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Issue 49 - April
2015
MENT ISSUE
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Hudson Taylor: The big interview
The student survival guide
May’s upcoming films
The benefits of having a cat
Our top spring beauty tips
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Issue 49 - April 2015
Victoria Hydes, Editor
Aged 14-24 and want
to get involved with
VOXX magazine?
Then join our dedicated team
of volunteers and see your
articles and photographs
published! It’s a great way to
earn industry experience and
will be sure to help with your
portfolio.
Interested? Get in touch by
sending an email to:
[email protected]
CONTENTS
EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION
6 The student survival guide
Hi there and welcome
to VOXX. This month’s
issue not only has
that fresh spring vibe
but is jam packed
with entertainment,
featuring interviews,
reviews, previews and
more! Worrying about
your upcoming exams?
Fear not as we’ve got
you covered for that as
well. So sit back with a
nice drink and enjoy.
Victoria x
STYLE AND FASHION
38 Spring beauty tips
40 Blooming spring florals
MUSIC & FILM
14 Review: The Wind Rises
15 Animated classics
16 Upcoming film releases
17 Review: Cinderella
20 Olly Murs at Sheffield
22 Hudson Taylor
26 Music @ Lincoln Imp
28 The Music Room
30 The Answer
32 Simple Minds
33 The Vaccines
34 Country2Country festival
GAMING AND TECH
18 Crossy Road app
19 Latest tech trends
DISCLAIMER: VOXX is published monthly by
CPO Media, Grimsby. The views expressed
are not necessarily those of the editorial
team or publisher. The editor reserves the
right to omit/edit articles.
ETC.
4 Feline friends
8 The 2015 General Election
10 Photography showcase
12 VOXX column
36 Funny Scunny
37 The Warehouse
42 Spring craft projects
VOXX
Feline Friends
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4 voxxonline.com
VOXX
By Leanne Phillips
MEOW!
A HEALTHY HEART
FORGET FAILURE
According to research, cat owners are less
likely to die from heart attacks. The study
showed that people with cats have a 30%
reduced risk of death from a heart attack
than people without cats. A follow up study
also proved that owning a cat decreased
the risk of death from all cardiovascular
diseases, including strokes.
It doesn’t matter how many times they fall,
cats will always get up and try again. They
have a resilient spirit, showing us that just
because you make mistakes doesn’t mean
that you can’t achieve the success you want
for yourself in the long run. They have nine
lives for a reason after all.
SERIOUS SNOOZERS
PERFECT PURR
HILARIOUS HAPPENINGS
Cats value the importance of sleep, and
look super adorable doing it. Having a little
midday nap can improve your alertness,
memory, creativity and overall mood. So if
you don’t fancy napping alone, curl up to
your furry friend for a cosy twenty minutes
of shut eye.
The purring your cat does can help lower
stress levels as well as blood pressure. The
purr vibrations that cats can create fall
between 20 to 140 Hertz, a frequency that
is said to be medically helpful for numerous
illnesses. So get scratching behind your
kitty’s ears.
Ask any cat owner and they will tell you
that they are as funny as they are cute. It’s
impossible not to laugh at their playful little
mishaps, which provides many benefits
for us. Research found that just watching
twenty minutes of funny cat videos can
assist in improving short term memory.
voxxonline.com 5
VOXX
VOXX
THE Student Survival Guide
It’s final exam period which means for some
of you there’s plenty of stressful last-minute
revision to do for your school, college or
university tests. You might also be worrying
about how the transition from one level to
another might go. But if you find yourselves
in this position then fear not, we’ve got you
covered with these top tips...
FOR EXAM PREP:
1. Don’t revise all night as after so long
information stops going in. Get plenty of rest and
you’ll find you’re naturally much more relaxed.
Try to also have short breaks between long
stretches of reading, or do some kind of activity
to enhance your learning other ways. It will be
much more productive.
2. Do what’s right for you. Just because your
friends all have their textbooks out making notes
doesn’t mean you have to too. Everyone learns
differently so a change in revision technique
could be all you need, even if it means using
small objects to count with or watching a film
with the mind to study its messages.
3. Getting someone else to test you or setting
up mock exams with past papers can help you
get a feel for the pressure of the day itself where
you’re put on the spot with a time limit for your
answer and limited resources. If you’ve been
through it before and worked out your pacing, it
should be easier next time.
4. Make sure you’re prepared the night before
the exam. Don’t spend the night doing last
minute revision. If it hasn’t gone in now, it’s not
6 voxxonline.com
likely to run any deeper in a few hours. Instead,
get together your equipment and a drink ready
for the morning and focus on getting a good
night’s sleep so you can be up bright and early
for a spot of breakfast that should give you an
added boost to start the day.
FOR COURSEWORK:
1. Try to get finished as soon as possible with the
basic outline of your essay. You can always go
back over it later and fill in the blanks or tidy up
the structure. What’s most important at first is
getting your ideas down on paper. The rest can
evolve from there and it will be less daunting
having something already on the page.
2. You’re running out of time and you have loads
left to do! In this instance, take ten minutes or
so to come up with a schedule. Prioritise your
subjects and assign a certain length of time
for each piece of work. If you have the drive to
carry on with something that’s fantastic, but
having a plan will make you at least have a go at
something you’ve been putting off.
FOR PROGRESSION:
1. It’s natural to be worried about moving up to
college or going away to university, but by now
the hard bit’s over. If you’re at this point you will
have already made your decisions. It’s just a case
now of turning up and giving it a go. Everyone
is in the same boat so there’s no reason to feel
alone, and unlike in school, everyone is likely to
be nice to you as they also want to be able to
make new friends. Establish a connection with
people as soon as you can to avoid that new lost
and lonely feeling.
voxxonline.com 7
VOXX
VOXX
2015 General
Election
A SUMMARY
Voting is a tricky one. Most of you probably won’t vote, perhaps down to laziness but likely
down to confusion over who to vote for. By now you should have registered, and we have a brief
summary of the four leading parties’ general positions regarding a number of important policies to
young people in the country.
HOW
DOES
VOTING
WORK?
General Elections tend to be held in May every five years and they are
made up of 650 individual elections across England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland. Each of these ‘constiuencies’ will have their own MP of a
party based on the votes in that area. You are voting for your local MP.
The winners will hold a seat in Parliament and the party with the
majority vote overall, meaning they have won over more than half the
seats available in the House of Commons, will be the ones to run the
government.
If no party wins more than half the seats, it is called a hung parliament.
In this situation parties can band together like the Conservatives and
Liberal Democrats did in 2010, forming a coalition. Otherwise the party
with the majority will try to govern the country at a risk of lacking support
and forcing another election.
