image on the retina.
This correction is counterproductive. Now when looking at distant objects, the lens bends the light incorrectly so it focuses in front of the retina. Distant objects are consequently perceived to be blurred. The condition only gets worse the more we focus on near objects. It doesn’t bode well for a generation growing up on screens.
Glasses correct the bending of light into the eye. In my case (I’m short-sighted), my glasses have a concave lens; they bend light outwards so it focuses on my retina – not in front of it. This makes my blurry world clear and crisp.
There is an urban myth which states that wearing glasses too much can cause our eyesight to deteriorate. In fact, we develop an intolerance of blurry vision the more we wear glasses because we become conscious of how clearly we can see with them.
How is the prevalence of short-sightedness changing?
Unfortunately, short-sightedness is becoming more prevalent in the UK. British adults spend 4866 hours per year staring at a screen (laptop, phone, TVs or gaming device). This excessive screen time is putting a huge strain on our eyes.
The consequently higher rate of short-sightedness is great news for glasses sellers – frames have a high mark-up (up to 1000%) so there is money to be made. Advertising has complemented the demand boom by promoting glasses as a fashion item; different styles and designs have blossomed in the last decade.
But glasses never used to be trendy. Until recently, glasses were most commonly worn by those who read more books and spent time straining their eyes by focusing on small details. These people were labelled as nerdy and socially awkward, and glasses became their symbol (think of Fogell from Superbad). A social stigma.
In my experience, it is now more common to be complemented or envied for your glasses – so much so they are often worn with non-prescription lenses by those who do not require a visual aid.
How can I protect my eye health?
Many modern incidences of short-sightedness are tied to our daily activities, such as excessive use of screens and close-up work. We need to reduce the amount of time we spend on our phones and take regular breaks if using a laptop for extended periods. An even simpler action to reduce the impact on our eyes is to go outside! Studies have shown a lack of daylight to be a greater risk factor for short-sightedness than close-up work.
Before we get onto the groovy fun stuff, the bank holiday weekend kicked off with the Sound City+ Conference on the Friday. With panels and talks from industry expects, you got out of the conference what you put in.
AWAL hosted a stage in Phase One with discussions around ‘How to smash it in streaming platforms’ and ‘How do I get my message across on social platforms.’ From just these two panels its clear the music industry is rapidly moving in a new direction, and the industry “has never been more open to independent artists”. The topic of mass consumption and consumerism of new songs and content was a recurring theme. I had touched on this when chatting with TheSnuts, but I would have liked more discussions on the gap between artists and their fanbases, and how to maintain the art of storytelling through tracks and records whilst feeling the need to consistently release singles to stay ‘relevant.’ It’s clear music nowadays isn’t solely about the music, but the entire brand of the artists; musicians are being forced to become content creators. With Lucy Benbow saying the optimum posting rate on TikTok is 3 to 4 times a week, it really solidifies that significant time and resources must be spent on social media.
I also attended ‘She Said So North – Breaking Down the Barriers’ – a panel advertised as discussing misogyny in the music industry. Having written about this a month ago (here) I was excited to see how it could deepen my knowledge, however an all-white panel just isn’t representative. Whilst the host did address this, it still doesn’t make it hugely better. The sole takeaways were to watch Paloma Faith’s documentary Paloma Faith – As I Am about motherhood, and read a book titled: The Authority Gap: Why Women are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and what We Can Do about It; the actual panel and discussions were not very productive and consisted of panellists interrupting and talking over each other. Ending the day by attending the radio panel (‘Making Waves with Radio – Public vs National’) at FACT, this again got a bit repetitive. It was interesting observing and attending the conference from a non-artist perspective, however, as I said before you got out what you put in – there were some panels with practical tips, and some which were repetitive.
FESTIVAL
Saturday
Celebrating 15 years of Sound City, Liverpool is very proud that the festival continues to be so successful at elevating new and upcoming artists.
The day started off with character, with delayed and cancelled trains from Manchester to Liverpool and then harassment by some football fans, but we eventually arrived back to Liverpool. The entire city was buzzing, obviously Sound City brought in people, but the football being on the same day and the bank holiday bringing in hundreds of hen-do’s meant everywhere was heaving – even just for a quick coffee.
Highlight acts of the day were Buggs, SterlingPress, PrimaQueen and TheRoystonClub. Buggs had the difficult job of starting the day at 2pm, but they were incredibly entertaining, and I enjoyed learning the pettiness of the backstory behind ‘Nick Gowland’. Despite them being the first act, the venue (Shipping Forecast) was packed, and a slightly older crowd greeted the band with civilised clapping at the end of songs.
Sterling Press; Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
Relocating to EBGBs, SterlingPress were high energy with a great reception from the crowd. They treated us to new songs, and I noticed how they reference the names of previous releases in their upcoming tracks; so in true Sterling Press manner – they produced ‘Lots of Noise’ and lots of energy. Also, referencing Liverpool throughout their set, it’s clear they are enjoying their new hometown. In terms of the venue the stage felt somewhat cramp, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the layout in terms of the drums being directly behind one of the mics. Stating that it’s a “nice weekend and good to be back to live music”, Sterling Press summed up the philosophy of the festival.
We headed to the VIP section in Phase One to listen to the ‘In Conversation with’ and acoustic sets from The Lathums and The Royston Club, hosted by Shell Zener. This was as typically VIP as you would expect: seated tables, older crowd, very civilised clapping… The Lathums attracted a huge crowd with most people having to stand at the back of the room. Touching on their roots from Wigan, they further announced that they have “too many tunes and no one has heard them.” Shell pushed to find out more about their new single and their response was “it’s lovely”, receiving a crowd laugh but not any information about the single. Most of the answers (and questions) seemed somewhat forced and blunt. Having met at music college, The Lathums confirmed that “music is always written, it will always be written, it’s just a matter of recording.” Finishing up the conversation with Shell asking if they are ready for their first headline festival, the band chuckled “of course we are ready for tonight.”
The Lathums; Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
Following on, Shell chatted to the “epic and awesome” Royston Club, and expressed how she loved that they are from Wrexham, to which they agreed. Briefly touching on the limited Welsh music scene and how they have always travelled to Liverpool and Manchester to watch live music, they went on to express that it’s nice to play a part in “cultivating” an upcoming prominent music scene in North Wales. Having just started their headline tour, they revealed that 20 questions is the perfect way to kill time on the tour bus. Their debut EP was recording in Liverpool; however, the studio has since closed down. Recently, a lot of local and independent music venues and studios have been closing down – I would have liked this weekend to place a few more discussions around the importance of supporting these institutions. The Royston Club played an acoustic set of four songs, including a new one called ‘The Deep End.’
The rest of the day was chaotic, partially due to the clashes in the line-up and different venues, and partially due to the city being packed with the football fans and brides-to-be. With such a busy few streets it was impossible to get service anywhere. These crowds continued with Bundobust, the food sponsor, also being completely packed.
Opting to see Prima Queen at Jimmy’s, the lyrics cut deep and resulted in tears amongst the crowd (including myself). The two women were very in tune with each other and matched the red colour scheme of Jimmy’s, which was incredibly visually satisfying. After each song, there were huge cheers from the crowd, and during the tracks everyone was honestly just in awe of them and their expressive music.
Prima Queen; Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
Crawlers and The Lathums ended up locked off with queues outside having reached full capacity. Zanzibar had an upbeat vibe as soon as you walked in, with fun green lighting. The stage in this venue was elevated meaning those at the back could still see the bands and artists on stage. Bears In Trees had a very prominent and hardcore fanbase front and centre, who were singing the songs words for word and jumping around. The band introduced themselves immediately after the first song, and also explained the backstory behind certain songs. This was good, especially given a lot of the audience may have never heard of them before. Like a lot of other bands, Bears In Trees tested the water by playing some new songs.
Crawlers; Jazamin Sinclair @ Press
Closing the day was The Royston Club headlining Zanzibar. Talking to some other attendees before the set, it was clear that the queuing and clashes were a problem throughout Saturday with one lady saying she couldn’t be bothered to queue so came to Zanzibar despite never listening to The Royston Club before. As always, the Welsh flag was on stage and chants of “Wrexham” echoed through the venue. Unfortunately, there were a few sound and tech issues, however the band still expelled good energy. On a personal note, I really liked how many women were in the crowd, all the way to the back, not just solely Radio-4 dads – and everyone was having a boogie. Notably they were all singing along too. The Royston Club had a very interactive crowd, who reciprocated their onstage energy, reaffirming their deserved headline spot at this venue.
Queues; Nathan Cole @ Press
Sunday
On returning to Liverpool for the third day of Sound City, we immediately felt the difference. The town seemed a lot calmer and less busy. The Newcastle v Liverpool match was most definitely a player in the crowded pubs and streets on the Saturday.
