Your candidate guide

Your candidate guide
Because democracy is sexy
Your guide to the Students’ Union Elections 2010
From February 28th to March 3rd you will vote to elect six student
sabbaticals to run your Students’ Union. Who will you entrust with
the power to shape your university experience? Your voting decision
starts here in this special edition of the Scene. Don’t forget you can
also follow all the candidates online at http://elections.susu.org
PRESIDENT
Derek Mallinson
Joseph Belcher
Martin Underwood
William Fitzjohn
Aris Tsontzos
ATHLETIC
UNION
PRESIDENT
Liam Tillett
William Harvey
Edward Wilkes
VP
MEDIA &
COMMS
Tom Stacey
David Taylor
Maximillian Hughes-Williams
Charlotte Woods
Liam Gallagher
VP
WELFARE
& SOCS
Harriet Collins
Emily Rees
Andrew Hart
JCR
OFFICER
Joshua Thompson
has been elected
Chris ‘Pidge’ Pidgley
Rob Stanning
EQUAL
OPS
Frankie Fry
has been elected
VP
EDUCATION &
REPRESENTATION
WINCHESTER
PRESIDENT
Sam Russell
Charlene Batchelor
SOCIETIES
OFFICER
Akhil Gowrinath
has been elected
AU
OFFICER
Dean Jones
has been elected
RAG
OFFICER
Grace Allingham
has been elected
ENVIRONMENT
& ETHICS
OFFICER
Aaron Bali
has been elected
UNION
PRESIDENT
I'M NOT JUST YOUR
Can't find a space when you want to revise? Not enough big
acts coming to the University? No recycling facilities
available for that bottle you just threw away? Have no idea
what the Union is doing for you?
These are all big questions being asked by Southampton
Students and Joe Belcher has the answer.
My manifesto covers: Student Support, Environmental Issues,
Entertainment and Events, Union Accountability and Support for
Clubs and Societies.
Find myself and my manifesto on facebook or email any
questions: [email protected]
I'm not just your Average Joe – Back Belcher FOR SUSU
PRESIDENT!
BACK BELCHER FOR SUSU
PRESIDENT
UNION
PRESIDENT
VP MEDIA
& COMMS
VP MEDIA
& COMMS
VP
WELFARE
& SOCS

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
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