CONSERVATIVE
LABOUR
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
UKIP
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
IMMIGRATION
IMMIGRATION
IMMIGRATION
IMMIGRATION
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
HOUSING
HOUSING
HOUSING
HOUSING
WELFARE
WELFARE
WELFARE
WELFARE
> Increase spending
> Train 5000 GPs
> Seven Day health access by 2020
> Named GP for NHS patients
> Four years in UK to claim certain benefits
> Nothing for dependents outside UK
> Reform EU freedom of movement
> Tougher re-entry bans for beggars
> Protect school funding per pupil
> Good primary school place for all children
> Create 500 more free schools by 2020
> Zero tolderance for failing schools
> 200,000 homes for first time buyers at 20% off
> ISA’s for first time buyers to aid in deposits
> Low mortgage rates for financial security
> Help to Buy equity loan scheme by 2020
> Freeze in working age benefits for two years
> Household benefit cap to £23,000
> No housing benefit for 18-21 year olds
> Ban zero-hour contracts that bar other work
8 voxxonline.com
> Extra £2.5bn funds each year
> Repeal Health and Social Care Act
> Integrate NHS and council run service
> End 15 minute care visits
> 1000 new border staff, proper exit checks
> Illegal for employers to undercut British
> Public secotr workers must speak English
> Two year wait before EU migration benefits
> Cut university tuition by £3000
> Education budget to rise with inflation
> Guaranteed childcare for primary children
> Cap class sizes at 30 for 5-7 year olds
> 200,000 homes a year by 2020
> Long term tenancy, cap on rent increase
> Banks to fund 125,000 new homes
> More affordable homes
> Guarantted jobs for under 25s after a year
> Scrap bedroom tax housing benefit changes
> Higher rate of JSA for the longer you worked
> Cap structural welfare spending
> £8bn per year more funding by 2020
> Integrate health budgets
> £500m extra per year for mental health
> Cut mental health waiting
> Restore full entry/exit border checks
> End indefinite detention for immigration
> Those with poor English take language course
> No child benefit for children outside the UK
> Qualified teachers, core curriculum, sex ed.
> Ringfence education budget for 2-19 year olds
> End child illiteracy by 2025
> 15 hours per week free childcare after leave
> Increase house building to 300,000 per year
> At least 10 new Garden Cities
> 30,000 rent to own homes by 2020
> Ban landlords offering poorly insulated homes
> Cap benefit rise at 1% per year for two years
> Scrap housing benefit cuts for spare rooms
> Carer’s bonus of £250 per year by 2020
> Yellow card to warn before benefit loss
> Extra £3bn per year for NHS
> Keep NHS free at point of use
> Open GPs at least one evening per week
> Extra £1bn per year for social care
> Points system to choose suitable migrants
> Set up a Migration Control Commission
> Extra 2,500 border staff
> Five years in UK before migrants get benefits
> Allow schools to become grammar schools
> Scrap sex ed. for children under 11
> Parents/governers get power to issue OFSTED
> Scrap fees for poor students in maths subjects
> Prioritise social housing for those born locally
> Make it easier to build on developed land
> Brownfield agency to provide grants/loans
> Referendums on major planning decisions
> Scrap housing benefit charges for spare rooms
> Restrict child benefit to two children in the UK
> Raise carer’s allowance
> End ATOS style disability benefit assessment
voxxonline.com 9
VOXX
VOXX
Portfolio photography
By Amy Burns
Photography is something
I love because of the way it
allows you to explore and
observe the world from
unlimited perspectives.
There are unlimited chances
as well – if you make a mistake,
you can just try again and take
another shot.
It involves freedom,
creativity and an opportunity
to capture a moment, an
atmosphere, a feeling – and
that in itself is priceless.
For my dad, photographs
represent memories because
they bring back his memories
to him, and that too is
invaluable.
In the words of Roger Kingston:
“The camera is a save button
for the mind’s eye.”
10 voxxonline.com
voxxonline.com 11
VOXX
VOXX Column
The possibilities
that home has
to offer
It’s that time of the year again
when we’re deciding which university
we’re going to head off to, or which
path we’ll take once we leave school.
We’re eager to get out of our small
hometown and set off to do bigger
and better things. But just wait a
minute, this isn’t our only option.
Apparently our area isn’t deemed
one of opportunity. There’s not much
going on, there aren’t enough job
opportunities, and geographically,
we’re at the end of the line. At
college, I was told to apply for the
top universities at the big cities
because these were the only places I
could do great things.
But that’s not all true!
In the arts department especially,
we’re soaring. The music scene
is huge, drama and performance
is on the rise with events being
held surprisingly often, and quite a
large amount of funding is heading
our way (probably thanks to our
appearance on Skint).
The only issue we have is that the
best of our young generation are all
being encouraged to move away and
help towards the success of other
regions and cities. But the town
needs us young folk to keep things
going!
Just think how awesome it would
be to work in a field that’s not
already widely popular and have a
completely blank slate to work up
from. It’s hard, sure, but it’s totally
doable.
Take this very magazine for
example, every day more writers are
getting involved and more readers
are discovering its content.
Moving away isn’t the only option
for finding success. That same
success can be found right here at
home; you’ve just got to know where
to look for it and how to break into
it. But when we find that, we can be
a huge part of the restoration of our
hometown and we can have a great
time doing it.
So if moving away isn’t your thing,
don’t panic, because there’s plenty
to keep you busy here.
Amy Naylor x
12 voxxonline.com
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VOXX
VOXX
The Wind Rises
The Review
Don’t let the animation fool you. The Wind
Rises is a fascinating and heartfelt biographical
film about a young aircraft engineer and his life
throughout the war in Japan.
The films of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki have
this unique way of capturing the magic of everyday
people in extraordinary situations, tugging at
your emotions and blowing your mind. From the
fantastical exploits of dragons and magic in Spirited
Away to the grit and determination of students
to save an old building in From Up On Poppy Hill,
there is never a forgettable moment, and this one
is no exception to the rule. You can tell a Ghibli film
almost instantly by its sheer beauty.
Inspired by Italian aeronautical designer Caproni,
Jiro Horikoshi dreams of flying and designing
beautiful aircrafts. When he finds out he is unable
to be a pilot due to shortsightedness, he turns his
attention to engineering, and will later become
one of the world’s most innovative airplane
designers. His story is played out through various
periods of his life, including the Great Kanto
Earthquake of 1923, the depression, and the illness
of his sweetheart as Japan plunges into war.
Though littered with technicalities about aircraft
design that may not necessarily be of much
interest, the true humanity of this real man’s
situation shines out like sunbeams. You can really
feel for him and his family. His survivial and will
to help others through disaster; His dreams of
working with planes; His desperation to find and
marry the love of his life before her condition
takes her over the edge. This is an ordinary man
just trying to live his life and it gives an important
message on working through the hard times, and
though slow in parts it’s another sentimental and
truly mesmerising story that will leave you lost for
words as the credits roll.
14 voxxonline.com
Must see animated films
By Leanne Phillips
I love animated films, but I’ve
noticed that some of the ones I love
the most have never even been
seen by people I know. So, with that
in mind, here’s a list of movies that
if you haven’t seen, you have to
make space in your schedule for.
The Toy Story Series
A lot of people including me
grew up watching these films, and
as Andy aged, we aged with him.
The series deals with the issues
that most adults went through
and the ones children will have to
face. If you haven’t seen all of the
films then I recommend a Toy Story
movie marathon, just don’t forget
to stock up on tissues for the sad
parts!
Finding Nemo
A story about an over-protective
clownfish who travels the ocean
searching for his son, this movie is
packed with humour and emotion,
not to mention characters you’ll
never forget. In my opinion, there
are quite a few life lessons to be
learnt from this film, but I must
warn you that there’ll be some
songs you’ll have stuck in your head
for days after watching...
Bambi
Friendship, humour, tragedy...