Kicking off the day where we left off in Zanzibar, More In Luv were successful in getting their name out there – by this I mean there was good communication in between tracks with the crowd, consistent reminders of who they are, how to find them online, and appreciation for festival goers for coming to their set. This made clear that they understood their place, and amongst a festival, especially like Sound City in multiple venues, it’s vital to introduce yourselves early on, and throughout. Zanzibar was my favourite venue in terms of the layout, but like the night before we were faced with sound issues. Their music was easy to pick up even if you’ve never heard of them before, and because of this they received good reception despite not a drawing in the most abundant crowd.
Bundobust offered 10% off for all ticket holders, hence why the restaurant was buzzing. The atmosphere certainly matched that of the festival. However, due to the popularity it did feel a bit chaotic and unorganised and in true British manner you joined a queue without knowing what for, or for how long… Bundobust is a meat-free restaurant, playing its part in the climate movement and lowering emissions. The restaurant brands itself well by being vegetarian/vegan without the stereotypically preachy activist persona. They also have a brewery aspect to the restaurant, enticing thirsty festival-goers. Due to the heaving queues, food did take a while to come, but its flavours were great, and it did its job at filling us up. The staff were helpful with what to order too; it was an easy experience.
During our meal Self Esteem (Rebecca Lucy Taylor) read some of her poetry and spoken word to diners. I’m not sure it really fitted the vibe, and whilst I’m all for expressing your emotions and journaling, if you’re going to read it to a crowd don’t laugh midway through performing. But the acoustics were surprisingly good for a restaurant.
Alfie Templeman packed out the Arts Club theatre, with more women than men for once. He performed some songs with a more rock-style arrangement; I liked the change. Having said this some songs, I would argue, sounded too different to how they do on the record. Another observation is his brand is very much the individual Alfie Templeman, but on stage it almost felt like he was engulfed by his band. Alfie has spoken before (and to me) about his anxiety and I would say that this was noticeable on Sunday, he looked stressed on stage. Ending with ‘Happiness in Liquid Form’, the crowd were singing loud and proudly along, and I enjoyed how he named all his band at the end, so they got the deserved credit and werre acknowledged by his fans.
Alfie Templeman; Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
Upstairs at Arts Club Loft was Maya Jade. Every time I went to the Arts Club Loft it felt empty. However, given the lack of audience, Maya’s emotional impact was still felt throughout the room. Many were tearing up and after songs there were huge cheers. Again, this solidified that throughout the weekend it really was quality not quantity of the crowd. Judging a performance was really based on the interaction with the audience and if the crowd reciprocated the artist’s energy.
Switching up the pace, Oliver Malcolm in the Kazimier Stockroom was immense. I can safely say I’m a new fan and will jump at the opportunity to see him live again. Everybody in the venue was buzzing and grinning, it was just so much fun. Oliver kept telling the crowd to “get involved”, and at many points, he jumped off the stage to come and show off his moves – front and centre. The venue is not big, and it’s a sauna, but it fit the vibe perfectly. His music felt slightly hypnotic and he wore a t-shirt with his EP title Are You Living In The Real World?, perfectly explaining how his music sounded. So much energy, a really cool sound, great crowd interaction and reciprocation. I can’t fault it. Hearing the backstory of his song ‘Fabric’ also added depth to his persona. About to leave following his set, he runs up and says, “I have presents for you” and hands me a pair of socks with Are You Living In The Real World? on. Great marketing, he had thought this through, and really optimised his spot at the festival.
The Jacaranda stage was in the basement, on a corner, with an interesting layout and shape. EFÉ was ‘one to watch’ according to CLASH. She introduced herself before her first song; this was the first time someone did this and I think it was extremely beneficial. She had great energy, seemed like a lovely person and had a beautiful voice. She was supportive of the crowd, encouraging them to move or clap along. She was very chatty in between tracks, and it fit her aesthetic and showed her personality; she didn’t lose the crowd at one point, even in these talking breaks. With just her and a single guitarist on stage, it felt like the crowd was mesmerised by her.
Returning to Jimmy’s, the sticky floor felt just felt right at this point in the day (around 9/9.30pm). Blondes entered the stage in a quite bizarre manner with a soundtrack, an air of mystery about them, but as soon as they started playing, they sounded great. There were a lot of sudden light changes throughout the set – I would say these were slightly unnecessary and almost distracting. They sounded great live so they should let that shine through, rather than the confusing and blinding colourful lights. I actually expected more people to be in the crowd and given they didn’t introduce themselves until after the second or third song I think they also did. The entire crowd knew the song ‘Coming of Age’, most likely due to the fact it went viral on TikTok. They also trialled a new song called ‘Basement’ and ended with ‘Out the Neighbourhood.’ Their crowd was diverse with grooving from young women to the classic older men.
Blondes; Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
Self-Esteem‘s headline set was packed and ended up locked-off. Despite not being able to see her or the stage, I can say she sounded good. From videos and pictures her performance looked well-constructed. Popping into Tim Burgess and Frankie Beetlestone for a few songs of their sets, I can only say the end of Sound City felt a bit anticlimactic.
I think when it comes to Sound City the venues were just too small, most venues ended up with queues and locked off, or were too crowded. Sound City previously took place in the Baltic Triangle and the Bramley Moore Docks. Given previous weekends in these locations have sold out, I don’t think it’s necessary for the festival to be in the centre of town. With the number of clashes, I would also say the stage timings could be better structured.
To be honest, maybe just a bit more organisation and thought. After the festival, I saw this tweet about security and wellbeing. It really is unacceptable at this point to not be accommodating all people. Most of the venues were inaccessible given they were up or down stairs, let alone the security being rude and dismissive of mental health.
Was at @SoundCity on Saturday and had a bit of a 'mare' in the queue & was told by security that he didn't care about my anxiety and I shouldn't be at a festival in the first place LOL.
Pls can u train ur staff to be considerate of vulnerable & disabled gig-goers.
Having said this, the bar is quite frankly on the floor when it comes to successful organising of festivals, so Sound City is one of the better ones. I’ll be interested to see how next years compares!
You can get super early bird tickets for Sound City 2023 for just £25 – I definitely do think it’s worth it!
After a few big money misfires, Moon Knight is a return to form for Marvel television in what is a gripping and insightful exploration of Egyptian Mythology, mental health, and dissociative identity disorder.
Gorgeous cinematography, thrilling choreography, and the writing excellence of shows like Daredevil, this has got to be the most entertaining, and unique of Marvel’s recent projects both on the big and small screens…is what I wish I could have said about this series.
Moon Knight has a troubled history in the world of Marvel comic books. Created by Doug Moench in 1975, Marc Spector and his multiple personalities were repeatedly D-list status, nothing more than a street level hero during his early years. Until the 90s Moon Knight was little more than a horror protagonist with a cool costume and a Scooby-Doo like habit of unmasking petty criminals.
It was in 2006 when the character saw a resurgence, shaped by new writing and ambitious storytelling into the mentally ill super detective fans now know and love.
The show then was dealing with a rocky past, but rather than embracing his complexities and mixed appeal, Moon Knight slumps into mediocrity and suffers the same flaws that every Disney+ show seems to share.
For a show called Moon Knight, I could count on half a hand the amount of times the superhero shows up. Oscar Isaac’s interpretation of Steven Grant with the awful English accent to match was just grating whilst the pacing was simply baffling.
However, Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of Marc Spector is spot on whilst the contrast between Steven and Marc is incredibly well performed. Ethan Hawke as the villain Arthur Harrow is also impeccable, he embodies the charisma of a sadistic cult leader very well. It’s just that the character has no real substance behind him.
The story is meant to be a in depth character study of Moon Knight but it becomes subject to the Disney+/Marvel formula, and although it’s not bad per se, it’s extremely disappointing to the people who have liked what the comic books have done with Moon Knight in the past.
Some episodes have their strengths, like episodes 4 and 5 where the tone of the comics is captured. However, the rest of the series feels like Marvel have completely misunderstood what fans of the character wanted to see.
Fans like the character because his struggles with his mental health issues are also predicated on trying to do the right thing. He feels human, and he doesn’t change costume based on which personality is in control.
Marc Spector’s Jewish heritage is also completely brushed over. In the comics, Marc’s relationship with his Rabbi father is vital to the balance between his violent lifestyle and his morality. In the show, it is touched upon once when Spector’s family is sitting Shiva, but his relationship with his father is never really explored in depth.
In summary, the performances are solid, but the story is badly paced and the Disney formula for Marvel acts in detriment to the character. Cringeworthy quips and a horrifically boring finale leaves much to be asked.
I really hope the second season gives fans the show they deserved.
An abundance of hits, a sprinkle of rarities and the odd surprise: Blondie were on fire!
Blondie’s tour, aptly titled Against the Odds, is a celebration of their greatest hits, and they embrace both the old and new. Initially planned to coincide with the band’s pre-90s reformation boxset of the same name, ongoing issues such as the vinyl shortage and COVID-19 pandemic have given the tour’s title new meaning. The postponed shows mark Blondie’s first UK tour in 5 years.
