16th October 2008 Southampton University`s Finest

16th October 2008
Southampton University’s Finest Entertainment Publication
Editorial
Editorial
Hi....
.... and welcome back to
the Edge. We hope you had an
awesome freshers week and are
not finding the start of lectures too
strenuous. If things are getting a
little difficult, don’t worry – we’ve
got a mountain of music and film
reviews to distract you from all the
reading you should be doing (let’s
face it, it’s far more entertaining),
so you can blame us when the
grades start coming back.
So what have we actually got
this month? First of all, Holly’s
article on illegal downloading
and the credit crunch will make
all you bittorrent obsessives feel
very guilty. Which is a good thing.
We’ve then got reviews of records
from the likes of Seasick Steve
(awesome), King Blues (ditto) You
Me At Six (good) and Holy Ghost
Revival (awful), to name but a few.
Live wise, you’ll find Mellencolin,
Seasick Steve (again), and Colour.
Dean’s film section is as packed as
ever, with Tropic Thunder, How To
Lose Friends and Alienate People,
RocknRolla and more. Then of
course, there’s the gig guide,
a guide to some of the bands
you’ll find knocking around the
Southampton music scene, and
the chance to win free gig tickets.
Perfect!
As ever, we’re massively thankful
to our army of contributors. If you
fancy becoming one, just drop us
an email at [email protected]
and we’ll explain how it all works.
We hope you enjoy the issue, and
we’ll be back soon.
With love from the Edge Team:
Editors: Pete Benwell and
Hannah Calcutt
Record Editor: Tom Shepherd
Live Editor: Rik Sharma
Features Editor: Holly Hooper
Film Editor: Dean Read
With:
Nicholas Brown, Ed Phillips,
Jack Harding, Beth Glanvill, Ed
Powell, Kate Golding and Adam
McCartney.
Contact: [email protected]
That’s
Entertainment.....
Assorted nonsense from the world of film and music
Cringeworthy collaboration alert:
Dreary brit-rockers Coldplay are
teaming up with Jay-Z for a reworking of ‘Lost’ from the band’s
most recent album ‘Vida la Vida....’.
The band will also release a new
eight track E.P. entitled ‘Prospekts
March’ alongside the single, featuring tracks described as ‘too catchy
or too heavy for Coldplay songs....
the songs are like unfinished
homework we’re handing in late’.
Sloppy and rushed, then.
Babyshambles’ Pete Doherty,
who is apparently still alive,
has announced a rather
disturbing plan for Halloween. Britain’s most
prominent Junkie
has offered to lock
himself inside a ratfilled coffin for one hour
‘Free’ Music?
at a Halloween gig played by his
favourite band Dead Kids – but
only if they can scare one fan literally to tears during their song ‘Fear
and Flouride’. A spokesperson for
the event at which the gig will take
place, entitled ‘A Plague on Both
Your Houses’, said – and we swear
this is true - The theme of the party
is the return of the plague, so undead, infected guests like Pete will
fit in perfectly’.
Foo Fighters are mad
at U.S. Presidential
candidate John McCain for using their track
‘My Hero’ in his presidential campaign,
claiming it ‘tarnishes’ the track.
McCain, meanwhile, claims to
least, to be much more forgiving in
contrast to government initiatives
that seek to crack down on this
online activity. Despite the hard
line taken by the authorities,
there are many, including self
proclaimed music lovers and film
buffs, who see downloading as
somewhat of a ‘victimless crime’.
By Holly Hooper
In a time of economic hardship
for the struggling student and
the credit-crunched public at
large, we may find ourselves ever
more tempted to turn to our
broadband connected beauties to
provide us with oodles of ‘free’ and
At the risk of encroaching
easily accessible music and films. upon ideological domain, the
domination of big and faceless
With a plethora of these free, if corporations leads us to feel that
utterly illegal, downloading sites we are owed something back from
available; Bittorrent, Mininova, and the blockbuster-producing money
Limewire to name but a few, the machines and all they represent
opportunity for online file-sharing (even if the goods they produce are
is becoming increasingly quick pretty damn fine). We can sleep safe
and painless. At the double-click at night believing that downloading
of a button (and perhaps a little and stealing are Disney-worlds apart.
knowledge of technologicitieswhich from this sentence you
may guess I lack) current releases
may be downloaded to your
computer in a matter of hours
and you need never leave the
comfort of your fully reclining chair.
But it is not only that we can, with
ever increasing ease, download
free music and films that is notable,
but that to some extent, we begin
to accept them as ‘free’. Attitudes
towards downloading seem, at
have permission to use the song.
In a statement to the press Foos
frontman Dave Grohl said that “the
saddest thing about this is that ‘My
Hero’ was written as a celebration
of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge
and used in a manner that perverts
the original sentiment of the lyric
just tarnishes the song’. Other
artist including Sam Moore and
Heart (no, us neither) have asked
both candidates to stop using their
songs at campaign rallies.
Will the nightmare ever end?
High School Musical director
Kenny Ortega wants to make
a fourth in the series. Speaking at the premier of the third
movie in the series, Ortega insisted there was still scope for
a fourth in the series, which
would focus entirely on
British newcomer Jemma
McKenzie-Brown.
It is however, not without some
pang of conscience that we enjoy
(those of us that might) this illicit
entertainment thievery. According
to the BPI, (British Phonographic
Industry) who represent those in
the music business, file-sharing
has purportedly cost the British
music industry £1.1bn in the
last three years as a direct result
of illegal downloading. FACT
(Federation Against Copyright
Theft) who are concerned with
piracy within the film industry
present an equally scathing view
of the downloading trend and
highlight the damaging impact
on British films and filmmakers.
It is when we consider that
these industry losses could
affect more than Madonna’s
8th-house fund, and might in
fact reverberate through to the
‘little guys’ that the cost of ‘free’
music seems a high price to pay.
This being said, it must be
remembered that despite all good
intentions, cinema tickets are
extortionate, Scouting for Girls CDs
are both embarrassing to buy, and
not worth £11, and many online
downloader’s watch and listen to
much more material than they
would ever have otherwise bought.
Features
What’sYourType?
By Holly Hooper
The Hardcore Fans
Fighting for the optimum position for
viewing and/or groping their beloved icons,
the Hardcore Fans present signs of obsession
manifested in varying degrees; from the
obligatory fan t-shirt, to more severe cases
of image imitation and body tattooing (i.e.
that girl that got Eric Singer’s face tattooed
on her hip…eww). The Hardcore’s will
at all times out sing and dance you but
can provide a wealth of knowledge and
enthusiasm for the performer/s and in this
way are a positive addition to any show.
The Drunkies
As seasoned gig-goers will be more than aware, any show,
irrespective of music genre or venue, will inevitably include
certain types of people/behavior in their audience. For the
purposes of a guide to those less experienced, this short
list identifies the staple ingredients of the spectator…pie.
The Mobile Phoneys
Mobile Phoneys are intent on using their phones
throughout the gig without intermission.
Whether they be taking pictures or video clips,
texting or calling up friends during songs to
proudly blast classics to the unfortunately
ticketless, they present no real danger or
annoyance. Attention should be paid to those
who see the quieter instances between bands
as a time to conduct a ring tone parade; there
is a place for this activity and that is public
transport-feel free to remind them of this.
The Lovers
The Lovers, who are known to frequent park
benches and the dark corners of nightclubs,
are also a staple of the live gig scene. Almost
completely oblivious to their surroundings
(those worst afflicted), Lovers can go without
breathing for two to three hours but in occasional periods of non-kissing, can merge
into Talkers (see below). As such, mild action
may be taken against them if their behavior
becomes too severe/unsavory.
The Talkers
Not exclusive to any particular style of music or place, Drunkies will
characteristically drink their way through the support acts. Symptoms
of these gig-goers include a worrying inability to maintain balance and
control of limbs, particularly those grasping burning cigarettes. These
should be carefully observed due to potential vomiting related dangers.
Clearly those who have inherited tickets through various means;
industry, competition or my-mate-had-a-spare-one syndrome, the
Talker will show little interest in the show and should only be tolerated when lurking at the back of a larger gig. If found having a lengthy,
maximum volume debate at acoustic sessions, it is permissible to
pour drink on their feet.
WIN STUFF!
We sold our soul to the alcohol industry to get you free tickets. Don’t say we
aren’t good to you.
Want to win a chance to see the best live music this Autumn? Tuborg Lager can make it happen....
Tuborg Lager want to make sure you get to see all the best music over the next few months, so we’re
giving you and a friend the chance to win a place on the guestlist to see three of the hottest shows at the
Southampton Guildhall throughout November and December.
To win, all you have to do is send an email to [email protected] with the subject ‘Tuborg competition’
(and then be one of the lucky few that get picked, obviously).
If you aren’t lucky this time ‘round, go to www.tuborgmusic.com to claim your Tuborg money-off
vouchers and the chance to win the ultimate Tuborg Aftershow.
To enter this competition you must be 18+. Transport is not included as part of the prize.
Records
Singles..
Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season
By Tom Shepherd
MGMT - Kids
This is the kind of track that we’ve
come to expect from New York feel good
dance act MGMT. ‘Kids’ is the third official
release to be taken from the band’s
sophomore album ‘Oracular Spectacular’
and delivers on all fronts. The catchy, if not
slightly haunting, synth which features
throughout the song is as infectious as
rabies and is in perfect accompaniment
to the vocals. A thunderous bass and
metronomic drumbeat make this track
irresistibly foot-tapable. Expect this
psychedelic number to be invading
dancefloors and your ears pretty soon.
9/10
Fightstar - The English
Way
Fightstar seem to have set out to do
everything that has been done before
with single “The English Way’, and what’s
more they have succeeded in doing it
badly. The song is nothing more than
bland, and no addition of strings, piano
or orchestral singing help in making it
any more interesting. In fact this mixture
of mediums and sounds leave the track
sounding messy and disorganised.
