OCTOBER 2014 Issue 146 - Cardiff Student Media

Quench
OCTOBER 2014
Issue 146
IN THIS ISSUE
THE DARK SIDE OF
ELEPHANT RIDES
AND CUDDLES WITH
TIGERS
P.28
LONDON GRAMMAR
TALK WINNING
AWARDS, ALBUM NO.2
AND THEIR RISE TO
FAME
P.37
IS THIS THE YEAR
OF DESTINY? VIDEO
GAMES INVESTIGATES
P.42
Image: Dennis Jarvis / Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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at
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
6
Letters to My Student Self
Students reflect on the mistakes their past selves made, so you can learn from them
10
Breaking the Ice
Are viral charity movements something to celebrate, or are they more sinister than that?
13
The Sketch
14
Tawe Mega
The longest online poem, originating in Swansea and getting longer everyday
15
Graduate 2014: Wales Millenium Centre
Culture visits a display of specially selected Graduate artwork for all around Wales
16
Tom Wood — Landscapes
New Welsh Landscape photography from internationally acclaimed Tom Wood
18
The Changing Face of Opera
Opera gets a facelift for younger audiences as critics protest that it’s losing its voice
COLUMNIST
Columnist-in-exile Gareth Evans compares the British and American student experience
CULTURE
FASHION & BEAUTY
20
Behind the Scenes at London Fashion
Week
Discover what’s beyond the catwalks of LFW with Stephanie Powell and Jessica
Rayner
22
Student Lock-In Survival Guide
Make the best of your experience at this year’s biggest shopping event
23
DIY Autumn Fashion
The changing seasons require a major wardrobe update; here’s how to do it cheaply
24
Insider Beauty Reviews
Our special insiders review and discuss currently-trending products
26
Men’s Autumn Fashion
Gentlemen, get your wallets ready: we’ve got some head-to-toe men’s fashion advice
6
23
TRAVEL
28
COVER Animal Tourism: Is It Ever Right?
Emma Forbes investigates irresponsible animal tourism in Southeast Asia
30
Travel Photography Spotlight
Your photos and the stories behind them
32
The UK’s Top Islands
Five beautiful islands, right on your doorstep
MUSIC
34
New/Newydd
New artists to look out for, as per our editors’ recommendations
35
Festival Previews
All there is to know about the best out-of-season festivals out there
36
Modern Baseball
The Philadelphia pop-punkers chat fitting music around college and pursuing their dreams
37
London Grammar
London Grammar talk to us about difficult album no. 2 and their rise to fame
38
Are Local Music Scenes at Risk?
India Thomas takes a look at what lies ahead for those at the heart of the UK music scene
40
Music Reviews
The best of this month’s live and album reviews, including Aphex Twin and Gnarwolves
16
VIDEO GAMES
42
Destiny Awaits
One of the most highly anticipated releases reviewed
43
Dwarf Fortress: Losing is Fun
Losing is fun when playing one of the most addictive games ever made
44
Papers, Please: One Year Later
Glory to the nation of Arstotzka!
45
Monopolised Industry
EA dominates the gaming industry, but is this really the best situation?
46
Horror TV
Alex Miarli tells us why Horror TV is getting its time in the spotlight
48
Take a Peeper at These Creepers
This selection of horrors is sure to give any Halloween filmathon a scary boost
50
Netflix Expenditure
Is streaming profitable after all? We explore the ins and outs of Netflix
51
The Attractiveness of the TV Remake
Do the Americans do it better? Or have we all become Americanised?
52
Genre in Review: Drama
Aaron Roberts takes a look at what makes drama such a compelling genre
57
FILM & TV
FOOD & DRINK
54
Baking Bad
Baking recipes to fill the Great British Bake Off shaped hole in your life
56
Gluten Fad Diets
Gluten free: not just a fashionable fad diet
57
Review: Got Beef
We took a trip to Got Beef to feast on their array of burgers
58
Food Societies
See what Cardiff Uni has to offer in the way of food and drink societies
52
3
@CARDIFFUNION
CARDIFFBOXOFFICE
CARDIFFBOXOFFICE.COM
All tickets subject to booking fee
October
Bedlam Presents
RAM Cardiff
17/10/14, £14.00 ADV
Johnny Marr
18/10/14, £24.00 ADV
Kid Ink
21/10/14, £16.50 ADV
Clean Bandit
25/10/14 - SOLD OUT
George Ezra
26/10/14 - SOLD OUT
Kids In Glass Houses
31/10/14 - SOLD OUT
Treatment ft. Bondax
& Friends
Twin Atlantic
02/11/14, £15.00 ADV
Rixton
07/11/14, £13.50 ADV/£27 VIP
December
Echo & The Bunnymen
11/11/14, £13.00 ADV
04/12/14, £26.50 ADV
Lit
Embrace
13/11/14, £17.50 ADV
Passenger
16/11/14 - SOLD OUT
Courteeners
17/11/14, £19.50
Suicide Silence
20/11/14, £12.00 ADV
Treatment ft. Annie Mac
21/11/14, £17.50 ADV
The Kooks
22/11/14 - SOLD OUT
November
Pop Punks Not Dead ft.
New Found Glory
02/11/14, £16.50 ADV
27/11/14, £12.50 ADV
The Blackout
31/10/14, £16.00 ADV
Asking Alexandra
Tonight Alive
23/11/14, £18.50 ADV
09/12/14, £19.50 ADV
January
Neck Deep
26/01/15, £10.50 ADV
Quench
EDITOR
Sum Sze Tam
[email protected]
@QuenchMag
DEPUTY EDITOR
Chloe May
HEAD OF DESIGN
Emilia Ignaciuk
FEATURES
Aimee-lee Abraham
Jason Roberts
COLUMNIST
Gareth Evans
[email protected]
@Quench_Features
@_GarethEvans
CULTURE
Elouise Hobbs
Jasmine Freeman
[email protected]
FASHION & BEAUTY
Franciska Bodnar
Nicole Petty
[email protected]
TRAVEL
Olivia Waltho
[email protected]
MUSIC
Charlie Mock
India Thomas
[email protected]
VIDEO GAMES
Alex Glazer
[email protected]
FILM & TV
Aaron Roberts
Charlie Andrews
[email protected]
FOOD & DRINK
Emma Giles
Kathryn Lewis
[email protected]
@QuenchCulture
@Quench_Fashion
@Quench_Travel
@QuenchMusic
QuenchStreetStyle
Quench_Travel
QuenchMusic
@QuenchGames
@QuenchFilm
@Quench_Food
SUBEDITOR
Rhian Carruthers
@RoutineEnvelope
ART EDITORS
Franciska Bodnar
Naomi Brown
Eleanor Duffy
Lucy Okell
Olivia Thomas
Georgia Hamer
@frankiebods
@honeyandbrown
@eleanorduff y
@lucyokell
@oliviadthomas
@georgialeehamer
QuenchMusic
EDITOR’S
N O T E
The Chronicles of Tiredness continue on in this issue
of Quench. I’m tired, the Head of Design is tired,
Tough Nuts (if you haven’t met Chloe May, Deputy
Ed, you’ll find that she’s no crunchy cookie) is tired,
even my mates are tired just looking at me. “You
busy bee!” They say. “Bwuuuuguhhhghh,” I reply.
Despite all the bleary-eyed moping, one social
trend has slowly become apparent to me over the
past few weeks, where loads of people who I’ve
never met but want to get involved with Quench
have started speaking to me. Every email or message
begins with “Hi, Sum!” or “Dear Sum”, the tone
ranging from chick-like anticipation and top-hatlevel gravitas.
Here I am presented with a problem. A
misunderstanding has occurred, and I don’t know
how to correct people without being very, very
awkward. So, like the awkwardest of them all, I am
tackling the problem behind the protection of a
screen and a keyboard.
The problem is this: my name, as most
Chinese names do, consists of not one word, but
two. Therefore, my name is not in fact “Sum” but “Sum Sze”. Tam is my last name. By putting
this information in the public domain, I hope
not to achieve a reputation as a complete bigot,
but to clarify my lifelong struggle with correct
nomenclature.
To follow up on my foreign name, I’d like to
introduce you to my foreign origins. I’m from Hong
Kong, which is perhaps most famous right now for
the mass pro-democracy protests. It’s hard being
on the other side of the world when a revolution
is sweeping up my entire home city in a huge wave
- a city that is usually ruled by money, profit, and
reputation, not liberal political protest. Before this,
the greatest incentive to form a large crowd would
be an 80% off sale in the shopping districts (which
is pretty fantastic, to be fair), not carrying out a
peaceful movement against Beijing.
This might sound like the usual international
student waffle, where everything someone British
refers to is related to something from “back home”,
but this is important in a wider social context, too.
It’s funny how differently people will behave under
the influence of huge events like Occupy Central.
View it through the lens of social phenomena.
My entire facebook feed is consumed by
people divided over Occupy Central. And, as with any
major movement or trend or craze, it’s populated by
sheeple. It’s almost tragic, but sheeplest of them all
are the young ones - the kids who are old enough
to speak and understand speech quite well, but not
old enough to truly understand the consequences
of what they’re doing in by joining in with the
fray. To them, how different is making their profile
picture a yellow ribbon from posting up a video
of them pouring a bucket of ice over themselves?
(Incidentally, Features is covering the ALS ice bucket
challenges this month on page 10.)
My own cousins (and I hope they never read
this) are a prime example of this. They get Dudley
Dursley-portion birthday presents each, are
members of at least two of the most expensive and
prestigious private clubs in Hong Kong, and their
parents own three racehorses. They belong to the
very same community they are protesting against. I
can’t help but think how they’ll feel when they look
back on it one day. Discomforted? Guilty? It’s not
really their fault, so it’s a weird situation.
It makes me wonder about myself, and
whether in maybe a year’s or two years’ time I’ll look
back and really cringe at the things I put my time
into (like Quench), or the life decisions I made (like
those about my career).
I spoke to somebody wise the other day, and
he said something about writing that could be an
analogy for many more things. He said that if you
look back at your writing from a year ago and don’t
regret that you wrote them, you’re a fool.
I’m probably going to regret these words, as
poorly written as they are, the moment I print them.
Does that make me really wise?
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Michael O’Connell-Davidson, for his support and guidance; Elaine
Morgan, for being a real lifesaver; Rob England, the ever-present
funnyman; Josh Edwards, master of both baritone and falsetto;
Sam Lloyd, for his funky chocolate; Sarah Johnson, Madeleine
Banfield, Isabel Sharp, George Rinaldi, Chloe Rest, Chloe Livadeas,
Ria Hope, Cara Bills, and Tom Morris for generously giving up their
time to join us on a rainy night; Alex Glazer, Emrhys Pickup, Charlie
Mock, India Thomas, and Jimmy Dunne for staying up with us till
late in the evening.
5
LETTER TO MY
STUDENT SELF
Seven current and former students reflect on mistakes and memories made during their time at Uni
“Maybe spend a
tiny bit more time
in the gym and the
library and a tiny
bit less drinking
and reading Beat
poetry”
6
Letter 1
Dear anxious fresher self,
If I could squeeze myself back into my 18 year old
shoes, listening to the animated chatter of my new
housemates in the kitchen as I exited the lift at
University halls, I’d tell myself one thing: breathe.
Just breathe. My head was full of anxious noise:
What if they don’t like me? What if they’ve already
made enough friends? What if I’m stuck with a bunch
of lunatics? Ridiculously, I’d spent the week before
moving to uni in a state of panic: buying new clothes,
dyeing my hair, going on a diet. All of that effort and
energy, all to impress people I’d never met.
By the time I’d arrived and unpacked, by the
time those housemates timidly knocked on the
door to ask if I wanted to join them for pre-drinks,
I’d calmed down enough just to have a laugh. And
after three glasses of Aldi’s finest, it was as if I was
surrounded by the same friends I’d known all my life
back home.
If there was any last minute advice I’d bestow
upon myself back then, I’d join a society during freshers
week instead of taking a whole year to summon up the
courage. I’d also actually drag myself out of bed on that
dreaded Thursday morning and make an appearance
at the 9am lecture. Even if I fell asleep a quarter of the
way through, at least I could say I’d tried.
There is more to Cardiff than the row of clubs
on Greyfriar’s Road, but by the time you reach final
year, you’ll kind of miss recklessly visiting them three
or four times a week. There are people to meet outside
your little four-walled bubble. Explore. Student
accommodation is mad and vast enough to house the
best kind of people to party with, study with, and just
chill with.
Above all, savour every last minute of being
a Fresher; you will never get away with being as
outrageous again in your uni career. Stupid choices can
be erased because you’re basically a baby.
In final year, your future self will shake her head
at the fresh meat tumbling out of Koko Gorilaz after
their very first pint. She is not disapproving, she is
merely green with envy. Anxious fresher self, I wish I
were you again.
— Alex Chapman
FE ATURES
Letter 2
University life is an insular universe. At their core,
campuses are stomping grounds for young people
at various stages of development to discover their
future selves. You’ll do this by drinking a stunningly
paradoxical and potently toxic cocktail of Czech beer,
red wine, live music, occasional anxiety, superficial
self assuredness, urban tribe association, political
angst, feigned aloofness, indulgent narcissism,
blissful ignorance and a (still) undeniably charming
ability to make and break friendships like you’re half
Tinder virtuoso, half delayed onset sociopath.
It takes a long time to sober up after downing
that cocktail. It’s a recipe for fun-laden disaster, and
people can handle it with varying degrees of success.
Alongside the good times you’re going to become an
anxious mess with an astonishing talent for appearing
to function as an actual human being. You’ll have a
great time sometimes, but often you’ll be struggling
inside. Sometimes you’ll find it pretty hard to get
motivated. Sometimes you’ll want to stay in alone
to escape the cauldron of everything else. This will
be difficult to process. The times that you give in to
feeling like shit will leave you struggling with the
knowledge that you have allowed yourself to somehow
miss out. It’s a vicious cycle. You’re acutely aware that
university is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and
the self imposed burden of missing a night out, not
seeing any of your friends for a few nights running or
missing a lecture will only volumize your anxiety.
Don’t beat yourself up so much. You’re just
breaking the shackles of arrested development whilst
being completely unqualified to do so. I don’t know
if this is mental illness, the blues or just something
symptomatic of young modern life. I just know that
the best thing you can do for yourself is to let go.
Some of what you do will matter greatly and
some of what you do won’t matter at all, so go easy
on the angst.
You’ll make some lifelong friends while others
ride off into the sunset, either amicably or otherwise
(some of them are probably riding straight back to
where they came from). You’ll find it impossible to tell
who will stick around for the long haul and who won’t,
so don’t try and figure that out. Some missed lectures
won’t bite you in the ass, others will. Some dates
will be numbing insights into absolute nothingness,
others will be the most life-changing nights of your
life. This is all pretty generic. But that’s the point.
You’re going through what almost everybody else does
in your own idiosyncratic way.
None of your friends know that you feel like shit
sometimes, so odds are that a lot of them are secretly
going through the exact same thing. This doesn’t
mean that things don’t matter or mistakes don’t
happen - it might be a good idea, for instance, not
to spend an entire night moving traffic cones round
Cathays to close off roads inhabited by people you’re
not particularly fond of. Or to tell that police horse to
go fuck itself. Or to pass out in Welsh Club the night
Letter 3
Dear Past-self,
I am writing to you to inform of how you should
handle freshers. As you’re probably a little hungover
and fuzzy-headed right now, I am going to compress
this wealth of knowledge into bullet points for your
convenience.
1. If you think you might have had enough to
drink, you’re probably right.
2. If a friend offers you a glass of water, take the
hint. You’re too drunk.
3. No amount of tit tape will keep a strapless top
in place at a foam party.
4. Fellow foam partygoers will be able to see
your white top has gone see-through.
5. No one is ‘good’ at drinking games.
6. Do not leave your alcohol supply in the
kitchen, or it will be liberated.
7. The same goes for opened chocolate and
biscuits…
8. You will not go to 9am lectures, neither will
you write up the PowerPoint afterwards…but please
try.
9. Food after a night out is always a good idea.
The same can be said for water. And Advil.
10. Promoters are not your friends. They either
want your money or what’s in your pants.
11. Speaking of pants, you will run out. Buy
more. Turning them inside-out DOES NOT count.
before that semi-important lab. But you’ll get through
it. Just like you’ll get through everything else.
The simple lesson is that there is a certain levity
in almost every individual thing you do, but that your
collective actions and approach to life will define who
you are. Sweat the small things less, and spend a little
more time just being you. A lot of the time you’ll
remember your emotions more than your actions
anyway, so just do what makes you happy. But maybe
spend a tiny bit more time in the gym and the library
and a tiny bit less drinking and reading Beat poetry.
There’s no room for Kerouac in the 21st century,
spontaneity is arranged in advance on Facebook.
And go to some God damn lectures, they are far more
interesting than you think.
But most importantly, don’t worry, there’s
plenty of time to come to terms with adulthood. The
real world is just a feature length university degree,
and all the cast are still there - the ‘lads’ with their
casual misogyny and creatine induced brain fog,
the annoyingly sycophantic arse kisser who wants
to trample on everyone on the race to the top of an
imaginary mountain, the poshos who have the most
diverse array of middle class problems, the people who
hate the poshos with their diverse array of middle
class problems, the people who are just quietly good
at everything, and you. Just enjoy it without entirely
fucking up, but don’t worry if you do fuck up from
time to time. It’s that simple.
— Anonymous
“No amount of
tit tape will keep
a strapless top in
place at a foam
party.”
12. Read the labels. Heed this advice, and you
can escape a multitude of unfortunate (and totally
avoidable) scenarios.
13. The North/South divide is real, but the
novelty of taking the piss out of each other’s accents
and slang will soon wear off.
14. You will argue with your flatmates. Suck it
up, you are just as annoying as they are.
15. You will disgust yourself in 10,000 ways
during freshers. Learn to love yourself anyway, it’ll
make your first year a lot easier!
Regards,
Captain Hindsight
— Stephanie Powell
7
Letter 4
Em,
Cardiff University is about so many amazing
experiences: love, friends, learning and success.
Being there will help you discover who you are and
what you want from life. Unfortunately, you will also
experience immense pressure, in terms of academia
and in terms of your appearance and how you perceive
it. It is the belief that you are not good enough that
will result in the near-destruction of your body.
If there is one thing you will learn it is that
there are no limits to what you can achieve in life if
you try hard enough, but there are always limits with
an eating disorder.
Engage with the help that doctors provide
you with, and start trusting those closest to you.
Throw away the fashion magazines and diet books.
Start admiring people who have overcome the most
horrendous circumstances by being strong and brave
rather than those prized on their appearance alone.
Appreciate the natural beauty in life. Explore
nature. Travel. Rescue people and animals in need.
Smash up your weighing scales. Plaster your walls
with inspirational quotes. Tear down the sickly-thin
models. And if you feel like eating a piece of cake then
go ahead because there is no need to be frightened.
You’ll soon find out that there are many
people in this world who discriminate against those
with mental health issues, and it is this that will
ultimately lead you to the decision to talk about
your experiences in the hope that you can change
the opinion of those who are ignorant. No one
should be made to feel like they are worthless just
because they are fighting a constant internal battle,
albeit invisible.
Pay attention to what I am about to say: Em,
you were born for better things. There is more to
being beautiful than dieting, makeup and fashion.
You don’t judge any of your friends on the way they
look, so why are you judging yourself? Beauty is
internal, and you cannot measure or weigh it.
Don’t just show those around you kindness but
look in the mirror, smile genuinely and give yourself
the same treatment. Lastly, and most importantly of
all, remember the final words that your Nonna said to
you - “Look after yourself”.
— Emma Wilson
“Plaster your walls with
inspirational quotes. Tear
down the sickly-thin models.
And if you feel like eating a
piece of cake, then go ahead”
Letter 5
Dear student self,
I want you to think about something. Think about
how much time you have wasted worrying about what
other people think of you. It’s time to stop. The only
opinion that should matter is the one that you have
of yourself.
University means that people from all walks of
life come together. This inevitably means that you will
meet people who are different to you. You will witness
people behaving in a way you’d never dream of and see
them doing things you would never do. This will teach
you what you are not.
The differences in opinion you will come across
will prove frustrating at times, but you will learn in
this the value of staying out of other people’s business.
8
Their business is exactly that – theirs and theirs alone.
In future, it’s probably best to keep your mouth shut.
Your judgemental opinions do nobody any favours.
Observe, care, but don’t say anything. Leave people
alone to fix their problems in their own way, just as
you have previously done and will inevitably continue
to do.
On the other hand, don’t run from your
emotions. Never feel pressured into feeling a certain
way. University provides you with the freedom to
design your future, so never forget that and grab every
opportunity to do the things you want to do.
Oscar Wilde once said to ‘Be yourself – everyone
else is already taken’. Learn to embrace who you are,
even if you have to find out what you are not first. Be
yourself and yourself alone.