This film has it all. In this movie we
follow the story of a fawn called
Bambi, as he makes friends with the
other animals and grows up with
his father teaching him everything
he needs to know. There are scenes
that will make you cry, and ones
that will make you laugh. This
Disney classic will be one you’ll
never forget.
The Lion King
One of the most popular Disney
films, the movie shows us the story
of a lion cub’s journey to adulthood
and acceptance of his royal destiny.
There are some heartbreaking
moments, but these are balanced
out by the humour a warthog and
his meerkat friend provides. With
songs you’ll be singing along to and
beautiful artwork, this film is a must
see and my all time favourite!
Spirited Away
Full of invention, excitement and
wit, the film follows a little girl who
is lost in a strange and mystical
land. After making friends with
a boy who lives there, she is told
she must work and take on a new
name, or she might never be able to
leave. This is a film for those people
who love anything to do with the
supernatural, and will have viewers
fascinated by the world around
them.
Despicable Me
If you’ve never seen this film
then the strange little yellow things
called Minions that are just about
everywhere probably mean nothing
to you. This being the case, you
need to make some time and watch
this film, because if you’re in need
of a laugh, it will most definitely
provide a whole bunch! It’s a family
friendly treat, as well as surprisingly
thoughtful.
voxxonline.com 13...
15
VOXX
MAY Cinema RELEASES
HOT PURSUIT, 08/05/2015
ACTION/COMEDY
Join an inept police
officer in the form of
Reese Witherspoon,
taking a road trip with the
widow of a drug dealer
in order to protect her
from criminals and dirty
policemen.
THE AGE OF ADALINE, 08/05/2015
DRAMA/ROMANCE
What would happen if
you never aged? After
miraculously remaining
29 years old for decades
on end, Adaline has lived
alone, never allowing
herself to get close to
anyone, but when a
certain man walks into
her life, how long can she
keep her secret for?
TOMORROWLAND, 22/05/2015
ADVENTURE/MYSTERY/SCI-FI
After coming into the
possession of a strange
ring, a bright and
optimistic teenage girl
teams up with a former
boy genius inventor on a
fantastical and dangerous
journey through a place
that exists somewhere in
their collective memory
known as Tomorrowland.
SAN ANDREAS, 29/05/2015
ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER
When a massive
earthquake hits California
it brings devastation along
with it. The film follows
the dangerous journey
of a rescue pilot trying to
make his way across the
state to save his estranged
daughter.
PITCH PERFECT 2, 15/05/2015
COMEDY/MUSICAL
16 voxxonline.com
The Bellas are back in
this anticipated sequel
to comedy Pitch
Perfect. Beca and
the girls have some
tough international
competition ahead
of them, but all
are determined to
perform their best
and do America
proud.
These and more
in cinemas soon
VOXX
CINDERELLA
The Review
Cinderella tugs at your heartstrings right from
the off. This timeless story opens in classic fairytale
style with narration and multiple short scenes, at a
happy time when her family was whole. After the
sad death of her parents, Ella is forced to live with
her step-mother and step-sisters, which is where
the tale really begins.
Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, and this
latest adaptation carries it surprisingly well, making
you instantly dislike the other girls and feel for the
pretty orphan slave. Ella’s innocence and purity
shines through actor Lily James with radiance, a
brilliant contrast to Cate Blanchett’s character of
Lady Tremaine, who appears to naturally ooze
distastefulness. Add in more great casting such as
Helena Bonham-Carter as the fairy godmother and
you’ve got a stellar line up of talent.
Unlike with other recent adaptations of classic
fairytales, Cinderella hasn’t turned into some
fierce warrior. It’s just stripped right back, pure and
simple, as it should be – a working girl who finds
her Prince Charming... literally.
Watching as someone in the 21st century, the
messages and conventions seem rather archaic,
but that just adds to the authenticity, and the
settings are so beautifully crafted you actually
believe you’ve been absorbed right into a mystical
kingdom.
It’s not spectacular by any means, but it is still
a fantastical heartwarming story of love, loss and
a little bit of magic and wonder. While perhaps
a little slow for children with the disappointing
lack of colourful effects until the second half and
no singing animals, if you’re a fan of Cinderella
or fairytales in general seeing this should be a
no brainer. Cinderella is a bite sized release from
reality, that while traditional, makes you believe in
the inevitable happily ever after.
voxxonline.com 17
VOXX
TECH NEWS TEC
H NEWS TECH N
EWS
VOXX
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To beat his high score of course!
Mobile app Crossy Road is totally
stupid yet totally awesome, and it will
take your whole life away.
It never ceases to amaze how such
simplistic games and become such a
success, and Crossy Road is one of these
games to jump onto the bandwagon of
popularity.
Similarly to classic Frogger from times
gone by, the game sees you trying to
cross roaring roads and treacherous
torrents in order to get as far as you
can without being killed. The further
you get, the higher your score and you
could find yourself in with some serious
competition from friends and family.
The gameplay style of timing your
moves and hopping forwards past
various obstacles is addictive in itself.
Add in the fact that you can also use
collected coins to unlock new characters
and you're onto a sure winner. Some
characters can even be collected for
fulfilling certain requirements in game.
Collecting all the characters is hard and
this helps spur you on to keep playing.
Hours on end have been lost on this
silly little mobile app, a full battery
drained down to its absolute limit. Now
if that's not a game worth trying out,
what is? And best of all, unless you plan
on speeding things up by buying the
characters, it's completely free!
So join your hipster whale or poopy
pigeon and start jumping for survival and
glory.
18 voxxonline.com
CROSSY
ROAD
mobile world congress
showcases fancy new tech
By Leanne Phillips
The Mobile World Congress, an event that brings together
the biggest names in technology, has drawn to a close in
Barcelona. Plenty of new phones and gadgets have been
revealed to the public, but some stood out more than
others.
East Asian giants, such as Samsung and HTC, dominated
the proceedings, launching the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, and
the HTC One M9 respectively. But HTC had a surprise
up its sleeve, also announcing the HTC Vive; a virtual
reality gaming headset. The company is hoping
to have it on the market before the end of
this year, as are the many people who are
planning to add it to their Christmas lists.
Smartwatches took centre stage in the
arena, as companies like LG and Pebble
exhibited the gadgets. The LG Watch
Urbane is their latest creation, as
they shied away from showcasing a
flagship smartphone, instead opting to
display a series of mid-range models.
Pebble Time Steel, the customisable
smartwatch launched by American
company Pebble, made a big splash as
it comes just a week after the Pebble
Time watch raised more than $15m on
Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site.
In a nutshell, the event was a
whirlwind of smartphones, VR headsets
and wearable technology, but more is yet
to come, as Apple is set to reveal more
details about the new Apple Watch soon too.
I’m sure Santa will be getting a lot of technology
requests this year.
VOXX
VOXX
On March 31 I had the privilege of attending
the Opening night of the Olly Murs 2015 tour,
as a Christmas present, thanks to my mum. My
last and only ever experience of a concert was
when I was seven, so it was an exciting prospect.
The atmosphere was fresh and the arena was
extremely spacious, open and friendly.
I was lucky to be seated on the floor, at the
very foot of the stage, as a result of my mum’s
diligence in surfing the web, being in the know for
the exact moment the tickets were put on sale.
From our seats on row 19, the faces of both Ella
and Olly were clearly visible without the necessity
of the big screens onto which cameras were
magnifying the epicentre of the performance –
the prized features of the singers’ faces; capturing
every motion of the mouth, the eagerness in their
eyes and the keen spirits held behind them.