There’s not much else wrong with the
track, it’s just there’s not much else
right about it. I can see even the most
hardcore of Fightstar fans having trouble
in denying that this is nothing above
what the band have done previously.
Patriotism aside, it’s mediocre at best.
4/10
Fall Out Boy - I Don’t
Care
Fall Out Boy are back, with ‘I Don’t Care’
being the first track to open their account
from forthcoming album ‘Folie à Deux’.
Upon first listen i found this track horribly
underwhelming, verging on annoying.
Only to find myself with the song firmly
lodged into my skull a mere few listens
later, and from there on formed a love/
hate relationship with the song. The
band seem to have taken a callous
and careless approach with the track,
exerting an overtly arrogant outlook. Yet
this complacent approach only seems to
strengthen the track’s irritatingly strong
hook. The song itself features bouncy
guitars and a faultless performance
that we’ve come to expect from vocalist
Patrick Stump. It may not be the most
intricate or even listenable piece that
FOB have written to date, but if writing a
song that can’t be ignored was on their
agenda, then mission accomplished.
6/10
By Kate Golding
The critics have been
proved
wrong. With Suicide Season, Bring
Me The Horizon have demonstrated
that they are not just kids trying to
play metal, but are now a band
to be taken seriously by all. This
album has a far more finished
feel to it, with defiance and
edge far surpassing that
of their previous album ‘Count Your Blessings’.
The involvement of
renowned
producer
Fredrik Nordström, who
has worked with the
likes of In Flames, has no
doubt been a brilliant
influence on the band.
However Oliver Sykes
and co. have definitely
come into their own. The
album is far more diverse
and intelligent than it’s
predecessor, with different
sounds and structures being
used. Impossible to ignore, Suicide
Season is brutal; encompassing
metal with a determined,
I-don’t-care-what-you-think,
punk attitude. In a recent
interview, the band put
their newly evolved flair and
finesse down to not being
able to do anything other
than be immersed in
the album and its
production.
Aside
from this, Oli Sykes’
voice has adapted
and improved to
be able to convey
different styles of
delivery and the
result is a lot more
passion and emotion
invested into the
second full length
album. The guitars (Lee
Malia and Curtis Ward)
sound tighter and the
drums (Matt Nicholls) are
more varied. The song writing is nothing
overly profound, with lyrics such as, “why
the f**k can I not hail a taxi?” in ‘Football
Season Is Over’, although there are polar
examples. Another particular humorous
line: “after all you put me through, I should
have f*****g p****d on you” in ‘No Need
For Introductions, I’ve Read About Girls
Like You On The Backs Of Toilet Doors’;
refers to the recent accusation that Oliver
Sykes urinated on a female fan. Although
he has been cleared of this, it is an example
of the poor press exposure the band have
received over the years. This album is
a turning point for the band, a definite
finger up to their critics and proof that this
band is serious. Highlights of the album
include ‘Chelsea Smile’, a firm favourite
of mine from the start, ‘Diamonds Aren’t
Forever’ and “Sleep With One Eye Open”
because it encompasses the new,
heavier, improved Bring Me The Horizon.
Ben Folds - Way To Normal
By Nicholas Brown
Ben Folds’ third solo album Way To Normal
picks up where his 2005 album ‘Songs for
Silverman’ left off. It’s hard not to sound
like you’re plagiarising a review of his
earlier solo work: as before, Folds’ piano
and keyboard work continues to impress
and surprise, again he brings in a number of
interesting accompaniments and once more
he delves into the minute details of human
emotions with lyrics so raw and personal it
feels like he’s bearing his soul with each line.
Way to Normal is the continuation of Ben
Folds’ solo musical journey. Since splitting
with his band Ben Folds Five his music
has evolved, replacing oddball energy and
juvenility with skill and perspective. Piano
Pop’s angry young flagbearer is now a dad
and a three-time divorcee, he is a man who,
like a fine cheese, has matured with his music.
Nowhere is this more apparent than
the deeply romantic ballads ‘Cologne’
and ‘Kylie from Connecticut’, which
are also some of the strongest songs on
the album. Matching melancholy piano
phrases with his breathy thoughts about
the isolation and confusion of romance
create polished performances that linger.
On the other end of the spectrum are
the less-proficient, but more fun fanpleasers, such as the album’s two opening
numbers ‘Hiroshima’ and ‘Dr. Yang’, along
with ‘Bitch went Nuts’ which evoke the
energetic singalongs of his earlier crowd
favourites like ‘Rockin’ the Suburbs.’
Way to Normal is full of Folds’ typical
sarcasm and emotional candour,
unfortunately his new enthusiasm for
dirty synth and bizarre percussion drags
some of his songs down. They’re not
awful, it’s just disappointing to hear his
bolder experimental songs when you
know what he’s capable of, songs like the
main single ‘You Don’t Know Me’ where
he collaborates with Regina Spektor.
Combining the album’s main themes:
romantic catastrophe and emotional
isolation with an addictive jumpy
piano-bashing
rhythm, ‘You
Don’t Know Me’ is the Ben
Folds we know and love.
Way to Normal is
patchy and contains a
few duds, but the rest
of the album more
than make up for
them. The perfect
Autumnal
album.
7/10
8/10
Records
Singles..
By Tom Shepherd
Funeral For a Friend Kicking and Screaming
‘Kicking and Screaming’ is the
second single to come off of the bands
first album on their own record label,
‘Memory and Humanity’, making it their
fourth studio album in total. This freedom
has given the band the opportunity to
create a much rawer and looser sound,
which is obvious from the first listen of
‘Kicking and Screaming’. Whilst I can
appreciate the band’s decision to opt
for this style, this track just doesn’t
speak to me. The guitars are complex
and interesting enough and the vocals
sharp, but there’s no real hook. The
song seems solid enough, but there’s
no real excitement. With any luck not a
sign of things to come from the album.
5/10
Sara Bareilles - Bottle
It Up
After secretly loving the summer
sensation that was American songstress
Sara Bareilles’ ‘Love song’, I eagerly
anticipated her next single. This has come
in the form of ‘Bottle It Up’, and upon
first listen, no, it’s not as instantaneously
catchy as her previous hit. But give it a
few more listens and you begin to realise
that this is actually a pretty little number
itself. The piano melodies may not be as
prominent, but the vocal arrangement
in conjunction to it is. Her lyrics are also
given a fresh twist with the addition of a
few aggressive jives, without interrupting
the delicate flow of the song. My advice
is stick with it, and you may just have
yourself your second favourite piano
fueled sing-a-long from this year.
7/10
Kaiser Chiefs Never Miss A Beat
Admittedly this latest
offering from Kaiser Chief’s
is not without it’s charms.
‘Never Miss A Beat’ offers
a simple, yet catchy
beat, for which Kaiser
Chief’s are famed.
However, it lacks any
real power, and along
with it’s lethargic
message,
can
just
drone along. It’s a decent
tune, but lacks any real
imagination from Ricky Wilson
and crew; must try harder.
5/10
The King Blues - Save The World,
Get The Girl
By Rik Sharma
When the Gaslight Anthem released ‘the
’59 sound’ earlier this year, I thought
that it would have to take a very, very
special record to pip it to record of
the year (and we’re only in October!).
And the King Blues have delivered
this record. Heart-burstingly feelgood,
righteously angry and honestly glorious
in parts, every song on this record leads
to a final track which is frankly hair-raising.
If you’ve not listened to the King
Blues before, here’s a brief introduction.
The band have two albums, this is their
sophomore effort, the other is ‘Under the
Fog’. That album is excellent, and is an
album I feared this one might not be able
to top. But it does. (Sacrilege! Cry the avid
fans of the first album, but believe me, I
loved that, and this one is even better).
Genre wise, one quart punk spirit added
to a mix of political reggae and ska, and
upbeat pop hooks. With a ukulele. And
sometimes it’s acapella. What’s not to like?
The first song on the record is the
latest single from this album, ‘My Boulder’.
It’s a sugar sweet, beautiful, catchy as hell
ode to looking out for your friends, with a
massive chorus, (watch the video on their
myspace or youtube). And once again, as
excited I was about the disc, I didn’t think
the rest of the album would be able to keep
such a consistently high quality. Perhaps
I should stop being such a cynical bastard
in future. The second track, ‘I got love’ is
another song just as beautiful as the first, and
almost as catchy. I could probably go through
the album saying this track after track.
My favourite track on the album
has turned out to be the title track, ‘Save
the World, Get the Girl’. It’s gentle yet
gleeful, inspiring, feel good chorus (‘but
I will save the world / yeah I will get the
girl / I’ll dismantle a ticking time bomb
with just one second to spare / and you
will all point up at the sky as I fly right
through the air’) is like sunshine shining
through an avenue of beautiful forestry.
The lyrics on the album focus
on a variety of topics, from an urban love
story (‘so kiss me underneath this lamppost
light / I know it smells of piss but… you
look beautiful tonight’) to wry comments
about mournful mornings after nights out
(‘how come I’m so dehydrated / when I
had so much to drink last night’) and even
Arnold Schwarzenegger and the war on Iraq
(‘put the oops back in troops and it seems
so absurd / cause going to war to prevent
war was the stupidest thing I ever heard’).
‘Let’s hang the landlord’ is about
squatting, and is one of the strongest
tracks, although because it was released
way before the album as the first single
(months ago) it doesn’t feel quite as fresh
to me as the rest of the material. The last
song, ‘What if Punk Never Happened’
is a poem which is set to quiet backing
music, where Itch (vocals and ukulele)
muses about a world without the punk
movement; (‘there was no-one around
to fight Margaret Thatcher / the power
of the flower just couldn’t match her’)
and builds up to a fantastic conclusion.
Perhaps the only weak point
on the album is ‘For You My Darling’;
it is an ambitious song which perhaps
overstays it’s welcome slightly, but I
have a feeling it may be a grower. And it
certainly isn’t lost looking for a hook.