— Anne Porter xx
FE ATURES
“Unless your
friends are
financing, feeding
or fucking you, do
not live with them”
Letter 6
Listen up, past-George. These lessons were not on the
university curriculum:
Living with ladies
You totally clicked in your first year. It was beautiful.
A friendship so pure you decided to live together
as a collective mass of oestrogen. Other friendship
groups on campus aspired to be like yours. You guys
just got each other, right?
You were going to live the dream. What could
be better than living with your BEST FRIENDS!?
Everything will be perfect and pristine. You’ll cook
for each other, share clothes and offer unconditional
support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!
Fuck off.
As soon as your menses sync, you’re all fucked.
I’m serious. Spending 24 hours a day with a human
you’re not in a relationship with is going to end in
tears. Unless your friends are financing, feeding
or fucking you, do not live with them. Girl friends
are not supposed to live in such close quarters.
Women are relentless. Absolutely nothing is sacred,
Georgina. Shampoo will be pissed in and corn flakes
will be spat on. Don’t think for one second that girls
aren’t capable of this. We are. Future you has seen it
all. From mouldy makeup wipes to festering plates,
know that there is nothing ladylike about living
with ladies.
Sex, drugs and lectures
I’m not endorsing the use of drugs or promoting
unsafe sex. What I am saying is that if you’re going
to partake in such acts, get it out the way sooner
rather than later. Ideally without paying for either
of them. The best time to get fucked, as a student,
is in your first year. Expectations are low. Your first
year ISN’T EVEN MARKED, George. If you want to
party with Charlie on a Tuesday and bed a randomer
on a Thursday, just do it. Get it out of your system.
Fresher’s week isn’t long enough to partake
in all acts of debauchery so your party lifestyle will
inevitably overlap with your degree. Let it, but be
aware that shit will get real in your second year.
It’s hard to focus with a gram of speed whizzing
around your skull so lay off the sordid acts of filth
and knuckle down. No one likes the smell of a come
down on a Wednesday morning. Don’t be that guy.
Developing a strong work ethic in year two
will prepare you for your final year. During this
time, you will morph into a caffeine dependant
psychopath. Don’t be alarmed when you start
crying at your microwave. You’ll get through. Trust
me. I have a crystal ball. All is well.
Letter 7
Tutors and Tribulations
Remember that your tutors are human. They fuck
up just like you so don’t be too hard on them. The
majority of tutors are doing the best they can with
what they’ve got. A tutor is only as good as his/
her students, so don’t be pointing the pinkie of
blame too quickly. If you’re looking for brownie
points from your tutor, subtly stroke the shaft of
their ego while gently cupping their self-esteem.
This is a proven technique future you stumbled
upon, known as ‘Shit Faced’. Ram your head so far
up their colon they can’t fart without you knowing
about it. Set aside your pride and get on with it. It
doesn’t matter how good your work is, if you have a
bad attitude they won’t care about you. Rightly so.
Ultimately, these people decide your marks. Your
marks will determine your job opportunities and
secure your fate, so take a deep breath and prepare
to get messy.
To the Graduate,
True, your circumstances aren’t great. You’re skint; there
truly are no jobs going - not even in retail; you’re sleeping
on the living room floor of your one-bedroom flat, having
broken-up with the girl you moved-in with; and all your
friends are planning to move away, or already have. These
all place a strain on your available options, but just be
patient.
Yes, the rich kids will get the customary hand-outs to
fund unpaid internships in London, but don’t let that make
you hasty - your chance will come. Despite his guidance on
doubling-up condoms “just to be safe”, Dad will actually
provide some surprisingly sound advice: “You’re either
happy in work, or happy at home. If you have one, you’re
doing well. If you have both, you’re doing great”. There are
opportunities everywhere - even in Cardiff. You just have
to find them.
You really do make your own luck.. Sarah was not
wrong - your passion and diligence will pay dividends in the
end. Keep working, learning, emailing people and pushing
yourself. This way you’ll also speed-up working out what
you want to do with your life.
Maintain your belief that finding a job you love is
not just an unattainable ideal. You can be inspired by your
job while still being able to pay your bills. Alas, money
won’t roll-in as it has for some, but the skills you will come
to possess will be more valuable than any of the wages you
will earn. And when anyone implies otherwise - that the
sum of your bank balance reflects your worth - remember
that money alone does not guarantee you happiness, but it
can certainly make you a smug prick.
Finally, remember to enjoy yourself and the company
of the people you meet along the way.
With love from the future,
— Georgina Evans
— Calum Daly
9
BREAKING
THE ICE
After Movember and the No
Make-Up Selfie, the Ice Bucket
Challenge was the next viral
charity sensation to take social
media by storm. But is this
really altruism, or something
far less meaningful? Rhys
Clayton investigates.
* it’s literally an ice breaker. Geddit?
10
FE ATURES
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Seems so last month
talking about it now. But for a few weeks, it was the only
item on our Facebook news feed.
It raised millions of pounds and dollars for good causes, namely
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (ALS), and the Motor Neurone
Disease Association (MND). The use of iced water wasn’t an accident;
it was meant to deliver a temporary paralysis to imitate what motor
neurone sufferers experience every day. But perhaps more than this; it
was a fascinating insight into modern life.
In late June, Facebook was in trouble for conducting an experiment
whereby they manipulated the content of users newsfeeds to monitor the
effect it had on their mood. They needn’t have bothered. With the rise of
the viral charity movements that their website helps facilitate, Facebook
is sitting on a potential psychology goldmine. Just look why so many
people are reacting so negatively to a seemingly good thing.
Some detractors called it a “narcissistic bonanza”, while others
called it a “middle-class wet t-shirt contest”. Middle class? I don’t agree
with that. All of society took part, from the richest celebs that probably
had triple filtered alpine mineral water poured on them before being
towel dried with the finest Egyptian cotton, to some of the least welloff in society - for example, students! And isn’t that fantastic? Britain is
a staggeringly generous country, and we display our monetary kindness
every day. Whether it’s rushing to the rescue of the recently fire-ravaged
dog’s home in Manchester, or on a larger scale, the government ringfencing
the £11 billion foreign aid budget. Fewer and fewer activities in the UK
are accessible to all, from sport to theatre to holidays. But charity is so
unifying because even a small donation can go a long way. Indeed, often
the kindest gestures cost nothing.
But back to the topic at hand. Do I think it was narcissistic?
Absolutely. What are Facebook and Twitter if not virtual microphones
broadcasting your greatest traits, and giving your tuppence worth on
any current issue? Social media illustrates how competitive grieving is
alive and well in this country. When someone dies, it’s a race to Twitter
to tweet your condolences and #RIP, regardless of whether you know or
cared for the person. At least in this case it was more a case of “competitive
kindness”, a much more productive force for society, but it doesn’t mean
there were unedifying aspects.
Yes, yes, how evil of me to talk out against charity. But enforced
joviality has never appealed to me, and at what point does charity become
an excuse; a passenger on the egomobile to a publicity platform. Last
week, there was a man walking round Essex dressed in a full gimp suit. It
probably scared the life out of the young and elderly but heck, it was all for
a good cause, raising awareness for something or another.
I am not arguing that what you might call “publicity charity” or
“slacktivism” is a bad thing per se. At the height of former United States
Vice President Al Gore’s eco-crusade and the “An Inconvenient Truth”
documentary film success, it was suggested that his climate campaigning
was a helpful piggy back into the public’s conscience to further his own
personal political aims. This may have been true, but as long as the world
benefitted overall, does it matter if seemingly noble deeds have ulterior
motives? Not hugely, but we should bear in mind that there is fantastic
charitable work going on all around us that doesn’t get social media
coverage. It was reported last week that Kids Company, a charity that
supports 36,000 vulnerable children in London, Bristol and Liverpool will
have to fold after Christmas unless it gets funding from the government.
You can’t have a huge social media campaign for every worthy cause. Some
“Look for long
enough and you’ll
find critics of
the most noble,
irreproachable
causes”
asked the question whether August was a
more charitable month than any other –
yes, ALS benefitted, but did other causes
receive less as a result? In other words, are
our charitable resources finite?
Moving on to the charity itself, just
like the Kony 2012 craze (misinformation
and misspending) and even Comic Relief
(investing in arms and tobacco shares),
once an organisation gains acclaim, they’d better be ready for unbridled
scrutiny. Under investigation, the ALS charity came up gasping for
air under a tsunami of arctic water. Figures showed huge salaries to
the management, flagrant wastes of money, improvident advertising
budgets... The most indignant posted the figures breakdown on Facebook.
ALS has my sympathy. Not the management on nice salaries, but the
organization as a whole. For what charities out there are perfect? We
simply have to trust our donations will be spent wisely by the charity we
bestow our hard earned upon.
I must admit, although I was nominated twice, I didn’t do the
challenge, not for any reason other than I was busy traveling at the time and by the time I was ready to do it, the bandwagon had already left town.
The only thing worse than jumping on a bandwagon is trying to jump
on when it’s already left. But I did donate, and also that week swam in a
freezing, unheated outdoor pool. Several thousand litres of cold water is
more altruistic than one bucket, right?
Look for long enough and you’ll find critics of the most noble,
irreproachable causes, such as Movember and Cancer Research. But all
things considered, the ALS challenge was a success. Awareness was raised,
people could post a nice video of themselves, and money was raised for
charity. And it is infinitely more useful than the pernicious Neknominate
and such. I look forward to the next viral challenge to come, it won’t be
long.
11
One in four people in the UK will experience mental health
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Cardiff Student Media
COLUMNIST
THE SKETCH with
GARETH EVANS
What would happen if
American and British
students swapped
places? The special
relationship would end;
that’s what.
America is the land of the free and the home
of capitalism. This may seem contradictory,
and that’s because it is. The truth is the only
people who are free weren’t ever locked up. If
you happen to be a rich, white, honest, ‘hardworking’, Christian, American male with a
sense of self-righteousness, not seen since
Judas grassed on JC then you’re fine and
dandy. For everyone else, including students,
we’re not free. Not at all, I mean, can I trade
in this shotgun for a beer please?
Perhaps that was a slightly irrational
rant, but I’m coming at this from the
perspective of a cynical British student with
a chip (crisp?) on his shoulder. You see, I’ve
experienced the other half of the famous
‘Special Relationship’, at least, on a student
level. I am studying in America for a term
and my overriding conclusion is this; we are a
“I find myself
playing mandatory
Duck Duck Goose at
the age of 20. I am
sober, of course, but
learning a lot about
myself”
different species. Associating can only end in
disaster. It must be stopped.
Yet, is there anything to be learnt from
our scholarly transatlantic pals? We certainly
differ, that’s for sure.
Take Barney. Barney is the absolute
embodiment of a British student. Thanks to
Student Finance, the cost of his education is
an irrelevance, and so he has just returned
home at 6am. He’s wearing a ripped t-shirt
with ‘I’m a ****’ scrawled in neon ink and a
traffic cone is glued to his skull with the
mystery substance that adheres to every
nightclub floor. He has a 9am ‘Advanced
Psychology’ lecture to attend, however he will
skip this in favour of a day in bed, in which he
tells the world that ‘Maccies should deliver!!!’
via every social medium. His political views
are vaguely liberal and he bloody loves
Bastille and hates Bouncer Dave.
Now I’m not saying that all British
students are like Barney; however there is a
bit of Barney inside of us all. And no, that’s
not because he is sexually frivolous, it’s a
figure of speech. We are all a bit ‘Barney’ to
varying degrees.
On the flip side, Buck Jnr is the
embodiment of an American student. His
education is costing his parents a total of
$7,000,000,000 not including books and
consequently he is just returning home from
a night at the library. He is more organised
than a North Korean military display,
however he finds the relentless studying
soul-depriving and is beginning to question
the point of this inexorable pursuit of grades
when life is so transient. He lets off steam
by going to College football matches dressed
like an open-day poster and is better known
as ‘Beer Pong Buck’ due to his God-given
(believed literally) talent for the party game.
His political views are unspoken of in public,
and he loves country music and hates *insert
local college rival here*.
Likewise, isn’t there a bit of Buck
inside of us all? We possess a slight guilt
about the cost/privilege of our education, we
feel that we should work hard, be organised
and succeed academically. We’re also proud
of our University, and have a slight disdain
for any rivals. In short, we’re all a bit ‘Barney’
and all a bit ‘Buck’.
And this is how I view the American/
British University experience – opposing
ends of the same spectrum. On a personal
level, I have learnt that I am much more
‘Barney’ than I first thought; and I feel that
most Brits are as well. However, there is
something to be said about experiencing the
other side of a spectrum – it’s an educational,
and enlightening, experience.
Freshers’ Week, or Orientation
Week as it is known here, is the perfect
embodiment of how students differ on either
side of the pond. More accurately, perhaps, it
demonstrates how differently young people
are treated.
As Cardiff students you will have
all experienced Freshers’ Week and know
that the general idea is to drink until you
become social. If you are already social
prior to drinking, then you drink anyway.
If you happen to be a moderate to nondrinker, then you are treated in the same
way a Pacifist would be treated during either
World War - ostracised and shamed into
non-existence. A worthless sober blot on
the register of humanity. There are minimal
restrictions; you turn up, stock up, dress up
“If you happen to be
a moderate to nondrinker, then you are
treated in the same
way a Pacifist would
be treated during
either World War
- ostracised and
shamed into nonexistence”
and head out. Repeat this ad nauseam, or,
more accurately, ad nausea-um. It is a week of
hedonistic freedom only hindered by queues
and bouncers.
Across the pond during the
corresponding week, I find myself playing
mandatory Duck Duck Goose at the age
of 20. I am sober, of course, but learning a
lot about myself. It just so happens that I
am an anti-establishment anarchist with a
rebel core. This newfound ideology landed
me in some scalding water for taking a break
during some kind of ice-breaker game. (They
play a lot of these, which was unsurprising,
Americans love breaking ice - just look at
their carbon emissions). Supposedly I am
“too cool for school” – which I would agree
with, considering I am no longer in school.
This is not something the Americans
seem to have grasped, however. While UK
freshers were busting funky, intoxicated,
shapes, I was sat in a giant P.S.H.E lesson
alongside their American equivalents. They
informed us that ‘Alcohol is not a sexual
lubricant’ which was confusing. As far as
I was aware, lubricant is the only sexual
lubricant - if you’re using chardonnay then
something’s wrong. We were essentially told
that alcohol was the devil’s water and that
the only option was to carry a three-inch
knife on campus (fully allowed) just in case
anyone offered us a beer.
As you can see these are contrasting
attitudes and contrasting experiences.
There is certainly merit in the American
attitude of education, caution and (a bit of)
mollycoddling. Yet, part of me thinks that
experiences can teach you a lot more than
a PowerPoint presentation. So, perhaps a
balance needs to be struck between the two.
At present, the UK freshers experience does,
admittedly, isolate non-drinkers while posing
numerous dangers to the ill-informed. Let’s
take a lesson from the yanks, joking aside,
they know how to foster a safe University
environment.
Just for God’s sake count me out of
Duck Duck Goose.
13
TAWE
Great reads
in < 140 characters
Culture’s Twitter picks
of the month
MEGA
POEM
Charlotte Jones tells us
about a new modern
take on poetry.
Swansea are doing something special with poetry;
they are trying to create the longest continuous
online poem and anyone can be part of it. As
part of the Love your Countryside Festival and
in association with the Art Across the City 2014,
Swansea launched its effort to create a record
breaking poem, the Tawe Mega Poem.
Inspired by the centenary of Dylan Thomas,
the poem, which began last month has seen
additions from all over the world. The introductory
stanzas to the poem are written by Rhian Edwards
who won Wales Book of the Year 2013, as well as the
People’s Choice 2013 and the Roland Mathias Prize
for Poetry 2013. In her own words, she believes
to “have started the kernels of a poem about the
history of Swansea and Dylan Thomas, which
hopefully people will add to. It will be almost like
a game of Consequences but where you get to see
the lines that went before it. And this will hopefully
get to be displayed and immortalised in Swansea.”
Many contributors to the poem were
found during the free poetry workshops, which ran
over two weekends and were open to all. This has
led to the poem amounting to more than 46 pages
already. However, they still need more poetry. The
lines are limited to a maximum of 140 characters,
but you can add as many lines as you feel inspired
to. By using the hashtag #megapoem, you are able
to share your efforts and be included in the poem.
—Charlotte Jones
14
GRADUATE 2014
WALES MILLENNIUM
CENTRE
Dan
i Su
lliv
an
ay B
ulp
in
This Autumn the Wales Millennium Centre is offering everyone
a free opportunity to see the future of art in Wales. The
exhibition is curated by Wales-based artist Sue Williams who
herself has an internationally recognised body of work having
featured in exhibitions across five continents. Having lived in
Wales for the past 30 years, Sue has reached Welsh acclaim
with her work being displayed in at the National Museum &
Galleries of Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government and The
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.
The Graduate exhibition is now in its third year.
Over its first two years the exhibition has displayed work from
68 graduates, some of which have gone on to win the Gold
medal for Fine Art at the National Eisteddfod and be included
in the Catlin Guide, which introduces the 40 most promising
artists in the UK. During the selection process Sue travelled
across universities in Wales selecting what she considered to
be the most promising artwork from each institution. The
exhibition is therefore an amazing opportunity to witness
not only the talent and creativity of the artists but also the
personal insight, opinion and interpretation of the curator.
Lindy Jane Martin
yM
Am
Sam Chapman
Charlotte nMorgan
Natalie Jones
CULTURE
Sue Williams said of the exhibition, “Graduate
2014 is a unique platform for the selected graduates to show
their work to the public in one of Wales’ top cultural centers.
Seeing their artwork in a public space gives the graduates an
opportunity to develop and determine ideas for new concepts.
The Graduate exhibitions at Wales Millennium Centre are
hugely relevant to the future of the arts in Wales. It allows
the public to see for themselves that alongside singers, rugby
players and footballers there are also artists who place Wales
on a global map, with these graduates showcasing Wales’
future.”
Combining a mixture of art forms including fine art,
sculpture, photography, applied arts, fashion and textiles the
collection of graduate artwork is on display until 16 November
2014 for free and is open to all.
—Jasmine Freeman
“THE EXHIBITION HAS DISPLAYED
WORK FROM 68 GRADUATES,
SOME OF WHICH HAVE GONE
ON TO WIN THE GOLD MEDAL
FOR FINE ART AT THE NATIONAL
EISTEDDFOD AND BE INCLUDED
IN THE CATLIN GUIDE, WHICH
INTRODUCES THE 40 MOST
PROMISING ARTISTS IN THE UK.”
15
S
I
E
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WOR
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F
F
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UNVE
od
r Tom Wo
e
h
p
a
r
g
photo
tstanding
f ou
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th
to
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su
welcome
ts
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Izzy
Tom Wood, in this case the renowned Irish photographer
rather than the English rugby player, is currently exhibiting
his relatively unknown landscape work at Ffotogallery in
Penarth, in Tom Wood – Landscapes. Ffotogallery in the Turner
House Gallery in Penarth is a bright, friendly and modern
venue inside a striking red, 19th Century building. Wood”s
photography sits simply around three small rooms without
any captions; the titles are given to you on paper on arrival.
Wood”s photography of people has been exhibited
worldwide and published in books including the acclaimed
All Zones Off Peak, which is a selection of photographs taken
on Liverpool buses. However, it was only this year that his
landscape work was first exhibited. It is perhaps then, the
novelty of this work that brings the exhibition to life.
Wood has not been confined to one landscape; he has
lived in and engaged with both urban and rural environments,
which is reflected in his work. The exhibition conveys his
experience in diverse settings over the course of 40 years.
16
Also his interpretation of the word landscape, within
these locations, is broad. The art in this collection includes
expansive rural landscapes, domestic indoor scenes and closeups of nature, people and animals also feature intermittently.
The variety in this exhibition is striking and pleasantly
unpredictable.
Wood left his childhood hometown in County Mayo,
Ireland in 1978 for city life in England but returns to the
rugged countryside almost annually and the photos from these
trips are nostalgic and intimate. Two unusual photographs
from the area are taken within a cluttered home; “Aggie”s
kitchen” and “Aggie”s bedroom” are displayed side by side
downstairs in the gallery. Both images convey a sense of the
room”s owner through objects. Though she is absent, personal
and Catholic ornamentation hints towards her character and
the wider context of the area.
In contrast, the work from Wood”s 25 years in
Merseyside exposes the anonymity of individuals within a
“IT WAS ONLY
THIS YEAR
THAT HIS LANDSCAPE
WORK WAS FIRST
EXHIBITED.
IT IS PERHAPS THEN,
THE NOVELTY OF THIS
WORK THAT BRINGS THE
EXHIBITION TO LIFE.”