Rising artist Ella Eyre, who is the supporting act
on Olly’s 2015 tour, emerged onto the stage at
7:30 on the dot, dressed in a signature skin-tight
bodysuit; a red and black playing card joker-styled
outfit which Olly commented was ‘very revealing’
and apparently ‘left not a lot to the imagination.’
Singing a whole host of up and coming songs such
as Gravity, If I Go, Deeper and Comeback, paired
with lively frolicking, the crowd soon livened
up, appreciating the young artist’s obvious, raw
talent. With the gift of a powerful and vocallyelastic voice, Ella struck all the notes on key and
her band supported her well. The overall sound
produced was intense and the crowd loved every
minute of it; rising in rumbles whenever the hint
of a hit played knowingly on the bassist’s guitar.
After the initial performance, there was a short
interval and a speedy, smooth transition onstage
whilst out in the foyer queues the size of The
Great Wall of China built up outside the Ladies’.
Chart music videos played on the screens and in
the background until the main crescendo arrived.
Olly was initially introduced via a summary
video on the big screen, made of an assortment
of clips that changed as fast as rapid-fire. Tension
was built well in the midst of the shadows and
mist of the stage adjustments. The poser was
pictured in his signature trilby hat highlighted
by a background of luminous yellow pixels. The
crowd by this point were going wild with excited
anticipation and a flurry of cries could be heard
20 voxxonline.com
from giddy teenagers and grown men alike; but
still no sign of the man himself.
All at once a countdown began like the ones
seen at the start of old movies and 7,6,5…1.
The countdown skipped to one, the lights
instantaneously rose, revealing Olly’s dramatic
entrance had already occurred. He was
positioned at the very front in the middle of the
stage, a mad grin plastered all over his face.
And so the show began with the jovial tune
Did you miss me? ringing out alongside lots of
bouncing and bounding around the stage. Olly
then hurtled his way through a collection of his
new songs to give the crowd a taste of his new
path. The song Never Been Better was performed,
followed by a sorrowful Nothing without you and
LED phone lights lit up the darkened arena.
After introducing his backing singers with
friendly chit chat, Olly performed some of his
popular previous songs such as Heart skips a beat
and Dear Darlin’ in an instrumental fashion. The
main backing tune was provided from a grand
piano that retreated down into the stage along
with the pianist.
During the performance of Dear Darlin’, a
bridge was lowered from the ceiling leading to
a stage at the other end of the stadium. The
crowd were astounded again, just like at the start,
but Olly just continued and began singing and
dancing to the song Dance with me along the
bridge to the other stage, encouraging the crowds
to sing along with him.
When the song was over he rested, feet
dangling of the stage, casually chatting to the
crowd as if he’d known them all his life. Clips sent
in from fans performing his songs and offering
messages played on the big screen had the crowd
amused, whilst Olly seized the moment to take a
well-deserved breather and a drink.
After a quick change of clothes after a sweat
patch wardrobe malfunction, more of his new
songs including Seasons and Let me in echoed
out in the arena and bright colours and shapes
danced on the pixels behind him.
To top off the performance, Olly invited Ella to
perform in a duo in the recent song Up, featuring
Ella instead of Demi Lovato. Hope you got what
you came for was then fittingly played as the
encore and Olly bowed out to Sheffield.
Olly
Murs
The
Review
By Amy Burns
voxxonline.com 21
VOXX
VOXX
HUDSON
TAYLOR
ON MUSIC, TOURING
AND FINDING SUCCESS
VOXX spoke to Hudson Taylor’s Alfie to get the lowdown on
their career so far, what they’ve learned along the way and
what we can expect in the future.
22 voxxonline.com
So you started out as Harry + Alfie uploading
YouTube videos. Do you believe this was a good
way to get noticed?
I think it was a brilliant way to get noticed.
How we first started was playing to a group of
people on the beach on a family holiday and
after playing to them a couple of times, well
we were only there for two weeks and then
when we left they said: "Put up a Youtube video
and a Youtube account so you can start putting
videos up.” So we were like, ok, we'll give it a
go, so we put up one cover and then we learnt
all our first views were from Germany, which
was pretty cool. We kept on putting up covers
after that and then a few of our friends found
out about it and it got shared around with a few
people in like the very early days of Youtube. It
was just a really good way to sort of see what
was going on. We found with every video we
put up it started getting more views and more
shares and stuff like that, and it was a really
good to gauge where you are. Then when we
started writing songs it was the same. We could
get a direct response to if people liked the song
or not from what people were saying because
you can read the comments and stuff, so it was
very positive in that way. But I think it's very
important when you're starting out, depending
on your sort of music, to spread yourself out
as much as possible. Youtube is a really good
platform beaucse it's like your music being out
without properly releasing it and selling it. You
know, you can just do a one shot video and put
it up, which obviously gets you shares, but we
also like busking and doing the live music to
get our point across as well. Spending time in
many areas is never a bad thing. If you focus on
one thing too much you're just losing out on so
much opportunity. So I think the best way to get
noticed is to a bit of everything all together.
What made you change your name to Hudson
Taylor?
Well as you know we started out as Harry and
Alfie but that's just our names. We're actually
brothers and Hudson Taylor is our second name,
so when it came to deciding that we were going
to start doing this seriously as a band things
were different. Harry and Alfie was just a little
bit of fun and because we needed a name to so
voxxonline.com 23
VOXX
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go out with but when we started putting the
EP together and stuff we found Harry and Alfie
didn’t really work because when you added all
the instruments on like the drums and bass and
piano and stuff so we thought that Harry and
Aflie sort of excludes the other people in the
band, and yeah it just worked out pretty well.
Thankfully we have a second name that sounds
like a band name. Initially we had loads of band
Thankfully we have a
second name that sounds
like a band name.
names in the mix, awful names actually so I
won’t repeat them. Then we just came up with
Hudson Taylor which is pretty easy to find. It just
clicked and caught on.
Cool, so you’ve supported some great artists
such as Jake Bugg. Did you learn a lot from
these tours?
Absolutely, yeah. I think just touring in general
you learn so much, travelling and playing to
new audiences every night. Jake was really
sound and actually taught us a lot. I think the
first tour we every did was with Jake when we
were touring the UK and Ireland, and it was
just something we’d never ever done before
so it was a totally new experience for us but
a really, really valuable experience as well. He
actually invited us out again recently to tour
with him again at the end of last year, which was
absolutely buzzing. It was great playing for a
different crowd every night and good to play to
people who hadn’t seen or heard us before and
will then go on about it. In everything you do if
you just play the best you can, you can make the
most out of it if you want to. The best thing was
the opportunity to play in front of like 10,000
people.
We've had a listen to your debut album
Singing For Strangers and your sound seems
to have matured a lot since the early days. Is
this something that was obvious to you when
writing the album?
Well from the very beginning we've been
quite folky. We have obviously developed over
the years. We've experimented with many
genres, we moved to London when we were
quite young. We wanted to focus on really
personalising our sound as well, and that has
reflected on our music in a lot of ways. I feel that
naturally, the more songs you write, the better
you get and the more you understand it and
stuff. And yeah the album, I think we had to be
happy with it. We had a vision and there was a
lot of trial and error. There were things we tried
but they didn't quite work. And then we had to
record it again until we finally got it and we sort
of knew what sound we were going for in the
end and were really happy with how it turned
out.