Scottish-American rockers Garbage were initially slated to support Blondie, but due to scheduling conflicts, they were unable to make the new dates. Stepping up to the spot, native Mancunian Johnny Marr puts on an incredible show combining his superb solo material with a number of The Smiths’ singalong classics. The frolicking ‘This Charming Man’, the slow crawl of ‘How Soon Is Now?’, and the melancholy lament of ‘Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want’ all feature, and Marr achieves the often-impossible feat of getting the audience on their feet and really engaged before the headline act have even appeared.
Blondie appear five minutes earlier than anticipated, and immediately have a hold on their audience. Opening with ‘X-Offender’, the band’s 1976 debut single, written provocatively (for the time) from the perspective of a prostitute, the band plunged into a series of career highlights. Effortlessly cool and oozing glamour, Debbie Harry, the ultimate It-Girl of rock music – now in her 70s – looked resplendent in a green leather get-up, her signature bleach-blonde hair and model bone structure shining. She still hits the high notes and the lower octaves with ease.
Notably absent is founding member and bassist Chris Stein, who unfortunately could not join the band due to health issues. He finds a replacement in the suitably enigmatic Glen Matlock of Sex Pistols fame. Credit must be given to the newer touring members of the band, specifically the awe-inspiring guitarist Tommy Kessler. He provides a series of riffs that would rival any guitar aficionado, leaning into the instrument and lapping up the woops and cheers from the audience. “Did you ever rip your pants doing that?” Debbie Harry jokes, in her deep New York drawl.
Shimmying straight into ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, the opening track of iconic third album Parallel Lines, and soon after into ‘The Tide is High’ which invites arm-swaying aplenty, it becomes clear that Blondie are not here to prove themselves. Their legacy speaks for itself, as do the songs they play tonight and the responses they provoke from their adoring audience.
‘Atomic’ catapults across the arena, its full-throttle instrumentation sounding so precise and perfected. Its shimmering bridge – that’s the “Oh your hair is beautiful” moment – is sung in unison by some 20,000 Northern-accented attendees. Clem Burke is a force to be reckoned with on the drums, his tenacity constantly put to the test with the explosive trills of ‘Fragments’ and an exhilarating rendition of ‘Dreaming’ which many fans fondly refer to as his song, and for good reason!
But its Harry’s insatiable star quality that really give this band its heart and soul. From formidable rock ‘n’ roll frontwoman to the strutting and swaggering hip-hop pro – Harry’s performance is a masterclass in showwomanship. Noting the May bank holiday and the drinks a-flowing, she declares “You can really destroy yourself tonight!”
The visuals on this tour are also incredibly entertaining, and merchandise is suitably striking. Comic-book style depictions of the band flash up on the screen in varying hues of pink and gold. So, it’s somewhat fitting when Debbie Harry reappears for the encore, donning a yellow cape during rap cut ‘No Exit’ like some sort of superhero, which I guess she is in many ways.
‘Long Time’, the lead single from their most recent record Pollinator is an unexpected highlight with its blistering beat and Harry’s commanding tones. It slots perfectly into the set and provides something fresh, showing Blondie still have plenty more to give and need not rely on only their older material. ‘My Monster’, penned by tonight’s support Johnny Marr is a further example of the band’s persistence.
Always progressive in their music and lyricism, Blondie take the opportunity to dedicate ‘Maria’ to “Anybody who feels like they want to be a girl”, immediately making their audience aware that inclusivity is of utmost importance. And this rings true, not just in terms of gender but looking across the arena, through all social dimensions. Blondie’s music is transcendent, and this show is open to everybody. I attended the show with my mum who I hope doesn’t mind me adding has been a Blondie fan since she was 14 and of course introduced me to the band, so it was really special for me to be able to share the experience with her.
The band conclude their main set with the kaleidoscopic ‘Heart of Glass’ and you get the feeling the arena has been transformed into a glitter-ball disco dancefloor. By now there’s no excuse to remain seated, its impossible to resist boogying along to the infectious beat of perhaps the most enduring song of the 1970s. A cacophony of ‘ooo’s ensue before an interspersion of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ invites further shimmying and the band depart ever-so-briefly.
Blondie save the one-two punch of ‘Call Me’ – their most streamed song on Spotify – and ‘One Way or Another’ until last. Harry’s exclamatory vocals on the former resound through the venue, along with Burke’s bombastic percussion. Meanwhile, the snarling persistence of the latter made for a triumphant conclusion to a spectacular set!
The Amazons are having a great few weeks, supporting rock giants Royal Blood on their UK-wide arena tour, dropping their new single, ‘Bloodrush’, from their upcoming album, and announcing their own headline tour later on this year.
Fresh from playing Leeds First Direct Arena the night before, Matt Thomson, the lead singer, spoke to the Mancunion.
He answers the Zoom call in large-framed glasses and what looks like, from the shoulders up, a signature cool jacket. You can’t tell that he’s feeling “battered and bruised” from last night’s gig, one of three in Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds that he says were the “three rowdiest” shows in the tour.
The band included two songs from their upcoming album How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? in their set, which has a lighter sound than their previous discography. I’m keen to hear about the fact that it’s set to be their “most joyous album” yet, and what’s brought about this shift.
“We loved making our last record, but I felt there was something missing at the end of the process. And we started 2020 with a lot of music that we cut because it just didn’t work sonically.
“I had a couple of moments, little epiphanies, when me and my girlfriend were driving through the desert on a road trip and screaming at the top of our lungs to U2 or Coldplay or whatever the f*ck it was. And I was thinking, dude, this is it. It doesn’t matter about being cool or trends or whatever – it’s about music that connects with people and makes you want to sing at the top of your lungs whilst you’re driving.
“I wanted to channel that through our song writing a little bit more, and just create something that was sonically and lyrically a little bit more hopeful and uplifting. The best songs that are the most euphoric, the ones that acknowledge the darkness in the human experience. I felt, after the last two years, that instead of wallowing in the darkness, I wanted us to make a record that kind of just fought against it. It was cathartic in that it was uplifting, even though it all seemed a little bit hopeless at times.”
Album cover for How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?
So the pandemic, it seems, has inspired or maybe forced the band’s new sound. But what inspired the lyrics?
It’s quite sweet really. Matt, who lives in Brighton, and his Los Angeles-based girlfriend have been navigating a long-distance relationship for the last few years, and with the onset of the pandemic that only got harder, separating them for up to seven months at times.
“I was writing songs on the side just to communicate with my girlfriend. After a while, WhatsApps and Facetime and letters can only go so far, and I was wondering what I could do to bridge the gap and communicate stuff that I find hard to put in words. And what I do is write songs. So these songs started emerging.
“We made this record based on navigating how you love someone when they’re physically not with you, when they’re absent – whether they’re six thousand miles away, or they’ve passed on, or they’re just down the street.”
Geography seems to play a big part in inspiring The Amazons music, then – their last album, Future Dust, was written when the band were holed up at Tree Tops in Three Cliffs Bay, Wales, and it sounds like How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? wouldn’t exist without the 5,500 miles between Brighton and Los Angeles. It’s not something Matt has considered before, but it turns out he has a penchant for the geographical.
“I started collecting maps in lockdown. In Brighton there’s an amazing vintage ‘bits and bobs’ shop called Snoopers Paradise, where they have all of these incredible vintage maps. And while everyone was in quarantine, locked down, my fascination for maps and planning adventures and journeys only grew. Literally the last thing we did as a band before going into lockdown was a seven/ eight week US tour where we went across the entire country – long, long drives; open roads; big expanses. I think that really influenced us a lot musically.”
That’s not the only US influence on the new album; one of the songs on How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? is co-written by American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.
“That was definitely the best kind of happy accident. We were hanging out at the end of 2020, in Los Angeles, at her house. I had had this verse for a song called ‘Say It Again’ for years – I’m telling you, years – just a verse and this acoustic guitar thing. And when we hang out we just talk music and inspirations and play each other music. There was a guitar on the side while we were hanging out, while we were vibing off Daniel Lanois-produced records – U2, Emmylou Harris, [Bob] Dylan – and I just got this idea.
“Sometimes I get to dead ends on my own with writing. Sometimes I need the boys in the band to help me unlock the next room, open the door. This time, it was Maggie – I played the kind-of verse I had, and I got to the end, but I didn’t know where to go for the chorus. And she just started singing. So I got my phone out and immediately started recording, because it was instant, just beautiful and catchy and melodic and very emotive.”
Rogers isn’t the only music star The Amazons have been cavorting with; the last few weeks have been spent on tour with rock two piece Royal Blood. I’m not sure if he’s just saying this because I’m from The Mancunion, but Matt immediately gushes about Manchester when I ask about tour highlights.