CULTURE
“THE VARIETY IN THIS
EXHIBITION IS
STRIKING AND
PLEASANTLY
UNPREDICTABLE”
PHOTOS: Tom Wood
mass. He gained the nickname photieman” from locals, as
he persistently searched for scenes and portraits through
which to interpret the soul of the city. “Shut Eye”, a black
and white photograph taken in 1980, portrays a young boy
and girl shielding their faces from the camera. Behind them
is a deserted, littered and overgrown scrubland between two
rows of terraced houses. The scene does not seek to capture
conventional beauty, but an aesthetic moment, in which these
children have no identity but are at home in their own stark
landscape.
In 2003 a move to North Wales offered the photographer
a chance to experiment with a new style. He has since used
art to explore the land around his home in the Vale of Clwyd.
In these photographs, Wood captures small details of North
Wales” wilderness, focusing upon blossom, trees and streams.
It is with these natural vistas that he experiments most. “Ash
Dance” uses a soft focus and stark colours to convey a sense of
movement in the trees above. Other pieces from this period
in Wood”s career use panorama, particularly for photos taken
from hills; this choice credits the expanse of undeveloped and
beautiful land in North Wales.
Tom Wood – Landscapes is a touring exhibition curated
by Mark Durden. It premiered at MOSTYN in Llandudno,
before travelling to Ffotogallery in Cardiff for the autumn.
At the beginning of next year it will complete its tour at
Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
Alongside the landscapes exhibition at MOSTYN, a
remarkable public engagement project was launched: “Biscuit
Tin Photo Archive”. Inspired by finding a tin stuffed with
black and white photographs documenting his own family
history, Wood is looking to unearth more forgotten moments
to create a collage of Welsh rural life. The public are invited
to contribute to this dynamic showcase of personal histories.
A display case at Ffotogallery houses four older, undated
images in black and white, which epitomise the tone of the
“Biscuit Tin Photo Archive”. They are all every day moments,
immortalised for reasons only known to the photographer but
art in their own right.
The exhibition is worth venturing out of the city centre for, it
is in a great location beside a busy pub, The Railway Hotel and
admission is free. A three-volume catalogue of Tom Wood”s
work with landscape will be published by Steidl to accompany
the exhibition.
—Izzy Roberts
17
THE CHANGING FACE OF
Elouise Hobbs shows that opera is no longer
just for royalty and the rich.
When most people think of opera, they sigh and dismiss it as
an art only for those greying, upper middle classes who have
more money than sense.
But recently opera has had a surprise resurgence
involving the young, cool and broke. The Royal Opera House
in London opened its 2014/15 Season on the 11th September
with a student and under 25s only performance of their
new opera Anna Nicole. The opera charts the life of Anna
Nicole Smith, a small town waitress who decides to become
a stripper, weds an billionaire who is well into his 80s and
becomes a Playboy model and celebrity. Yet, as her fame grew
she became tainted with drink and drugs and her life ended
in tragedy. The libretto is written by Richard Thomas, the cocreator of Jerry Springer: the Opera. The music fuses jazz, blues
and music theatre with more traditional operatic language.
Furthermore, the cheapest ticket is only £1 with the most
18
expensive still only a modest £25. They are also running a
social media competition where you can enter a selfie of
yourself at the opera and win a prize. Better yet, there is no
formal dress code for the opera.
The Royal Opera House has also started doing free open-air
“OPERA HAS HAD A
SURPRISE RESURGENCE
INVOLVING THE YOUNG,
COOL AND BROKE.”
screenings entitled BP Big Screens. They occur three times
a year and are screened internationally. Their most recent
screening of Verdi’s Rigoletto on 17 September in Trafalgar
Square saw thousands of viewers, many of whom who had
never seen an opera before.
The stage was also used for a protest as an troupe
of fourteen dancers performed an impromptu routine;
performing to the remix of Carmina Burana by Tiesto, to
much applause and support from the crowd. The dance was a
protest at BP’s sponsorship of arts and culture. The group call
themselves BOOO (BP out of Opera) and one of the dancers
Donna Abato said “We danced before the screening because
we want BP out of opera. BP gets invaluable prestige from
its association with the Royal Opera House, which helps the
company clean its sullied public image. [..] That’s why we say
yes to opera, but BOOO to BP!”
PHOTOS: music_theatre_wales / FLICKR
CULTURE
“ALL THESE CHANGES
LEAVE MANY
TRADITIONALISTS
WONDERING IS THE TRUE
MEANING OF OPERA
BEING LOST AS THE ART
TRIES TO ATTRACT A
YOUNGER AUDIENCE.”
This protest showed their immense passion for the art
and what it stood for showing that opera should not be easily
dismissed as a dying art. Through performance and passion it
is being reinvigorated.
Yet, it is not just in the capital that Opera has
rediscovered its voice, Cardiff plan to follow suit. On the 7th
November, Music Theatre Wales, in collaboration with the
Sherman Theatre is going to put on an Operatic performance
of Franz Kafka’s The Trial. The story is about a man arrested
and prosecuted for an unknown crime by a relentless and
distant authority. The opera faithfully follows the original
story mixing the protagonists sense of paranoia and uncanny
sense of humour.
As it is performed at the Sherman theatre, student
tickets are half price ranging from £7.50-£12.50. The opera is
going to be sung in English meaning that it is understandable
and more like a musical than a traditional opera. However
all these changes leave many traditionalist wondering is the
true meaning of opera being lost as the art tries to attract a
younger audience?
Ultimately, not only do these free and discounted events
make opera seem more appealing to audiences of different
backgrounds, the spread and popularity of the events display
a cultural significance. Although opera is changing by the way
it is performed and perceived by the public, the heart of opera
remains the same as it still managed to tell a story in a way
unique to any other.
—Elouise Hobbs
19
BEHIND THE SCENES OF
FASHION ENTHUSIASTS STEPHANIE AND JESSICA BRING
YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WEEK
IN THE FASHION WORLD. GO BEHIND THE CURTAINS
THIS SEASON WITH STEPHANIE AS SHE WRITES ABOUT
OVERVIEW FOR AN INSTANT FIX OF UP TO DATE, INSIDER
KNOWLEDGE.
LONDON FASHION WEEK
20
FASHION & BE AUTY
For more of LFW, visit www.londonfashionweek.co.uk and www.btwstephanie.co.uk
Jessica Rayner!"###$%
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As the most eagerly anticipated week in the fashion calendar
came to a close earlier this month, we once again got a glimpse
of what was in store for the new season. As a multitude of
new and renowned designers showcased their upcoming
collections Lucinda Chambers, the fashion director of Vogue,
described how they “attacked modernity in a very confident,
very compelling way this season.” The collections were
characterised by bright colours and divine detailing, with a
strong sense of wearability running at its core, achieving that
tricky balance between aesthetic innovation and practicality.
The city of London continues to remain a hub of fashion
diversity, something that is always reflected in the LFW
collections: from household names reworking classic shapes
to new talent offering up exciting designs. This season it very
much feels as if all this diversity has fed into creating a single
clear voice, with key pieces emerging across the board.
This coming season, update your wardrobe by adding
splashes of pink (the must-have shade), inspired by the
catwalks awash with coats in feminine sugary hues. The
oversized, tailored jacket is a key shape that was reworked for
the new season in pastel tones, offering up a fresh take on
tailoring. There were a number of key fabrics that emerged,
such as sheer chiffon layers on skirts and shirt hems seen at
Mulberry, creating a subtly sexy look for both day and night.
The fluid shapes and ultra feminine fabrics continued, with
designers such as Jonathan Saunders favouring iridescent
dresses and skirts in sparkling pinks and nudes. The key
patterns of the season saw florals, a classic fail-safe for spring,
being given a modern twist with bold graphic motifs as seen at
House of Holland and Christopher Kane. The experimentation
with classic shapes continued at Topshop Unique with fraying
of boucle shirts and denim dresses creating an edgy, laid
back look for day wear. The season’s key trends were based
on a reimagining of classic styles such as nautical and 1970s
glamour in interesting fabrics and embellishments. For
an instant style update look out for luxe sportswear, candy
hues, maxi lengths and the return of denim that forecasts a
functional yet playful new season.
Let’s not forget about the boys, with classic pieces
reworked in bright yellow shades and designers drawing
inspiration from Mad Men in their collections. At Topman
Design they diluted 1970s influences by mixing in elements
from the 90s, creating an edgy take on vintage pieces. For
an instant update on the suit (a staple menswear piece) try
opting for soft-coloured blazers and sporty tailoring.
-!$Stephanie Powell!!$%
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Since I was very young I have loved fashion. It all began with
the genius idea, when I was about seven years old, to start a
jeans brand with detachable animal tails on the back pockets
and call it ‘DeTAIL’. Those days are long gone, but since starting
my blog a few years ago I have been given the opportunity to
work in some really interesting places and meet some amazing
people.
Through my addiction to blog surfing, I found a site
detailing how to get work at London Fashion Week. My
initial plan was to email around and look for an internship
in February, but I learned very quickly that it really isn’t that
simple. People who work in fashion are buuusy. For every 50
emails I sent to fashion houses I would get three to five replies.
Then, Jasper Conran’s press office directed me to the PR
company that runs London Fashion Week. Hey presto! I got
my first gig as a dresser backstage at Felder Felder’s catwalk
show, which then led to a job dressing for Holly Fulton. But
boy I did not know what I was letting myself in for.
On my first day at London Fashion Week I changed a
model’s knickers. In fact I started to realise there is absolutely
no shame when it comes to working backstage during a
catwalk show. The outfit changes have to take place in about
five seconds, hence the employment of an army of dressers.
When your model flies off the catwalk undressing herself
you’ve got to get that next outfit on without damaging any of
the clothes, make sure it fits the brief you’ve been given and
potentially run across the dressing area to do a shoe swap all
whilst being screamed at by the head stylist. It’s high octane
to say the least, but everyone there (myself included) seemed
to thrive off the pressure.
One of the best things about working at LFW was
getting to speak to people about their role, and how they got
to where they are. Most of the models were really friendly
and chatty. I’ve come to the conclusion that models get their
bitchy reputation purely because they are always jet-lagged,
tired and hungry – they are actually really lovely people. They
were happy to tell you all about their careers and how lacking
in glamour modelling actually is. Most of the designers had
interns who were like little bees buzzing about, fixing clasps,
trimming loose thread and titivating shoulder pads. These
girls were also really forthcoming with stories about sewing
lace collars at 1am and even offered to take my card to forward
my interning opportunities.
My general feeling is that a career in fashion is not
for the laidback, fainthearted or coffee haters. Also, London
Fashion Week is not for those fond of food, sleep or glamour
- but I’m so glad I did it and, fingers crossed, I will be doing it
all again next February. I must be mad.
21
D I Y
AUTUMN
FASHION
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So the first tip actually involves spending money to save
money (all will become clear). The coat. With having to
walk everywhere when we’re at uni, it’s a no brainer
that a decent coat is a necessity. If you’re going to
splurge a little bit, this is where to direct your minimal
funds. Our suggestion is to look for one of two things:
wool or waterproof. Both are warm and one saves you
having to buy an umbrella- (and no one will see your
ratty clothes if you’ve got a snazzy coat over them!)
Secondly, sign up to myunidays.com. In the first few
weeks of term, loads of places offer up to 20% off for
students, so you could bag yourself a bargain. Using
unidays also saves you buying an NUS card as it sorts
out online discount codes for you once you’ve that
proved you are a student. You can also download it as an
app for your phone meaning that you get notifications
of any special discounts that may only be for a limited
time - oh yesss, that’s what us shopaholics like to hear,
right!?
Alternatively, get into auction sites, eBay being the most
obvious. There’s a new app out called Depop which works
on PayPal, honesty with no scary bidding wars – two sure
fire sites to find new and second hand bargains. Set yourself
a budget and stick to it like glue. You can buy items such as
a Zara coat with the retail price of £50 for just £12.50 via
Depop. This is a dangerous one though- only for those with
good resolve.
Layers, layers, layers. The cheapest way to avoid having
to buy anything new is to layer what you already have.
There’s the classic short sleeved tee over an old (probably
discoloured) long sleeved tee. For girls, leggings under
an old pair of jeans and long sleeved tops under strappy
dresses keep you smart and warm. Got a favourite
jacket? Put a cardigan and a hoody under it! No need to
say goodbye to your spring jackets just yet.
Organise a swap shop with your friends! We all know
that we borrow clothing from each other regularly
but why not make a few swaps permanent? Love that
jumper your housemate bought last year? Ask if she’d
swap it for that dress she keeps borrowing from you.
There’s no shame in being thrifty, in fact, you might
just set a new trend and gain new budget clothing
opportunities, ideal for you and your friends!
They may be ugly, but thermals saved my bacon last
year. One thermal top under a thin jumper and jacket
and you’re good to go! You’ll have minimal layering
and maximum warmth, perfect when you’re fed up of
hiding your pretty clothes under a big jacket. Not to
mention, your Nana would be so proud. In the colder
seasons, add chunky knits and we guarantee you’ll be
more likely to sweat than feel the chill on your skin.
22
FASHION & BE AUTY
STUDENT LOCK-IN
Survival Guide
On the evening of the 7th October (conveniently the week after student loans come in)
Cardiff ’s Saint David’s Shopping Centre will be turned into a student’s haven.
We all love our 10% student discount in Topshop/Man but what if you could double that
discount in more of your favourite stores for one night only? If that gets your heart racing and
your purse-strings twitching then you need to get a ticket to the Student Lock In!
The Student Lock-In is a unique event that enables you to shop the latest styles from
your favourite brands with up to 25% off! What’s more, the shops stay open from 8pm-11pm
for students only, so you could even show your mates your purchases over a cheeky bevvy on
the way home! As long as you’ve registered for a ticket online, you can bring your non-student
friends and family too.
Plus, it’s not just the clothing bargains you need to look out for: Cardiff ’s nightclub reps
are always out in force, offering free drinks coupons and discounted entry wristbands as well
as other companies with freebies like goody bags, vouchers and product samples.
8&*%'*9&07
:+
=+
Firstly, get there promptly
with your ticket and student card
at the ready. There were big queues
last year and you want to make
sure you get the most amount of
time shopping as possible!
2+
However, if you’re feeling
flush, many of the food outlets
give out coupons or offer ‘onenight-only’ deals.
Keep an eye out for the
places offering the full 25% and
make a beeline for them.
Q+
Check the sale rail! Some
retailers even extend their
discount to sale items so you can
stretch your pennies further still!
?+
Secondly, bring a bottle of
water and maybe some food – as
the venue fills up, so do the food
outlets (basically try and avoid
any reason to queue).
<+
@+
Also, wear flat shoes
and don’t bring a coat all that
shopping is going to get you hot
under the collar and an arm being
used to hold a coat is an arm
wasted!
Take every leaflet and flyer
you are offered! Some of the food
coupons are seriously worth it!
>+
Get organised! Start at one
end of the shopping centre and
work your way through so you’re
sure you haven’t missed anything.
J+
Have a look online before
you go so you know what’s out
there and what you really want
to buy, or (even more savvy..)
head to St Davids the day before
and pin point what you’re coming
back for.
:Z+
Go big! Don’t stick to
cheaper brands. Remember the
bigger the price tag, the bigger the
discount! Every student deserves
a treat, this is the time to get one!
23
beauty insider
reviews
This month, Fashion & Beauty have asked
Cardiff University’s very own beauty insiders
offering their reviews on some of the hottest
beauty products of the season. Having worked
in the beauty industry with impressive blogs,
internships and insider knowledge, you’ll
want to believe these girls and their reviews.
Photo: Sangeeta / peachesandblush.com
Our first insider beauty review comes from beauty blogger
Jessie-Ann Lewis offering a few words on her knowledge
and experience gained whilst working with top beauty
brand, The Body Shop, then going on to review her favourite
product from the brand.
“in true, shameless,
twenty-first century girl
style, this holiday was as
much about the tanned
Instagram-worthy selfies
as it was the relaxation
and the memories”
24
When I was sixteen, I landed my first ever job in
retail working at The Body Shop. I instantly fell
in love with the job as a whole, the company’s
ethics and, of course, their products. The Body
Shop offer a vast array of products ranging from
bath and body care to home fragrance, each
with a signature scent and a heap of community
fair trade ingredients; all high end quality but
without the heavy price tags.
The Body Shop prides itself in creating
beauty products with heart. They campaign
against sex trafficking of women and children
and against animal testing, as well as helping
communities in third world countries by using
community fair traded ingredients from across
the world.
For me, it’s their iconic range of body
butters that make the Body Shop stand out from
other beauty brands. Launched in 1992, they are
the original body butters of the beauty world and
are available in fruity, nutty and citrusy scents so
there is something to suit everyone’s tastes and,
with varying amounts of moisture, it’s suitable
for all skin types.
My favourite is the coconut body butter.
It’s great for this time of year when the weather
starts getting colder and our body is in need of
some TLC, but also works really well as an aftersun product. Enriched with community fair
trade cocoa and shea butter, it is super hydrating
without leaving your skin feeling sticky and
greasy. It is a little pricey at £13, but in my
opinion it’s a product that everyone needs to
have in their beauty stash!
FASHION & BE AUTY
Photo: Sarah Hamersley / atthebeautydesk.blogspot.co.uk/
Our second insider review comes from beauty enthusiast
Natasha Vaughan who knows exactly what products are
worth the hype, having worked for the biggest beauty chain,
Boots. Trust her as she reviews her favourite product from
Max Factor; how it became her holiday miracle product and
helping her skin stay flawless, no matter the weather.
Max Factor’s Facefinity and I first met in a
departure lounge panic this June - I was off
to vacay in Sardinia but my usual primer
(thanks to my gold-fish like memory) was to
stay at home. I’d have rather left the garage
door open than forgotten my makeup bag but, in true, shameless, twenty-first century
girl style, this holiday was as much about the
tanned Instagram-worthy selfies as it was the
relaxation and the memories. For a fraction
more than Boots’s £10.99 price tag (these
airports like to cash in on our desperate
misfortune) I picked up the moisturiseresque bottle and went on to make the most of
the airport lounge’s all inclusive bar service.
way of blurring lines and pores; instead, this
precious concoction acts more like a makeup
glue - even after a few daiquiri-fueled crazy
dance moves, everything stayed where it
was supposed to, as if freshly applied. I was
excited to pop to the bathroom half way
through the night, to look in the mirror
for a shiny t-zone and not find a shiny
t-zone. Feeling super hydrated and looking
surprisingly un-red - almost luminous in
photos - true to the bottle, my makeup felt
light and stayed in place all night. In spite of
the thick Italian heat, the primer’s magical
micro-correctors took care of any excess oils,
sweat and sebum.
The next night, sticky and red-raw from
my first day in the sun, Facefinity’s velvety
white liquid glided onto and soothed my
skin, helping my sun-enlarged pores to rest.
Who better to test the stamina of a new
face product than a pale girl on her first
day in the Mediterranean heat? (It is worth
mentioning that this primer also contains
SPF 20 - safety first, right?) I wouldn’t lie by
saying that Facefinity did that much in the
£10.99 for a 30ml bottle of Facefinity is like
stealing from the makeup gods. After recently
repurchasing it back home, I continue to use
the primer in my daily makeup routine - I use
a flat brush to apply to my t-zone, my cheeks,
and after leaving to sink in, I continue with
foundation. A drugstore wonder product. If
Facefinity was to be rated out of five, I would
have to say, “Four for you Facefinity! You go
Facefinity!”
And last but not least, beauty insider, Lucy Guy
gives her thoughts and advice on the perfect
autumnal lipstick shades. Having spent her
summer inside Hello magazine’s walls, in on the
latest beauty trends, fashions and gossip, she’s
now offering exclusive feedback to us.
The Autumn/Winter 14/15 catwalks were
graced back in February with colour blocking,
prints and embellishment and I think the
best way to describe the clothes that we are
therefore currently seeing on the rails of
our favourite shops is playful. This means
that finding your staple makeup look this
winter is a little more difficult as there are so
many different looks, colours and trends to
accommodate for.
As there is so much going on with our
AW14/15 favourite pieces, it is advised
to keep your makeup to a minimum and
let your clothes do the talking. My two
favourite lip colours this season are warm
and inviting, just like a hot latte on a cold
autumn afternoon; they will complete your
look without taking anything away from your
statement pieces.
The first colour that I would recommend is
Coffee Break by Collection Lasting which
can be purchased from Superdrug for just
£2.50 (usually £2.99). This warm brown
compliments the metallic trend which we are
currently seeing and suits that post-summerglow that everyone is trying to retain. It’s
discreet but sexy with a satin-shimmer finish
which is perfect for cocktails or an evening
out with friends.
The second colour that I would suggest
trying is for those who usually go for a
brighter colour on their lips; I recommend
Match Made Stay Perfect Lipstick by No.7
in Pomegranate which retails at £9.95. This
semi-satin lipstick lasts for up to six hours
and retains moisture well so is perfect for
the AW season in which our lips tend to dry
out much quicker. The colour is alluring but
subtle and will give any darker autumnal
clothes that extra pop they need, without
detracting from your outfit like a classic
rouge or bright, summery pink might do.