And how have your fans responded to the
album so far?
It's been really good and we actually got to
release it in Ireland first where we're from and
that was really nice. It was a really nice being
able to release the album and also getting
a better feel about what other people think
about it. No one else had really heard from
us for two years or really heard the songs as
we'd been holding them back but it was nice
to finally eventually get people's opinions on it.
We’re just really grateful to
anyone who has listened.
We got to hear our songs on the radio though,
stuff like that, that was pretty cool. And people
have been really nice and said really, really nice
Buy the album Singing For Strangers, out now
24 voxxonline.com
things about it and we're just really grateful
to anyone who has listened. I'm so happy that
the people who have been following us have
waited so long as well who have been asking for
an album for a long time. We wanted it to be
out months ago but it has been really beneficial
waiting because in that time we've got to tour
and stuff and learned a little bit more. But yeah,
the response has been amazing so far and that
was when it was just out in Ireland so we were
excited to see what happened when it came out
in the UK. It was interesting the last time we
toured the UK because the album wasn't out
here yet so we were just amazed how people
knew all the words to the songs that we hadn't
We were just amazed how
people knew all the words
to the songs that we
hadn’t even released yet.
even released yet. We're really interested to
see where it goes from here.
That's good then, but have you also received
any negative criticism and if so how do you
cope with that?
We've not really seen much negativity around
it to be honest. It's been really nice and that.
Negative stuff, you're always gonna get it, in
anything really, especially online where anyone
can give their opinion about anything. I think
you just have to stay true to what you are. I
mean, one person's comment isn't going to
make me change everything I do. It's really
just, you know, the nature of it I suppose. So
you shouldn't take it to heart and don't even
respond. If you can respond do a James Blunt
on it and think of something really witty to
respond back. But yeah, We've not really had
anything where we've gone or been really hurt
by it or anything like that. Everybody we've
spoke to has just been really really nice and
again we're just so grateful that people are
coming to the shows and are buying our album
and taking the time to listen to us. And even if
someone doesn't like it, it does at least mean
they've listened to us in some form, you know?
Great. So what can we expect next from
Hudson Taylor?
We've already started thinking about our
second album basically and it really helps in a
way having the time that we had on the first
album to really work on things and experience
things and try things, like trying lots of different
producers and stuff. It helps us with learning
and deciding what we want to do in the future.
And we think that the next album is going to
be a lot easier to do in terms of song writing
and recording because we know more about
how to do it. I think with our first album we've
achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve
and it sounds just like we wanted it to sound.
And really we just want to play live as much as
possible over the next couple of years while
we write and record. We already have a few
songs in the backburner that we haven't used
because we were saving them and stuff, so
that's sort of not giving away a lot but a bit of
expectation I suppose. But yeah, playing live
as much as possible is something we're really
excited about.
Ok, so one final question with a slightly
different vibe: If you could form a supergroup
with anyone of your choosing, dead or alive,
who would you pick?
Well I'd probably just bring everybody back
from the dead. I don't know, maybe John
Lennon. He'd definitely be a good a person to
have in a band. Who else? John Lennon, ooh
this is hard. Freddie Mercury... I'm just trying
to think what would be funny and what would
be really cool and people who would actually
sound alright. Paul Simons as well, and I'd also
have to go with someone more recent, like how
funny would the rehearsal be if you had Kanye
West in there? I just think there'd be so many
fights. Maybe not Kanye West actually, we'll just
go with the first three.
voxxonline.com 25
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VOXX
Lincoln Imp
War Games
Between Waves/The Holy Orders/
Treason Kings/The Valours
Southern Massachusetts rockers War Games
blessed Scunthorpe with their presence as part
of their UK Tour. Playing with popular local
bands Coaves and Native Braves I was a little
anxious to how they would win the crowd over.
However this is something that they seemed
to do naturally, the bands infectious hooks
matched with Therriens powerful vocals kept
the audience engrossed.
All in all it was a show worth seeing.
By Hana Harrison
As I walked into the Lincoln Imp on Tuesday
28 March I was greeted with the sounds of
opening act Between Waves, a female fronted
band from North Wales. The band played a
solid set with the band complementing Helen’s
sultry vocals, the energy within their set was
inspiring.
Next on stage were Hull band The Holy
Orders, I get excited every time I watch these
guys play and this time wasn’t any different,
they took to the stage to play an energy filled
set filled with heavy guitar and solid drums
with Matt’s rather distinct vocals. Following
them was Treason Kings, a band who has
oodles of energy, generating a huge amount of
noise throughout the whole venue.
Headlining the night
was Leeds band
Valours, a band that
quickly engaged the
crowd and kept their
energy throughout the
show. The hard hitting
guitar, thunderous
drums and Jack’s
vocals make you feel
there is meaning
behind every song.
26 voxxonline.com
Treason Kings
Upcoming Events
14 MAY
5 JUNE
Stop Drop Robot,
Frankie & The Heartstrings,
Supported by Night Flowers and Native Braves Supported by One Under and The Verals
15 MAY
The Silence,
Supported by Your Illuminations and Jack
Scantily
16 MAY
Luxury Stranger,
Supported by Your Cat is a Landline and
Negative Panda
22 MAY
Big Nothing (f.k.a Scouts),
Supported by Yawning Dog and Kanteen
The Valours
1 JUNE
Mapped Out Tour,
Support to be announced
26 JUNE
Scout Killers,
Supported by Lazy Eye and Simon York
10 JULY
Native Braves,
Supported by Luxury Stranger, Ravens, The
Franceens and Gonzos
18 JULY
Euphoria Audio,
Supported by A Mouth Full of Matches
voxxonline.com 27
VOXX
The Maccabees
upcoming
4th album
After a stint of silence, May 11 will
see the new fourth album by The
Maccabees, Marks To Prove It, released
through Fiction Records. The single of
the same name, included in the album,
is classically Maccabees with a catchy
indie feel. Pacing changes throughout to
keep things interesting and the soft music
complements the vocals well. It’s a fitting
taste of things to come when the album
finally finally hits the shelves.
Lonely The Brave Special Release
Cambridge-based
quartet Lonely The
Brave are set to
re-release a special
version of their
stunning debut album
The Day’s War on
June 1. The new
Victory Edition will
feature 12 previously
unreleased tracks,
including four that are
brand new.
The album
originally charted in
the top 15 last year
as well as hitting #1 in
the UK Rock Chart so
this is a release that’s
not to be missed.
28 voxxonline.com
Lawson:
The
Music
Room
VOXX
What’s hot in the world of music
right now
their new
single roads Years and Years: Communion
Roads, the latest single
by rockers Lawson, will
soon be released and it’s
the kind of track to spark
your attention.
A funky sound
accompanied by strong
vocals and meaningful
lyrics make up Roads,
establishing a positive base
for their future releases.
The catchy beat and fast
tempo have you mindlessly
tapping along with your
feet and we’d imagine
it’ll take a while for this
feelgood track to get old.
Years & Years have announced the release of their highly anticipated
debut album Communion on June 22. This follows a sold out tour and
number one single King, and they’ll also be back on the road once
again this summer. You can check out their latest single Worship on
soundcloud now.
voxxonline.com 29
VOXX
THE ANSWER
PLAY THE YARDBIRDS
We had the pleasure of catching up with one of
Northern Irish Rockers ‘The Answer’ before they
took to the stage in Grimsby. Here is what Paul
had to say...