As good as the disc is, live the King
Blues are something else. Unbelievable.
Songs like ‘The Streets Are Ours’ really
come into their fist-pumping own on the
dancefloor. Perhaps this is the best way
to sum the record up: On ‘The Schemers,
the Scroungers and the Rats’ they say ‘I’m
happy doin’ nothing / they tell me it’s all a
waste / but I ain’t never seen no three piece
suit / with a smile on his face’. This fantastic
album will put a smile on yours though.
10/10
Records
Seasick Steve - I Started Out With Nothin’ & I Still
Got Most Of It Left
By Ed Powell
For those who don’t know, Seasick Steve
is an American Bluesman who has found
some critical and commercial success in
his latter years, since the release of 2006’s
‘Dog House Music’, he’s spent much of his
life, so he claims, riding freight trains as a
hobo, and living “kind of hand in mouth.”
His vast amount of life-experience comes
across on these songs, as he spins yarns over
his various guitars, some of them broken
down or heavily customised. His previous
albums brought him success for their
simplicity and raw power, as he recorded
them altogether in his kitchen, with a
kettle on a stove next to him. This album
is his first on a major label, and though
it is more refined, it has lost none of its
predecessor’s power and burning honesty.
What do I mean by that? Well, it’s hard
to say. He certainly seems more adaptable,
both with his songs and his voice, with
elements of folk, bluegrass and even gospel
melding together on the album. He duets
with such varied artists as Grinderman and
Youth’ to close out the album. If the last
album frothed with raw energy, this one
seems to flow with a gentler, more lilting
beat on many songs. To further mix my
metaphors, the freight train appears to
have slowed down somewhat. This is not
to say that the album is completely without
fire. This is Seasick Steve we’re talking
about. ‘Chiggers’ for example, though
played on the acoustic guitar, is full of fire,
and ‘Thunderbird’, a song about nothing
other than drinking wine (and don’t think
we’re talking Pinot Grigio here) builds up
to a frantic and impressive conclusion.
Ruby Turner. KT
Tunstall appears
on
one
song
(instruments only:
she was unavailable
to record her
vocal part). The
album,
though,
retains a sense
of
homemade
simplicity
and
honesty, as Seasick
Steve starts many
of the tracks with
a short spoken
introduction,
explaining
why
the song is there,
and any lingo that
might be required
to understand it.
The songs themselves range
too, and on the whole the album feels
more laid back than the fiery ‘Dog House
Music’. Wold seems to have made more
use of his acoustic guitar, and these tracks
feel very polished, from the beautifully
written ‘Walkin’ Man’, which features early
on the album, through to the wistful ‘My
Steve has taken former ‘Level Devil’
(his backing band from ‘Cheap’) Dan
Magnusson on drums, and this adds
complexity and layers to the songs. Not to
say that percussion was missing formerly
– the trusty Mississippi Drum Machine
(a stomping box with a bit of carpet and
a Mississippi license plate) returns – it’s
just a slightly different way of doing
things. It’s still that old dog, Seasick Steve.
9/10
You Me At Six - Take Off Your Colours
By Tom Shepherd
For those of you who hearing about
Surrey quintet You Me At Six for the first
time, let me fill you in. You Me At Six are
a pop punk act who first arrived on the
scene just over two years ago. Since
then, the band have raised their profile
by releasing some popular demos onto
the social networking website known as
myspace. This, along with some relentless
touring, has in turn earned them support
slots with the likes of New Found Glory,
Paramore and an appearance at this
year’s Reading festival. Fast forward to
October 2008 and we see the band about
to embark on their biggest headline tour
to date, including a sold out date at the
London Astoria, a stop off at our very
own Students Union, and perhaps more
importantly, features the release of their
debut album Take Off Your Colours. But will
the British youngsters live up to the hype?
The first thing you need to realise about
TOYC is that this isn’t anything new and this
album will in fact, not change your life. But
that was never really on YMA6’s agenda,
what they have set out to do is create some
catchy, feel-good, pop punk; and on TOYC
they demonstrate that this something
they’re not half bad at. At just nineteen
years old, the caliber and talent that ranges
through YMA6 on this album is undeniably
impressive. There are hints of older pop
punk influences such as The Starting Line
seeping through at some parts. While
more contemporary influences are also
apparent, as certain tracks wouldn’t seem
out of place on a Fall Out Boy or Boys Like
Girls record. Unfortunately it seems that
the admiration of some modern acts went
a bit far, with melodies being lifted straight
out of existing songs, and lyrics pinched
off of other contemporary bands, not cool.
The band do attempt to break away
from their stereotyped ‘pop’ sound, with a
rougher and rawer feel on tracks such as
‘If You Run’ and single ‘If I Were In Your
Shoes’. A sound which is refreshing
and a commendably brave act by
the band. However, the ball is
well and truly in YMA6’s
court when asked to
make some good
old
fashioned,
jumping
on
your bed pop
punk, and
boy
does TOYC deliver in this department.
Recent single ‘Jealous Minds Think Alike’
and fan favourite ‘Save It For the Bedroom’
are absolutely riddled with hooks and
offer some killer choruses. Whilst the
anthemic ‘The Rumour’ will have even
the harshest of critics chanting along.
This said, TOYC does seem to be a bit hit
or miss, with some tracks being a lot less
memorable than others and there is
undeniably a fair amount of filler on
the record. But all in all a fun
filled outing from You Me At Six, all the
more inspiring for hearing a British band
take on this type of music. The task now at
hand is to retain their position as princes
of pop punk and not fall off the map as
previous acts have done before them.
But I have a feeling this may not be the
last time that we hear from You Me At Six.
7/10
tor’s
umn
aption Box
ullum ing ercilit wisci tis adit
a aut amet wis ad tat. Lor ad
it ut inissequat acilit, sum
mmodignit nonulla facilla
odolor sum et, conse con
e faccum adigniam duisi.
duipit
lorper
sequism
eril irit am zzrilis dolummo
c tetumsan et dionsecte ex
volor sumsan erit lorem
nulput lutat wis dolupta
em nonulla mconseq uisisci
quat nullametummy nim
ipit in hent pratisl exeros
loreetue dit ullaore ming
dunt wisciduisci ea faci eros
del ulluptate con henim aut
accum dunt nis del dolesti
amconse ver summod modit
Ut utpatum aliquisit aliquis
lore vel dipit, quis nis alit
lit, sustie consenim ipisisim
mmodip exerius tionsequisim
utat alit ullan volut pratem
m incipit do exero commy
euisit
veliquat,
quisse
raestrud molor iureet
tue
dionull
aortissectet
usto
cortion
sectem
m vero consed tie vendrem
l orerit, quat dolorperat
oloree tueraestio odipsum
Records
Holy Ghost Revival - Twilight Exit
By Pete Benwell
Remember The Darkness? Weren’t they
awful? Well, someone’s gone and formed
bands that are even worse. Holy Ghost
Revival make music in a similar vein to
that made by Justin Hawkins and co –
that is to say, a nauseating rip-off of the
tackiest bits of 70’s and 80’s rock music –
but without any of the riffs, hooks or tunes.
Coming soon to an empty pub near you,
Holy Ghost Revival are so desperate to make
classic glam-rock you can almost smell the
desperation, sweat and fake leather.
I first listened to this record
knowing absolutely nothing about
the band – no press release and I
hadn’t even checked their myspace
yet. However, within the first
three seconds of opening
track
‘The
Gospel
According To Judas’
(the song names are
almost as bad as the
band name) it’s clear
that Holy Ghost
Revival are out to
rip someone off – in
the case of the first
track, Queen. If the dramatic
I-see-a-little-silhouette-ofa-man high pitched piano
stabs
weren’t
enough,
Conor St Kiley’s vocals are
so second-rate Mercury it’s
spooky, and it’s clear that
in the their heads it’s 1986, it’s Live Aid,
and Holy Ghost Revival are leading the
glam-rock crusade against world hunger.
Whilst the opener kicks off the record
with a bang (albeit an unpleasant one),
the next two, however, are complete non
entities of songs, passing by in a dull haze
of stompy piano and sludgy guitar. Four
tracks in, and ‘Embrace the Hate’ sees the
band switch their attention away from
messers Mercury, May and the other two
to a kind
of watereddown
h a i r
metal,
with
a
riff seemingly stolen from Iron Maiden’s
bins. ‘Old Hollywood Is Over’ and
‘Empire Skies’ then make passable
stabs at mid paced cock-rock anthems
without quite making the distance.
Surprisingly, Holy Ghost Revival then
whip out ‘Burn Down Your House’ – a half
decent, slow burning David Bowie recalling
ballad, that suggests that there is some
underlying song writing
merit behind all the
pomp and swagger.
The status quo,
however, is quickly restored with
‘Wetbrain Bandana’, which wins the prize
for tackiest keys of the year, and the album
limps towards a close, with the stompy
anthem ‘Arrogant Army’ the only saving
grace in a customarily weak final third.
Holy Ghost Revival’s problem is that,
despite desperately trying to make a
spectacle of themselves, they don’t stick
out enough. Despite making music
designed to cause a splash, divide opinion,
stick out like a sore thumb amongst any
current‘scene’– novelty music,
essentially – they haven’t
made anything either
catchy or, depending
on how you look at it,
notoriously terrible to
gain the fame they clearly
desire. Without their
own ‘I Believe In A
Thing Called Love’
they’re
simply
another
retrorock pub band.
And, even if they
write something
better, then what?
They’ll need a
bloody
good
catsuit to beat
Justin Hawkins.
2/10
Upcoming Gigs: The Edge Recomends
- On Saturday 18th of October
cockernee rockers Dirty Pretty
Things play the Southampton
Guildhall......