A definite top tip is also to keep your lips
moisturised this autumn. Lipsticks tend
to flake and wear off much more quickly
when we fail to remember to look after our
lips. Vaseline is my ultimate go-to beauty
saviour for lips; moisturise before doing your
makeup so that it has time to soak in before
adding your chosen lip colour.
This autumn it is all about letting your
clothes take centre stage, keep your makeup
natural and then let your lips be the perfect
accessory to your statement pieces.
25
AUTUM
FASHION & BE AUTY
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Jones. ")#"!!!!$!*$'+(
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Jackets/Coats
The transitional period is very much upon us, so make sure you guys
are ready to brave those cold Welsh winds after what felt like a very
short summer. Autumn can be a tricky time to know what to wear
with the unpredictable rain showers and fluctuating temperatures.
We need to prioritise fabrics that are durable and fit for purpose:
waxed or rubberised cottons would be ideal due to their breathable
yet water-repellent nature. However, don’t let the weather put you
off as autumn is a great time to mix up those dark and warm colours,
no matter what style you opt for.
With the new term upon us, and student loads generously
entering our bank account, what better time is there to make a good
investment in the Tommy Hilfiger Donovan Padded Coat, which can
be found at House of Fraser for £200. As one of the key trends this
season, the parka is a great way to prepare you for a potentially harsh
winter. This mid-length parka, along with its faux fur-lined and
detachable hood really catches the eye - perfect when accompanied
by a chunky knit. Too pricey?
Head over to TOPMAN for a similar style for £95 (not
forgetting your 10% student discount). The Khaki Heavyweight
Parka features the same detachable hood, making it just as ideal for
the unpredictable British weather. Texture is the key element in the
outfit, so keep the rest of your outfit simple. TOPMAN’s Burgundy
Bomber Jacket at £40 is perfect for layering.
If the current Portland hipster inspired trend - Cape Kiwanda
- isn’t really your style at TOPMAN, then why not try the Double
Breasted Trench Coat from Zara for £89.99. This coat gives off a real
gentleman’s feel, along with its traditional waist belt. Once again
it’s lightweight, so it’s perfect for you to imitate what Burberry had
introduced to their AW14 collection by accessorising the long trench
coats with eye-catching knitwear.
And finally, the classic leather jacket is still a key trend this
season. TOPMAN have gone for a different look this season by
detailing their jacket with an unusual zip design. At £75, the black
faux-leather biker jacket is perfect over a checked shirt or light knit
this season.
Tommy Hilfiger’s Autumn campaign featuring jackets
People often say that you can always judge a man by his shoes, but luckily for
all you guys out there, there are only a handful of styles you need to stick to in
order to stay on trend this season.
It’s a fine rule of thumb in the fashion world to invest in a good quality
pair of shoes. If you are looking for a formal, gentleman’s style, stick with the
classic brogue shoe. TOPMAN’ ‘Burgundy Howes Brogue’ reflect a premium
style with their high shine and marble sole. Never fear to show off your socks
either; try teaming them with a pair of green woolen socks – a key colour for
autumn.
Boat shoes and tasseled loafers are very hot this season. Forget oldschool laces, tassels offer a quirkier way to style any plain outfit. River Island’s
‘Stone Suede Tassel Loafers’ retail at £50 are a perfect edition to any guys’
wardrobe. Their high quality and premium suede means there is no need to
worry about them getting ruined quickly.
Accessories
Accessories are essential when it comes to finishing off an outfit. If you’re a
guy who loves his bags, this is your time to shine as bags are a key trend this
season. In a nutshell: you totes need a tote bag!
Check out TIGER in town or independent online stores to see what
they have on offer. Looking back at Burberry’s AW14 collection, they have
opted for the city man look, channeling an array of oversized tote bags.
Get yourselves to Zara for their Soft suede bowling bag at £109.00. This
oversized travel bag will make your outfit look fresh and sophisticated.
If you are looking for more of a casual look, then it’s all about
fashioning the skater style. Keep your outfits looking effortless with a white
pair of high-tops from Converse and a rucksack. Foot locker’s ‘Navy EastPak
Padded PAK’R’ is essential for when you leave university to go interrailing
with your friends during the summer.
27
ANIMAL TOURISM:
IS IT EVER RIGHT?
Emma Forbes When heading off on an ‘epic’ trip around
Southeast Asia, it is easy to get caught up
in the fun, eagerly handing over money
to those who promise to give you the
ultimate experience of a life time. Lying
down next to a fearsome tiger or riding a
majestic elephant are unsurprisingly two of
these much desired experiences. With this
generations travel code summed up by the
phrase ‘YOLO’, it is no surprise that these
once in a lifetime experiences are avidly sort
after. Unfortunately, many travellers are kept
blissfully unaware of the dark secrets that
some animal tourism companies harbour.
28
Those travellers who are conscious of the
welfare of the animals will often look for a
sanctuary which claims that the animals are
well fed and cared for. But are these empty
claims or reassuring truths?
Every elephant paradise and tiger
sanctuary is not corrupt in its practises,
with The Thai Elephant Conservation
Centre stating that: ‘most Thai elephants
are very well cared for, partly because most
Thai people are intrinsically kind...but also
because elephants are simply too valuable
to abuse’. However, with such ambiguity
surrounding elephant tourism and its moral
practices, it is impossible to take any one
organisation’s statements as the ultimate
truth. Many newspapers, magazines and
travel companies have begun to question
the morality of elephant and tiger tourism.
Behind the smiling selfies with tigers and
elephants, there are heartbreaking stories of
abuse. The Independent recently published an
article revealing a process called Phajaan, or
‘the crush’. Often adult elephants are gunned
down, so that their babies can be illegally
captured and brought to tourist camps. Their
spirits are then systematically broken as
they are deprived of sleep, food and water,
whilst suffering inhumane beatings. Many
of the tourist camps are set up as commercial
enterprises, which look at the short term
rewards, rather than the long term damage
caused by animal tourism.
However, this does not mean that there
is no hope for elephants. The more awareness
that is raised about the ill-treatment of these
beautiful animals, the more people will come
forward to rescue these gentle giants and
restore them to their former glory. One such
lady is Lek Chailert, otherwise known as the
Elephant Whisperer. In the 1990s, Lek set
up the Elephant Nature Park, a safe reserve
TRAVEL
this safe haven.
As well snapshots of elephants, photos
posing with tigers are similarly desired
by tourists – the token image of a terrific
travel experience. ‘Tinder Guys with Tigers’
to which she brings elephants rescued
from the tourist trade. With her team she
strives to restore the broken bonds between
elephants and humans, by feeding, bathing
and gently talking to them. Lek ‘feels safe
amongst them’ as one feels safe amongst
friends. Visitors are welcomed to the Nature
Park, to bath and play with elephants, whilst
observing them in a natural, grassy habitat,
which allows them space to roam. These are
the sort of animal reservations which should
be promoted for their good practices and
supported in their ventures to save other
elephants, which are sadly not yet part of
Instead, Care for the Wild International are
worried that it is just another way in which
social media is inadvertently promoting tiger
tourism. A spokesman from the organisation
suggests that we shouldn’t ‘be fooled into
!
"
is one of the most recent (and arguably
most ridiculous) ways for travellers to get
themselves noticed. Posing with a tiger is
the new way to entice the ladies, although
interestingly, it doesn’t seem to be working.
thinking that one quick photo won’t hurt’
as ‘each and every photo taken is keeping
the industry alive’. Visiting tigers may seem
exciting, but have we stopped to wonder why
there are suddenly so many docile tigers in
Thailand? Doesn’t nature show tigers to be a
wild and ferocious species?
Although some tigers are well looked
after, many are kept in squalid conditions
and physically abused. The innate wild nature
of tigers has not unexpectedly changed to
one of docility and cooperation. Instead,
some tigers are sedated so that visitors
can stroke them, whilst others have their
claws and teeth pulled out to prevent them
from attacking their captors. Places such
as Tiger Temple advertise themselves as a
‘spiritual idyll’ for tigers. However, others
claim that Tiger Temple is a Temple of Lies
– nothing more than a glorified petting zoo,
which controls its animals through abuse.
Fortunately, organisations such as Travel
Operators for Tigers are determined to
spread ethical tourism, whilst monitoring
and saving ill treated animals in the process.
If animal tourism is conducted in the
right way, it could be beneficial to these
endangered species, as money would be put
towards their continued protection.
So, as travellers, what can we do to
help change the situation? Raising awareness
is vital, as is thoroughly researching tiger
and elephant establishments before deciding
whether or not to visit one. As the numbers
of elephants and tigers in the wild continue to
dwindle, we have a responsibility to discover
the truth behind their treatment. Supporting
the right charities and conservations is
crucial to the animals’ welfare. So, before
grabbing a pen and writing elephant trekking
or tiger handling at the top of our bucket list,
let us make sure that we are fully informed.
We can then return from our travels with an
assurance that our actions have helped, not
harmed, these magnificent animals.
For more information and charities to
support, visit:
http://www.toftigers.org/
www.responsibletravel.com/elephants
http://www.saveelephant.org/
29
TRAV E L
PHOTOGRAPHY
SPO T LI GHT
During my gap year I went to Cambodia and visited the killing fields
in Phnom Penh where over a million people were executed after the
Cambodian Civil War by the Khmer Rouge regime. When I arrived,
I started with a walk around the mass graves with an audio guide.
About ten minutes into the walk we were told to look at the floor;
the guide said that there were still bones and teeth being unearthed
by rain and erosion of the ground. Throughout the walk, I saw
numerous bone fragments and whole teeth lying around. Once a
week, the groundkeepers walk around collecting all of these and
put them in a glass box for all to see. At the end of the guided trail,
there is a monument filled with the skulls of the victims, layered with
glass sides showing thousands of skulls all the way up. These have
been forensically examined and are split into gender groups and age
groups. It was shocking to see how many children were killed. A lot of
the skulls were disfigured from axe blows or even in the case of the
children, from being swung at a tree. All in all, the trip to the Killing
Fields was hard hitting and emotional. It is something I will never
forget. For anyone going to Cambodia, I would highly suggest visiting.
James Hurst
30
During my trip to Japan in August, I paid a visit to Kyoto, commonly acknowledged as Japan’s cultural centre. No
trip to Kyoto is complete without a stroll in Gion, a district with streets lined with traditional wooden Japanese-style
buildings such as those seen in the background of the photograph. Gion is also the most famous geisha district in
Japan. The geisha themselves refer to themselves as geiko (loosely translated to “a woman of art”), with apprentices
called maiko (“dancing girl”). Contrary to stereotypes portrayed in the media, these women are not prostitutes
and are highly esteemed experts in traditional Japanese arts such as traditional dancing and the Japanese tea
ceremony. The world of the geisha is extremely exclusive, and appointments are mostly reserved for the wealthy
cultural elite in Japan. Thus, geiko and maiko are highly elusive, and spotting them requires patience and luck.
After spending hours aimlessly milling around the same street feeling disappointed, I was rewarded with this sight
of a beautiful maiko gracefully crossing the road on her way to run an errand. It was a surreal moment, seeing this
dignified lady elegantly yet (surprisingly) swiftly walking amongst crowds of tourists and vehicles – she seemed
almost otherworldly.
Zenn Wong
TRAVEL
This photo was taken after a tiresomely steep trek up into the Buda Hills, to the West of the city, but my oh my were
the panoramic views worth it! From here, Budapest’s beauty is for all to see. The Danube River pierces through the
centre of the city but the bridges littered along it allow for locals and tourists alike to travel both geographically
and historically from one side of the city to the other. Budapest was my first getaway of the summer, meeting
friends out there who were InterRailing all over Europe. Whilst there, we made sure to experience the abundance
of hot springs available to the general public, the medicinal waters most definitely helped to soothe our hangovers.
Then there is the alternative nightlife scene featuring lively ruin bars, such as ‘Szimpla Kert’, fusing elements of
Budapest’s past communist era with new bohemian trends. Although the march up Budapest’s highest hill may
have been a struggle, the all-encompassing scenic view found at the summit more than rewarded our physical
efforts. This single digital image doesn’t quite do justice to the views from up there, so go see Budapest for yourself!
Lewis Hopkins
I met Camilla on a beach in Mandrem, India. It was her colourful
clothing and jewellery that caught my eye. She was selling sarongs
and jewellery and told me about how she’d left her family in Jaipur
for the Summer season as there were no jobs for her there. It’s illegal
to be a beach seller in India and the police are strict on this, patrolling
the beaches undercover. If they catch a seller they take away their
possessions and fine them. I even saw the police beat a man for
selling necklaces to tourists. A lot of the girls selling things were 18 or
younger and many were pregnant. It’s easy to turn these people away
when they’re hassling you everyday to buy something but when you
get to know them you realise they’re just making a living. Next time
I won’t be so quick to turn people away who are less fortunate than
I am.
This summer I travelled to Fiji for a fortnight with a volunteering group, VESA, to do a combination of voluntary
work and island hopping to see the best of Fiji’s beautiful and exotic landscape. During the first week we stayed in a
Fijian village with a family, whose lifestyle is a world away from the luxuries we have at home. Inbetween painting
the school and teaching the children English, Maths and whatever other subject they demanded we move onto
(family trees and learning about British culture was a favourite. They were disappointed to know we don’t have
elephants, tigers and lions roaming about our countryside). The second week consisted of travelling mainly by boat
to the idyllic havens of the Fijian islands, launched straight out of the pages of a travel agent’s guidebook. No filter
needed. We fell asleep under millions of stars, which, without the light pollution of a major city, was breath-taking,
and sat around a bonfire burning on the beach at night, listening to a local man’s acoustic version of ‘Someone like
You’ by Adele. The whole experience just needed to be felt, there is no true way to describe it.
Olivia Waltho
Alexandra Chapman
31
6[\9
Island holidays are usually associated with white-sand beaches full of palm trees, endless sunshine and exotic places.
Be it the Canaries, the Caribbean islands or the Philippines, the word ‘island’ itself gets people excited. However, we
shouldn’t forget that the UK holds an array of beautiful islands too, perhaps not rewarded with as much sunshine as
the others but no less charming. Here are five of the best ones.
Words: Ingrida Kurlinkute.
$!
Under the ownership of the National Trust, the 18th-century Italianate house located on
Derwent is the only building on the tiny island. The house has inhabitants all year round
but is open to public visits for only five days per year. A short trip across the lake in a
canoe and you are already standing on the isle, checking out the beautiful house, garden
and learning about the past life of the island. People from all walks of life used to own the
house, from monks to royalty, even German miners who worked in the area and brewed
their own beer. The last version of the house was built by Joseph Pocklington. Plan your
holiday according to the open days to make sure you can enjoy this unique opportunity!
&'
National Geographic recently voted Skye as the 4th best island in the world, so it’s got to be
true. There are a number of reasons why it took such a high prize. Get your sturdy hiking
shoes and reliable waterproofs ready to conquer Quiraing landslip and you will see why –
jaw-dropping nature vistas reminiscent of Lord of The Rings are guaranteed. If you’re cheeky
enough, you may even take a bottle of wine to enjoy the sunset. For the best family fun,
there is Armadale Activities where you can try archery, axe throwing, air rifles and clay
pigeon shooting. Book in advance so you can also see Clan Donald castle, gardens and
museum. Mysterious abandoned lighthouses, lots of wildlife, clear Scottish water at a 1000
foot headland rising out of a crashing ocean – this is what Neist Point is about. Head to Skye
to see it all because mere words aren’t able to depict its beauty.
32
TRAVEL
'
Also known as Ynys Môn for Welsh speakers, much of its coastline
has been declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As
soon as you arrive here, you will understand why. Lligwy Beach
is a lovely place backed by cliffs and unspoilt by development,
perfect for dog owners and family fun. There is lots of space here
for everyone to enjoy but the lack of tourists on weekdays makes
it an even more personal experience. The recently renovated Plas
Cadnant Hidden Gardens now shine brighter than ever before. The
ten acres of gardens are full of odd plants and a flowing river with
waterfalls. The traditional Tea Room serves luscious homemade
cakes to compensate the energy used to stroll across. With a free
main car park and visitors centre, South Stack Cliffs RSPB Reserve
is the place to go for nature and is as good as the things you see on
some wildlife TV programmes. Expect spectacular views out to sea
from steep cliffs and a range of seabirds and animals. If you’re lucky
enough, you may even spot a porpoise!
6'!%9!%
Despite being a tiny tidal island off the northeast coast of England
with just over 160 inhabitants, this island attracts more than 650,
000 visitors every year and not without reason. The place is renowned
for its medieval religious heritage and a small charming castle built
in 1550, atop the volcanic mound known as Beblowe Craig. These
objects, as well as most of the residents, are situated on the Southern
part of the island. Tourists come here for calm and restfulness which
dwell in still beaches and distinctive natural history. Lindisfarne
National Nature Reserve is a dream for any bird-watcher with dozens
of swallows, kestrels, crows, redshanks, jackdaws, to name but a few.
The only drawback of the island is that if you want to stay overnight
on the island, there are only about 40 rooms available, thus book as
far ahead as possible
9$!6
A visit to the largest island in Scotland feels like travelling back in
time to the mysterious past. In the northern part of the island –
Lewis – the renowned Callanish Standing Stones form a mystical
and large rock city. The Carloway Broch and the Blackhouse let
the modern traveller get in touch with the past and take a look at
the island’s life long ago. The southern part – Harris – possesses
beaches with ancient rocks, claimed to be the oldest in the whole
world. Would you like to make your friends at home jealous? Head
to Luskentyre beach during the sunset for a mind-blowing view
and a stunning photo opportunity. Make sure to take something to
sit on, as there is a high chance that you will want to sit down and
watch the sun slowly sinking over the horizon forever.
33
NEW /
NEWYD D
Whilst Thom Yorke continues experimenting
and Haim hook up with Stevie Nicks, we pick
out some of the most promosing new artists to
look out for this month
ILoveMakonnen
Ryn Weaver
‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’
isn’t always the best motto to live your life
by. Unless you’re Ryn Weaver, that is. When
she ‘ran into’ friend of a friend and producer
of more huge pop hits than you can shake
your finger at, Benny Blanco, on Tinder one
afternoon, Ryn’s life spiraled out of control.
One minute she was a normal girl, the next,
an Internet sensation. Or something like
that, at least. The Californian synth-pop
artist has friends in the highest of places and
is certainly putting them to use; with Passion
Pit lending a hand and Charlie XCX singing
her praises, there’s no doubting that Ryn
Weaver is about to be huge.
Drake remixed his song and it went viral.
Miley Cyrus put his face in an Instagram post
and his fan base doubled overnight. Within
a month, he was signed to OVO Sound
and in the studio with Skrillex and Diplo.
Makonnen Sheran means business, and with
the selection of tracks he’s offering, his is a
success story in the making. ILoveMakonnen
is the sort of act you can never really pin
down, but with lyrics so wistful and a voice
so raw, pinning him down is going to be the
last thing on your mind.
For Fans Of: partynextdoor & Drake
Download: ‘Club Going Up On A Tuesday’
https://soundcloud.com/rynweaver
@iLoveMakonnen5D
For Fans Of: Bloody good pop songs
Download: ‘Promises’
https://soundcloud.com/rynweaver
@RynWeaver
Litany
The fresh faced duo from Harrogate have
been tip toeing around music blogs for the
last few months, but it’s their newest release
‘Look’ that has really set things moving.
Their delicate, electro sounds might not be
the most innovative but my, are they good.
As strong lyrically as they are melodically,
Litany create a sound so silky and natural it’s
hard to believe that they’re only just getting
started. For times when all that’s left to do is
shut the curtains and hide from the world,
Litany are the perfect refuge.
For Fans Of: Woman’s Hour, Deptford Goth
Download: ‘Look’
https://soundcloud.com/litanyx
@litanymusic
Girlpool
Cleo and Harmony probably don’t give a
shit about what you think. They probably
don’t even care that they’ve been amassing
a fair bit of attention recently, because these
girls are unflappable. Cleo and Harmony
are Girlpool, and Girlpool do whatever the
fuck they like. The LA twosome negotiating
their way through the 2014 music scene are
a welcome reminder of days past, where riot
grrrls were still a thing, Saved By The Bell was
aired daily and hipster was a term used most
commonly for pairs of jeans.
For Fans Of: The hypothetical lovechild of
Kate Nash and Eoin Loveless (Drenge)
Download: ‘Blah Blah Blah’
https://soundcloud.com/girlpoool
@girlpoolband
34
MUSIC
F E S T I VA L
P RE VI E W S
^
DimSwn
Cardiff, 18th October
After a tense few months over the summer
with no Swn announcements being made,
Cardiff’s own version of SXSW is back,
albeit in a slightly smaller form. A one day
version of Swn (wittily entitled DimSwn or
‘no Swn’) will hit the city on Saturday 18th
October. Around 50 bands will be playing
across the day and night, packing the usual
extravaganza into a mere twenty four hours.