You started out 15 years ago, things were a
little different at that point. Now bands use the
internet, spotify, facebook etc. How did you guys
go about getting out there?
Lots of playing, at the beginning there was an old
circuit you would go and play, bars, pubs, clubs.
We just did that and got the odd support slot and
the odd festival and just through doing that and
recording a couple of demos we got some interest
firstly from management in London and they
helped us find a record label and agents. I guess
just the time old way of doing it, pubs and clubs
and homing our craft until someone noticed.
How do you feel about spotify and facebook?
Its good and bad I think, obviously how instant it
is very gratifying and exciting. As a kid the first real
big tech change in music was mini disks, I think I
heard you could have every dire straits album on
a mini disk and that was pretty cool. Now its like if
30 voxxonline.com
you think of a song any time any place you can get
it and in theory that’s very cool. What I find has
happened though is before you had spotify and
iTunes there wasn’t the single thing and people
would go buy a whole album for that one song.
One hit wonders etc. would sell a whole album
off the back of one song, now it’s the difference
between £9.99 and 99p so that’s quite bad if
you do the maths. It also kills curiosity vibes. If
there was an album you liked you’d get it. Now
you’d stream it on spotify or go on youtube and
someone’s put it up so it’s different.
Records seem to be coming back, does that work
out for you guys?
Certainly. Our audience, a lot of them are from
the classic rock era of the 70’s ansd 80’s. When
we first started selling merch we only had CDs.
Everyone was like ‘Where are your vinyls’ so it’s
something we got and it always sells and its quite
a good revenue for bands I think.
You’ve played with some pretty interesting artists
such as ACDC and Rolling Stones. Have you
picked up anything from them musically or from
their showmanship?
The concert room was packed
with a mix of fans, some who
had obviously been following The
Answer for the last 15 years and
some younger fans who will of
caught onto the band somewhere
along the road. The amount of
people and the excitement in the
room is something you rarely see
at local gigs these days.
Opening up the gig where
German band The Picturebooks.
The duo play raw blues infused
garage rock. Looking up on stage
it was hard to believe the noise
of thunderous drums, dirty guitar
riffs and howling vocals were
coming from two people.
Next Norfolk rockers Bad Touch
took to the stage, a band full
of rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Their
music also had some blues rock
influence which worked well with
the obvious classic rock influence
they have.
When headliners The Answer
took to the stage you could feel
the excitement in the room. The
band played a set mixed with the
heavy blues rock off their fifth
album Raise A Little Hell as well
as some older hits. They had an
amazing energy that transferred
to the crowd, their experience of
touring shone through and it was
obvious the band still knew how
engage with the smaller crowds.
There were a lot of feet moving
and hair flying everywhere from
both the band and the audience.
It was genuinely an absolute
pleasure to have The Answer in
Grimsby and they put on a show
that will be hard to beat.
Yeah you pick up a little bit. We only did two
shows with The Rolling Stones so it was more
just blown away by the magnitude of it and the
whole showbiz element on and off stage with
them guys, its all another level! With AC/DC it
was different, a tour just as big but we was with
them for a year and a half so we became part of it
and we saw them everyday. You see guys in their
mid 50s running around stage still for an hour and
a half and it inspires you and you learn how to
work the bigger audiences. You learn what AC/DC
songs are working in big arenas and stadiums, and
every crowd they play the reactions are the same
so something they’ve done has crossed all those
boundaries and everyone gets it straight away. It’s
very simple but it’s very clever. It’s very hard to
write but we looked at it and I’d like to think we
did learn a little something from. We were able to
take a little of that and put it into our songs.
How does it feel doing the massive shows then
playing small venues like The Yardbirds?
It’s something that’s quite normal for us because
going back to that tour, we had been twice before
but we’d done south by south west in Texas for
the first album. Then we did it again two years
VOXX
later and did some shows in LA that time, but they
were small shows like this so we hadn’t toured
properly. Then we were on the AC/DC tour and
it was arenas every night and they would tend to
do a show, then a day off and we did shows like
this on the days off. So it became something that
was quite normal for us. It sounds quite different
and fed different when we first did it. It was quite
disconcerting and throws you off but we learnt to
deal with that so coming back and doing it again is
quite natural through experience.
Which shows do you prefer to play?
I think there’s a middle ground with it. There’s
a definitely a charm in seeing a new band in a
smaller venue. It’s really good and it surprises you
and there’s something great about seeing a big
band in a smaller venue too. Personally though
the best shows for me are not massive but maybe
800-1000 people. You can have a theatre or
whatever venue, they tend to sound quite good
and have a little bit of production in there too.
At the 800 to 1000 venues can have a cinematic
experience with the sound and visual element and
it works.
voxxonline.com 31
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Simple Minds
By Amy Naylor
32 voxxonline.com
Kicking off their 30 gig UK run, Simple
Minds came to Grimsby on Friday 27
March. But this was no warm up. This was
the real deal.
Jim Kerr said it himself, “only two
minutes in and I can already tell this is
gonna be a good night.” And man was he
right. The Grimsby Auditorium felt more
like a stadium than a small town venue as
the band played their Big Music (sorry, the
pun was inevitable) and Jim strolled on
with his red tartan coat to a crowd roaring
with excitement.
Blast from the past? Sure. But this gig
was proof that the band are still pushing
boundaries, still making music history and
still having an amazing time doing it. The
latest album ‘Big Music’ embraces their
80s stadium rock sound but also harnesses
a modern spin, inviting a new generation
of Simple Minds fans like myself, to enjoy a
night of both classics and new music.
The vibe was insane, the crowd of 1,200
people were loud and the band was on
absolute top form. We got to hear the
greats: Alive and Kicking, All The Things
She Said, and of course Don’t You Forget
About Me, as well as some ace new songs
from the recent album: Wounded, Big
Music, and Let the Day Begin.
With two full sets to perform, they
showed off their versatility with some
great acoustic takes on their songs as well
as solo slots from special guests Catherine
AD and Sarah Brown who we were all
super excited to hear from.
Speaking directly to members of the
audience in between songs and smiling
like there’s no tomorrow, Jim thanked
the crowd wholeheartedly for making
the gig so special, the night will be one to
remember for us all.
The Vaccines
Tuesday 31 March saw The Vaccines take
to the stage in Scunthorpe for a high
energy show. They entered the stage to
the roars of an excited crowd. The band
threw themselves into the performance
opening up with their hit Teenage Icon
which had the crowd passionately singing
along to every word. The band kept the
crowd singing and dancing throughout
with a few songs from the new album as
well as crowd favourites Wreckin’ Bar,
Wetsuit and Post Breakup Sex, and ending
with their hit Norgaard. The energy from
the band was incredible who didn’t tire
out and spent the whole time moving
around with some pretty impressive
guitar stances. The stage show was also
something The Vaccines hadn’t taken
lightly with some impressive animations
of the band at the back of the stage and
a great lighting show. It’s clear the band
takes what they do seriously and sure
knows how to work a crowd. The show
was an absolute blast and left me with a
buzzin feeling for awhile after.
voxxonline.com 33
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VOXX REPORT
Country2Country Festival
Nashville meets Europe
By Nikki Blackburn
Since its inception in 2013, the two day country
music festival held at London’s O2 Arena - the
only one of its kind in the UK - has gone from
strength to strength. The inaugural festival
attracted major US country stadium fillers Tim
McGraw and Carrie Underwood as headliners, as
well as other established country acts including
Vince Gill, LeAnn Rimes and Little Big Town.