-On Thursday 23rd of October
all the cool kids will be watching
Hot Chip at the Guildhall. ‘Ready
for the Floor’? I’ll say! (you’re fired
- Ed.)
...... but if that’s not your bag, you
- On Friday 24th October
can see Legend, a tribute to Bob
Marley at The Brook (where else for Geno Washington performs at
the Brook. Aparently ths man is
tribute acts?)
so talented that Dexys Midnight
Runners wrote a song about him.
- On Sunday 19th October
London folk-pop troubadour
- On Saturday 25th October Easy
Jeremy Warmsley plays the Joiners
Star All-Stars perform at the Brook.
arms with support from Edward
This New York Reggae group are
J. Hicks. Lovely, warm and nerdy,
most well known for their reggae
perfect for a sunday night.
masterpiece ‘Dub Side of the
Moon’, a cover of Pink Floyd’s
‘Dark Side of the Moon’.
- On Monday 20th October Tilly
and the Wall are performing at
the Brook. They have a tap dancer
..... Meanwhile you can see You
instead of a drummer, so this is
Me At Six (check out album review
definately a must see.
in this issue) on the same night.
Almost certain to have Garden
Court pogoing, it’s a must for all
the pop-punk lovers out there.
- On Wednesday 29th
October Goldfrapp are playing
Southampton Guildhall. A mustsee for lovers of electro-pop.
- On Wednesday 5th November
Ryan Adams plays to what
undoubtable will be a packed O2
Arena. Apparently if you ask for
‘Summer of ‘69’ he goes mental,
so, y’know, if you get bored... just a
thought.
....... on the same night Post-punk
legends The Fall are playing The
- On Sunday 2nd November
Brook. So, if you’re cool enough
Alphabeat are performing at our
to like the Fall (heaven knows I’m
very own University. This gig is sold not), then you know where to be.
out so unless you’ve got friends
in high places, your best bet is to
- On Thursday 6th of November,
read about it in the next issue of
Tim Minchin is playing our very
the Edge.
own Nuffield Theatre. Yes, not
music, comedy! Featuring songs
about pigs and feet, I’m told
- On Monday 3rd November The he’s well worth checking out,
Killers play the Royal Albert Hall in supposedly.
London, which will surely satisfy
the demands of even Brandon
Flower’s ego.
Live
British Sea Power, Garden Court Refectory (Southampton Uni), 03/10/08
On the 3rd October the Garden court
refectory opened its doors to British Sea
Power with support from Lisa LindleyJones and Film School. The audience
wasn’t filled with ankle biters as one might
expect at the Garden Court but with an
older more experienced crowd, adept at
heckling and general loutish behaviour.
Lisa
Lindley-Jones
started
off
proceedings and whilst some members of
the crowd were restless for the headline
act, most were receptive to her. This artist
whilst widely unknown is steadily building
up her following. From appearances in
the Mighty Boosh to features in Clash
magazine, Lisa Lindley-Jones is certainly
trying to find a cult following. Her music
is gentle, her performance strong but
nothing stand out. This is very much
an artist to listen to on lazy Sunday
afternoons or in quiet jazz bars. Some
piano sections in her songs are beautiful,
almost classical but this music won’t be
to everyone’s tastes. Worth a listen if you
like gentle, indie, easy-listening music.
The second support act was Film School,
an American band, who played extremely
well despite some severe technical
difficulties. Quiet vocals plagued their
whole set but musically they were very
good. Listening to their Myspace now, the
band doesn’t seem to stand out as much as
they do in a live performance but maybe
their Myspace just fails to display their
best work. This is a band to look out for
in the future, they have a lot of potential
to produce some very good music.
Finally, after what
seemed like an eternity
of waiting, British Sea
Power graced the
stage along with some
trees for props and an
arty backing video.
Other than a few
good songs British Sea
Power’s performance
left a lot to be desired.
Their
constant
instrument switching
and strange backing
videos were annoying
and whilst some of
their most dedicated
fans were jumping
enthusiastically
at
the front, most of the
crowd weren’t overly
impressed. Songs such
as ‘No Lucifer’ were
performed well with a
very good interaction
between the viola
and the cornet but
other songs weren’t
as interesting and
everything was drowned out by heavy
guitar. Unfortunately the uninteresting
stuff made up most of the set which
went on about half an hour too long, by
the time some of the better songs were
played I was already fed up and wanted
to leave. British Sea Power do have some
really good songs, but they also have
some stuff that is just boring, and boring
is something you don’t want to pay to see.
Look out for reviews of both Film
School’s and Lisa-Lindly Jones’ new
albums in the next issue of the Edge.
By Hannah Calcutt
The Academy Is, Wedgewood Rooms (Portsmouth),
This may not be the biggest tour that The
Academy Is.. have participated in over in the
UK, but spirits are high at The Wedgewood
Rooms tonight, besides, most the audience
aren’t old enough to remember a time
when TAI were supported by then lesser
known band Panic At The Disco. This tour
isn’t about reflecting on the past though,
it’s to celebrate that TAI are back on track,
and there’s an heir of anticipation around
the room to see if new album ‘Fast Times At
Barrington High’lives up to expectation live.
But up first are American youngsters
The Maine’. Being the lesser known band
of the tour is always going to make getting
the crowd going a struggle, throw in some
bad sound and your front-man’s arm in
a cast and it’s damn near impossible.
But regardless The Maine battle on,
and a cover of Akon’s ‘I Wanna Love You’
proves an unlikely highlight of the set
and gives the crowd a burst of energy,
enough to carry the band through a
more entertaining second half of the set.
Up next are Florida pop punkers We
The Kings’. Their previous experience and
reputation with UK audiences is obvious
from the much brighter response that
they receive from the adolescent crowd.
It’s a pretty solid set and vocalist Travis
makes light work of drawing in the
audience for a few singalongs, putting all
earlier sound issues to bed. It seems to be
a night of bizarre covers as in a moment
of madness the band decide to attempt
Gorillaz’ ‘Feel Good Inc.’ Awkward rapping
aside, the band end their set on a high, and
close with fan favourite ‘Check Yes Juliet.’
The Academy Is.. strut onto the stage in
paramount fashion. They’re back and they
mean business. The setlist is just what the
doctor ordered, delivering a medley of
tracks from the new album and their first
album ‘Almost Here”, omitting all but one
track from the shambles that was their
sophomore attempt, ‘Santi.’ The audience
lap it up, and at times you can hardly
hear William Beckett’s sharp, sleek vocals
for the crowd singing along. The band of
twenty-somethings command the stage
in a charismatic, but non-threatening way.
They are of course themselves, only
a few years older than the audience
which they tame, and there is an air of
realisation that the band haven’t done
half bad to get to where they have in
such a short time frame, bad second
album or no bad second album. The
band close with a favourite from their
debut, ‘Black Mamba’ - the very same
song that they closed with on the
aforementioned tour some 3/4 years
ago. This may have been a set that has
offered little progression, but it is also
a brave set, for the band’s admittance
and acceptance that their earlier stuff
is still their best, and that takes guts.
They may not have made up too much
14/09/08
ground over the last few years, but TAI are
certainly faced in the right direction and are
paying attention to their fans. And if shows
of tonight’s calibre are consistently on the
cards, I wouldn’t be writing them off just yet.
By Tom Shepherd
© 2008 Accenture. All rights reserved.
Getting satisfaction from what you do.
Just another day at the office
for a high performer.
Choose Accenture for a career where the variety of opportunities and challenges allows you to make
a difference every day. A place where you can develop your potential and grow professionally, working
alongside talented colleagues. The only place where you can learn from our unrivalled experience, while
helping our global clients achieve high performance. If this is your idea of a typical working day, then
Accenture is the place to be.
Graduate careers in consulting
Our clients include many of the world’s
largest organisations and we’ll prepare
you to take a central role in developing
innovative business and technology
solutions that improve the way they
operate. Professional development is a
key part of the total rewards package
we offer. You’ll get continuous training
both formal and on-the-job to enable
you to do your job well. And you’ll gain
satisfaction from working on some of
the largest, most challenging and
interesting projects.
For people with the right intelligence
and personal qualities, there’s no career
quite like consulting. If you’re genuinely
interested in business and technology,
with typically a predicted or actual 2.1
in any degree discipline and 320 UCAS
points or equivalent, prepare for a
future where high performance is all
Visit accenture.com/ukgraduates
in a day’s work. And you’ll be rewarded
well, with a salary of £31,000 plus an
additional £10,000 bonus.
Visit our website for more information
on graduate careers in consulting.
Accenture is committed to being an
equal opportunities employer.
Live
Millencolin, London Astoria 2, 25/09/08
Millencolin, a band who came out of
the 90s skate-punk explosion, showed
they can still pack a venue (albeit small)
with devoted fans, but before one of
Sweden’s greatest exports (alongside
Ikea and Volvos) came on stage there
were the opening acts Templeton Pek
and The Strawberry Blondes to play.
15, the album they are touring in support
of tonight. The acoustic guitar comes out
for ‘The Ballad’ followed by some early fan
favourites including ‘Bullion’. They even
give the audience the chance to decide
on the language the next song is sung
in. They of course scream for Swedish
and proceed to sing along in English.
Templeton Pek played their short set to
a sparse crowd still filing into the Astoria
II’s small pit. They maintain the interest of
the few down the front with their brand
of melodic alternative rock which takes its
cues from the likes of Rise Against as well
as tonight’s headliners. The Strawberry
Blondes don’t so much get a frosty
reception as an indifferent one. It seems
their mix of Rancid/Clash influenced street
punk doesn’t hit the right notes with the
fans, even following a well meant cover
of The Specials’ ‘A Message to you Rudie’,
nor the mild provocation to get excited
because ‘Bristol did last night’. Not even a
dedication to Joe Strummer raises more
than a handful of cheers back.It’s very
obvious the band the people came to
see as the venue is packed and already
sweating by the time Millencolin hit the
stage. The smaller venue really enhanced
the live experience with so many fervent
fans shouting along to the bands staple live
songs including ‘Man or Mouse’ and ‘Fox’
as well as tracks from new album Machine
On finding out Millencolin were playing
the smaller side of the Astoria venue I was
surprised a band I thought was relatively
that big would be playing a venue this small.