The reason behind this year’s changes
are due to the fact that the ‘Best Small
Festival’ (an accolade bestowed on them by
NME, no less) had become too large to be run
by its tight-knit team of freelancers. With
co-founder John Rostron now able to work
full-time on the event, DimSwn is something
of a pause before 2015’s presumably gigantic
event comes out swinging.
With only 500 tickets on sale, DimSwn
will be a remarkably smaller event. This
level of exclusivity is reflected by this year’s
trim but stellar line-up. Acts including The
Wytches, Woman’s Hour, Gengahr and Prides
will take to the stage in some of Cardiff’s best
independent venues. Only those with a ticket
will be in with a chance of seeing some of the
most exciting bands of the moment. In the
same way as Texas-based behemoth SXSW,
one ticket gains entry to all areas so 2014’s
£24 price is beyond reasonable. Follow in
DimSwn’s fashion and make the sensible
choice to attend the best urban festival in
Wales.
For more info on the lineup, tickets
and venues, head over to www.swnfest.com
—India Thomas
Clockwise from top: The Wytches, Prides
and Woman’s Hour
Simple Things
Bristol, 25th October
Clockwise from top: Death From
Above 1979, Eagulls, Caribou
and How To Dress Well
Growing steadily for the last few years,
Simple Things festival has garnered quite the
following amongst those in the know. The
multi-venue event takes place across Bristol’s
city centre in a day long showcase of some of
the biggest names in new and leftfield music.
From electronic to punk, Simple Things have
perfected the hybridised line up with a must
see list so long it’s sure to make you woozy.
The headline set this year comes from
Canadian punk-rock duo, Death From Above
1979 who, on the back of their first album in
10 years, are on the books to put on a bloody
good show. Liars, Actress, How To Dress Well,
DJ Harvey, Zomby, SOPHIE and Eagulls all
join them on the bill and are just a few of the
names amongst the 60 plus acts there for you
to feast your eyes on throughout the day.
On top of the already stellar line
up, Simple Things-eve (October 24th) sees
Motion play host to electro-RnB artist Jessy
Lanza and Caribou live in what can only
be described as one of the most desirable
opening parties festival season just missed
out on.
Final tier tickets will only set you back
£40, and with over 10 stages to make your
way around (and none of the mud and rain)
it’s a bargain if there ever were one. Snap ‘em
up before they sell out.
For more info on the line up,
tickets and venues, head over to www.
simplethingsfestival.co.uk
—Charlie Mock
35
MODERN
BASEBALL
Borne out of house shows and Philadelphia basements,
Modern Baseball are a band that should feel at home in
Cardiff’s subterranean Undertone. Tickets for the only
Welsh date of their UK tour were in such high demand that
the promoters were forced to schedule two gigs for the same
day. It’s this disconnect that colours life for the band. Playing
shows in 80 capacity rooms on their study sabbaticals whilst
also about to embark on their second tour with The Wonder
Years and recently played to a crowd of well over 1000 at
last month’s Riot Fest in Chicago; is there any point in going
back to university once their autumn tours are finally over?
Vocalist and guitarist Jake Ewald explains the band’s outlook.
“Part of it is our families supporting us in both things that we
do. So they want us to stay in school, but they also want us to
pursue our dreams so if we can find a balance then we might
as well do it.”
Surely part of the appeal of remaining in education
is the fact that he and bassist Ian Farmer are both studying
Music Recording back home. Albums ‘Sports’ and ‘You’re
Gonna Miss It All’ were recorded at Drexel University by the
band themselves which poses the question, would they ever
relinquish the task to anyone else? “We definitely have been
talking about it a lot more than we used to but…the last album
we did was mixed by our friend Jon Low who works at a really
cool studio called Miner Street. He’s become good friends of
ours so we talk about him sometimes but we’re going to take
our time.”
Unlike most mainstream artists who are happy to churn
out material after every tour cycle, Modern Baseball’s existing
songs speak for themselves. In light of how ‘alternative’
bands struggle with commercial success today, is it still worth
pursuing the music they enjoy instead of pandering to the
more lucrative options? “I feel like we’re pretty lucky as a band
as we’re finding out now as we tour more and more that a lot
36
Modern Baseball hit the UK in September
for their first headline tour. India Thomas
caught up with frontman Jake Ewald to talk
songs, music scenes and unforgettable shows
of people connect very easily to us, and a lot of people will
come out and buy records and t-shirts.
But, it’s kind of funny because the whole reason we
started this band was because we wanted to make music that
meant something to us. And when we write songs we’ve never
sat down and said ‘let’s write a song that sounds like this
band-or this band’. When we write ‘Modern Baseball’ is what
comes out. So we got really lucky I guess that people ended
up liking that. When we write songs we just do whatever feels
right and it feels good to do it that way.”
“When we write songs
we just do whatever feels
right and it feels good to
do it that way.”
Their signature wit has seen them welcomed with
open arms by fans of the current emo revival and pop-punk
audiences alike. Everyone loves a passionate sing-a-long. This
acceptance from niche genres aside, Modern Baseball admit
to owing a lot of their success to the thriving music scene
in Philadelphia. “It’s so easy to play shows,” Jake confesses.
“So many people care about music there. Everything’s really
close together and easy to get to.” Basement shows thrown
in people’s houses were integral to their current success and
touring in the smaller venues close to their heart could soon
be a thing of the past. “We just recently started playing larger
venues this year when we did The Wonder Years tour and
it’s a great experience just because you get exposed to more
people, everything sounds really good, nothing’s broken, it’s
less smelly. But when you play little shows and kids are just
standing right in front of you, especially with music like ours
that’s so personal, you feel like you’re actually connecting
to these kids and you can talk to them. It doesn’t feel like
anyone’s above anyone, it’s like everyone’s on the same plane,
hanging out. That’s why we like playing music.”
Tonight’s gig is the last-ever ‘punk rock’ show at
Undertone, and Modern Baseball have the honour of closing a
run that has included Moose Blood, Turnover and Gnarwolves
to name a minute few. A sense of finality hangs over their set
and when they finish the crowd demand that they stay and
continue to play. Lyrics are shouted back at the band as if the
crowd had written them themselves, and it becomes apparent
that in this moment the band’s personal experiences are
shared by those in the room. Modern Baseball’s steady rise is
due to the fact they are not trying to be anything more than
who they are; four young guys taking life a day at a time. Who
couldn’t relate?
MUSIC
L
O
N
D
O
N
G
R
A
M
M
A
R
Beth Lyons from Xpress Radio caught up with Dan and Dot of East
London trio London Grammar ahead of their headline performance at
Portmeirion’s picturesque Festival No. 6
In halls of residence at The University of Nottingham, fresher
Dan Rothman sent Hannah Reid a Facebook message; a
friendly hello from one musician to another, an invitation to
jam. Five years down the line, Reid, Rothman and keyboardpercussionist Dominic ‘Dot’ Major have charted in the top 10
with their debut album, played countless festivals and been
named the most played independent band. No mean feat for a
bunch of 20-somethings.
The steady procession of achievements does not
end there. Their fine-tuned brand of mournful, melancholic
electro-pop has sent them from the opening spot on the main
stage of North Wales’ premier boutique festival to headlining
it all in the space of a year. Their ascent hasn’t gone
unappreciated, either. Reminiscing on their last 12 months in
the spotlight, Dan gets to the bottom of exactly when it was
that he realised just how far they’d come.
“There’s been so many points along the way [that make you
think]. It’s at those moments when they’re so fresh in your
mind that they feel like they sum up what you’ve been doing
and all the work you’ve done. And then there’s other things
too, like we won a couple of awards at the Independent Music
Awards which was amazing.”
But after a summer on the road, it’s back to the studio
for London Grammar with plans for album number two in the
pipeline. Where the ‘difficult second album’ could have
filled them with fear, they’re instead looking forward to the
“It’s at those moments when they’re
so fresh in your mind that they feel
like they sum up what you’ve been
doing”
opportunity to evolve. ‘We definitely want to go a bit more
dynamic with it’ Dot explains, ‘explore some of the stuff we
touched on with the first album; the quieter moments and
then the heavy beats.’ They haven’t got anything so vanilla
as a plan, though: ‘it’s just so hard to tell before you get into
the studio. We’ve got a lot more gear now, so naturally it will
be slightly different.’ That’s not to say they’ll be bashing out a
heavy metal album, though; ‘fundamentally, it’ll be the same
three people.’
Good news then for the band’s ever-growing, nascent
fanbase. London Grammar will develop without undue
departure, and experiment without alienating. It would be
simple to ride out the quite extraordinary hype surrounding
their debut, and the Disclosure collaboration that garnered
them yet more attention, but the three-piece do not seem to
be an act resting on their laurels. There is blissful appreciation
when reflecting on their early accomplishments, and
excitement when contemplating what they might yet do on
return to the recording studio; with the mindset essential to
progress, it is nothing more than a waiting game to see just
how far London Grammar can go.
— Charlie Mock
37
Are local music scenes
dying out?
Back in August, a large Somerset
town played host to a one-day music
festival. The established event prides itself on
putting up-and-coming acts on its bill and covering
genres that range from metal to indie. Essentially, there is
something for everyone. Yet, when Quench Music showed
up early for the flawless performance of one of Cardiff’s most
promising bands we were virtually the only ones in the room.
All over the UK, empty venues have long been a common sight
but scarily, the thriving music scenes of Britain’s cities are
now under imminent threat.
In the past month alone, a deluge of problems have
hit some of our most iconic institutions. On September
10th, The Cockpit, a Leeds venue that has seen the likes of
Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age and The Libertines
perform, announced its permanent closure. Citing the
condition of the building as the reason for shutting down,
their official website goes on to thank “every one of you who
came to watch your favourite bands, danced, stage dived,
crowd surfed, found your life partner and gave The Cockpit its
reputation as one of the best live music venues in the UK.” Sad
as The Cockpit’s story may be, even more venues are facing
closure through no fault of their own.
The Tunbridge Wells Forum is one of many that face
an uncertain future. The independently run 250 capacity
venue will not have the funds to fight off the inevitable noise
complaints from the new flats proposed to be built nearby.
Bristol’s The Fleece has a similar battle ahead of it. The owner
Chris Sharp stated that the venue’s success had always been in
its location. “The lack of residents in the surrounding streets
has meant the venue has been able to offer live music seven
nights a week and club nights until 4am at weekends without
disturbing anyone.” With the proposed flats taking the place
of the office building that currently backs on to the venue, The
Fleece’s previous durability could dramatically change.
With twelve venues under imminent threat the Music
Venue Trust and musician Frank Turner are petitioning the
Culture Secretary, Sajid Javid MP in an attempt to address the
issue. In a video online, Turner proposes adopting the Agent
Of Change principle. “Under the Agent of Change principle
if a music venue is in place before the residential building,
the residential building would be responsible for paying for
soundproofing. Likewise, if a new music venue opens in a
residential area, the venue is responsible for the cost.” The
artist goes on to say that the principle is already being adopted
in Australia, and that “The outcome is improved planning;
venues working alongside their communities to manage
their noise when it changes [and] developers making better
38
residences
that are fit for
purpose.”
Despite
this
wellintentioned petition, it appears
that the arts and government are far from
uniting in their outlook. Earlier this year the Welsh
Music Foundation was forced to suspend its role developing
and supporting the industry when the Welsh government
withdrew the agency’s core funding. Its annual grant of
£160,000 has been taken away from the legions of artists,
venues and festivals that depended upon the Foundation’s aid
in order to stay afloat. Consequently, the face of live music in
Wales is already changing.
Swn Festival has been the highlight of the music
calendar in Cardiff since its inception in 2007. Co-founded
by John Rostron and Huw Stephens, the four day artist
showcase has grown to such a size that it is now too large to
be run by its small team of freelancers. However, the festival
is neither sizeable nor corporate enough to fund the fulltime employment of staff. In addition, John Rostron who
had previously been able to put in time for free was now in
full time work. With the summer weeks passing by and no
announcements for the event being made, it seemed as if
2013 could have been the last Swn. Fortunately, Rostron
was nominated and received the Breakthrough Grant from
the Paul Hamlyn Foundation which enabled him to leave his
job in August and work on Swn full time. The event has been
downsized for 2014, whilst plans are put into place to make
the following year’s festival better than ever before.
Having become something of an institution in Cardiff,
Swn is an integral part of the live music scene. Typically
involving venues that range from The Angel Hotel to the
Student’s Union, 2014 will see DimSwn (or ‘No Sound’) on a
remarkably smaller scale. Rather than the exponential growth
we’ve come to expect, this year’s one-day event will be limited
to six venues. It is indicative in a way, of the restrictions and
barriers currently faced by all aspects of the live music circuit.
Cardiff promoters Millionaires have announced that they’ll
no longer be holding punk rock shows in Cardiff’s Undertone.
Placing artists in the 80 capacity room beneath 10 Feet Tall and
charging under ten pounds per ticket had given Millionaires a
reputation for incredibly exclusive and intimate gigs. Yet, the
current
economic
climate has made
it an unviable business
option. After all, club nights are
more popular and sell more alcohol.
The fact that Cardiff’s cultural institutions
have been financially shaken is a worrying thought. If
a capital city with the reputation for the some of the most
enthusiastic crowds can’t keep its music scene afloat, how
is the rest of the UK going to fare in future? Frank Turner
understands the urgency of this issue. “As a musician, these
[UK] venues are important to me. They are where I grew up,
where I learned about rock’n’roll music, where I saw all my
favourite bands. [These are] venues where I played my first
shows and some of my most recent, the home of the music
scene that has given me my career, my passion and my life.
But right now, we are genuinely facing a meltdown and the
British live music circuit is crumbling around us.” Our local
music scenes depend on us now more than ever.
“Smaller, local shows are the
most organic place for bands
to grow and develop.”
Without funding it is up to the music consumer to make
a difference. Yet an increasing sense of entitlement could be
preventing any positive changes, thinks Quench writer Jack
Glasscock. “There’s an expectation that music should be free,
and that bands should play on your doorstep.” This apathy
from potential audiences who won’t travel for shows means
that bands and promoters are losing money on events left,
right and centre. There’s also a strange phenomenon that
MUSIC
a ticket
is worth a
lot more than you
think. For the price of three
coffees or the entry fee of one of
the nightclubs on Greyfriars Road, you
could be in Clwb Ifor Bach making memories more
interesting than an evening spent trying to twerk along
to Jason Derulo. This is a call to arms to make the most of the
amazing music scene our city has to offer. In this economic
climate, who knows how long we’ll have to enjoy it?
—India Thomas
Photos: Kmeron (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
seems to be
occurring where
people leave purchasing
tickets until last minute. As an
incentive, smaller venues like Clwb Ifor
Bach offer subsidised advance prices, but when
bands are only managing to charge £10 at most per
ticket, how can we ensure that these venues don’t disappear
altogether in future? “Smaller, local shows are the most organic
place for bands to grow and develop. A local scene has a sense
of community and offers influence and support for everyone
involved.” Jack goes on to explain: “The most important thing
a local scene offers is the growth of unique music and an
exploration of genre. I think that it would all be a bit stunted
and awkward without a place to cut your teeth. Accumulating
a fan base online just isn’t the same.” In order to salvage these
training grounds for tomorrow’s headline acts, the solution is
simple: people need to start going to gigs.
As Cardiff residents we are some of the luckiest students
where our local scene is concerned. From metal in Fuel to DJ’s
in Gwdihw, to the Motorpoint and the extensive array of artists
performing in our very own student union this year, there is
so much on offer. Employing bar staff and promoters, keeping
venue managers in a job and bands in petrol for the tour bus,
39
MU S I C
REVIE W S
We review the new albums from Jamie T,
Alt-J, Aphex Twin and Gnarwolves and shows
from Talons, My Grey Horse and TRAAMS
FEELS LIKE SUMMER
LAUNCH PARTY
(My Grey Horse, Noyo
Mathis and Wasters)
Gwdihw, September 26th
TALONS
Clwb Ifor Bach, September 19th
There are purists who refuse to accept that rock music has
progressed much since the 70s, but last Friday’s triple bill
at Clwb Ifor Bach serves as indisputable evidence to the
contrary.
First up are locally based Esuna, bursting into a franticpaced opener reminiscent of early Idlewild and compositions
smacking of Hundred Reasons that don’t belie a confidence to
do their own thing. Technical nods to their peers in the odd
missed beat or surprise rest are not overused as to detract
from real songs, honest melodies and songwriting that shows
genuine promise.
Relative local veterans Wicket enthrall, speaking
through recordings and projected stop-motion blu tack
animation loops while tweaking an impressive array of
pedals. Songs evolve from atmospheric synthesised strings
to heavily rousing pieces Mogwai would be proud of despite
three less members. Adept at the musical catapult tactic:
withhold, withhold, release, they also reference the math side
of the scene without letting it fragment the pieces.
Headliner Talons’ presence is instant. Songs grow from
gentle classical violin playing to wailing guitars and frenzied
drumming. Soon we are witness to a line of two guitarists, two
violinists and one bassist headbanging in synchrony. It isn’t
just the violinists that make this image so pleasurable, but the
mastery in the compositions and finesse with which they are
performed which really make Talons so arresting; orchestral
sounding yet face-meltingly rocking. Every pause is perfect,
every riff sublime. Terrifying tribal drumming is overlayed
by luscious snaking strings whilst machinegun fire kick drum
and toms punctuate an overwhelming wall of sound.
If you haven’t caught up on rock in the last 40 years,
Talons might make a good start. Their recorded work deserves
all the praise it has recently received, but it is live where
Talons are truly in their element.
—Gareth Kitchen
Freshers week? Who gives a fuck when My Grey Horse are
headlining with a setlist taken from their stellar debut ‘I
Still Don’t Understand’? Not this crowd, at least. Playing
the last date of their mini tour by launching Jealous Lovers
Club’s Feels Like Summer Festival, there’s a palpable tension
growing; we just can’t bloody wait.
Wasters start the evening to a still room, their recent
tip off from NME left unnoticed. Unfortunately, immaculately
projected vocal dynamics only go so far, and in this case it’s
not far enough; Wasters don’t build enough momentum to
keep interests going. Noyo Mathis are next to grace the stage,
and for the 45 minutes that vocalist and guitarist Toby Savill
is in control, lickety-split timed finger tapping and crowd
shaking tunes fill the tiny front room of this out of the way
Cardiff retreat.
And then finally, My Grey Horse arrive. Joined by
drummer Joe Nicklin and bassist Tom Mott, the strictly
brotherly harmonics add drive to oddly timed pieces like ‘Need
Wood’ and an otherwise swirly, relaxing ‘Big Night.’ My Grey
Horse share more with Louisville rock quintet My Morning
Jacket than mere possession of animals and garments; they
hold a creative air that grips you like a levitating cartoon
character, and lets you drop accordingly. Hearing early
material like ‘Aberdovey’ hits nerves and plucks heartstrings,
and the frantic fervor of Freshers’ week seems a million
miles away. As the final acoustic numbers build up to tourending, party-popping celebrations, the notion that My Grey
Horse might one day progress to the opposing Motorpoint
Arena seems ever more tangible. Where those wiling away
their night at the beloved SU may struggle to reminisce the
following morning, the Feels Like Summer collective make
sure that this is one night that will certainly be remembered.
—Veryan Leaper
Photo: Nail Lloyd
40
TRAAMS
Clwb Ifor Bach, September 26th
Womanby Street. Hidden away in the centre of Cardiff,
an early evening dusk is beginning to shroud the zealous,
audacious graffiti exploding from the walls. A regular haunt
for members of the nightlife revolution, Clwb Ifor Bach and
its three story building hosts live music nights a plenty and
tonight is no different.
Openers Gin Drinker, a guitarist and spoken word duo,
are surreal. Words can be used, but there are no words to
provide a succinct description of what is happening on stage.
Two men blend a hip-hop drum machine with heavy metal
guitar and improvised poetry, which at one point descends
into the riff from Batman. ‘Oh shit. I haven’t wrote-n ‘ny
fackin’ lyrics to this one yet’ we hear; he raps anyway.
High hopes are held for post-punk trio Kutosis who
are second to grace the stage. An obnoxiously loud and
monotonous set that, albeit oozing energy, overpowers the
subtleties that made them so popular a few years ago, leaving
those who have previously known and loved the Cardiffians
slightly taken aback.
Enter TRAAMS. First song in, and it’s difficult to
separate them from Kutosis; they’re young, self assured, and
loud. A tight set nonetheless, and their confidence suggests
they’ve been playing these songs for a while, but the lack
of audience enthusiasm is surprising. It’s a pretty small
turnout for Clwb Ifor Bach, and the room is emptying very
quickly at the back, despite the size of the band’s fan-base
in Cardiff. The boys from TRAAMS involve the audience,
thanking them repeatedly for coming, and clearly enjoying
performing. Perhaps the small venue on Womanby St isn’t
suited for such a group, or perhaps, people were scared off
by the abrasiveness of the support acts. It seems that despite
their unique status as the world’s only kraut-rock band from
Chichester, TRAAMS are left a little in the cold on this Indian
summer’s eve.