Photo: Serafina Kenny @ The Mancunion
“We’ve always had a real relationship with Manchester as a band. They’ve taken us under their wing really and we’ve never felt like outsiders in Manchester. To be able to play Night and Day Cafe, to Soup Kitchen to The Deaf Institute (that was incredible!) – to now playing the arena… We’ve been incredibly lucky to have been given this opportunity by Royal Blood. It’s been a real ride.
“It’s definitely also been a challenge at times to adjust to the groove of touring. We’ve not done this for two and a half years, and then we have to jump in a tour bus and do these arenas and act like nothing’s happened! We’re just trying to get into the groove and remember how to do it. Only thing is that you’re remembering how to do it in front of 15,000 people every night, so we knew it was going to be a thrill – all good adventures have highs and lows, really. And it certainly has had that. But ultimately, it’s been one of the best tours that we’ve been on as The Amazons. As I said, Royal Blood have been the most friendly, welcoming, warm dudes, so yeah, we’re incredibly lucky.”
The tour with Royal Blood seems a good omen for things to come; the crowd at the AO Arena in Manchester already knew the words to ‘Bloodrush’, and there was a good reaction when the band played ‘Ready For Something’, an as-yet-unreleased tune from the new album.
“The response to ‘Bloodrush’ has been awesome. We saw some people singing it, especially over the last three days in Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester, which is a real thrill.”
Fans are already loving the new songs, then, but Matt doesn’t want to rush releasing singles from How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? before its September release.
“I think it’s important that we give a bit of time to set the scene and the context for the record to arrive. As you said at the beginning, it is a little bit of a departure from our previous sound. And we’re aware of that – ‘Bloodrush’ as the first thing from this record and ‘Mother’ from the last record are really different. But I think they’re both definitely identifiable as us, and I think people who listen to us can see that it’s genuine and it comes from the heart.
It seems like he wants to draw the whole process out, to really enjoy the build up of festival season, and teasing the album before its eventual release and subsequent tour.
“The record in September, our tour, returning to the cities that we’ve just played [in April] in October and doing it on our own with a whole new album to play is really, really, really exciting. And then we’re doing a bunch of festivals over the summer – more locally to Manchester, we’re doing Neighbourhood Festival in Warrington, which we’ve always had great times at.
“Basically when it comes to being in a band, touring and putting out music is what you live for!”
It appears they will be releasing some exciting music videos over the next few months too, having posted behind the scenes snaps from a shoot on Instagram recently in which bass guitarist Elliot is brandishing a knife on one slide, and slow dances with guitarist Chris in a ring of fire on another.
“We had an epiphany. We’ve realised that [making a music video] should from now on definitely involve fire and knives.”
He’s joking, of course.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but we worked with a great director called James Slater. He’s done some incredible videos for Jamie T and The Coral – music videos that don’t necessarily take themselves too seriously but are still cool and cinematic. We had a good few treatments for this one because so many directors interpreted ‘Bloodrush’ in so many different ways, which was really exciting. But it was James Slater’s idea that just got us laughing, it was just basically putting the band in weird situations, which I love. I haven’t seen an edit yet, but I’m really excited.
“Our relationship with the music videos has always evolved as the band’s grown, and I think now we ultimately just want to have fun, because when we do it’s contagious, and it comes through the screen and the audience will have fun too!”
And it seems that the band do have fun, even after being together for almost a decade now. What’s their secret to making a band last, and keeping the spark alive after all these years?
The Amazons. Photo: Chuff Media
“That’s also been a process. We’ve grown into recognising what’s important and what isn’t. There’s definitely tours where you get out of the van and you just don’t talk to each other. You just go in completely separate directions. And it’s always a challenge, because you’re trying to conduct functional relationships with no sleep, probably hungover, stressed, because the gig needs to be awesome.
“Sometimes it gets to the point on tours where even someone’s breathing annoys you, and you’re like, can you not? Or, like, the way you’re looking at your potatoes mate, that’s f*cking pissing me off. So that’s hard to navigate!
“I think we’ve been on our own personal journeys too. The last two years of not seeing each other has meant we’ve grown as people, and we’ve recognised that – this is us, and we’re in this together. And we hug each other more now. I think the chemicals that are involved with skin contact get into our psyches and make us like each other more.”
It’s just like marriage, then.
Speaking of personal development, the band’s style has evolved over the years, and they seem to have developed a bit of a uniform of jeans and cool customised jackets for their gigs. Apart from Joe, the drummer, who has sported a customised The Amazons boilersuit during their tour with Royal Blood.
“Every part and every facet of this band has developed and been on a journey – we most certainly haven’t nailed it from the beginning. I remember when Joe joined the band, when it was me, Elliot and Chris, in like 2013 or 2014. And we were like, dude, you can join the band, but you’ve got to get some black skinny jeans, and you’ve got to get a jacket that looks like this buddy, because you’re this ain’t working, and in band pictures we need to look cohesive.
“I’ve always loved bands that tell the story of the record and their music and the era that they’re in – the creative journey – in lots of different ways, whether it’s music videos, the music of course, the artwork, and also what they wear onstage. Bands like Arcade Fire or Coldplay!
“The How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? wardrobe is still in creative mode at the moment. We’re creating it as we go. There’s this jacket, actually, that I wore over the tour, this blue workwear jacket that I put loads of patches on. All the patches that I put on it were all sourced from America and Europe, from the last two tours we did before COVID, because for the first tour back I wanted to have a tribute to the return to live music, just to tell the story of the band.”
The Amazons have a great few months ahead of them, and, aside from the release of How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?, it seems that we should be anticipating the coolest jackets yet.
How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? is out on the 2nd September 2022 on Fiction Records. You can preorder the album here, listen to ‘Bloodrush’ here, and find them on Instagram here.
On April 24, Emmanuel Macron won another five-year mandate in the second round of the French presidential elections, with 58.5 per cent of the vote to Marine Le Pen’s 41.5 per cent. It was the lowest turnout for a presidential run-off since 1969. With protestors already taking to the streets in May Day rallies, what did UoM’s French students think of the elections?
Leo, 20, a Business student from near Lille in Northern France
Affordability
I hated both of them [Macron and Le Pen].
The main concern of the French people before the election was affordability. In France there is a lot of concern that if you receive the minimum wage you cannot have a decent life.
For me, this was the main concern that should have been put on the table for the elections but in the end it wasn’t talked about as much because there was the war in Ukraine and Covid.
I wanted to vote for someone that’s going to help people to get a more affordable life and get jobs, because a lot of people don’t get jobs or they don’t get the job they want.
Macron never did anything for the people who didn’t live properly by working. And Le Pen is starting to gather all these people who are concerned that they are not living properly with a small wage.
When you’re working you should have a decent life. I think this is why [support for] Le Pen is still super high. The meaning of the vote for her is less about immigration and her policies on security. I think she gets more votes now for her ideas on helping poor people.
Rural France
When the city has more than 10,000 people, it’s Macron.
And that shows a lot. It shows that Macron maybe didn’t do anything for people who live in the countryside who don’t have a decent hospital, who have to drive half an hour to get to school, who have been left behind. I don’t think these people are racist.
These people mind their own business but I feel like they are not being respected by Macron.
Personality politics
In France because you are voting for a person, there’s not much talk about politics, not much debate about what the ideas are. The debate is more about the person, what they are, what they represent. It makes it more…. like reality TV.
They will put more attention on Macron’s personal life. Let’s talk about the issues.
More and more I feel like we’re getting away from the ideas and opinions and focusing on the person.
Most of my friends, they don’t tend to think that much about who they’re going to vote for… Macron is the ideal candidate for that because he’s very shiny and he speaks very well.
Emmanuel Macron
On the international stage, he’s the maestro. Or he feels he’s the maestro.
I think his destiny is to be the President of the EU. He’s really ambitious. If there were a President of the World, he would be running for it already.
There was a time when people were calling him ‘Jupiter’ after the planet.
After getting elected twice, they’re going to call him the Sun, the planets are going to turn around him now.
What do you think will happen in five years?
I think it’s the last time we’ll get someone who is centre or centre-right.
Unless Macron does a miracle and lands on Planet Earth, lands in France and starts to listen to people, the concerns of people.
Macron killed all the centre-left and centre-right parties because he hired a lot of people from their parties to get into government and after that the party system weakened. There are less ideas that would please people…either you really like it or you really don’t.
He’s trying to kill the debate, to choke the debate until it can’t breathe anymore.
Emilie, 19, a Politics student from near Lille in Northern France
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
I think he is really legitimate. He has this very long and solid career in politics. He has very good ideas that have shifted with the times. The only bad thing about him is he’s so unpredictable, but he listens to young people and his party is so diverse.
He lost out on the second round by just over one point. We could’ve had a very interesting second round, talking about the economy and social rights and the social system and how it’s decaying because of Macron, but Le Pen passed and they just talked about immigration.
The party system
The party system is really flawed and I think maybe it’s dying.