However, after such an intimate evening
with the Swedish punk heroes I’m not sure
I’d have liked them to try and fill out a
bigger venue and lose some of the energy
they can still seemingly pump out at will.
Millencolin finish the main set with
skate-rock-comp-main-stay ‘No Cigar’
before an encore closing with a thunderous
rendition of ‘Kemp’. They say peace and
good night with the crowd still baying
for more with what is left of their voices.
By Adam McCartney
Incoming!
Subhumans at the Talking Heads, Thursday, 23/10/08
The Subhumans are an UK (Wiltshire)
anarcho-punk band that formed in
1980. They are best described by the
‘moods’ section for them on allmusic.
com;
confrontational,
provocative,
brash, cathartic, rousing, rebellious and
uncompromising. They comment on
a range of social issues, from religion
to animal testing, via police brutality
and the government. Best described
as a clash between Conflict and Crass’
experimental hardcore punk, and more
traditional oi-punk, yet occasionally
adding in a little bit of the Clash,
the band have a powerful sound.
They had previously split up,
but reformed after the millennium
as their songs still carried a lot of
relevance
in
the
world
of
today.
Recommended Songs: ‘Religious Wars’,
‘No’, ‘Evolution’, ‘Mickey Mouse is Dead’
Frank Turner at Winchester Tower
Arts Centre Thursday 30/10/09
Frank Turner is a singer songwriter with
a difference. He used to front hardcore band
Million Dead, who have long since broken
up. Now though, he plays by himself, or, as
on this tour, with a backing band. As he says
himself, he still has ‘attitude in every song
I sing’. He creates glorious sing-a-longs.
Frank has massive cross-genre appeal;
fans of his old work enjoy the newer stuff,
along with folk and acoustic fans. Having
packed out tent after tent during his festival
appearances this summer, he is touring
the country to what will be full venues.
Recommended
Songs:
‘Father’s
Day’, ‘The Ballad of Me and My Friends’,
‘I Knew Prufrock before he was
famous’, ‘Reasons Not to Be an Idiot. ’
Live
Seasick Steve, Southampton Guildhall, 03/10/08
What can I say about Steve Wold, aka
Seasick Steve? Well, a hell of a lot, frankly,
but to really appreciate him, you have to
experience him for yourself. It sounds like
it would never work: an old man, a former
hobo, playing homemade instruments on
stage, with his friend Dan Magnusson on
drums, and his youngest son appearing
from time to time to play the washboard.
It sounds crazy. But try telling that to the
thousands of people packed into the
Guildhall who are hanging on his every
word; his every little movement even. Steve
himself seems baffled by this, even the big
poster at the back of the stage of ‘the Dog
Hisself’ prompts a small smile, and a shake
of the head. However, since the release of
his debut solo album ‘Dog House Music’
two years ago, Seasick Steve has been
the focus of some serious critical plaudits,
and since appearing on Jools Holland’s
annual ‘Hootenanny’ his popularity has
soared. Indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised
if you already knew all of this about him.
As abashed as he seems at all the
attention, once the show starts he finds his
rhythm and proves to be an accomplished
showman, pandering to the crowd’s
cheers as he takes off his shirt by rippling
the muscles on his heavily tattooed arms,
and throughout the show he responds to
calls from the crowd with that same smile
and some witty banter. Seasick Steve’s
life has clearly been an interesting one,
and though his telling of stories on his
first album came in for some criticism,
he still does it on stage, twisting out
yarns both in his songs and in between.
The songs themselves have the
crowd swaying and dancing on the
spot, pounding blues rhythms and
funkier numbers, ranging all the way to
sweet love songs (Walkin’ Man) to songs
about nothing other than drinking wine
(Thunderbird). What stands out in the
show itself is Steve’s ability to take you
there, to be believable. He spends most
of the show sat in a little wooden chair,
his guitar on his lap, and when he brings
a girl up on stage to serenade her, he tells
her ‘now, we’re just sat on the porch here
in summer’ and when he starts singing,
and the lights dim, you half believe him.
On some of the more energetic numbers
he’s up though, up and leaping frantically
round the stage, or wandering through
the crowd with his guitar playing a solo.
Now, his guitar. Or his guitars, I should
say. I’ve never seen anything like them,
or wanted any guitar I’ve seen more.
They range from his acoustic guitar ‘nasty
little guitar I should have thrown away a
long time ago’, to his electric guitar, to his
custom guitars. The first is homemade,
and clearly. A piece of wood, with a wire
stretched between two cans on either end,
adorned with car handles and dollar bills.
His other is probably his most famous,
and its appearance alone prompts a cheer
from the crowd. Called the Three-String
Tranz Wonder, it only has three strings, and
these in the wrong positions. Somehow
though, it comes to life in Steve’s hands
and howls out the blues, plain and
simple. As Steve himself says ‘it don’t
sound too good, but it’s real’. Quit kidding
us Steve, you know you sound good.
By Ed Powell
Colour / Caesura / Secondsmile, Talking Heads, Southampton, 19/10/2008
Upon
entering
the
agreeable
surroundings of the Talking Heads, I was
surprised to learn that Secondsmile, one
time next-big-things with two albums
and numerous UK tours under their belts
are playing third fiddle to lesser known
local boys Caesura and the equally
less accomplished Colour, headlining
tonight’s bill. However, the high billing
of the other bands was to prove
justified, each proving a fresher, more
exciting prospect than their older peers.
Secondsmile’s set consisted
largely of material from latest release
‘Years’. Taking a more straightforward
rock route than previous records, in a
live setting the songs seemed to lack the
vitality of order material. Whereas debut
E.P.’I Am Not Romeo, You Are Not Juliet’ was
a wonderful post-hardcore riot, all squally,
frantic guitars and furious screeches of
vocals, the material from ‘Years’ is more
considered, maybe more mature, but more
boring. Opening with ‘Long Road Home’,
their set chugged along in easy fashion
but never quite took off despite occasional
flashes of brilliance, such as on the wistful
pop-rock of ‘Stars Away’. Leaving after only
five or six songs, the band seem a little
unenthusiastic, perhaps unhappy with
their own newer material. Unluckily for
them, up next were the far more interesting
Caesura. Their emo-ish post-rock is
instantly captivating, alternating between
moments of hypnotic, floaty beauty and
sudden storms of brutally heavy guitar,
frontman Mossy’s powerful vocals equally
as impressive as Caesura’s intriguing,
interlocking guitar lines, showcased best on
the punchy ‘Weight and Carriage’. Go see.
Equally as young and exciting,
Kingston based Colour’s headline slot
proved fully justified. Despite being four
kids that wouldn’t look out of place on
Skins or in a Topman ad, Colour possess
the blessed combination of both style and
substance, making an intelligent indie-pop
racket that sounds like a younger, happier
version of The Shins on too much caffeine.
Opener ‘Shamu’ has a strangely surfy feel,
carried along by borderline-irritatingly
catchy chorus, as is the similarly standout
‘Chutes’, while the handclaps of ‘Over The
Moon’ shows a level of pop nous above and
beyond their current status. With enough
substance and individuality of their own to
avoid being lumped in with much of the
generic NME fodder being slapped with the
‘indie-pop’ tag at the moment, it’s clear that
Colour have the pop potential to be big.
By Pete Benwell
Finding your way.
Careers Service Graduate and
Internship Fairs
Business, Management and Finance | Tuesday 21 October 2008 | 11am – 3.30pm
IT, Science and Engineering | Wednesday 22 October 2008 | 11am – 3.30pm
Garden Court, Building 40, Highfield Campus
For further details including a list of exhibitors go to:
www.southampton.ac.uk/careers/employers/services/fairs.html
UG2PG study opportunities fair
Garden Court, Highfield Campus | Thursday 23 October 2008, 12noon – 2.30pm
If you are looking to extend your study and expand your career horizons, the University of Southampton UG2PG event
is an excellent opportunity to find out more about the wide range of taught and research postgraduate programmes that
are on offer.
For further details and to register, please go to:
www.southampton.ac.uk/postgraduate/fairs
Why does alcohol
give us such a headache?
What can we do to reduce the 22,000 deaths every year because of alcohol misuse? Or cut back on alcohol-related admissions to A&E? Join our Graduate
Management Training Scheme and you’ll be tackling questions just like these. With 1.3 million employees anda £100 billion budget, we’re one of the
world’s largest and most innovative organisations, finding solutions to some of the country’s biggest issues. Whatever your degree, our world-class training
and development will give you the skills you need to lead and influence change, push the boundaries and help keep Britain – and the NHS – in good health.
NHS Leaders. Lead the way
Graduate Management Training Scheme
www.nhsgraduates.co.uk
Finance General Management HR Informatics
Lead the way
Features
The Wessex (music) Scene
Last issue we gave you a tour of Southampton’s live venues. It would be pretty bad of us not to tell you about the bands
you might see playing them. Pete Benwell gives you a summary of some of the best acts to be found playing around
Southampton.....
Luke Leighfield
Six Nation State
Self styled ‘urban pop troubadour’
Luke Leighfield makes uplifting
piano pop that makes me want to
punch the air with joy. I don’t actually know what it makes me so
happy about, but I defy anyone to
listen to ‘If You Haven’t Got Anyone’
and not end up beaming from ear
to ear, which, in the library, is quite
a rare sight. Not only does he make
me want to dance down Portswood
high street grinning like an idiot,
he’s also an irritatingly talented high
achiever. Having already released
two albums on his own record label, Got Got Need, he’s toured Europe, played violin for Get Cape
Wear Cape Fly and intends to take
his live show to Russia and China in
the near future. All this, whilst still
being a Southampton University
student. Yep, Luke Leighfield is one
of us. His extracurricular activities
make that occasional dance lesson
or writing trite articles in the Edge
seem not quite so impressive, huh?