—Tom Reeder
MUSIC
APHEX TWIN
Syro
ALT-J
This Is All Yours
GNARWOLVES
Gnarwolves
JAMIE T
Carry On
The Grudge
It’s been thirteen years since Richard D.
James last released an album under the
alias ‘Aphex Twin,’ but it would be wrong to
assume that he’s been sat on his arse since
then. Instead, the reclusive forty three yearold has been hiding out in a Scottish village,
juggling parenthood with music, tinkering
with tracks and creating compilations
set to blow the minds of his devoted and
astoundingly large fan base.
After taking rave culture by storm
in the 90s, it is evident that James is one
of the most influential and important
electronic acts in the industry, renowned for
constantly pushing the boundaries in that
particular genre. In that respect, ‘Syro’ may
disappoint fans who have been waiting for
another album that will, once again, break
the rules. The opening track ‘minipops 67’ is
a quintessential Aphex Twin track, filled with
synths, skittish staccato rhythms and robotic
bleeps which interject the surface. Similarly,
tracks such as ‘180db_’ are reminiscent of
James’ nightmarish ‘Come on Daddy’ EP,
which he recorded with Chris Cunningham
in 1997; its eerie strings lurk behind whetted
synths. The overall pace of the album is typical
of his signature ‘braindance’ style, which
transports the listener through a whirlpool
of synthesisers and crazy drum beats. The
closing acoustic piano piece ‘aisatsana,’ is the
complete antithesis to the previous tracks
on ‘Syro.’ Strikingly calm and ambient with
its accompanying birdsong, it is the perfect
comedown after such manic activity.
Although it may not be his most
innovative record to date, with a slight
adjustment of expectations, ‘Syro’ can be
appreciated as a solid demonstration of a
master craftsman at work.
—Kate Barlow
How could alt-J follow up a debut album as
undeniably genre-bending as ‘An Awesome
Wave,’ an album that earned them the
coveted Barclaycard Mercury Prize and
catapulted them to the headline slot on
Reading and Leeds’ cavernous NME/Radio
1 stage last summer? With Alexandra Palace
sold out and London’s 02 Arena on sale, no
one really knew what to expect next in the
unprecedented rise of alt-J.
‘This Is All Yours’ proves that alt-J
were not being weird for weird’s sake. They
were using music as an art form like no one
else, and they’re going to continue pushing
the boundary of the veritable blue sky. The
opening track, ‘Intro’, opens with a cacophony
of monosyllabic intonations and morphs
into a powerful sitar based crescendo. This
transformation embodies Alt-J’s transition;
they are still very much the same band, but
it’s not simply a continuation of their debut.
There are parts of the album that sound
deeply romantic, such as ‘Arrival In Nara’ and
‘Pusher.’ Other times, it becomes bizarrely
erotic in a way only alt-J can be, with a low
stinging bass line, hypnotic harmonies and
lyrics like ‘turn you inside out and lick you
like a crisp packet’. As unorthodox as it is,
it’s extremely effective. With their extensive
instrumentation, alt-J produce a highly
tactile sound that engrosses you in a way
that other music fails to do. Use of the classic
primary school DJ keyboard samples on
‘The Gospel Of John Hurt,’ as well as other
charming minutiae, remind you that they’re
just being extremely resourceful as opposed
to being intentionally obtuse.
‘This Is All Yours’ is an album that
rewards a truly engaged listener, one that is
willing to pick up on the beautiful, ingenious
subtleties of what alt-J have produced. That
engagement is so fulfilling and wholly worth
it.
—Jack Glasscock
‘Prove It’ seems like a superfluous song
title for Gnarwolves to open their longawaited debut album with. Stalwart and
tenacious, the Cornish-bred, Brightonbased punk trio haven’t exactly left their
fans with any doubts about their capability.
Three EPs, perpetual hard graft and endless
tours saw the band open the Main Stages
at Reading and Leeds Festival before they
even had a ‘proper’ record to their name. The
aforementioned event seems to suggest that
the time has come for Gnarwolves to clamber
out of Britain’s basements, bevvies in hand,
and bask in what they’ve achieved.
‘Gnarwolves’ moves away from their
loosely ‘pop-punk’ past. All ten caustic
tracks bear the grit that Parker Cannon and
Co. could only dream of. Deemed ‘melodichardcore’ by those in the know, the band have
managed to balance fun with something a
little more sinister on this release. ‘Boneyard’
and ‘Smoking Kills’ don’t exactly inspire
optimism from a titular perspective yet singa-long choruses and scathing political digs
lend something anthemic to the prevalent
pessimism.
While Gnarwolves’ debut doesn’t
offer anything ‘new’ the band have found
their unique sound and are commendably
sticking with it. The popularity of their live
shows more than illustrates that the trio are
plenty aware of what they do best. On record
there’s no over-production clouding the
band’s organic sound and as a result, their
gigs always deliver what you expect. Except
when someone uses a body-board to crowd
surf over your head, of course.
For everyone who’s been blasting
‘History is Bunk’ since time seemingly
began, this album is for you. Hitting number
68 in the album chart at time of writing,
‘Gnarwolves’ is less of a statement and more
of a celebration of the fact that their original
sound has got them where they are today.
Long may their success continue.
—India Thomas
Lyrical master, Jamie T, is now 28 years old.
After his career exploded upon the release of
debut album ‘Panic Prevention’ in 2007 and
continued to soar following 2009’s ‘Kings
and Queens’ hit the shelves, it’s with good
reason that his unannounced hiatus caused
a huge ruckus. Jamie T disappeared and no
one really knew why. Now, in 2014, the south
London singer is finally back and ‘Carry On
The Grudge’ is the best comeback any fan
could ask for.
Jamie returns with a sound that is distinctly
more grown up, the shouts of songs like
‘Sheila’ and ‘Sticks ‘n’ Stones’ long gone.
The conversations of drugs, love and life
continue, however, and the aggression that
drives the music remains, but there is no
denying a clear maturation in what Jamie T
is now creating. It’s calm, bold and lingers in
your ears. Lead singles ‘Don’t You Find’ and
‘Zombie’ provide dynamics and variation
that the album would otherwise lack, whilst
‘Trouble’ and ‘Rabbit Hole’ give it the punchy
groove that a return to the forefront needs.
Whilst the whole album can be praised, it’s
‘The Prophet’ and ‘Love Is Only A Heartbeat
Away’ that really grab you; they are lyrically
gorgeous. “Love is only a heartbeat away,
but it’s saved for the darkest of your days”
Jamie reassures. Lyrics like this, peppered
throughout the album, make you realise
exactly what Jamie T has been doing during
his five year hiatus. He has been nurturing
his talent, for himself and for others; ‘Carry
On The Grudge’ is evidence of that. Welcome
back Jamie T, please do stay a while.
—Alice Hoddinott
41
DESTINY
AWA I T S
Online multiplayer has a new face
When it comes to creating something
memorable and enticing, something to blow
people out of the water, there are certain
standards and protocols that have been
set in our media-saturated world and now
must be reached by every new release. The
standard ranges from the level of graphics,
the gameplay and of course the multiplayer
platform. A game like Destiny seems to nearly
tick every one of those boxes and more.
Destiny may be a brand new game,
yet the concept is very similar – an ancient
science-fiction
mythology-based
postapocalyptic storyline that’s accompanied
by heroes and villains…where the villains
happen to be these creepy sentient alien-like
creatures. Nothing like the Halo, Fallout and
Resistance game franchises or films like War
of the Worlds, Edge of Tomorrow, Pacific Rim,
Oblivion or even I Am Legend. No, we haven’t
seen *anything* like this before.
Set 700 years in a post-apocalyptic
future following an age of exploration, peace
and technological advancement, the human
race has colonised planets within the solar
system and the far reaches of space. An event
known as “the Collapse” saw the mysterious
dissolution of all these colonies and leaving
mankind precariously balanced on the brink
of extinction. The only known survivors of
the human race are those living on earth
in The Last City, which was saved by “The
Traveler”, a giant, white, spherical celestial
body whose appearance centuries before had
enabled mankind to reach the stars and new
42
technological feats.
The Traveler now hovers above
The Last City and its presence allows the
Guardians – no, not Marvel’s Guardians of the
Galaxy – who are the defenders of the city, to
wield an unknown power of skill to fight off
the hostile alien races who are encroaching
the city. The player, who controls a Guardian
of their choosing, has to work on reviving the
Traveler, destroying the alien invaders and
saving the human race.
Despite the idea of the game being
remarkably similar to a lot of other media
releases that we’ve seen in the last decade,
Destiny has its own distinct take on the genre
in terms of gaming. The entirety of the firstperson shooter, story missions included,
takes place in a constantly evolving online
world, dubbed as one of the first “sharedworld shooters”. As well as the standard need
for online multiplayer that many gamers
now look for, the game provides a much
more consistent matchmaking entity that
differs from other massively multiplayer
online (MMO) games and creates a more
natural experience in either cooperative or
competitive multiplayer modes.
The fact that the entire story takes
place in this online world is one of Destiny’s
most intriguing aspects. As you play the core
story missions, you are accompanied by your
very own companion known as The Ghost,
a robot AI that is voiced by the celebrated
Game of Thrones star and fan favourite Tyrion
Lannister, A.K.A Peter Dinklage.
The graphics may not be as upto-scratch as other recent games – on a
Playstation 3 at least – and, while definitely
nowhere near as spellbindingly beautiful as
The Last of Us or Grand Theft Auto V, it is the
vast backdrops that really catch your eye.
The futuristic setting of the solar system
has allowed the developers to experiment
and explore a world of desolated planets in
an advanced post-apocalyptic future, leaving
you in a sense of awe and wonder about the
cosmos.
This is accompanied by an ethereallike soundtrack which, to some, might not
be all that enticing yet it fits almost perfectly
throughout the game. From travelling
between planets to fighting off an army
that rose from the deepest depths of the
darkness, the soundtrack intertwines nicely
between scenarios.
But what about the actual gameplay?
You start off with having the choice of three
different advanced races, all Guardians:
Titans, Warlocks and Hunters; each with
their own set of advantages.
From there on, you are born from “the
light” where you spend the entirety fighting
off the armies of The Darkness. Yes. It is that
literal. The game acts like any other online
shooter. The higher level you are the more
weapons armour and perks will become
available to you, rewarding the countless
hours you will no doubt be clocking over the
next few months.
With some nice added play features
and an upgrade system, the game runs
smoothly in an online world. Along with the
standard PvP matches and story missions,
there are Strike missions which team you
up with other players of a similar ability
(or level) to take down a specific target and
the countless respawning of their minions.
These side-missions, along with a number
of bounties – yes, so you can finally take the
mantle of Boba Fett, hunting enemies across
the galaxy for prizes (…Star Wars? No?) – are
just another of extremely handy ways to level
up quickly.
These will be a welcomed aspect to
take on as you progress mainly because of
the repetitive nature of the story missions.
While they are still enjoyable, they become
rather predictable very early on with the
only difference being a new location and a
different enemy.
Despite the price of Destiny being in
excess of £50 and the obvious flaws you will
find throughout the game there is no stopping
it from being enjoyable and somewhat
beautiful to play. The Shared-World Shooter
provides endless hours of entertainment and
a constant online-mode that will relight that
competitive spark within you if the lethargic
missions start to take their toll, that is.
So is it worth getting? If you love
games like Halo and live for online modes
then you should really have this game by now
but it really isn’t as much of a defining game
as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or The Last of
Us. While it shouldn’t really be categorised
in that “best games ever” league, Destiny has
started something incredible and should be
recognised for that along with its endless
entertaining hours of gameplay. It’s a great
game but far from perfect.
Reviewed on PS3
— Alex Miarli
8/10
VIDEO GAMES
Dwarf Fortress is
one of those rare video
experiences truly feel
unique, and where almost
everything in the world
is truly random. But for
those of you who have yet
to become accustomed
to it, Dwarf Fortress is
a free-to-play game by
LOSING IS FUN
at you, or anything in-between! The amount
The core concept of Dwarf Fortress is to take
of depth in this game is indescribable and
an expedition of dwarves, each of whom can
seemingly limitless factors can account for
have specific talents and skills attributed
the rise and fall of your fortress. Anything
to them, alongside a wagon of supplies and
from dwarves experiencing dehydration,
proceed to successfully create a working,
which in this case is a lack of alcohol, to
thriving and sustainable fortress. On the
having a long forgotten beast awaken from
surface it seems to be paper thin in terms of
the depths of the earth and unleash a horde
content. “What about the story?” is usually
of zombie slugs upon the world, the list goes
the response a description like this will
on and on.
invoke. The story is one of the most unique
However there are some drawbacks.
and memorable experiences a player can
The learning curve for this game has been
picture, because it is randomly generated. At
described by many as being the equivalent
the start of playing the game, the world and
of climbing a greater than 90 degree angle.
its entire history, historical figures included,
The mythical tales and stories are the reward.
are generated on the fly. An entire history
of fallen heroes and
felled kings are
“Dwarves can be dehydrated, which in this
populated at the
push of a button.
case means a lack of alcohol, or awaken a
This adds a sense of
0%-%*!)]
individuality to the
world that makes it
your own, and as a
The core game is presented to the player in
player you start to grow attached to the little
an ASCII format. The entire world, along
events that have been uncovered in your
with its many terrains, creatures, the huge
worlds past, which only enthralls you all the
variety of items and people are all presented
more.
to the player in a 2D box with each being
After the world has been generated,
represented by a letter. A dwarf is a smiley
your dwarves have been selected and your
face, a dog is represented by a letter “d”, and
supplies have been packed, you can select an
a dragon, an incredibly powerful foe in game
area from the entire game world to hunker
is given the unique and distinguishable letter
down and start living. If you wish to have an
“D”. Much confusion is initially given at the
easy life you can place your fort amongst a
start of the game, and has even brought
forest, surrounded by peaceful critters and
the community to the point where they
gentle streams. Conversely if you prefer a
have developed skins to make it more user
challenge you can embark amongst a sinister
friendly.
and deserted environment filled with the
The
gameplay
is
incredibly
most terrifying ghouls the world can throw
overwhelming at the start of playing.
Everything to do with the game is presented
in a menu that can be pulled up and each
command is logged and pressed using the
keyboard. The mouse is never utilized. If
you want a dwarf to dig you press “D” on the
keyboard to bring up the designations menu,
then press “D” once again to designate a
mining operation. From there you select the
blocks of the in game world you wish to mine.
Management of the fort is also
frustrating at this point. At the start of the
game you have a grace period where the
supplies from your caravan provide your
dwarves with supplies. After this you must
look for alternative methods of surviving.
These two simple tasks can be frustrating
since there are absolutely no in-game
tutorials to help you understand, which is
where the community provides a beacon of
hope.
A game such as Dwarf Fortress only
gives what you put in which is why there
is a dedicated community. The game may
play and perform incredibly well, but
each playthrough should evoke a sense of
nostalgia and pride that will stay with you.
The community surrounding dwarf fortress
is based on three main factors; successful
constructions of wonders, helping the
community play the game successfully and
the recalling of tales of successful and fallen
forts of yore. Wonders are a core concept of
the Dwarven community and are usually
unique building projects which have solved
problems with incredibly creative methods.
Machines such as the Dwarven atom
smasher, a drawbridge which exploits a bug
Bay12 games and has
been spearheaded by a
pseudo-mythical creator.
in the game which destroys any items that
are underneath it are prevalent.
The community also helps themselves
and beginners out by creating an entire dwarf
fortress wiki, filled with starter guides and
entries for many if not all critters supplies
equipment and items from the game.
There are even multi-hour YouTube guides,
documenting typical first playthroughs that
beginners to the game can follow along with
and learn from. It’s an incredibly warming
and friendly community to be a part of.
The stories themselves also play a major
part of the community, tales between players
of successful charges on hordes of goblins
and dragons with a single dwarf managing
to best them, or lone dwarf who threw a lion
into another, and managed to get said lion
lodged inside the other are commonplace,
along with the peculiar story of a mayor of
a fortress who was a vampire, who routinely
proceeded to bite his constituents. The
amount of tales that can be recalled from
his game are incredibly vast with each being
utterly unique both for the player and reader.
Overall, Dwarf Fortress can be described
as an experience that any gamer will recall
with a large amount of praise and adoration.
A game which will reward you greatly with
hours’ worth of fun and enjoyment. Many
tragic and hilarious tales of fortresses gone
wrong and success from insurmountable
odds. However you have to be dedicated to it
and devote time and an incredible amount of
patience to learn how the game plays.
Reviewed on PC
— Matthew “Ulrich” Scanlon
9/10
43
PAPERS, PLEASE
one year later
Papers, Please is an independently developed
puzzle game based on the concept of working
at an immigration post for a fictitious,
dystopian country called Arstotzka. The game
had a generally positive reception although
some found it to be too innately tedious, as
after all, the entire game the player is simply
managing a desk job.
Lucas Pope left Naughty Dog to begin
work on Papers, Please in 2012. The game
took less time than expected to complete,
finishing in only 9 months. Before he released
attacks, and complex moral decisions make
Papers, Please an intriguing and immersive
masterpiece.
Papers, Please is priced at just $9.99
(£6.26), which in comparison with big titles
that also arrived in 2013 such as Rome Total
War II, $59.95, it is extremely cheap. It
delivers more than one would expect from
the genre, leaving the player immersed and
intrigued by the setting. While larger titles
have had much more hype and advertising
surrounding them, Papers, Please has
arguably
delivered
more to fans, giving
a superior experience
for a less amount
of money. The Elder
Scrolls Online, for
example, would cost
fans $240 for a single
year of play. Many
purchased the game
and were shocked
and disappointed to
find a severe lacking
in immersion, as well
as countless bugs and
issues upon launch. Papers, Please, on the
other hand, is cheap, simple, and massively
enjoyable.
However despite the overall success
and positive reception of Papers, Please, there
have been some negative reviews. Some feel
that the game is simply too tedious to endure
for only the occasional reward of intriguing
events or plot developments. I would
argue, however, that statistically speaking
the positive reception far outweighs the
“Some feel that the game is
simply too tedious to endure
for only the occasional reward
of intriguing events or plot
developments”
the product he opened a forum for the
public wishing to submit their names to be
randomly assigned to characters in the game.
When it released, players were greeted with
a game where they play as an immigration
officer who has the final say whether a
person is, or isn’t, admitted into Arstotzka.
While stamping papers may sound boring,
Papers, Please is far from monotonous.
Organizations attempting to overthrow
the government, drug smugglers, terrorist
44
negative. People, generally speaking, love the
game. After perusing the reviews on Steam it
is apparent that people are still concurrently
leaving 10/10 reviews. In fact there are 6,359
player written reviews on Steam, and after
glancing through several hundred I found
only a single negative review. The Meta rating
also ranks Papers, Please above much more
expensive games of the year. It is rated an
85, whereas Rome II is rated 76 and The Elder
Scrolls Online is rated 71. Needless to say,
Papers, Please’s ratings speak for themselves.
With reviews still streaming
forth, and players still satisfied with their
Arstotzkan adventure, the game is far from
over. The one year anniversary marks a
bright, and exciting future, with stated plans
to port the game to iOS, as well as possibly
the PlayStation Vita. Among these exciting
plans for Papers, Please, fans like myself can
but hope Lucas Pope continues to exercise
his amazing creative talent with a sequel,
or possibly further expansion, to arguably
the best indie game released in 2013, and
unarguably one of the best indie games
released of all time.
Reviewed on PC
— Bradley Birkholz
8/10
Credits: GiantBomb
As Papers, Please passes its one year anniversary it is worth noting the remarkable
journey it has undertaken and the potential future for the game, which at a low cost
rivals big budget company games in concept, game play, and overall ingenuity
VIDEO GAMES
MONOPOLISED
I N D U S T R Y
Credits: EA
Although it doesn’t play its hand in regards to hardware,
Electronic Arts (EA) is a global hegemon when it comes to
game development and publishing. FIFA, Madden, NHL, NBA
Live, SSX, Battlefield, Need for Speed, The Sims, SimCity, Dead
Space, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Titanfall: All of these games
have either been published or developed by EA and this is a
mere fraction of the titles that the company has had a hand
in. Although companies like Ubisoft would probably like to
say that they are on an equal footing with the Californiabased giant, it would be futile to even consider the matter. In
2011 EA was revealed to be the world’s third largest gaming
company by revenue, only beaten by Nintendo (a company
that saved the industry in the 80s) and Activision Blizzard.
It would not be surprising that nowadays, EA would top that
list – especially given Nintendo’s fallen revenue figures after
the failure of the Wii U.