The old parties have been here since post-war and they have been really efficient at pushing very good social policies but I think now they’re done, especially when you look at the Socialists. We had François Hollande, who was our former President in 2012. He wasn’t really popular. He wasn’t charismatic, so maybe he put the final pin in the coffin of socialism in France. It’s all about communication at the end of the day and Macron is very good at that. He’s very seductive.
The electoral system
It reinforces monarchy culture.
They have this term in French politics: ‘le monarque républicain’, the republican monarch. I think having a president and voting for him and it being just a popularity contest recreates this thing where we have to find someone who is elected by Nature or God to be strong enough to lead a whole country.
It’s more about personality than actual strong policies sometimes and that’s a pity.
Do you feel listened to by French Politicians?
No. I’m young, I’m a woman, I’m black, I don’t feel represented. Maybe by Christianne Taubira. She’s the former Minister of Justice. She’s a black woman. She’s really educated and really inspirational. She suffered a lot of racist attacks when she was minister, racial caricatures and people insulting her, but she’s so strong and she always knew how to respond to that. I think she could make a difference. She’s really popular in some spaces, in some bubbles. I think she’s not speaking enough to the wider public. I feel listened to by her. I relate to her somehow.
What do you want to happen next in French politics?
I want to see someone who is strong enough to reunite the whole left. Mélenchon was near that almost but maybe he was too controversial to actually reunite everyone. I just want people to put their ego aside and put their values first to actually get into office and make meaningful policies. I think that’s not going to happen because Mélenchon said it was his last attempt to be President so after that the left is pretty much by itself. No one in the left right now is charismatic enough to have the impact of Mélenchon.
What do you think will happen in five years time?
I’m really afraid, I hope it’s not going to happen, but I think Le Pen is going to make it. They’ve been trying since 2002, and since 2002 they’ve always been in the second round, and always their numbers grow, all the time. This time was almost 50-50. Macron is not going to be able to have a third turn because it’s not legal. Le Pen is still going to grow because populism just works. And the left is nowhere to be found.
Ben, 19, a French and Politics student from Lorraine in Eastern France
Emmanuel Macron
He’s a bit difficult to analyse. He’s broken every code. He’s come out of absolutely nowhere. He was a fairly important but fairly irrelevant minister.
People knew him by face. All of a sudden though, he comes and says to the French people, I am the new candidate for people who are above left and right and have this certain idea of France: a France of entrepreneurship. The French people absolutely love the idea. And when it came to voting for him or Le Pen, a considerable number the people voted for him because he was a completely new candidate.
What I think made the 2022 presidential campaign boring and predictable was you had the choice between no one new, with the same old crap [candidates] who had no idea what they were doing, and a guy who’s super arrogant.
But, look, France has not burnt down. The country is running somewhat fine. He’s making us somewhat credible. Who did you think the French people would choose?
Although he is very arrogant, he’s not lying about how the country works, he’s not lying to the French people.
I’ve always kind of supported Macron from the very beginning of his campaign, I used to be part of his youth program.
He’s been very good up until Covid. With Covid, he’s started to become a bit more authoritarian and famously said things to the French people which created controversies like ‘Emmerder les non-vaccinés,’ which means “Screw the people who aren’t vaccinated”. But despite all of this, he’s shown time and time again that he’s the only one who’s actually capable of holding office.
He’s shown that he is a good leader in time of war. Bombs aren’t falling on Paris but he knows how to deal with not having peace in Europe.
Does La République En Marche! have a future after Macron?
I don’t know. The same question can be asked about Le Pen’s party because it’s a party based around Le Pen. It might be called Reassemblement National, but the reality is it’s the Le Pen party.
This is the way the parties are supposed to be made, because effectively how the first iteration of the Fifth Republic came to be was around an actually positive cult of personality around Charles De Gaulle. One strong leader for one strong country. So everyone who wants to become president has to be the strong leader of the party.
Yellow Vest protests
They created a lot of havoc in Paris.
I understand the argument and the reason behind the Yellow Vest protests. It’s not okay that all of a sudden there’s so much tax made on petrol without really having an idea of transition to make it cheaper for the average consumer to buy a hybrid or an electric car.
But the way the protests were done wasn’t acceptable either. Thrashing Paris and actually putting Parisians in danger isn’t going to work. You’re going to make your movement lack credibility. People will not take it seriously, which is the case now.
I understand that French people have a revolutionary side, this is how the Republic was born, but come on. The cause is good, [but] the way they applied it made them ridiculous.
What would you like to see happen in French politics?
A continuation to be honest. I liked the way it was.
I was super satisfied with Macron’s mandate. He should continue the same policies. He should be more of a defender of climate change, maybe integrate even more with the EU.
Continue to build the relationship with the Germans, because that has been going really well. Just continue to be a state that collaborates with the world and is fairly neutral. Neither really for the Russians or against the Russians, but communicating with both Russians and Ukrainians. Not really for North Korea, not really against North Korea but communicating with North Korea and the United States. Being really a country that is there to be the European balance. Again, we’re not really against the British, not really for the British but we’ve played an important role in being the middle man between Britain and the EU.
Going out for dinner should be a fun experience. An opportunity to try new cuisines, spend time with friends and family, or celebrate special occasions. But for many of those who have suffered with any form of disordered eating, it can be a daunting experience filled with fear, guilt and anxiety – feelings which may be intensified by the recent introduction of calories on menus.
As of the beginning of April, all restaurants, cafés and takeaways with over 250 employees arelegally required to display calorie information on their menus. This policy has been in discussion for years and is part of a wider strategy to tackle obesity in the UK, includingbans on TV and online adverts for ‘unhealthy’ food before 9pm, and bans on food high in fat, sugar and salt beingprominently displayed on supermarket shelves.
The government argues that the pandemic highlighted the impact that obesity can have on people’s health. It presents the new policy as an attempt to tackle the fact that two-thirds of adults in England are overweight or obese, which costs the NHS an estimated £6.1 billion each year. Sounds legit right?
Except its strategy is a series of arguably paternalistic and harmful policies.
Jo Churchill, the UK Public Health Minister, has said that the calorie information will “make it as easy as possible for people to make healthier food choices for themselves and their families… [and] make sure everyone has access to accurate information about the food and drink we order”. For those who do want to count their calories to help them maintain a healthy weight, I can understand how this information might be useful. This would justify the policy… if this information wasn’t already easily accessible online, or in restaurants upon request.
For the majority of the population, an introduction of calories on menus without increased education surrounding diet, nutrition and the benefits of exercise will do little to curb the UK’s obesity problem. This is especially true given that the recommended daily amount is a ‘one size fits all’ approach, with little regard to height, weight, exercise levels, body composition, gender, race and so many other factors that influence the number of calories that someone should eat. Yet this is rarely discussed in policies surrounding obesity. For many, the calorie information will be some numbers on a piece of paper, andwho’s to say that they will actually inform people’s decision-making in restaurants?
At the end of the day, a load of numbers on a piece of paper means nothing, right?
Wrong.
For me, and for so many others who have struggled with eating disorders, disordered eating or an obsession with calorie counting, calories on menus means a lot more than just a load of numbers on a piece of paper. It can be extremely triggering, no matter what stage of your illness or recovery you are at. It can make you feel uncomfortable, guilty or anxious. And it can make eating out – something that should be an enjoyable experience – incredibly difficult.
I spoke with Gemma, a University of Manchester student who shared her own experiences with calories on menus and the effect that the policy may have on people with eating disorders. She described the way in which calories on menus encouraged people to reduce their self-worth to a number, feeding the obsession with calories or a number on a scale that people with eating disorders often experience.
Gemma also recounted researching places to go for afternoon tea to celebrate completing her degree and being met with calorie information. She said that she felt unable to celebrate occasions without an overwhelming sense of guilt and pointed out that regardless of whether you struggle with an eating disorder, calorie information on menus can take the enjoyment away from eating out.
She expressed an annoyance surrounding the stereotype that “people with eating disorders aren’t going to go to restaurants anyway” and therefore wouldn’t be affected by the policy. She said that she “loves food” and that she used eating out as a way to challenge her eating disorder, aiding her recovery.
Calorie information on menus encouraged her to choose food based on its calorific content rather than what she genuinely wanted to eat. In this way, calories on menus deprive eating disorder sufferers of the opportunity to enjoy eating, or to escape their eating disorder – the numbers reinforce feelings of guilt and control surrounding food.
This stereotype is paired with ignorance and a lack of empathy towards eating disorder sufferers and their food anxieties. Eating disorders have thehighest mortality rate of all mental illnesses, and yet people know surprisingly little about them, their symptoms, their causes and how debilitating they can be for sufferers.
Perhaps this ignorance stems from the systemic fatphobia within our society that uses weight as a proxy for ill-health, with ‘fat, unfit and unhealthy’ and ‘thin, fit and healthy’ as the only two, mutually exclusive possibilities. Government policies perpetuate a fatphobic narrative through their portrayal of fat people as a burden to the NHS, as moral failings and as irresponsible for not wanting to lose weight.