If he can do this whilst most of us
are moping around the Stags, it’s
terrifying to think what he’s capable of next. Happily for you, you can
see him on tour very soon (check
Certain to be derided as bandwww.myspace.com/simplylukewagon-jumping chancers by some,
leighfield) and maybe, if
Venice Ahoy make jerky, frantic
you’re well behaved,
guitar pop that is more than a little
and interview
reminiscent of Foals. Although so
in next month’s
irritatingly hip that you suspect
Edge.
Watch
they may have been created
this space.
artificially in a laboratory
somewhere by NME and
Topman, Venice Ahoy are
nonetheless exciting.
Try listening to ‘Maps’
on www.myspace.com/
veniceahoy, or seeing
the frantic orgy of guitar
tapping and shout-along
vocals that constitutes a
live show, and I guarantee
that at least two parts of
your body will be moving
within two minutes.
Venice Ahoy
Having been knocking around the
Southampton area for a few years
now, Six Nation State are now to
be seen more around London and
Reading, but still play regularly on
the south coast. Having recently
released their debut album, the
band have been drawing increasing press attention and look to
grow bigger as they advance into
2009. Making jaunty, upbeat,
sometimes punky pop-rock in a
classic vein, Six Nation State are
hardly the most original of bands,
wearing influences such as The
Coral, The Beatles and The Zutons
(Merseyside anyone?) on their collective sleeve. However, they have
nonetheless gained a solid fan
base and impressive live reputation that seems to assure their
place on the Southampton music
scene and beyond for a while yet.
Ndjgk^h^dc/ E^dcZZg^c\[^cVcX^VaiZX]cdad\n^cid
i]ZcZmi\ZcZgVi^dc#
Djgegdb^hZ/ I]ZXjii^c\ZY\Z#
4aT_lfgGeT\a\aZTaW<agXeaf[\cBccbegha\g\Xfj\g[\a
:ebhcGXV[ab_bZlôBcXeTg\baf
KY`WcaYhc8YihgW\Y6Ub_!cbYcZh\Y`Uf[Ygh acghhYW\bc`c[mXf]jYb]bjYghaYbhVUb_g]bh\Ykcf`X"
H\Ydcdi`Uf]aU[YcZ]bjYghaYbhVUb_]b[]gcbYcZg`]W_ ZUgh!acj]b[XYU`aU_Yfg"6ihXYU`gWUbcb`m
kcf_]Zh\Yf][\hdfcWYggYgUbXdYcd`YUfY]bd`UWYhcVUW_idh\YXYU`aU_]b["
;fcid HYW\bc`c[m õ CdYfUh]cbg XY`]jYf kcf`X W`Ugg ]bbcjUh]jY gc`ih]cbg hc \UbX`Y 8YihgW\Y 6Ub_Èg
hYW\bc`c[mUbXhfUbgUWh]cbdfcWYgg]b[W\U``Yb[Yg"
Cif;fUXiUhYUbX=bhYfbg\]dDfc[fUagk]``cZZYfmciUkYU`h\cZcddcfhib]h]Yg"
HcZ]bXcihacfYUbXhcUdd`m d`YUgYj]g]hcifkYVg]hY.
kkk"XV"Wca#WUfYYfg
Features
Kumiss
Caesura
Caesura make emo-esque postrock songs that unfurl beautifully
into impressive, autumnal feeling
masterpieces. Using guitar, drums,
bass and vocals, the Winchester
based outfit’s music switches between crunchy, uplifting rock riffs
to moments of stunning beauty,
shimmering, intertwining delaypedal guitars creating a wonderful,
glacial musical landscape. If that
sounds suspiciously hyperbolic,
then find out for yourself. The
band have, unsurprisingly, a myspace (www.myspace.com/caesuraband), and last year’s mini album
Dear Light Outside is available on
itunes, highlights of the release
including the awesome rock-out
‘Obstacles’ and the closing epic
‘Watching You Through Glass’. Even
better, look out for live dates in the
near future, where you can hear
shit-hot new material that promises to take Caesura onto bigger
and better things.
Thomas Tantrum
Making day-glo indie pop
reminiscent of a smaller Go! Team,
Thomas Tantrum have already
been hyped up by Lily Allen, NME,
Radio 1 et al and released their
debut album back at the beginning of September. Soon to tour
with Glasvegas, it’s probably best
to try and catch them now rather
than later, before the effect of the
hype machine really kicks in. Their
sugary, fizzy pop racket, all jangly
guitars and sultry vocals oozes radio-friendly happy vibes, and with
a singer as attractive as Megan Fox,
Beginning their first U.K. tour
this month, Kumiss, have gone
through a fair few changes in their
time. Originally playing funk-rock,
Kumiss thankfully decided that
wasn’t for them and started to
identify more with Godspeed You!
Black Emperor style post-rock. With
the acquisition of a violinst and
piano player, the band have since
started to head in a more pop direction, though their music retains
an experimental edge. New tracks
such as ‘Home Sweet Home’ are
invigorating, folk-edged summery
pop, and sound all the better for
it. Check out www.myspace.com/
kumiss for more.
Thos Henley
If you don’t like twee, then you definitely don’t like Thos Henley. Those,
however, who can bear twee-ness
would be well advised than checking out the Winchester based
singer-songwriter. Singing and
playing the Ukeleke, Thos Henley’s
songs are deliciously fleshed out
with accordion and piano, and despite sounding upbeat, are lyrically
filled with ‘sorrow and woe’, supposedly, although the summery, surfy
carefree instrumentation suggests
otherwise. Here’s the obligatory
myspace link – myspace.com/thoshenley – choice cuts include ‘Summer
on the Thames’ and an interesting
reworking of Leona Lewis.
Thomas Tantrum are guaranteed
at least double the press coverage
of a band less well endowed in
the frontwoman department (like
it or not, it’s true -look at the Ting
Tings for god’s sake). All this suggests that Thomas Tantrum could
well soon be Big (with a capital B).
If you need further convincing, go
to www.myspace.com/thomastantrum and have a listen to ‘Rage
Against the Tantrum’, which is
nothing short of a bona-fide tune.
Film
Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten
Dunst, Megan Fox, Jeff Bridges
Director: Robert B. Weide
BBC Film Critic and Official
Friend of the University Mark Kermode has a theory that you can predict a film is going to be bad if you see
it advertised on the sides of buses or
on phone boxes. If the theory holds
true, Simon Pegg’s new comedy How
to Lose Friends and Alienate People
should be one of the worst films ever
made. It seems like you cannot turn
a corner nowadays, without running
into Pegg’s gurning face. One can only
wonder how strongly the film is being marketed across the pond where
supporting actors Kirsten Dunst
and Jeff Bridges are the only cast
members with crowd-pulling clout.
How to Lose Friends and
Alienate People posits itself as a hilarious comedy of errors with Pegg
as Brit journalist Sidney Young, leaving a trail of destruction across highsociety New York as he bumbles from
embarrassment to embarrassment
while in the employment of Sharps
magazine. (He spits food! He wears a
rude t-shirt!) It certainly has an apt
director – Robert Weide best known
for his direction of the Larry David
comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, makes
his feature film debut, and a fitting
source – the memoirs of Toby Young
who wrote about his embarrassing
experiences as a British journalist at
Vanity Fair before his inevitable firing.
Young has certainly made a career out of his short-lived post at the
famous magazine and continued to
cause a stir during the film’s production alleging he’d been banned from
the set (rumour has it Kirsten Dunst
was unhappy to be given notes on her
performance during takes) and fired
from the production (in reality his
script treatment had been turned down
and the writing duty given to professional screenwriter Peter Straughan).
Simon Pegg reminisced about
Young’s notoriety which occasionally
added interesting hurdles to filming:
“There was a point where we were rehearsing in the Groucho Club before
we started shooting and we asked the
management if Toby could come along
and perhaps sit in and they said “What
part of Banned for Life don’t you understand?” Director Robert Weide called
him “a liability but a good liability”.
The challenge for production was
then two-fold: turn a disjointed set
of anecdotes into a cohesive narrative and create a protagonist that is
both unbearable yet likeable. Unfortunately they only half succeed. Simon Pegg’s turn as Sidney is the kind
of naughty-schoolboy likeable loser
performance we’ve come to expect
from him, but it’s just what the film
needs. It may be Pegg’s first starring
role away from friends Edgar Wright,
Nick Frost and Hollywood chum David
Schwimmer but his first solo foray into
feature waters still leaves the creative
ripple of Pegg. Sidney Young reels off
film quotes, jokes about bodypopping and drunkenly jumps around
listening to Metallica. Suffice to say
we are on somewhat familiar territory here, yet Pegg denies deliberately typecasting himself:
“I don’t really have a gameplan. I just want to do
stuff that I enjoy, work
with people I enjoy working with and get satisfaction in my work. I’m
not planning it all out ‘now I have
to play a villain because I’ve played
two nice guys in a row or whatever’”.
While creating a soft side to
his character it was impossible not to
draw parallels between the journalist trying to make it in New York and
the Gloucester-born actor working
in LA. “There were definitely parallels about being British in America...
it’s tempting to believe that we are
part of the same continent, because we speak the same language
we are country-fellows and we’re
not, we are from a different country.”
Producer Stephen Wolley explained how they solved the problem
of translating the book into a script
with the addition of a romantic interest. “We we wanted to do was really
find a spine to the tale, a romance,
so Sidney Young not only falls in love
with New York but also a character
from New York.” Sadly, the crowbarring-in of a love interest for Sidney
diverts the film into generic romantic
comedy clichés. Sidney must choose
between lust and love. Sidney must
deal with a rival suitor. Sidney gets a
lesson about the price of fame. It’s a
shame that a lot of the film’s potential
is wasted on these tired conventions.