Following the success of that first year the
fetival’s second year expanded to include Dublin’s
O2 in Ireland, allowing headliners Brad Paisley
and Zac Brown Band, along with Dierks Bentley,
The Band Perry, Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride
and Rascal Flatts to bring their own individual
brands of country music to both arenas on
alternating nights.
For 2015’s third iteration of the festival, the
success of the the previous two years warranted
Country2Country to expand further into Europe
to include dates in Sweden and Germany before
culminating in the UK for sold out shows. Country
heavy hitters Luke Bryan and Lady Antebellum
headlined the Saturday and Sunday London
dates respectively. Reigning CMA Entertainer of
the Year, Bryan served up a fun mix of his four
album catalogue as well as throwing some of his
annual Spring Break EP tracks into the main set
list for a ninety minute show that had the 20,000
capacity arena on its feet from start to finish. It
was Luke Bryan’s first run of shows outside of
the US where he regularly sells out 80,000 seat
football stadiums, and the Georgia native seemed
genuinely thrilled when the O2 Arena crowd sang
his many hits right along with him, including 2013
ballad Drink A Beer and 2014’s more upbeat Play
It Again.
34 voxxonline.com
The UK’s passion and thirst for country music
was no surprise to Sunday’s headliners Lady
Antebellum, who first played in London for a
run of intimate sold out shows at The Borderline
in September 2014. Despite this, Hillary Scott,
Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were visibly
excited to bring their music to the UK’s biggest
stage. Charles Kelley even jumped into the
audience at one point and remained there for the
entirety of the band’s latest hit song Long Stretch
of Love, taken from their fifth album 747. That
energy continued throughout their set, right up
until their encore of their biggest hit Need You
Now, which the entire arena sang back to them
in a beautiful moment shared between act and
audience that were both having the time of their
lives.
Aside from the main stage performers, another
popular highlight of Country2Country are the
pop-up and satellite stages found throughout the
arena. Established Nashville singer/songwriters
as well as newer, lesser known artists are given
the opportunity to showcase their music to an
audience they otherwise may not have had.
British country music duo The Shires are a brilliant
example of how big this opportunity can be for
new artists.
Chrissie Rhodes and Ben Earle are not only
the first UK act to be signed to a major Nashville
based record label. On the closing day of
Country2Country 2015, they also became the first
ever British country act to debut inside the Top
10 on the official chart with their album, Brave.
There was a genuine buzz of excitement and pride
amongst the crowd as their achievement was
announced following their stunning three song
set on the B Stage inside the arena. Their song
Nashville Grey Skies, which explores their dream
of building a home for country music in the UK in
particular resonated with the crowd.
Similarly popular were Ward Thomas, another
promising British duo, this time in the form
of extremely talented twin sisters Lizzie and
Catherine Ward Thomas. There was definitely a
lot of love and appreciation for both acts amongst
the crowd, as well as a hope to see them again at
next year’s festival.
Nashville based duo Striking Matches are
a brilliant example of this back-by-populardemand element. After a series of appearances
on the pop-up stages at 2014’s festival, Sarah
Zimmerman and Justin Davis were not only
added to the bill again this year but they will
also be back for a headline tour across England
next month in support of their own debut album
Nothing But the Silence. After having their break
when several of their songs were recorded for the
US TV show Nashville, the duo have gone from
strength to strength and recently found their
album sitting at #1 on the UK iTunes chart.
Country music is now at its highest grossing in
the UK since 2007, and that bar only seems set
to rise even further given the recent news that
not only will 2016 see Country2Country return
with stops across the Europe and the UK, but the
festival will now also expand across three days,
offering even more opportunity for fans to see
their favourite acts from across the pond as well
as homegrown talent in a genre that is clearly on
the rise.
Striking Matches
Luke Bryan
Ward Thomas
The Shires
voxxonline.com 35
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Funny Scunny Competition
Do you think you're funny? The Baths Hall is
again hosting its Funny Scunny competition and
searching for a new comedy star.
The Scunthorpe venue hosted the event for
the first time last summer, giving local people the
chance to get on stage and make local crowds
laugh. And due to the success of the event which saw Hull comedian Jed Salisbury crowned
the winner - it will run again later this year.
Each comedian will be given a maximum of
seven minutes to impress the judges at one of
three first round heats. Two comedians from
each heat will then take to the stage in a Grand
Final. The winner will receive £400 cash, a trophy
and the chance to perform at a future Knock
Knock comedy club night. Entrants don’t need to
live in Scunthorpe to take part.
Heats take place on 15, 16 and 23 July. Each
night starts at 8pm and entry is completely free.
The Grand Final will take place on Friday, 24 July
with a special guest headline act. Tickets will be
priced £7 each.
A spokesman for The Baths Hall said: "Can you
make all your mates laugh? Are you the office
joker? Here's your chance to not only prove it,
but to win £400 too. We all know someone who
thinks they're funny, but can they get on stage in
front of an audience and make people laugh? If
you think you fit the bill - or you know someone
who does - enter Funny Scunny and prove it!"
To enter, you must apply in advance and be at
least 16 years of age. For more details or to book
your place, email [email protected] or call
01724 290641.
WHAT'S ON
CHRIS GOOD COMEDY HYPNOTIST
It’s the most fun you’ll ever have
in your sleep. Come and see Chris
Good work his hypnotic magic at
The Warehouse on May 9.
Doors open 7pm
Show starts 8pm
Tickets £6.00 in advance, £8.00
on the door
Poppy Designs Jewellery
The PoppyKittenDesigns Etsy shop puts elegance
above everything. Poppy's jewellery comes in the most
delicate and beautifully crafted packaging of tissue
paper and strings, with fast delivery. The jewellery
itself is equally lovely and we got to sample some gold
fox pieces. The necklace is a good length, not too long,
and while it takes a few moments to correctly adjust
the pendant on the front, it is sweet and girly and
a great little accessory. Sticking with the fox theme,
the adorable curled fox rings are fully adjustable to
fit a range of finger sizes, so you don't have to worry
about wasting your money on something that doesn't
fit right. The majority of pieces are made with semi
precious gemstones, so there's lots of options to look
at if foxes aren't your thing. If quirky jewellery floats
your boat we can certainly recommend Poppy Designs.
36 voxxonline.com
You’ll laugh until you cry and
even have a chance at being the
star of the show. It’s one that’s
certainly not to be missed.
PSYCHIC NIGHT
Who will come through for
you...? Have your chance at
speaking to the departed at The
Warehouse on May 23.
Doors open 7pm
Show starts 8pm
Tickets £6.00 in advance, £8.00
on the door
BUY TICKETS FOR BOTH
EVENTS AND PAY JUST £10.00
Get in shape at the warehouse
The Warehouse Gym is accepting new members and
it’s a great little place to work out without big crowds.
Classes run from £1.00 to £3.00 per session and there is no
contract making membership easy.