Eating disorder charities such asBEAT have expressed their concerns regarding calories on menus and eating disorders. Yet perhaps because we live in a society that glamorises thinness and stigmatises fatness, these concerns were overlooked in favour of a push towards weight loss.
Additionally, the paternalistic policies aimed at limiting people’s exposure to ‘unhealthy’ foods through bans on advertising suggest that people cannot make their own rational decisions about what to eat. If this is the case, why approach it through simply making ‘unhealthy’ food less visible in shops? Why not educate people, and allow them to make their own informed decisions?
Furthermore, by focusing on foods with high fat, salt, sugar and calorie content as the means to achieve a ‘healthier’ nation, government policy fails to recognise the other factors that shape people’s body size and health. Most notably, social factors like the cost-of-living crisis makehealthier, more balanced diets increasingly inaccessible to those on lower incomes. The solution to obesity in the UK might not be a shift towards paternalism, but instead a shift away from austerity.
But, if calories are a permanent addition to menus, there are ways to make eating out a more pleasurable experience for those affected by this change. For example, a trusted friend or family member could read the menu to you, omitting the calorie information. Or, some restaurants are offering alternative menus upon request that don’t contain the calorie information.
And if either of these aren’t suitable, remember that smaller, independent restaurants and cafés are not included in this policy and thus are not required to include calorie information on their menus.
If you do struggle with any of the themes mentioned in this article, you can find help here:
Has the pandemic caused our televisual desire for realism to be replaced by a taste for historical escapism?
It was the first Tuesday back from Easter holiday, and in an attempt to distract myself from the abandoned bags and clothes strewn over my floor, I was listening to the Bridgerton soundtrack and looking up when the next Derry Girls episode would be out. Procrastinating from my procrastination I opened the wormhole of TikTok to see some clips of Taika Waititi’s new show about Blackbeard.
Then a thought suddenly struck me.
I am supposed to be in my Fleabag era. Yet instead of having post-trauma sex with charming Irish priests, I’m listening to classical music and doing Wikipedia research on a long dead pirate. But is it just me? Or have we all collectively moved from dreams of Andrew Scott in a dog collar to Jonathan Bailey in a flowy (or wet, even better when it’s wet) shirt.
I put it to you, dear reader (little Bridgerton reference there – can you tell I’m a tad obsessed?) that the hyperrealist, trauma driven shows of pre and early pandemic have been replaced by escapist historical dramas in the shift out of covid riddled life.
In the run up to the doom of the coronavirus takeover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag had recently concluded its second series. The 2.5 million people who watched it were enthralled by its satirical humour, dramatic trauma narrative and Andrew Scott dressed as a priest.
Shortly after lockdown began, this series was followed by Michaela Coles’ I May Destroy You and Normal People, based on the novel of the same name by Sally Rooney. These programmes, both released in mid-2020, also had themes of trauma, and expressed humour, sex, and everyday life as unromanticised and relatable to the point of cringing behind a pillow.
Skip forward to the supposed end of the pandemic and we find ourselves shopping for empire waist-line dresses, taking ‘Which Bridgerton are you?’ quizzes, and longing to exist in the romanticised Georgian Period of our new favourite show. Alongside Bridgerton (do you think I’ve mentioned it enough yet?) Taika Waititi’s Our Flag Means Death is extremely popular globally; the final series of Derry Girls is taking the UK by storm, and Ghosts season 4 is highly anticipated (by me anyway). Unlike the early pandemic shows almost uncomfortable level of realism, these programmes span a wide scope of past historical periods and places, none of which are ours.
So why the sudden move from realism to history? What major worldwide event could have caused such dramatic changes to our lives? Well, I hate to bring it up, but I fear it has something to do with a certain little virus. Yes, coronavirus has changed many lives worldwide and has seemingly had an effect on pretty much everything else. (Apparently, the price of Freddo’s has increased AGAIN!) It’s no wonder it has changed our televisual appetites. Who wants to watch shows about real-life trauma when the flashbacks to lockdown haircuts are still very traumatic and a little too real?
A modern television show is simply not enough of an escape anymore it seems; we must now not only watch someone else’s life, but some other time of life as well. The escapism of period as well as people.
To be honest, I’m not too sad about this change. Don’t get me wrong I am a huge fan of Fleabag, but it feels like my childhood obsession with Horrible Histories is finally coming to use. I feel educated as well as entertained, classy as well as comfortable and knowledgeable about more than just occasional London Street Names. Okay, that was a lie, I don’t know the street names, I’m just slightly familiar enough to spot a building and say that’s that one from that show, you know the one, the one with thingy in it.
So, to conclude, it has come to my attention, dear readers, that yesterday’s tendency for realistic televisual exploits has been replaced by a rather fantastic new appetite for historical fantasies to escape to.
BeReal is Gen Z’s latest trend, and like most opportunities to overshare online, I love it. I’m a prolific story poster for many reasons, but first and foremost because I find it fun.
BeReal seems to have less negative side effects than other social media platforms, such as the compulsion to compare and the cringing that comes a couple years later. I find myself wondering, though, if we will continue using BeReal for a long time or if it will become a mocked relic of the past, like sending Snapchat streaks.
The app is simple: it sends a notification to all app users at one random time every day, they take a picture with the front and back camera (with a slight delay), and those pictures get posted for your friends to see.
Its other features include reacting to posts, a post map, and sharing to other social media platforms. Compared to the stories, reels, replies, direct messaging, minigames, influencers, likes, comments, and follower counts we are usually (albeit voluntarily) subject to on other apps, BeReal is welcome and enjoyable in its simplicity.
Its purpose is in the name – to be real, and counter social media perfectionism to discover what people are really like in their daily lives.
But this is where I start asking questions.
I’m not sure if you can ever prevent, or if you should prevent, the careful cultivation of social media content. On BeReal, people wait until they’re doing something exciting and then post late, or pose specifically for the picture.
I’ve been known to wait until you can’t tell I’ve been crying (I’m a water sign), and these are just a few examples of performance that carry the risk of social comparison. I’ve had multiple conversations about this as my friends and I have tried to decide whether we care how many reactions we get compared to others, a habit of a generation chronically online.
I can also admit that when I’m in bed watching Glee for the tenth time and I see someone out clubbing or even being productive in the library I can start to feel bad about myself. Perhaps the amusement I get from BeReal is what has made me overthink it, classically turning something simple and fun into relatively deep conversation and self-reflection.
Overall, though, I maintain that the good outweighs the bad when it comes to BeReal, and there are several ways to ensure it remains enjoyable and doesn’t join Vine and MySpace in the social media graveyard.
Maintaining it as solely a platform to interact with friends is relatively niche for a social media, and important to avoid a lot of comparison. There’s no potential to build a career on BeReal, unlike Instagram and YouTube, meaning there are no influencers with seemingly perfect lives to compare yourself with.
My advice to people like me who can’t help but compare our productivity and social life to those around us is to recognise that despite its purpose, BeReal will never truly represent someone’s life. Nobody wants to post when they’re sobbing over a break-up or even just feeling insecure (believe me), nor should they feel pressure to.
I’ve become better at recognising that someone might feel the most like themselves and most ‘real’ when they are dressed up at the club, and that doesn’t make my reality less impressive. Also, there’s no one to impress if you only add the people you’re comfortable with, which I recommend if you’re an overthinker like me.
I would initially shame people for posting late, but I’ve realised that if I want BeReal to last it must remain an app where people can enjoy it in their own way, and the freedom that comes with less exposure and social norms of posting maintains this.
However, I think another important feature that contributes to BeReal’s potential longevity is the timed notification. Not only is it unique, but it can lead to funny posts and memories as well as building a sense of anticipation and excitement.
I complain about my BeReals being boring, but a personal highlight that illustrates my point is in the week after exams when I happened to be in bed every single time BeReal sent out their notification. It’s funny in retrospect, and so I like to use the time limit feature.
With that being said, I reaffirm that nobody should feel pressure to post exactly what they’re doing all of the time, so my advice is essentially to do what works for you without worrying too much about others. After all, being real doesn’t necessarily mean being on time.
The time sensitivity element of BeReal is not its only defining feature. The fact that it requires less effort than other social media will also help maintain its popularity. For years it has felt like people have been trying to create a separate social media presence for friends only, with second Instagram accounts being the main example that comes to mind.
The popularity of the ‘Finsta’ or ‘spam account’ has declined, perhaps as social media platforms now have private story features to use on public accounts, but also because it is a lot of effort to maintain both a public and private presence across (on average) 3 social media platforms.
I personally removed my followers from my private Instagram as I started to feel insecure about it when I moved to university, which is a whole other conversation, but overall, I couldn’t be bothered to maintain it. In contrast, BeReal requires you to post once a day, with one picture, regardless of the context.
The fun element is not lost because it requires a minimum level of effort and has comparatively little room for performance even if you post late. As well as being less effort, it takes up less time due to the small amount of content to be consumed, which in turn makes it less addictive. Therefore, I would still argue that BeReal’s positive impact persists even without time sensitivity.