The plot does take a few unexpected turns, but this seems to
be because of the numerous plot
threads left hanging. Characters are
introduced and then forgotten; plot
points are introduced but serve no
purpose to the overall narrative.
The effect is quite jarring and unfortunately serves only to disconnect
the viewer as the film begins to resemble highlights from a TV series.
How to Lose Friends is certainly not awful. The sets are suitably
lavish and give an immediate sense of
cosmopolitan New York and the acting
is more than capable. Jeff Bridges in
particular swings between cold boss
and confused ex-rebel with conviction.
(His long white hair seemingly making
up for his baldness in Iron Man.) The
combination of Gillian Anderson’s icy
agent and Megan Fox’s pouty starlet
add glamour and sex appeal but are
not rewarded with any real character
resolution. Simon Pegg and Kirsten
Dunst stick close enough to the roles
they’re famous for but rarely sparkle.
The comedy is ‘fun’ rather than funny,
but bubbles along at a suitable rate.
Occasionally the script goes for cringes rather than laughs, relying on two
identical transsexual gags. “She has a
penis!” really isn’t the kind of strong
running gag a film like this deserves.
Office comedy has been done
better (Devil Wears Prada, Ugly Betty)
but How to Lose Friends and Alienate
People certainly tries hard and its heart
is in the right place. Go without expectation and you won’t be disappointed.
Nicholas Brown 3.5/5
Film
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert
Downey Jr., Jack Black, Steve Coogan
Director: Ben Stiller
Critics and audiences are still divided
on Ben Stiller, his movies veer erratically between the ludicrous classics such
as Zoolander and Dodgeball, and the
torturously bad. Oh how we try to forget The Heartbreak Kid, Along Came
Polly, Meet the Fockers and the like.
Fortuantely, like Zoolander, Tropic Thunder has Stiller on triple duty as writer,
director and actor, creating laughs by
delving into a popular and influential
industry, portraying a buffoon that has
insulated himself in a bubble of success
and is naive to the realities in which he
is placed. Yet while the moronic action
star Tugg Speedman is no Derek Zoolander, the formula clearly has potency.
The opening premise of the movie sees a
group of prima-donna actors dropped into
a dangerous Vietkong environment by a
vengeful director (played by Stiller’s friend
Steve Coogan). The actors are oblivious to
the dangers around them which they are
led to believe are part of the script. Unfortunately the initially strong predicament
is dispensed with rather early and not really exploited to its full potential. Instead
we get a wilderness-set comedy about
a group of actors coming to terms with
their careers and learning to ‘get along’.
O f
course, the plot
is not important if the jokes
are up to snuff.
Tropic Thunder draws the
majority of its
humour from
two
potent
sources –
the satire
of Hollywood
exempli-
fied best in the fake movie trailers that
precede the main picture and the parody
of war
films. Not since Top Secret! has the genre taken such a bashing;
Note the use of 60’s rock, the Apocalypse
Now-inspired orange-tinged interiors and
Speedman promising to teach Downey
Jr.’s character Kirk Lazarus to learn how to
juggle after having his hands blown off.
Roberty Downey Jr. steals the show, showing off the comedic acting chops we’ve
only seen hints of in Iron Man and Kiss Kiss
Bang Bang. His portrayal of Kirk Lazarus, the
method actor’s method actor is grimacing
awkward and yet constantly hilarious. Jack
Black is rather wasted with a drug addict
comedian character, yet somehow the trio
of Stiller, Downey Jr. and Black are considered so funny they require two straightmen to bounce off: Jay Baruchel who you
don’t remember from Knocked Up and
Bandon T. Wilson who you didn’t know was
an extra in 8 Mile. The real treasure comes
from some great supporting cast such as
Matthew McConaughey, Bill Hader and
Nick Nolte. Also look out for Tom Cruise
in a role that will confuse and amaze you.
It wouldn’t be remiss without discussing the controversy that has surrounded
Tropic Thunder since its release in the US.
The film has come under fire from two
separate lobby groups for two different
tasteless jokes. Civil rights groups object
to Downey Jr’s character being so method
he dyes his skin black to play a black character (and refused to stop talking in an African-american patter until “he’s done the
DVD commentary”) while mental health
groups object to the use of the word “retard” in reference to a Tugg Speedman’s
film-within-a-film ‘Simple Jack’. While both
complaints have merit, it seems redundant to criticise a comedy film, particularly where the jokes are there to mock
the main character’s (Speedman’s absurd
attempt at getting Academy recognition
and Lazarus’ bizarre transformation from
white Australian to crude black stereotype). These jokes even feel a little tame
compared to other more offensive material
we’ve had from Hollywood in recent years.
Ultiamtely, Tropic Thunder is beautifully shot and with a healthy spread
of hilarity despite a sluggish midsection, it’s is one of the strongest
Hollywood comedies not to feature
the Will Ferrell frat pack or the Judd
Apatow consortium and proves that
Stiller still has it. He probably won’t
win over any critics, but you get the
feeling that he doesn’t really care.
Nicholas Brown
4/5
Starring: Gerard Butler, Gemma
Arterton, Ludacris
Director: Guy Ritchie
Recent offerings from the movie world
seem to fall into two main categories.
Browsing through the cinema listings I
am presented with the rather compelling
biographical retelling of the Duchess of
Devonshire’s life in, inventively named,
The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley
who, uncharacteristically, prances around
idyllic English countryside looking rather
pleased with herself for fitting into an unbelievably small corset. Alternatively there
is the simple-minded brutality and fastpaced action of the latest Jason Statham
film, Death Race, where an overcrowded
prison logically necessitates the building of mammoth machines dripping with
weapons, in this seeming parody combining Gladiator with The Fast and the Furious.
So, not content with sitting through
the best part of two hours of ignoring
the plot and mindlessly staring at Keira,
or watching Statham struggling to act
through another film, I was very happy
to see a new offering from Guy Richie.
Who can honestly say they weren’t seduced by the fantastic cast, intricately
threaded plotlines and astounding
soundtrack of Richie’s Lock, Stock and Two
Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000)?
Richie has made a couple of films since the
aforementioned masterpieces, including
Swept Away (2002) and Revolver (2005),
but they failed to encapsulate the British
‘charm’ and humour of his earlier films.
Therefore I approached RockNRolla somewhat dubiously and have to admit that I
wasn’t convinced the film was going the
right way after the first ten minutes. The
beginning lacks the quality that draws
you into the lives of the characters seen
in Richie’s better work, possibly because
the setting is rather verbose and really
quite dull. However, the very believable
and oddly endearing characters are introduced through Richie’s unique camera angles and exceptional ability
to make the characters
seem
human.
The
cleverly linked
scenes quickly illustrate the
infrastructure relating the characters and
I am glad to say the humour of Richie’s
earlier films is prevalent from the start.
Typical of Richie’s work, the film lacks direction and is more a collection of subplots and characters that are gradually
introduced throughout the film and cleverly linked at the end. The plot follows the
usual gangster film layout; a series of criminal groups vie for dominance in corrupt
and drug-controlled London, but this is all
thrown out of alignment by the introduction of Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell), the
public-schooled, junkie rock star who appreciates fine art and classical music, but
has no aversion to stabbing someone to
death with a pencil. The cast also includes
a gay mobster, Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy)
who has an attraction to One Two, played
by Gerard Butler (300) which made the
film more attractive for the girls. There is
also a highly cultured black mobster, Tank
(Nonso Anozie) and a couple of immortal
Russian henchmen, creating a very amusing and film with some fantastic one-liners.
The soundtrack compliments the film
perfectly, and is used in conjunction with
skilful camera work to create an astonishing viewing experience. The end result
is an incredible film true to Richie’s best
work, the only letdown being that some
of the subplots were not completely resolved - I can only assume because there
is a sequel planned for this film. Something I hold some very strong reserves
about but will be interested to see!
In the meantime I eagerly await Richie’s
rather extreme genre digression in his interpretation of Arthur Conan-Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, due for release in 2010,
but find it hard to imagine how
Robert Downey Jr. will fare
as the clipped British
detective after his part
in the recent abomination (we beg to differ - Ed), Tropic Thunder.
Ed Phillips
4/5
Film
The Mist
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay
Harden, William Sadler
Director: Frank Darabont
At last- a refreshing throwback to the
good old American horrors of yesteryear. The Happening, bug off…
Fish and Chips, Ant and Dec, Bread and
Butter…not quite the intro’ you were expecting, right? Well I certainly hope not.
But some things, I think you’d agree, are
just meant to go together. Add to that
list Frank Darabont and Stephen King:
the touching, pleasantly out of character
page turners of the latter so remarkably
reworked in the timeless, superseding
film classics of the former. For his third
King rework, though, writer/director Darabont’s ditched the potent period prison
play (see Shawshank Redemption, Green
Mile), opting to grapple with the author’s
forte: horror. The Mist, though, is far more
permanent, profound and disconcerting than its banal B-movie title and look
would suggest. Not only is it somewhat of
a religious experience (keep an eye out for
the iconography), but it’s also a revelation.
In retrospect, the film’s form and plotline
are as simple as they come: a mysterious
mist veiling a brood of outlandish beasts
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker,
Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia
Nixon.
Director: Michael Patrick King
Sex and the City began in 1998. Based on characters from the book by Candace Bushnell, the
TV show adaptation was an instant success
amongst audiences and critics alike winning
multiple Golden Globes and Emmy Awards. For
six glorious seasons, the sex lives of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda offered quality
entertainment to not just the single girl, but to
both men and women of all ages and sexuality. This programme, without taking itself too
seriously, has depth. Of course on the outside,
there is the context of shoes, lunch dates, designer labels, glamorous lifestyles and casual
sex, but there is also the intelligent, witty and
thought-provoking tales about love and relationships. Most significantly, the show portrays
the emotions and physicality of sex in an explicit and frank way. This adult comedy still offers
a refreshing and alternative genre of television
in comparison to the canned laughter, American sitcoms that always seem to hit our screens.