OPENING HOURS:
Monday - 8am - 7pm
Tuesday - 8am - 7pm
Wednesday - 8am - 7pm
Thursday - 8am - 7pm
Friday - 8am - 7pm
Saturday - 10am - 2pm
Sunday - Closed
CLASSES INCLUDE:
- Tighten & Tone
- Box Fit
- Piloxing
- Konga
- Zumba
- Zumba Step
- Bokwa
- Body Conditioning
The Warehouse, 155-159 Freeman Street, Grimsby, DN32 7AR
Call: 01472 240440
voxxonline.com 37
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Spring Beauty Tips
Eyes
Use concealer as a base on your eyelids, as
eye shadow will stick to it instead of your
lids, lasting longer. It also helps to remove
any oil.
If false lashes are your thing, remember
to use a dark glue to apply them, as it will
blend in and make the effect much more
stunning.
Keep your under eye area hydrated with
eye cream to prevent any puffiness and
keep the bags at bay.
For brows that are a little unruly, use a
small bit of hair gel, or even clear lip gloss,
to smooth them into submission.
Going for a glamorous or dramatic look?
Choosing an eye shadow with shimmer,
metallic or satin in the name will help a lot.
Skin
If you have a pimple but want your skin
to appear clear, apply tea tree oil to the
pimple as soon as you see it.
Nobody wants to get sunburned, and all
those sunscreens that claim to last all day
and be waterproof aren’t always reliable.
So to be safe, make sure to reapply it every
two to three hours for burn free skin.
Use an exfoliator to get rid of any dead
skin, but don’t do it too often, as this may
cause your skin to dry out. Remember to
use a gentler scrub on your face as this is a
more delicate area.
Water is important for healthy skin.
Drinking plenty of it plumps your skin
up, and rinsing your face with cool water
will tighten the pores and leave your skin
feeling refreshed.
Nails
Keep your cuticles hydrated to get your
nails strong and healthy. Using eye cream
on them works great, and will save on the
expense of buying specialist products that
will achieve the same effects.
Lips
If your nail polish remover supply has run
low, applying clear nail polish and then
wiping it off is said to remove any old nail
polish that may be left on your nails.
Apply a dab of sugar and honey and
rub gently to exfoliate your lips. Wipe
afterwards with a damp cloth and apply
some lip balm to banish flaky lips.
Adding glitter to your nails will disguise any
chipping there may be in your nail polish,
as well as create some extra glam for a
night out.
Avoid licking your lips too often as saliva
evaporates quickly, causing your lips to dry
out. Apply lip balm during the day and put
vaseline on them at night to keep your lips
moisturized and shiny.
Put some fresh lemon juice in a cup of
warm water, and then gently dip your nails
in the solution to brighten them up and get
rid of any staining.
Use a shimmery gloss on the centre of
both top and bottom lips to attract the
light and give you a pouty look.
Make sure to trim your toe nails in a
straight line, as cutting them in deep
curves may cause the nails to split in the
corners. This can also lead to ingrown nails
and infections, and nobody wants those!
If you want fuller lips, use a flesh toned
lip liner to extend the lip line to achieve
the effect. Make sure not to go overboard
though!
Your lips are very sensitive, so when you’re
protecting your skin against the sun, don’t
forget to protect them as well. Using a lip
balm or gloss with SPF will do the job.
Oily skin is a problem for some people,
but using a toner after cleansing is a good
way to get rid of any excess oil as well as
reduce the inflammation of any blemishes.
38 voxxonline.com
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VOXX
blooming
Spring style
£18.00 - Dorothy Perkins
£14.99 - New Look
£16.00 - Topshop
£20.00 - F&F
£19.00 - Accessorize
£9.99 - H&M
£22.00 - Topshop
40 voxxonline.com
VOXX
Floral is a trend that can never get old and
flowery pieces just scream spring. Add a bit of
flair to your plain outfits with a little bit of nature
this season and look fantastic doing it!
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CRAFT YOUR OWN HEADBAND
DESIGN A FUN PHOTO FRAME
Summer is approaching meaning memories
are likely going to be made and immortalised
in photographs. This spring get prepped for
those photo opportunities with a custom frame
to match your room or represent a particular
message. Simply buy a plain flat frame to use
or work from scratch with a cardboard window.
Anything can be used to decorate. Start with
backing papers or fabric and adorn with buttons
and other cute embellishments until you have it
looking just how you like it. Decent glue will be
required for this to ensure your design doesn’t
fall apart after a while.
Why buy the same floral headpiece everyone
is wearing when you can design your own? All
you’ll need is a spare plain headband and a few
materials. If you’re skilled with fabrics you can
create cute flowers from scratch. Another option
is to buy small fake flowers to take advantage of.
When you’ve got a nice collection together and
decided where each should go, you simply have
to attach the flowers to the band. Your best bet is
probably a hot glue gun, but be sure to read the
safety instructions before use so you don’t burn
yourself.
Simple Spring Craft Projects
28 voxxonline.com
42
They may be a little pricey, but they’re
worth it just for the joy you’re going to get
when you unpack them. We were sent a
couple of samples and the office was rife
with excitement for a good ten minutes.
Chatty Feet socks are fun and comfortable
made with light cotton in exciting designs and despite the detailed stitching, you don’t
lose any of the stretch.
A lot of thought has gone into these and
they come well packaged in plastic bags
with fitting names to match. Whether you
choose Prof. Brian Sox or Kate Middletoe
you’re in for a treat, and each pack comes
with an equally witty tagline that is sure to
bring a smile to your face.
They’d be perfect for gifts or just a great
special treat, as you’ll always have a little
friend sitting on your feet.
Get yours at www.chattyfeet.com
CREATE A FLORAL CANVAS
You can use oil or acrylic paints on canvas to
create a sweeping backdrop of sky and tree
branches. Then the fun begins. Make it bright
and fun using pink buttons as blossom, opt for
sometihng more subdued and use different
materials for your flowers and/or leaves. The
paint alone if still wet can be enough to stick
embellishments down, but a spot of PVA glue can
do the trick just fine for extra security. Every time
you look at your canvas you’ll see life blossoming
across your wall.
Chatty
Feet
Socks with style!
DECORATE A SHOEBOX
Are your shoes beginning to overflow in your
wardrobe and the boxes they came in are too
ugly to use? Problem solved. Recycle your old
magazines and catalogues or even books by
covering a shoebox that looks stylish on show.
Be sure to overlap strips over each other and
over joints to avoid fraying. It’s a great yet simple
way to continue your theme and provide useful
storage space. Shoeboxes aren’t restricted to
shoes either. A decorated shoebox could be the
perfect little place to store treasured trinkets.
If you’d like to advertise with VOXX and CPO Media see details on page 13 for how you can get
involved. It’s a great opportunity to be seen by young people across the region with our quarterly
print issues and monthly online editions. You can even advertise on the front of our building in
Freeman Street for all to see as they travel down this busy route.
If you are a young person interested in contributing your writing or photography to this ever-evolving
publication then be sure to get in touch too. Whether you have experience or not and whatever you
areas of interest, we’ll be looking forward to hearing from you! See back cover for details.
voxxonline.com 39
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Are you aged 14-24 and interested in getting
involved in gaining real journalism experience or
just expressing yourself through the media?
VOXX Magazine is looking for volunteer
reporters, writers, photographers and
illustrators in your area to contribute
to this ever growinG publication.
Contact VIctoria on [email protected] or
call 01472 240440 for more information