My favourite part of BeReal is how it keeps you in touch with people. I enjoyed seeing what university friends were doing over Easter and likewise for home friends during term time. One of the key differences between BeReal and other apps is that you have to post everyday if you want to see everyone else’s posts, so naturally you keep up to date with people.
I read online (on a TikTok) about how sweet ‘Realmojis’, aka reactions to posts, are, and I have to agree. My appreciation for BeReal outweighs any social comparison I have been subject to, which is why I love the app and will defend it to the complainers.
Although I have questioned it, I also think that BeReal can achieve its intended purpose of countering social media perfectionism and discovering what people are really like if that is what its users decide to share. The refreshing lack of features would make it extremely difficult to communicate a ‘perfect’ life on BeReal, but, as I said, is it also important to break the habit of associating social media with real life and to understand people will still control what they post.
Whether this means people are not ‘being real,’ is open to debate. For now, though, I can safely say that a lasting enjoyment and popularity of BeReal requires a healthy mindset, detached from the habits of other social medias, that can only be maintained if the app developers keep it simple.
Trends on the internet come and go, and I already find myself interacting less with BeReal than I did a month ago, but my friends and I have been posting every day for months and it doesn’t look likely to stop just yet. I think a balance needs to be found between maintaining the app’s simplicity and keeping it engaging, and I really hope developers find it.
It’s 70 years since Singin’ in the Rain hit the big screen. The iconic movie offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to “talkies”. Directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, it starred Kelly as Don Lockwood, Donald O’Connor as Cosmo Brown, and Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Selden – with Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont. It’s, indisputably, one of the greatest musical films of all time.
Stage musicals based on old films are fun because they create a sense of nostalgia for a time many of us never even knew (albeit, a time that would actually have been pretty bad for many of us). It’s always exciting to see a classic film brought to life. But the issue I take with stage musicals based on old films is their growing irrelevance. It’s not necessarily the shallow stereotypes and problematic storylines I take issue with (heck, Miss Saigon is one of my favourite musicals, and my bedroom is Breakfast at Tiffany’s themed); I just find them a little boring. I often find myself sat there, wondering, why do I care?
That said, this was a marvellous production. The set, though not quite sumptuous, was certainly creative – and it was complimented with lovely lighting. The colourful costumes also commanded a lot of attention. It was a real feast for the eyes.
The singing and dancing were unsurprisingly perfect. After all, the cast was lead by none other than actor, choreographer, dancer, theatre director and Tony and Olivier nominee Adam Cooper (Don Lockwood). On screen, Cooper is best-known for playing adult Billy in Billy Elliot. The female lead, Kathy Selden, was played to perfection by star of the stage, Charlotte Gooch. The main trio was rounded off with Ross McLaren (Doctors) as the loveable Cosmo Brown.
However, the show was stolen by Jenny Gaynor (The Trial), who played the musical’s primary antagonist (kinda), Lina Lamont. She might have actually had more stage time than the female lead, Gooch. Whilst Gooch’s role allowed her to showcase her impressive vocals, Gaynor brought the real comedy. She received the majority of audience laughs. The scene in which her character recorded her first “talkie” has to be one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever seen on stage. Talking films were obviously hard for cast and crew to wrap their heads around of, but Lamont’s intolerance and idiocy added further complications – to hilarious effect.
At certain dates, Lamont has been played by Steps’ Faye Tozer – ironic, given Tozer’s impressive vocal abilities. It reminds me of the time West End legend Bonnie Langford played Dorothy Brock in the tantalising tap-dancing musical 42nd Street. Brock is renowned for her inability to dance, in stark contrast to Langford – a literal (renowned) dancer. The casting is a little tongue in cheek, and it’s pretty cool that the women were prepared to do that. You’d think Tozer might have been better suited to playing Selden, but perhaps she does not have the right vocal range.
Brown, meanwhile, is being played by Strictly Come Dancing‘s Kevin Clifton at set dates. Clifton was great in Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, but I can’t quite seeing him doing the role better than McLaren. Sometimes, you don’t need a star. Cooper, though, is a stage sensation, and it was a real privilege seeing him take on this iconic role.
Now, I cannot end this review without mentioning the musical’s most magical moment: the title song (and its reprise). Whilst I’d seen Diversity use a rain machine on that exact stage just days earlier, the scene in this musical (and the original movie) is so utterly iconic that seeing it in real life felt like a dream. The musical, though dated and limited, is worth watching just for that scene – just like ‘Blue Skies’ (and ‘I Love a Piano’) in White Christmas.
‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and ‘Blue Skies’ closed their respective first acts, whilst ‘I Love a Piano’ was an Act 2 opener, and ‘Singin’ in the Rain (Reprise)’ closed the show. Placing these iconic songs in important moments made them extra special – and it also made the wait (an entire act) worth it.
Singin’ in the Rain had me dancin’ in my seat. It’s a well-executed show that makes you long for a time you never even knew (even if that time was not so great). It’s a riot of colour and a great night out.
This Saturday (May 14th), Manchester is about to get a secret tropical makeover. Returning for its third year running, the Mega Plant Hunt is taking place with loads of freebies up for grabs!
Get up early to be in with a chance of winning a free plant and a few extra surprises. The event runs from 11am-4pm and all are free to join.
Initially, Northernlights Home started the hunt during lockdown to give Mancunians an escape from the usual walk around the park. With the day set to be scorching and sunny (a whopping 18℃), the plant hunt is a great excuse to not only explore Manchester, but to escapeexam stress. Plus, it supports independent florists like Northernlights Home.
Now, the important question is … where are the plants? Well, most likely in an area near you! The Mega Plant Hunt covers Ancoats, the Northern Quarter, Chorlton and Didsbury. If you’re a plant lover or just competitive, that means a lot of steps! However, all the florists will be giving away clues as to where the plants are throughout the day.
If you want the inside scoop for the whole day, give @mcrfinest a follow on Instagram. As they’ve put it, “Expect plenty of plants (obviously) and a few surprises along the way.”
But what do you do if you’ve found a plant? Well, before running off squealing down the street, snap a pic. Post it on IG tagging @northernlights-home with #planthunt3. Also, maybe check that it’s not council property you’re nicking…
Good luck! With only four plants up for grabs, it’s a tight competition, but be sure to check in with your area’s florist. They might be able to give you extra clues, plus all of these shops have gorgeous plants.
Being the most-watched live non-sporting event in the world with almost 200 million viewers around the globe, Eurovision needs no introduction. It’s a full-scale celebration of diversity in Europe, created decades ago to bring the continent together. Now, for the 66th edition of the world-famous song contest, the values of the event feel more important than ever. In these times, Eurovision is not only an important cultural and music event, but, maybe most importantly, a platform for solidarity.
Ahead of the Saturday grand final, we have prepared a ranked list of ten songs to watch out for in this year’s edition, for a multitude of reasons.
#1 🇺🇦 Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra – ‘Stefania’
The sole fact that the Ukrainian delegation is able to travel from the war-torn country to perform on the Eurovision stage is nothing short of a miracle and something that asks for great respect. Don’t get it wrong though, Ukraine is not coming to Eurovision to beg for sympathy votes. After all, Ukraine is one of the most successful countries in recent history of the contest, and the only country to maintain a perfect qualification record to the grand final since their debut in 2003.
‘Stefania’ brings folk music (with an unforgettable flute solo!) and modern Ukrainian rap together in one song, capturing Eurovision spirit at its best – showcasing a country’s culture while making it enjoyable, modern, and accessible to audiences all over the continent.
Initially written as a tribute to the frontman’s mother, the sentimental lyrics gained an entirely new meaning in the current political climate. “I’ll always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed”, says one of the song’s lines, and the whole quickly started being interpreted as a love letter to the nation, with the titular Stefania symbolising Ukraine.
Understandably, Ukraine is the favourite to win the contest, and it’s destined to become the topic of conversations for critics of Eurovision – “It’s not about music, it’s all about politics” is often a common argument. It’s important to remember that it’s never possible to entirely separate the social and political issues from art, and art serves as reflection of anything happening in the world.
Regardless of this debate, however, ‘Stefania’ is not a song asking for cries over the fate of Ukraine. It is a piece of art that blends the traditional and the modern, an anthem that unites a nation, and a performance whose win would make a powerful statement.
#2 🇸🇪 Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs – ‘Hold Me Closer’
Known for polished pop entries with world-class production value, Sweden is usually one of Eurovision’s best. ‘Hold Me Closer’, however, stands out from all previous Swedish entries.
It’s a universal song about love and heartbreak, one that everyone can easily identify with, but there’s no cheesiness to be found. The lyrics sang with pain and sorrow hearable in Cornelia’s characteristically gritty vocals might be simple and straightforward. Yet, sometimes there’s no need for metaphors, and the painful “Oh, it kills me / I found the right one at the wrong time” is a heartbreaking line in itself.