When the makers of Sex and the City announced
that the movie version was happening, the fans
herds a colony of model Americans into a
small-town grocery store. “There’s something in the mist!” barks a bloody-nosed
dweller as he stumbles through the store
doors. “Shut the doors,” he cries. “Shut the
doors, my god!” And so, it begins. The archetypal movie Americans vs. a pick and mix of
crazy creatures hell bent on taking office.
A cast of relative unknowns star, then,
alongside a host of newcomers, nonprofessionals and unfamiliar faces in this
able adaptation of King’s original short
story. The blend of chaos and camaraderie between the characters proving crucial to the tone and impact of the film as
Darabont’s handheld, moving cameras
bob and weave through the well orientated cast, rack focussing from one plane
of depth to another as they bicker over
who (or what’s) to blame. Militants? Scientists? Politics? Nature? God? Who or whatever the culprit, survival would appear
salient for our classic horror film players:
the valiant leader (Tom Jane at the top of
his game), the mental preacher (Marcia
Gay Harden at the top of hers), the stupid
teen, the klutz, the blonde, the needy kid,
the plucky gran‘, the non-believer, the unsung hero. They’re all in there, and more.
All told, The Mist is stylistically nostalgic. A
jittery sci-fi/horror hybrid with odd sprinkles of humour that recall the cult classics
of Jack Arnold, George A. Romero and John
Carpenter. Only better. Yes, better. Darabont’s delve into untried territory is an upright achievement in horror movie making.
The Shining? Not quite. Darabont may be a
maestro of the screen adaptation but he’s
no Stan’ Kubrick (who is?). There’s no disguising The Mist’s potential as a classic of
the horror genre, though. This is a writer/
director who’s knack for tying an empathic
rapport between character and audience
pays up front both where and when it matters. Shawshank was a dream. The Mist is a
nightmare. But in all the right ways: a murky,
tantalizing terror-jolt with added substance. High-concept with a weighty subtext and a damn low-budget. Darabont’s
more concerned with probing the humanity of horror than the gore and the guts
and the winged, slithery, tentacled fiends
hurling themselves at the glass panes. As
far as CGI goes, you’ve probably seen better (in fact it’s laughable on occasion) but
when a film’s set-up is this well conceived,
it’s all right for the special effects to take
a back seat. Example? The Birds. Example?
Jaws. Another? Alien. Add to this list The
Mist. A film rapt on how bloody timid and
fragile we - humans - are in the face of fear.
“As a species we’re fundamentally in-
were ecstatic, but the critics showed concern.
It was predicted that a feature-length film continuing the stories of the four New York women,
their friends and their lovers would mean killing the originality of the TV show. Quick-witted,
fresh and quirky, this television comedy does
indeed hold a distinct, timeless quality in its
portrayal of the independent, intelligent, single
women. Sex and the City educated, empowered
and entertained throughout the six years it was
broadcasted, and to say that the film had a lot to
live up to is an understatement. However, I believe this movie is not just for the fans to enjoy,
and the critics needn’t have been so sceptical…
fected. There are some real heart-wrenching
moments in the film which may sound dramatic, but after so many years of loving the
characters, one does feel a certain kind of attachment. Again, in classic SATC style, everything within the film’s story is fuelled by the
comedic dialogue between the four fabulous
friends; Carrie’s wit, Charlotte’s sweet subtlety,
Miranda’s dry humour, and Samantha’s sexually driven, dirty remarks. Watching this film is
a fun experience because you literally laugh
out loud. This reinforces why this film is not just
for die hard SATC fans, it is so open and honest about love and sex that it requires no specific sense of humour, it’s just genuinely funny.
In true SATC tradition, the opening credits of
the film appear over the striking shots of New
York City architecture, sound-tracked by that
lovable and familiar theme tune. It is clear from
this early moment that the film remains loyal
to the style and general feel of the TV show,
only on a bigger scale with a lot more glitz and
glamour. Narrated by the witty, intelligent, lovestruck Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), the film narrative picks up from where the final episode of
series six left off. All four girls are still paired up
with their men: Carrie and Big, Charlotte and
Harry, Miranda and Steve, Samantha and Smith.
These character relationships naturally evolved
since they were last seen on our screens, yet
throughout the film, the on-going love story of
each relationship is exciting and unpredictable.
SATC has always been renowned for the costumes. The characters are well dressed in fine
couture whenever they hit the streets, and they
even look fashionable and sexy in their battered,
lounging around outfits. The fashion-conscious
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) in particular sports
some incredible pieces of clothing throughout
the film. If fashion is indeed your passion, you
won’t be able to take your eyes off the costumes.
Hats off to Patricia Field, SATC’s costume designer. Not everything worn in the film is labelled,
for example Carrie wears a very significant
dress in the film which is simple, stunning vintage. However, names like Vera Wang, Vivienne
Westwood, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior will
scream at you throughout the whole feature.
Amongst the romance, heart-break, lust, loneliness, love and hate involved with the men
in their lives, the girls’ friendships are also af-
There are some fantastic, subtle touches in
this film in terms of the script which make
it all the more entertaining, yet still seem to
sane,” utters the unsung hero. “Put
more than two of us in a room, we pick
sides and start dreaming up ways to
kill one another,” I wouldn’t go that far,
mate. “Why do you think we invented
politics and religion?”…Good point.
In spite, then, of its old chestnut line up
and rather rushed and “hazy” start, from
the moment the smog rolls in - swallowing
the entire township in one swift gulp - The
Mist just gets better and better as it creeps
and crawls towards an unruly final third
that’ll haunt, shock and astound, disturb
and confound. And there’re plenty of leftovers for audiences to chew over. This, for a
change, is a horror film with something to
say whose final stance over matters will lure
countless back for seconds, no question.
Frank Darabont’s melded ominous camerawork, a forbidding score, top performances, lurid tension and shock after
shock into a modest American macabre
with a killer ending to rival that of anything
I‘ve ever seen in film. It’s a bit of a shame
that the 3 time Oscar nominee’s initial desire to release the film in black and white
never came to pass, but horror film fans
will be hard pushed to find a more riveting two-hours of pure entertainment this
winter than this: a cynical and paralyzing
portrait of the humane and the inhumane
that certainly isn’t pleasant, but it grips like
a vice all the same. In a word? mist-ifying.
Jack Harding
4/5
teach a lesson or two about love and sex. We
could probably all learn something from each
character, or relate to them in some way. We
may not have the pleasure of living in gorgeous pent-houses in NYC or beach-houses
in LA, but SATC genuinely shows a strong
understanding and interesting portrayal of
how men and women have completely different attitudes towards sex and relationships.
SATC has naturally been labelled a chick flick,
but I think it is much more than that. It is a brilliantly funny and ultra glamorous extension of
the popular television series where the classic
characters have even more style and even wittier lines. As Samantha celebrates her 50th birthday at the end of the film, the girls show that
they’ve truly become women through their wisdom and experiences, yet still party like they’re
in their twenties. It just goes to show that age
is nothing but a number. If I must label this as
a chick flick, it is definitely the ultimate way to
spend an evening with your girlfriends. And if
you’ve never even watched an episode of Sex
and the City before, do so now, otherwise you
are missing out on one of the most entertaining
and legendary TV shows of our generation. In
my opinion there is nothing to dislike about this
film and it exceeded all the expectations. If you
are male, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, and
you never know, you might just learn something.
Beth Glanvill
4/5
The Gig Guide
Steely Scam
Venue: The Brook
The Dreaming Tree
Venue: The Hobbit
It Hugs Back +Rod Thomas
+Ascari +Christopher Robin
Venue: The Joiners
Legend (Bob Marley
Tribute)
Venue: The Brook
Dirty Pretty Things
Venue: The Guildhall
Easy star all stars
Venue: The Brook
Instill +Monrobots
Venue: The Joiners
Geno Washington
Venue: The Brook
The Brand New Heavies
Venue: Soul Cellar
17
The Decoys
Venue: The Hobbit
25
You Me At Six
Venue: SUSU Garden
Court Refectory
31
The Riverside Blues
Band
Venue: The Hobbit
Sliver Beatles
Venue: The Brook
Fearne + Max Raptor
Venue: The Joiners
24
18
1
26
2
Alphabeat
Venue: SUSU Garden
Court Refectory
Tilly and the Wall
Venue: The Brook
The Stranglers
Venue: The Guildhall
20
The Rebs + The
Tamborines + The Vision +
Jumping Ships
Venue: The Joiners
November
3
27
No Quarter Given +Blood Kids in Glass Houses
of Ash
Venue: SUSU Garden
Venue: The Joiners
Court Refectory
19
Jeremey Warmsley +
Edward J Hicks
Venue: The Joiners
Karnataka
Venue: The Brook
What’s going on in Southampton?
October
Open Mic Night
Venue: The Hobbit
Local Bands
Venue: The Joiners
16
Open Mic Night
Venue: The Hobbit
Hot Chip
Venue: The Guildhall
23
Kid British + The Light
Divided
Venue: The Joiners
Bring me the horizen
Venue: SUSU Garden
Court Refectory
30
Trash Fashion + Venice
Ahoy + The Exits
Venue: The Joiners
21
Sly and Robbie + The
Taxi Gang
Venue: The Brook
Johnny Flynn
Venue: The Joiners
28
Up Coming Local Bnads
Venue: Talking Heads
4
The Strange Death of
Liberal England + Port
Erin
Venue: The Joiners
22
3 daft Monkeys +thinker
Venue: The Brook
Goldfrapp
Venue: The Guildhall
29
The Fall
Venue: The Brook
The Black Seeds
Venue:Soul Cellar
5