However, much like any period of hegemony in history,
one can always debate whether or not this is the best scenario
for all concerned. This is no different when EA is taken into
consideration. In fact what makes this debate so interesting is
EA’s status amongst the gaming community. Despite having
released several of the most iconic games in history (The Sims,
Theme Hospital, Dungeon Keeper – both through Bullfrog), EA
is still regarded as “the bad guys” of the gaming world. This is
due in no small part to the fact that the company appears far
more interested in the financial side of matters rather than
quality. Releases such as Dungeon Keeper Mobile and various
others that contain nefarious micro-transactions have only
served to support this viewpoint. The overall feeling has
been summed up by the company being voted the most hated
corporation in the US for two years running! This means that
EA is hated more by the American people than the likes of
McDonald’s and Wal-Mart. It’s staggering that an industry
leader such as EA can garner such a reputation. However the
question remains as to whether the industry would be in such
a strong position without their work. This is the question that
this article will seek to answer.
Let’s start with the positives. It’s entirely possible
to say that without The Sims, and all games related to that
franchise, the industry would not be in the position that it’s
in. EA changed the landscape when it released the very first
Sims game in back in 2000. Since then their in-house studio
Maxis has been working on all things Sims. From 2000 until
the present day, four Sims base games have been released all
with many, many expansions and stuff packs. In fact the latest
iteration, The Sims 4, has just been released but we shall return
to this particular car crash another time. This particular series
enabled people to play with real life. This concept has become
so important that it became the tagline for The Sims 3. There
is no doubt that without The Sims, the industry would have a
very different outlook. Of course we don’t know what things
would look like in this particular timeline but one can guess.
Thanks to its enormous success in the late 90s/early 2000s,
EA made the industry more global and more of an industry.
Although you could argue that Nintendo may have done
this first; one has to remember that they are really the only
company that has significant dealings in both hardware and
software – you may argue that Microsoft and Sony are at the
same level.
However, there are negatives related to this dominance.
The best way to demonstrate the problems with this position
is to look at the sports simulation genre. EA Sports has
absolutely dominated this field since the mid-90s and much
“EA HAS BEEN VOTED THE MOST HATED
CORPORATION IN THE US FOR TWO YEARS”
Much like Lego has
dominated the toy
industry, there only
really exists one
company which
over-arches nearly
all aspects of the
gaming industry.
Alex Glazer gives us
a lowdown on the
situation
like The Sims, their games revolutionised the industry.
However since there is only really one option to go with in this
genre there is a chance that there could be a significant drop
in quality. Without significant competition it is possible that
EA Sports gets lazy and sloppy because they know that they
are going to make the money anyway. The problem that has
developed with this genre is that EA can use its vast pool of
resources to secure exclusive license deals with the likes of the
NFL and EPL. For example, a few years ago EA signed a longterm deal with the NFL to use the teams and all related to the
organisation. This was exclusive. The fact of the matter is that
most people want to play with the actual teams because it’s
more than likely that they have a favourite. At the time of the
agreement EA’s Madden series had significant competition in
the form of 2K. However the licensing deal forced the latter
to pull out of the NFL video-games. Since then there has been
the constant problem that Madden has not evolved enough.
With the exception of the most recent release, Madden 15,
this was true. It is entirely possible to think that this was a
result of not having competition in the field.
Having a company like EA leading the field also
disadvantages the consumer from a financial standpoint.
Now, you may say that that all games from all developers/
publishers are expensive and you would be correct. However,
EA has introduced and taken charge of something much more
nefarious. I’m talking, of course, about micro-transactions.
EA has recently become the “champions” of these horrible
in-game purchases. The word “champions” is used in its most
sarcastic sense. These expensive pay-to-win purchases were
most prevalent in mobile gaming but EA has brought them
into mainstream gaming. The result is that other developers
have seen this and acted in a similar fashion. It was a followthe-leader type of thing. You could forgive EA for this if
they kept it at that, but they didn’t. They have also brought
in this extortion onto the mobile market as well. Now,
unfortunately, the norm but EA has been tying them to wellknown and beloved franchises. Most prevalent among these
is the terrible Dungeon Keeper Mobile. The original games were
absolute classics and genre-defining. This new game is similar
only in name alone and must be avoided at all costs.
Overall it is plain to see that there are two definitive
sides to this argument. Whether or not you like or hate EA is
really down to your personal experience with them. However
the fact is that they are going nowhere. This is a company that
will continue to dominate for the foreseeable future and there
is not much that can be done about that.
45
HORROR TV
WITH THE RETURN OF
AMERICAN
HORROR STORY
THIS MONTH
WITH THE APTLY
TITLED ‘FREAK SHOW’;
ALEX MIARLI GIVE US
THE LOWDOWN
ON WHY HORROR TV
IS MAKING
ITS COMEBACK.
Every genre, whether it’s in TV or film, always seems to have its time in the spotlight that draws
in huge crowds time and time again for however long it stays in fashion. For Hollywood, the
latest fad seems to be garnered towards the more fantastical and awe-inspiring as we enter the
Age of the Superheroes and impressive special effects, yet the latest epoch that seems to have
taken a hold of the small screen is the horror genre.
No matter what TV programme you watch that’s tailored towards an adult audience,
you will find undertones of horror or gore intertwined throughout. And that’s not to mention
the actual shows that are purposefully designed for the genre; Hemlock Grove, The Strain, The
Walking Dead or even American Horror Story. I mean, having the word ‘Horror’ in the title is a
bit of a “dead” giveaway there…
What was once considered to be more of an acquired taste for the genre, it seems now
that everyone and their dog seems to be craving the idea of watching a TV show centred on
the genre of horror even more so than a zombie craves the taste of human flesh. And in recent
years, this has paved the way for the revival of the genre. Why is this?
46
You can perhaps find the root of this growing ‘Horror Mania’ in our ever-changing youth
generation, becoming more open and… experimental when it comes to new trends. With
television becoming a much more saturated marketplace and a growing entity within our lives
accompanied with the continual growth of our population and every other genre entering the
headlights of the mainstream market, the younger demographic wants to have every option of
every genre available at any time.
Horror is now making the headlines and stealing the limelight from anything else
because of the way it is being done. The heavy hitters of the genre, such as American Horror
Story, Hannibal or The Walking Dead have been paving the way for this new invasion for years,
but only now are they beginning to step out of the shadows into the view of a wider audience.
The scripts and story arcs of these shows, along with many other new horror programmes, have
developed into some of the more consistently compelling stories to tell and sometimes, with
this specific genre in particular, a story can become more captivating the darker, gruesome
and the more twisted it becomes; creating that “I don’t want to look but can’t stop watching
it” mentality.
FILM & T V
As well as this, the special effects on these shows are now extraordinarily impressive, creating programming, it’s not a bad thing that we’re seeing more time spent on this genre if done well,
that grounded sense of realism in terms of it being a bit more believable. And of course, a even if it is on the small screen. Television itself is something that is starting to rival the big
zombie apocalypse or an endless wave of vampires, ghosts or werewolves living among us seems blockbusters themselves in terms of figures and audiences.
New hit shows such as The Strain or Penny Dreadful have
ludicrous enough, but the way the stories are being told – not
made the point this year alone that new shows based within the
to mention the countless outstanding performances from the
actors themselves – help to create that dark illusion of reality.
“It seems now that everyone and their horror genre can easily establish themselves in an overly-saturated
televisual market and can still draw in large numbers themselves.
But is it becoming too cluttered? With every kind of
dog seems to be craving the idea of
And online networks, such as Netflix have provided that ability to
monster more or less now being portrayed on the small screen,
watching
a
TV
show
centred
on
the
genre
binge on shows in their own horror genre with the likes of Hemlock
it’s beginning to look less like a scare fest and more like the
line-up of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. On the one hand,
of horror even more so than a zombie Grove.
So yes, these horror-based shows are now receiving the
you can argue that an under-represented genre for years is
craves the taste of human flesh.”
recognition they deserve and, with plenty of other programmes to
finally getting its time in the spotlight and is now making
choose from if horror isn’t your thing, you’re far from limited with
every second of every show count… Yet on the other, you can
see it as too much at once as the television studios are continually pushing too many of the your choice. Every now and then, it’s nice to watch an episode of Hannibal, American Horror
Story or The Walking Dead because the human body needs to feel that rush of fear every now
“same” shows.
In reality, it is not becoming too cluttered; horror has now grown organically into and then… and if not because of that, it’s a smart idea to watch over these shows to pick up on
a staple genre such as comedy or drama and with hundreds of channels, all with their own some tips in case a zombie apocalypse does happen…
47
TAKE A PEEPER
AT THESE CREEPERS
Since we’re no longer in the realm of youthhood-the time when it was acceptable
to receive sweets off complete strangers – Halloween weekend is reserved for those
frightful film nights watched in total darkness. Whether you come back to them
every year or are looking for something new to add to the schedule, here are Film
and TV’s top 10 horrors. Illustrations: Bryn Evans
Das Kabinett des Dr Caligari (1920)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
I know when people think of a silent film, their brain tends to cease concentrating. However,
without this Weimar classic of German Expressionism the horror genre as we know it would be
a completely different landscape. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari tells the story of a doctor who keeps
a somnambulist in a cabinet, told through flashback scenes and set against the bleak backdrop
of unrequited love. A most captivating character, Dr. Caligari ensnares audiences at a carnival
where he shows off his hypnotic control of Cesare. This control however leads to murder plots,
kidnapping and a very strange dwelling in an asylum. The turns in this narrative are a perfect way
to kick off a night into the unnatural.
It is a film everyone knows; a title that is synonymous with the genre just
as much as blood and gore. With a tagline “Who will survive and what will
be left of them?” you know you’re in for a spectacle of horror-greatness.
Another “inspired by true events”, though in reality mostly fictional
narrative; we see a gang of friends descend upon a deserted place where
they are greeted by Leatherface. Impaled bodies, meat-hooked bones and
chainsaw murders are the call of the day. A gruesome addition to any film
night. (If you don’t fancy the original in all its bizarre aesthetics you could
watch the 2003 remake!)
Nosferatu (1922)
The Shining (1980)
If only to emphasise the importance of these early silent works, Nosferatu is the original vampire
film (even though it is still deemed an unauthorised version of Bram Stoker’s brilliant novel).
Without this version, Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the soon to be released Luke Evans turn
in Dracula: Untold would not be as fascinating as they hoped to be. Count Orlok is the vampire at
hand, dwelling in Transylvania and instilling fear into the local people; in enters Thomas Hutter, a
man who gets tangled into the complex web of Orlok’s life. Not as gruesome as some would hope,
yet for being the original vampire flick, this influential piece of cinema is a must for any horror
filmathon.
Even if you don’t know what it’s from, you’ve no doubt seen a meme or a
gif of Jack Nicholson exclaiming “HERE’S JOHNNY!” – And there’s a good
reason why it is both terrifying and hilarious, in the most uncomfortable
way. From a director whose most famous work is A Clockwork Orange, The
Shining was always going to be on the edge of insane and brilliant. The
narrative draws on the theme of psychic abilities; mainly their effect on
the main characters. Watching Jack progress through the supernatural
manipulations that see him descend into utter chaos is the stuff all great
film marathons are made of. But remember kids, all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy.
Psycho (1960)
There is nothing wrong with being close to one’s mother, nothing at all. However Norman Bates
takes this a little too far (understatement of the year, no doubt). Psycho is just as much a sexually
infused thriller of deviant behaviour and gripping suspense as it is the intriguing relationship
between a man and the women he encounters. From Janet Leigh running off with embezzled
money to her most infamous scene on film in that shower – Psycho is coming at you all guns
blazing, or at least knives unsheathed. Horror and thriller go better than two peas in a pod, and
to create such a masterpiece as this they are needed tenfold. The sense that something isn’t right
drips off this narrative right until the last scene. A must watch for any horror night.
48
FILM & T V
The Others (2001)
A horror starring Nicole Kidman would, granted, not spring to
mind when compiling a top 10 list. The woman who sang in Moulin
Rouge and played Virginia Woolf doesn’t sound like the stuff of
scream queen material; but you’d be so wrong to write her off! Set
in neglected house with a more than creepy staff, Kidman plays
a catholic mother whose children have a rare condition where
they can’t be exposed to sunlight – darkness is embedded into the
narrative just as much as the visuals. Like many of its predecessors
it relies on the abilities of supernatural tropes to make audiences
jump out of their skin.
Wolf Creek (2005)
“Based on a true story” is an inter-title all film goers are used to
seeing, and we discard it with as little thought as was put in. When
it’s based on real-life murders however, it’s good to pay attention.
The story revolves around three friends who are traveling the
Australian outback – enter Mick Taylor; car towing, campfirestorytelling serial killer. The ensuing narrative is like a bloody,
gripping game of cat and mouse. Watching the fate of Kristy, Liz
and Ben unfold is nerve-wracking and oh so frightening.
Martyrs (2008)
Not for the weak-stomached; this film is centred on exactly what
the title Martyrs suggests. Well, turning cult members into
sacrificial lambs in the name of the greater good. Thrillingly insane,
the narrative revolves around two orphaned friends Lucie and
Anna, the latter of which gets caught up in Lucie’s murder spree
and an organisation that pre-dates both their lives. Philosophical
in its approach; the horror is intertwined with the afterlife. To
fully understand what it means is to send someone through it,
whilst giving them just enough of a spark of life to communicate
through a transcendental world. Creating martyrs or simply
creating victims, the squeamish scenes that unfold will have even
those with the toughest of stomachs covering their mouths.
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
The woods are a stereotypical place for scary events to happen; where things go bump in
the night and darkness is all-consuming. Throw a deserted cabin into the middle of them
and you have the setting for one very gripping film! Teenagers are the stuff horros are
made of and are the reason they never go out of fashion. The core audiences that watch
them are predominantly teenagers, and we like nothing more than projecting our own
lives onto the horrors our age group undertake in these films. Mysterious technicians
with a cryptic ritual see a gang of teenagers spending their weekend in the cabin under
their control and manipulation. This film has it all; murder, sex, decapitation, zombified
people and a gripping paranoia. Where every scene has a monster; from the coercing
technicians, to the self opening doors, to summoned zombies, it takes a well known
trope and truly reinvents it.
The Conjuring (2013)
Whether you hold a belief the dead can be contacted or not, seeing a door open by itself
or pianos playing of their own accord is still mind-boggling. For a genre like horror you
must suspend belief – and what better way than with a film inspired by a true story.
With a director who helmed Insidious and Saw, it’s bound to be caught up in existential
complications between the living and the dead. Based on the story of hunters of the
supernatural, The Warrens; a house they are investigating becomes a nightmare not
just for the family who inhabit it, but for themselves too. Witches, exorcisms and the
paranormal are at play in this recently released thriller that will give anyone nightmares!
Honourable mention: Though not scary in the conventional “boo! Ahhh” sense. The Rocky
Horror Picture Show is essential for any time where costume is concerned.
(Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Tim Curry strut around in his gaping corset and stockings, all
glossy red lips exclaiming to be a sweet transvestite?)
49
THE
ATTRACTIVENESS
OF THE TV
REMAKE
WITH THE PREMIER OF GRACEPOINT THIS MONTH, THE REMAKE OF BRITISH TV HAS BEEN A RECURRING STAPLE
IN THIS INDUSTRY FOR A LONG TIME. FILM & TV EDITOR AARON ROBERTS LOOKS AT WHETHER THESE
AMERICAN REMAKES ARE BETTER THAN THEIR ORIGINALS, OR IF AUDIENCES HAVE BECOME AMERICANISED.
Without putting too fine a point on it, we Brits make good TV.
So good in fact we get to keep it all for ourselves, as audiences
around the world just cannot understand the audacity British
writers have when it comes to satire, general self-deprecating
piss taking and manipulative scheming dramas. So they
remake it, and who better to remake it I hear you cry? The
Americans of course! The country that created an industry
so cut-throat they can cancel your show after two episodes,
but happily take the premise and remake it into a global
phenomenon. Were we Brits get to appreciate the originality
of thrilling and hilarious sitcoms and dramas, they just don’t
translate overseas. So why is that?
“The remake” itself is a popular genre; whether in film,
television or other mediums. There are always those who think
they can top the original by engaging in new technologies and
up to date events for narrative themes – hence why in fact,
we have a new House of Cards, The Thick of It and Broadchurch
gracing our TVs and laptop screens as of late. You could say
that what is most attractive about remaking TV is that it’s
not broke, so it doesn’t need fixing, it just needs updating.
You have a ready made narrative and character histories and
not to mention an audience who already follow the original –
so why wouldn’t you create something in the same fictional
universe? As audiences, we appreciate new. Even if it comes at
the expense of something else.
A swearing Vice-President, a Machiavellian President
and an ex-Doctor playing a detective, that is what you’ll
find gracing our screens nowadays. It’s a shame however
their original source characters didn’t get the dues they
were so rightfully deserved. Director of Communications
Malcom Tucker became Vice-President Selina Meyer in VEEP,
Prime Minister Francis Urquhart became President Francis
Underwood in House of Cards (US), and the ex-Doctor playing
the detective, became the ex-Doctor playing an American
detective in Gracepoint – Tenant clearly stretching his acting
chops here. Now, I know VEEP is not exactly a direct remake
of The Thick of It. Armando Iannucci the creator of both tried
and failed to adapt a direct remake of Thick so instead he
used the same satirical approach, political themes and gave
it an American setting – and so was born Selina and Malcolm
became a character indispensable to us Brits when we fancy
being sharp and offensive in equal measure.
This Americanisation of culture has a long a complex
relationship with television. By Americanisation of culture; it
usually means culture has become throw-away in its approach
to pretty much every aspect of life, where “Go Large or Go
Home” rules apply to everything. What I also mean by this
is American ideals that are continuously drummed aloud
everywhere has permeated even the foundation of TV. You’ll
hear screams of “THAT’S NOT PATRIOTIC”, “DO IT FOR
THE COUNTRY” and the like when watching pretty much
everything set in American. America loves America. America
also loves British TV, just not how it is.
Are these remakes better than their originals? It pains me
to answer, but in some ways they actually are (queue chants of
‘one of us, one of us’ in American accent). American producers
take the dramatics to places we as an audience scoff at, but we
get hooked onto watching regardless. We have come to expect
anything can happen in a drama coming from the US, nothing
is off limits and each and every episode can pack several twists
and cliff hangers (and if they do not, we ultimately write it
off as being no good). The female characters especially in the
remakes premiered already are brilliant. Whereas their general
comedic themes usually involve subjects written specifically
for American audiences, the performances stand alone as
being top rate. Julia Louis-Dreyfus in VEEP may just be the
sharpest woman I’ve seen in a ‘serious’ humorous role in a
very long time. They are shockingly dramatic in their dialogue
delivery; Robin Wright quietly asserting in House of Cards
she’d “see a woman’s baby die in the womb” before conceding
to her schemes is something that could be pulled straight
from a Lady Macbeth soliloquy. The woman of these shows
prove that sometimes a revamp is needed, breathing new
air into characters and giving them new layers of emotional
turmoil and a current view upon cultural topics. I am sceptical
to say the least however, that Anna Gunn will be as stirring
as Olivia Colman was as Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller in the
Broadchurch adaptation Gracepoint (Not to mention she won a
BAFTA for it!).
The men of these shows are not exactly slacking either:
Kevin Spacey is brilliant, Frank Underwood is a Machiavellian
to end all Machiavellian. If you want to see how Shakespeare
should be performed, this dramatic performance is one of the
best in recent years. David Tenant was brilliant in Broadchurch,
and rightly so he should be cast in its American adaptation.
The Americanised audience however is an evergreen
the TV industry utilises to every extent. All around the
world we know about US government, electoral schedules
and properties and even a vast history that is predominately
taught in primary and secondary schools the US over. As
audiences we have now come to expect that everyone is a
suspect, everyone has motives and everyone can be laugh out
loud hilarious – and when they fail we push them aside and
start on the next show straight from American schedule. That
is the Americanised audience; those of us who believe bigger
is better and feel disappointment when it’s not.
The greatest shock we lovers of the original series
feel are not that the remake shows are doing well; no one
should begrudge the success of others, but that there is no
appreciation for the original source material. Sure the remakes
have their merits, their strong suits, but they fail on the one
thing we hold in highest regard; originality. Though promises
galore have been made for Gracepoint and how it’ll differ from
its already faultless counterpart, I cannot help be feel as if it
will pale so badly and its narrative badly twisted.
Who knows, I may have to eat my words!
- Aaron Roberts
50
FILM & T V
HOW DOES NETFLIX MAKE MONEY?
WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED DEALS THAT NETFLIX HAVE RECENTLY STRUCK, OUR FILM
& TV EDITOR CHARLIE ANDREWS BREAKS DOWN THE DEALS AND EXPLORES
WHETHER OR NOT THE STREAMING SERVICE IS A PROFITABLE COMPANY.