The staging prepared by the Swedish team is effective as usual, understanding and fitting the purpose of the performance. The combination of authenticity and a memorable rhythm makes for a perfect song, and one that is set to bring tears to millions of eyes.
#3 🇷🇸 Serbia: Konstrakta – ‘In corpore sano’
Serbian entry, with a title translating to ‘In a Healthy Body’, is one of the songs that will undeniably stand out from the final 25 entries. It’s a layered avant-garde piece of art that works as a satire on the Serbian healthcare system, the Western beauty standards, and the disregard of mental health.
Although the song being sung in Serbian might make it less accessible to viewers around Europe in terms of understanding the details of the lyrics, the message seems to be carried through the performance. The repetition of the phrase “Biti zdrava” – “(She has to) be healthy” encapsulates a strong viral potential, and the song will not go unnoticed. In her native Serbia, Konstrakta has made headlines thanks to the strong social and political message and is becoming a symbol of the changing country.
#4 🇮🇹 Italy: Mahmood & Blanco – ‘Brividi’
Having achieved the second place in Eurovision 2019 with ‘Soldi’, a deeply personal hip-hop piece about his father, Mahmood is no stranger to the Eurovision stage. Three years later, he comes back for a duet with a 19-year old rapper Blanco.
Their song, however, is something entirely different from what they’re both famous for in their home country. ‘Brividi’ (‘Shivers’) is a heartfelt ballad full of raw emotions and vulnerability: “Naked and shivering / Sometimes I don’t know how to express myself / And I would love you, but I always get it wrong”.
The emotional song highlights the vocal capabilities of both singers, pairing two distinct voices together. Mahmood and Blanco are amazing performers and the chemistry between them is evident in every word sung and every look shared between them. Truly a magical pearl of Italian music.
#5 🇬🇷 Greece: Amanda Tenfjord – ‘Die Together’
A triumph of simplicity, Greece’s ‘Die Together’ combines emotional lyrics, a melodic tune, and a well-directed, polished performance to create a soul-crushing ballad.
It asks for comparisons with the Swedish entry, featuring lyrics like “But if we die together now / We will always have each other / I won’t lose you for another.” ‘Die Together’ has more meanings to it, however, reflecting not only on love and commitment, but also on coronavirus-induced solitude and the climate change. Deeply emotional and with a pinch of youthful edginess, it does a great job at pulling at heartstrings thanks to Amanda’s charismatic presence and hypnotising voice.
#6 🇳🇱 Netherlands: S10 – ‘De Diepte’
Bringing the Dutch language back to Eurovision for the first time in over a decade, The Netherlands’ entry is another example of what Eurovision should be about. It is a showcase of modern Dutch pop, a genre hardly heard outside of the country’s borders, but ‘De Diepte’ proves that it deserves more recognition.
The 21-year-old artist is open about the time she spent in a psychiatric hospital when growing up, which is a theme of many of her previous works. ‘De Diepte’, translating to ‘The Deep’, or ‘The Abyss’, draws on depression and feeling lost and confused. She sings about relationships to describe the relationship she has with herself, with her lyrics being replete with sadness: “Are you ever scared / It will always stay the same / Because it’s raining every day / And I can’t see anything.” Even without understanding the lyrics it’s not difficult to hear the emotions in the artist’s voice, and with its heartbreaking tone the song is a unique package of modern music.
#7 🇳🇴 Norway: Subwoolfer – ‘Give That Wolf a Banana’
Enough seriousness for now; we all know Eurovision is often recognised as a festival of camp – or kitsch, if you prefer. Every year you can find a fun, light-hearted song that begs you to become your guilty pleasure.
This year such song comes from Norway, and features two singers in yellow wolf masks, a simple and memorable dance routine, and lyrics about, well, giving a wolf a banana. Everything about it screams Eurovision, and this is a great example of a well-made, memorable fun song that will always have its place among both Eurovision fans and regular watchers.
#8 🇵🇹 Portugal: Maro – ‘Saudade, saudade’
Saudade is a Portuguese word that captures a profound emotional state of melancholic nostalgia, of longing for an object that might never be had again. This year, Portugal’s entry captures the essence of this word with the beautiful, poetic, and meditative song.
Half in English, half in Portuguese, ‘Saudade saudade’ is a universal song fuelled by melancholy, by inability to let go. It’s delicate yet it’s able to make every word resonate strongly: “I know it’s no one’s fault, but / Somehow I can’t move on, oh you’re gone.” It is inherently universal while standing as a beautiful poem to Portuguese culture, letting us all into the artist’s world.
#9 🇵🇱 Poland: Ochman – ‘River’
A power-ballad with arguably the most talented male vocalist in this year’s contest, ‘River’ takes its audience on a dark and intimate journey. Flowing seamlessly thanks to Ochman’s melodic vocals, emotional and modern instrumental, and impressive falsettos (absent in the studio version). It’s sung with passion, and the visual special effects prepared by the Polish delegation will make it a captivating performance to follow.
With all this masterful production value, however, some intimacy is lost, and ‘River’ might feel disingenuous, as if crafted with achieving Eurovision glory in mind. Regardless, there are so many exceptional aspects to the performance that it can’t go unnoticed.
#10 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Sam Ryder – ‘Space Man’
After ending up in last place in two consecutive contests, with ‘Space Man’ the UK might be looking at its best result in years. Although it’s considered one of the main favourites to win by betting websites (currently at second place in odds behind Ukraine), I can’t see the UK placing this high – but maybe I’m wrong on this one.
What is an undeniable fact, however, is that the UK finally put some effort in choosing a Eurovision song, selecting a TikTok star Sam Ryder. ‘Space Man’ is packed with positivity, and Sam’s vocal performance puts a lot of heart into the song.
Whatever the result for Sam at the grand final might be, the UK will be on a good track to change British attitudes towards Eurovision. After all, although universally loved throughout continental Europe, Eurovision is often entirely disregarded on the British Isles.
Eurovision 2022 Grand Final takes place on Saturday May 14th at 8pm and will be transmitted on BBC One.
Passion is one of the lesser-known musicals of the late, great Steven Sondheim. As one audience member remarked while everyone was finding their seats: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. They just never do Passion!”
The Hope Mill Theatre is a small theatre that is tucked away behind the Northern Quarter. Despite the small capacity, the theatre boasted a wide range of posters showing upcoming productions with several impressive names attached. The petite nature of the theatre also allowed for an intimacy between audience members and actors, something that lends itself well to a musical about love and… passion.
While the audience found where they were supposed to be seated and made themselves comfortable in preparation for the two hour show (with the addition of a short interval), three actors were already on stage: Kelly Price and Dean John-Wilson, who play Clara and Giorgi, respectively, were shrouded in sheer linen curtains, sharing moments of ‘passion’ and love behind a false pretence of privacy.
Behind them, Ruthie Henshall took profound steps, no more than six at a time, back and forth across the the stage. Henshall has an impressive history with the West End (Olivier winner and 5 x nominee) and has more recently appeared on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! She is the star of the show, and for good reason; her performance is immaculate. Every step she took was weighted in emotion, and she showcased her talent before the theatre had even quietened down.
The strength of the show was in the moments it leaned into the playful and humorous aspects of being so dramatically in love. As the name suggests, Passion is a love story, so at times where it could have been a cheesy or stilted, director Michael Strassen decided to lean more into the light-hearted route, which worked wonderfully.
Ultimately, this musical is a tale of a woman’s depression. Henshall stated in an interview that her character, Fosca, was unlikeable, but I have to disagree. Although her character’s early obsession with Giorgio seems unsubstantiated, unwarranted and unwelcome by him, this doesn’t make her unlikeable. She is likeable, not despite of all this, but because of it. These characteristics are understandable and drastically human. Not to mention that Ruthie Henshall’s powerhouse performance within the intimacy of the theatre allowed for the intricacies of her character’s emotions to come across beautifully. This only further gave the audience the opportunity to understand Fosca.
Giorgio’s ‘naive’ nature, as Fosca called it, towards her character’s depression makes him rather unlikable as a character. At times, Giorgio’s scenes of substantial emotion are clouded (sometimes literally) by dry smoke or enshrouded by darkness. This could very well be Strassen’s intention, since the lighting favours Fosca’s face over Giorgio’s – f urther providing reason for the audience to gravitate more emotionally towards the character of Fosca.
Kelly Price (Clara) was another standout performance. Her vocals were strong, and she held emotional depth with extreme gravitas. At times, some of the action that was happening on stage could not be seen by the majority of the audience since it was downstage and the actors were low on the ground. But these moments weren’t much of a sacrifice to miss, especially since the music still comes through above all else.
This musical is not shown often, so whilst it is available in Manchester, it shouldn’t be missed. The songs are performed beautifully and Henshall’s depiction of the complexities and misunderstandings of depression are delicate and elegant.