Orange is the New Black; a Netflix success
Netflix. The undisputed juggernaut of streaming. Its subscription basis is constantly growing
and its portfolio of content is ever expanding and this past month has seen the media service
add three series to its repertoire on an exclusive deal.
The first deal to be struck out was the acquisition of the incredibly popular The Walking
Dead for an impressive $1.35 million per episode. This not only included the recently aired
fourth season, but also the upcoming fifth season (after the initial air date) and the previous
three seasons.
Within days Netflix kept the cash rolling out by paying a record breaking “subscription
video-on-demand” deal for the critically acclaimed hit series The Blacklist. The subscription
based company paid a staggering $2 million per episode for the complete first season and for
all future seasons of the James Spader series (again after
the initial air date).
Perhaps the most surprising, monumental and
downright risky deal was the purchasing of the streaming
rights for the upcoming series Gotham for a figure believed
to be around $1.75 million per episode. What makes this
deal so unique and shocking is the fact that not a single
episode of the series had aired when Netflix struck the
deal. Within weeks the streaming juggernaut had broken
two records within its sector of the media industry: firstly
paying the biggest fee for a television series with The Blacklist, and secondly, in a precedentsetting deal, settling the first video-on-demand deal for a broadcast series before its premiere.
Gotham is a huge gamble as there is no absolute guarantee that the show will be popular,
as not even the Pilot episode had aired at the time the deal was struck. Whilst it is safe to
assume that the show will not be cancelled mid-run (Fox will have to pay a hefty penalty fee if
they cancel the show before the agreed upon 16 episodes are broadcast), there is no guarantee
that there will be a large following for the show, something that Netflix seems to have, quite
literally, banked upon.
The question of how Netflix makes a profit would appear to be answered by the above
deals, as how else would they be able to foot the bill? However, perhaps the biggest question
to ask about the streaming service is how does Netflix track where their profits come from?
When subscribing to Netflix you are immediately granted access to their entire catalogue
of movies and television series. And in adding the above three shows to that library a subscriber
is also given access to view these shows without having to pay any extra cost. Regardless of how
many shows or movies you watch or how many Netflix add into their library, you still only pay
a single flat-rate subscription fee.
The current subscription fee is £5.99 a month. So if the typical subscriber watches twenty
episodes from a variety of different shows each month they will be paying just under 30p per
episode. In order for Netflix to break even on their deal with AMC for The Walking Dead (based
on the typical twenty episodes a month subscriber) they would need a staggering 3,823,530
subscribers to watch each episode. To break even on The Blacklist they would need 5,882,352
subscribers to watch each episode.
Bear in mind that a large portion of Netflix’s
subscribers may have watched the above three series at
the time of their original broadcast, and thus may not
have a desire to re-watch a year after that date (when the
subsequent series is currently airing). Given that both The
Walking Dead and The Blacklist are hugely popular, critically
acclaimed and commercially successful television series
they already have a massive and dedicated audience who
will already be watching the newest episodes of the current
series as they are broadcasted. Therefore, it is possible to
assume that a large portion of Netflix subscribers watching these series will be viewing them
for the first time. So it begs the question, are there more than 3.8 million people that have not
watched The Walking Dead so far into the show’s run? Or even 5.8 million subscribers who did
not watch The Blacklist when it first aired given the show was quickly renewed for a second
season due to incredibly high viewing figures.
Streaming is the only sector in the media industry where profits are rarely, if at all,
publicly published. With this in mind whilst Netflix may release their current number of
subscribers they have never released figures of monetary value. Therefore, one may ask if it is
possible for them to track whether or not a show is financially successful. However, given the
three recent deals that have been made, one would hope they make enough money to justify
many more deals of a similar nature in future as it goes without saying that Netflix is great
value for money for students.
“REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY SHOWS OR MOVIES
YOU WATCH OR HOW MANY NETFLIX ADD INTO
THEIR LIBRARY, YOU STILL ONLY PAY A SINGLE
FLAT-RATE SUBSCRIPTION FEE.”
51
GENRE IN
REVIEW:
DRAMA
Here at Film and TV we have decided
to launch a new project, one that looks
!!#$!1%
23!!41"("+&!
!&'%!#
For this issue Aaron Roberts will
+&!!$+!#
As film goers, most of the choices we make are
based on the genre of the films on offer – if
you’re in a good mood you want a comedy, an
easy watcher a rom-com and so on. Drama
films however, are the cornerstone of narrative
film and all other genres use drama within
their stories. Chester V getting shredded up in
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Optimus
falling in Transformers and Andy leaving behind
his childhood in Toy Story 3. All of these films
wouldn’t be classed as dramas, but they use
dramatic elements as the basis of their genre;
animation, comedy and sci-fi.
Dramas are the sort of films that are
typified with a search and found narrative, heartwrenching and tears streaming – especially if they
involve a dog (I deem you completely heartless
if you didn’t shed at least a single tear at Marley
& Me) – scenes of uncomfortable confrontation
and revealing of secrets. What separates drama
from genres who use drama simply as a narrative
function is the realistic characters dealing with
emotions we all experience at some point, love,
hate, happiness, sadness etc. We watch dramas
when we want to feel a connection to others;
the emotional links that make you think “damn,
is this my Sophie’s Choice?” (Though, yours is
probably grounded in what to order from JustEat rather than which child to sacrifice). It is this
reflection of everyday life in film, and granted
sensationalised to an extent, that makes drama
such a complex genre.
Genres are the most fickle of categories
we have in any creative industry; sure it has
guns, but the two leads fall in love – a romance
or a crime? The next has cowboys and aliens, a
western or a sci-fi? To be conclusive, each genre
can be considered a sub-genre of the drama
umbrella. Drama permeates every genre; and it
is that basic fact that makes it probably the most
important of all genres – I’m no Ebert, but I
think that’s a pretty fair conclusion.
Classic dramas are the foundation of
every film we see today; actors are still trying to
emulate the dramatic performances of Hepburn,
Davis, Clift and Bogart. A discussion of the drama
genre can’t go ahead without acknowledging the
ultimate drama – Casablanca. The oft-quoted and
universally loved film became the pinnacle of
film making for a period longer than the golden
years. In an era where drama was at the forefront
of daily lives, this film helped those escape the
dreary war torn backdrops of their lives and into
those of Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund. “I think this is
the start of a beautiful friendship” can be heard
parodied and quoted in many a pictures since
Bogart grumbled it out on screen. It also however
52
Casablanca (1942)
#!56
FILM & T V
is the perfect summing up of the relationship between genre and narrative film; it
epitomises the emotional development dramas had at cinema’s inception and its
subsequent universal love to audiences the globe over.
I could no doubt sit here and list off many brilliant dramatic pieces: One Flew
Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in which Jack Nicholson inhabits both the hero and the
victim, The Shawshank Redemption where Andy Dufresne crawls through a sewage
pipe to freedom screaming into the rain storm or even the simple act of divorcing,
and what that can do to a family like in Kramer vs Kramer. This use of realistic themes
gives this broad genre a great many roads it can explore. The human condition at best
is complex, and no dramatic representation will be able to show every single strand.
Dramas have the ability however to pin focal points on the issues that could affect
the ordinary people, like you and I: Coming to terms with a death of a loved one,
the tragedies evolving from child to adult and more personal themes of sexuality,
intolerance and racism. It is films where a boy from a coal mining town who just
wants to dance regardless of the oppressive place in which he lives, that make this
genre spectacular in its simplicity. It’s good to feel emotions, regardless what the
heteronormative social order dictates, and the drama genre evokes just that.
Dramas are often tragic; it’s in their structure to throw struggles to be
overcome at their characters. You’ll find however that even in the most intense
of dramas there is a silver lining, a happy ending, something that makes it all
worthwhile. Take 12 Years a Slave, a drama that showed the racial prejudices and
injustices that Solomon Northup and Patsey were afforded, due to rampant slavery.
Spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen, but through the hardship of a free man
becoming a slave, at the end he is once again a free man reunited with his family.
It’s a genre where nostalgic narratives and ‘Based on a true story’ flourish, because
regardless of the struggle it is always coming up roses. Not to say that is afforded to
every character in every dramatic piece because it isn’t, however the happy ending
isn’t always grand, it can be as simple as boarding separate trains in the hope of
seeing each other again – like in the excellently scripted Before Sunrise.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975)
Fury (2014)
“Classic dramas are the foundation of every
film we see today; actors are still trying
to emulate the dramatic performances of
Hepburn, Davis, Clift and Bogart.”
You could say dramas can be too dramatic, and you would be right. Though they are
abundant with close up scenes that gives actors the chance to really inhabit a role
(Think anything with Meryl Streep in the lead), there are those that look as if they’ve
come straight from the EastEnders set and take soap opera dramatics really to a level
no film should venture. This genre really does screen on a double edged sword; where
the emotional ties between the characters and audiences can benefit a film, they can
also verge on the sentimental and rely too much upon the stereotypes of certain
groups – a significant liability when trying to attract an audience. Word of mouth
plays much better when there is something negative to talk about.
It is a genre that some have called lacking and hopelessly derivative;
sentiments that aren’t too far from the truth at times. As a medium there is only so
much cinema can achieve that is original in the narrative sense: stories predate their
screen counterparts and as such are made to be unrealistic and unattainable in their
hopes of being seen as original. If anything it is a genre of reimagining. Granted
they are not everyone’s cup of tea – straight up dramas are a thing usually reserved
for the more sensitive of audiences, or those boyfriends being dragged in by their
girlfriends and even less so in today’s climate the stars of the picture are losing less
and less influence.
It’s not all doom and gloom for this genre however. With October come some
brilliant new releases in this genre: the Ben Affleck turn as a husband who wife
mysteriously vanishes in Gone Girl, Downey Jr ditching the iron man suit for a turn
as a lawyer in The Judge and war drama Fury starring Brad Pitt. Now these all fall
under different ‘dramas’ but dramas they all are.
Drama will always have it’s time in the sunlight for as long as narrative film is
used as a medium to entertain and inform. Dramatic pieces are the stuff cinema is
made of; sure you can go watch things be blown up, find out who Luke Skywalker’s
father is or even blast off into space – but it is the pieces that show a version of
yourself that becomes synonymous with the life you lead that affect you most. That
is good drama. That is why it will always be in fashion.
53
Baking
Bad
There’s an epidemic currently infecting the whole of the TV-watching British public and as much
as you may not want to admit it, we’ve all been well and truly hit by The Great British Bake Off
bug. Whether you’re an avid watcher of the series, a recipient of baked goods inspired by the
show, or simply a witness to the mass of Twitter abuse certain contestants have received, the BBC’s
hit show, now in its 5th series, has brushed off on us all.
As the grand finale approaches and the baking madness hits fever pitch, Kathryn Lewis
is here to aid the cake shaped hole in your life with two student friendly recipes. Cheap,
simple and with a good measure of alcohol, these scrumptious recipes hand-picked from
Baking Mad.com will have your house mates begging for more (cake).
54
FOOD & DRINK
Peanut Butter Cookies
Method:
Ingredients:
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55
GLUTEN - FREE
Modern way to eat
The term ‘gluten-free’ often creates a general sense of
skepticism. Earlier this year a clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live
went viral after the show conducted an experiment where
they asked people who lived on a gluten-free diet what
gluten actually was (for reference it’s the protein found in
wheat, barley and rye). An astounding number of people
could not tell the interviewer what it was that they were
excluding from their diet, leading to the conclusion that
there are people who, as Kimmel himself spoofs, “Don’t eat
gluten because someone in their yoga class told them not
to.”
There is a big difference between those who have
to eat gluten-free and those who choose to eat glutenfree. I was diagnosed with coeliac disease ten months ago.
However I know people who feel as atrocious, if not worse
than me, after eating gluten yet receive negative results
from coeliac tests.
From my experience I can only describe being
gluten-free as a general nuisance. Firstly gluten-free
products are astronomically expensive with a small bag of
gluten-free pasta costing double the cost of a kilogram bag
of regular pasta (however if you’re diagnosed with coeliac
you can usually get them on prescription). Secondly after
discovering that a crumb could make me very sick I had to
seriously consider how I used my shared student kitchen.
Using the toaster became a big no-no, I have to have a
separate butter in case pesky glutinous crumbs make
their way in and I even have to be careful about kissing my
56
OR dying trend?
boyfriend after he’s eaten a sandwich.
Yet coeliacs are only part of the gluten-free epidemic.
Gluten-free diets are often seen as fashionable with health
nuts avoiding gluten in the hope that it will help them to
lose weight and reduce bloating and exhaustion. Although
simply switching to a gluten free slice of toast in the
morning won’t make much of a difference to your weight
and will seriously damage your bank account, cutting out
gluten means less reliance on processed foods. This often
results in individuals increasing their intake of fruits
and vegetables and beginning to cook from scratch more
frequently. People have been known to describe going
gluten-free as giving them more energy and helping them
lose weight, but I struggle to believe that it could make such
a massive difference to someone without gluten sensitivity,
but I endorse any diet that encourages a greater intake of
fruits and vegetables.
There has been much speculation as to whether
the ‘gluten-free fad’ will eventually die out. As the only
treatment for coeliac disease is a lifelong gluten free diet,
I doubt it will from my end. What’s more, diagnosis of
coeliac disease and gluten sensitivity are increasing by the
day, as well as those who adopt it out of choice. Personally,
I think that eventually gluten-free diets will become just
as accepted as vegetarian diets are, with clear labeling and
accessibility.
— Chloe May
“Gluten-free diets are often
seen as fashionable with
health nuts avoiding gluten
in the hope that it will
help them to lose weight
and reduce bloating and
exhaustion.”
FOOD & DRINK
REVIEW:
Image: http://gotbeef.co.uk
GOT BEEF
This month, Quench food took a trip to Got Beef, a relatively undiscovered gem of
Cathays to feast on their array of burgers.
“Food & Drink thought to try
out one of the city’s newest
quality burger joints, so that
the next time you need to fulfil
that burger shaped hole in
your stomach, you don’t need
to turn to substandard fast food
joints.”
You can’t deny that us students love a good burger.
Whether you’re veggie, health conscious or a lover
of spice, you’re guaranteed to find something that
fits the bill sandwiched between two buns. You’ve
probably encountered your fair share of drunken
kebab shop burgers and ever-shrinking Big Macs
over the past few weeks, but these don’t always cut
the mustard do they? Food & Drink thought to try
out one of the city’s newest quality burger joints,
so that the next time you need to fulfil that burger
shaped hole in your stomach, you don’t need to turn
to substandard fast food joints.
Walking into Got Beef on a Wednesday evening
we were surprised to find the place was dead (never
a great sign in my book) but with the mindset of two
greedy girls, were excited by the idea that this meant
food on our table quicker. Only opening in March
this year, the Whitchurch Road venue had a cool and
contemporary interior with creative wall art and a
quirky brick bar complete with retro neon sign. We
took a seat at a small side table, but if you’re visiting
in a large group there’s a few big wooden benches for
a spot of socialising.
Browsing through the menu, we knew this
was going to be a thinker. Littered with original and
intriguing flavour combinations, this wasn’t a menu
which with one glance you settle for something you
know you like. After much deliberation (about a
good 10 minutes) we went for the Soprano, a beef
patty with bacon, chorizo, Monterey Jack cheese
and jalapeno mayo and the Uni (pronounced oonay), another beef patty but this time with sriracha
mayo, Chinese five spice calamari rings and Asian
style ‘slaw, with a side of sweet potato fries. You’ve
got to keep with tradition here too and compliment
your burger with a beer; Got Beef offer a great choice
of local and world craft beers, with the selection
changing regularly on the blackboard.
After ordering at the bar, the burgers were
in front of us within no time. Served on wooden
boards and stacked up high with all the fillings, they
looked a real treat. Starting with the Soprano, this
was a bacon cheeseburger at another level. The thick
beef patty was cooked medium, so was nicely pink in
the middle and was complemented perfectly by the
crispy bacon, zing of chorizo and gooey cheese. The
sweetness of the soft brioche bun was heaven-like,
managing to balance out the rich and salty meat.
After the first half, we thought that the Uni
burger couldn’t top what had just been devoured in
seconds, but boy were we wrong. We were unsure of
the combination of seafood and beef, but with a soft
spot for calamari I had to try it. With subtle hints of
the Asian spices, crisp fried squid and a slaw packed
with cooling edamame beans, this was a burger like
none other that I’d tasted before. The squid and the
beef worked surprisingly well and the flavours were
ingeniously unique. The bowl of sweet potato fries
were pretty damn good too and we were left feeling
deliciously full.
This place may be a little pricier than your
standard burger joint (most burgers are £7.95), but is
well worth the visit for some serious quality burgers.
Be sure to take advantage of the quietness of this
undiscovered gem - as soon as word gets out about it
we’re sure it’s going to be packed.
57
Food and drink
Galore!
The foodie’s societies...
Its that time of year again... that time where we are bombarded with socieities and teams trying to win us over.
Here is what Cardiff Uni can offer in the way of translating your food and drink passions into a social scene...
Joining a society is one of the best ways
to make friends and meet new people
at university, so what more could you
ask for than a society that actively
encourages you to eat, bake and drink
with like-minded people? With this in
mind, here’s a rundown of the various
food and drink related societies available
to join this year.
In the wake of the huge success
of The Great British Bake Off, baking
has become socially acceptable for the
under 70s again – something I could not
be happier about! If you love knocking
up (and eating) a Victoria sponge, the
baking society is a great option for you.
The society meets every two weeks in the
Student Union between 7pm and 9pm
with a previously announced theme of
the week, for example chocolate or citrus.
You present your bake, try other people’s
delicious creations and eventually vote
for the baker of the week. Not only do you
get the opportunity to indulge in as much
58
cake as you can eat, but it’s a great way to
pick up new techniques and recipes from
people who love baking as much as you
do. A cherry on top of the cake for this
year’s members is 10% discount in Emma
Jane’s Cupcakes on Crwys Road as well
as lots of other cake related events and
socials.
The Tea Society is a fantastic
society if you love everything tea related;
from herbal and fruit tea to white with
four sugars, there’s something for
everyone to try. Tea tastings are the most
popular event and these are usually held
on Wednesday afternoons or Saturdays
in the Student Union, alongside which
there are homemade cakes and board
games to enjoy whilst meeting new
friends. They often hold fancy dress
events including the Halloween party
which is held in collaboration with the
Animé and Gaming society. In the spring
semester, a trip to Bath to the various
tea rooms takes place and also an Alice
in Wonderland themed tea party (fancy
dress optional!). Also, there are tea crawls
around Cardiff and ceramic painting
events where you can create personalised
tea cups, mugs and plates. On top of all
this members also receive discounts at
Mad Hatter’s and Whittard’s, a huge
incentive for any tea-loving student!
The Cooking society aims, in its own
words, “to bring all you foodies out there
together”. Similar to the Baking Society
if you love cooking this is a brilliant
way to pick up new recipes, try new
combinations of flavours whilst meeting
new people with related interests. You
don’t have to be Jamie Oliver to sign up
– they also give the opportunity to join
cooking lessons to expand your cooking
abilities, so great for the amateurs
amongst us. They run frequent “Come
Dine with Me” competitions, a “Great
British Bake Off” competition, food
quizzes and a progression supper. As if
all of this wasn’t enough, dependent on
“The Tea Society is a
fantastic society if you
love everything tea
related; from herbal
and fruit tea to white
with four sugars,
there’s something for
everyone to try.”
FOOD & DRINK
“whether you’re an avid
baker, a tea addict, a master
chef, a lover of a local tipple
(or simply want to try
something different with new
people) the food and drink
societies at Cardiff University
have something for everyone”
numbers, a two-day trip to London and Paris is
available to explore the culinary delights of two of
the world’s food capitals. This society is a fun way
to meet friends, gain knowledge of cooking and
most importantly eat tasty food! The Real Ale and
Cider society won the Best Big Event of the year
last year at the Societies Ball for the annual festival
that takes place in the Great Hall. The event is a
great chance to enjoy a pint of your favourite ale
or cider or equally to try new varieties. This society
isn’t just for confirmed lovers of ale and cider but
wine, mead, and other traditional drinks alike.
Socials are often held at local pubs where you can
try different ales and ciders and - again -meet new
people. Local brewery tours are organised so you
can learn about how such drinks are made, and
then enjoy drinking them. Beer festivals and trips
to further afield pubs are also frequent, not to
mention pub lunches and live music nights due
to close ties with local businesses. The perfect
society for people who love their ale and cider and
enjoying a pint with friends.
So, whether you’re an avid baker, a tea
addict, a master chef, a lover of the local tipple
(or simply want to try something different with
new people) the food and drink societies at
Cardiff University have something for everyone
to enjoy. Your time at university isn’t as long as
you might think: besides meeting new friends
and gaining new experiences, you’d beter make
the most of your time and eat or drink everything
scrumptious!
- Caroline Kinderman
59
Image: Kieran Lamb / Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)