VOTE RONnie
Re-Open Nominations
it makes sense!
VP
EDUCATION &
REPRESENTATION
ATHLETIC
UNION
PRESIDENT
WINCHESTER
PRESIDENT
I’m Sam, when the Winchester
school of art student union president nominations came available
I saw the opportunity for change,
change that will make your experiences at WSA far more stimulating
both academically and socially.
Utilizing the facilities already
available at the main Southampton campus such as susu.tv a
YouTube style video system, radio
broadcasting, the Wessex scene
newspaper, film screening and
gallery spaces to enrich the possibilities within your practice.
As well as having a more integrated personal relationship with
students, creating a space where
students can socialize and collaborate with other like-minded
individuals.
Having your say every week,
tell me what you want from your
SU and the ways we can work together to achieve so much more.
I will give the WSA SU the artist’s community it deserves, keeping you up to date with monthly
fanzines on everything from artist
profile to the best places to get a
cheap pint.
Opportunities to display work
within the student union and create a fraternity that will benefit
your practice, continually updated
on the website molding it into a
invaluable resource to keep you
on top of current events, with
everything you could need right
at your fingertips.
I will dedicate all my time to
improving the SU both academically and socially. I will utilize all
of the facilities available bringing
the power of the student ideas
back to the students union, making it a place you can be proud
of. Your vote counts so vote Sam
Russell as your SU president and
lets make change happen.
The University of Southampton’s Finest Entertainment Publication
Issue 6
18th February 2010
EDITORIAL
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THIS ISSUE OF THE EDGE
INSIDE..
Records
- Lostprophets
- You Me At Six
- Hot Chip
+ More!
Live
- Muse
- Rise Against
+ More!
Film
- Brothers
- Up In The Air
+ More!
Features
- Animal Kingdom
- Amy Studt
+ More!
Games
Clooney stars in the Bafta
nominated ‘Up In The Air’
THE EDGE PLAYLIST
What’s Been Playing On The Edge Radio Show..
- Assassin’s Creed 2
The Edge Team..
Editors - Tom Shepherd & Emmeline Curtis
Features Editor - Dan Morgan
Records Editor - Kate Golding
Live Editor - Hayley Taulbut
Film Editor - Stephen O’Shea
Games Editor - Joe Dart
Editor-In-Chief - Jamie Ings
Sub-editors - Will Hayes & Adam Vaughn
Edge Radio Playlist (Surge)
- Saturday 1pm - 2pm
1. Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
2. Lostprophets - Where We Belong
3. Marina and the Diamonds - Hollywood
4. Delphic - Doubt
5. Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk
6. Kids In Glass Houses - Matters At All
7. The XX - Islands
8. Vampire Weekend - Horchata
We are constantly on the look out for new writers that want to get
Want To Get Involved? involved
with The Edge. For more info email; [email protected]
ENTERTAINMENT
Glee!
Don’t stop believing. Because occasionally, the hype gets it right. Glee really is very
good. Yes, it’s a musical comedy, with all the
associated baggage and stereotypes. Yes,
the high school setting is far from original.
And yes, because it’s American, there’s an
annoying feel-good aspect to the series. But
on the basis of the first two episodes, this is
one of the most exciting shows on television
at the moment.
The Glee Club characters themselves are probably the least interesting facets of the show. Most of them are amalgams
of different high school clichés; there’s the
conflicted jock guy; the Asian girl; the effeminate gay guy; the black girl with soul; the
guy in a wheelchair; the great singer with a
personality defect. Two-dimensional though
they may be, the writers have still found
ways to keep them fresh and amusing. Kevin
McHale, playing the wheelchair-bound Artie
Abrams, is a notable example; while he may
only have a supporting role, his deadpan delivery is beautifully suited to the geekiness of
his character. As for Cory Monteith as jock/
singer Finn Hudson, if there’s one thing the
world learnt from the American Pie films, it’s
that premature ejaculation will never stop
being funny.
Most of the actors on the programme come from stage backgrounds;
indeed, most of the singing has a fairly orthodox, stage-y quality to it, although all are
more than proficient singers, and the choreography is extremely impressive. Of course,
the decision not to look for tried and tested
television actors could have backfired, but
all acquit themselves well. However, most of
the funniest lines go to the show’s most recognisable face, Jane Lynch, star of many an
Apatow comedy, who plays Sue Sylvester,
the jealous cheerleading couch. Anyone tuning in to E4 in recent weeks will have heard
her utter the words, “You think that’s hard?
Try being waterboarded. Now that’s hard.”
In fact, for a supposedly bubblegum-esque
programme, Glee is littered with little references to current affairs, be it the wars in Iraq
or the credit crunch and foreclosures. These
little details, like the array of leaflets including one entitled ‘I can’t stop touching myself’
in the guidance counsellor’s office, help to
set Glee apart from other comedies.
However, what is most interesting is the central character of Will
Schuester, played by Broadway veteran
Matthew Morrison. The complex relationship between Schuester, his devious, materialistic wife and Emma, the mysophobic
guidance counsellor, is sure to develop as
the series progresses. The juxtaposition
of Will’s wife looking for a new house, with
a performance of Kanye West’s Gold Digger is inspired.
Glee invokes a certain nostalgia for
high school, a look back to simpler times,
yet there is also a certain sadness; a sympathy for those whose lives peaked at the
age of 17, and went downhill from then on.
While the central message – choose happiness over money, try to make something
of yourself, strive for greatness – is annoyingly American, it is not saccharine sweet
like so many other transatlantic imports.
Ultimately, Glee is a feel-good comedy
with just enough edge to it to make it seriously watch-able.
Duncan Smith
INTERVIEW
SOME ACTS STOP FOR A CHAT WITH THE EDGE
Amy Studt
time.
“aren’t you her?” and I was like no!
How is the industry different this time
around?
Does your new material get a good reaction?
It’s so different. Then it was all about singles - I’ve got a copy of one of my singles
on cassette, that is how old that is. Now music is in the middle of a really weird time, an
interesting time but quite a dangerous time
I think, with downloading and everything.
The value of music seems to be disappearing, and we seem to be moving into an age
where music is everybody’s right to have
free. That’s what it feels like. It’s all about
songs rather than albums, and it’s all digital
not physical. The consumption level is so
massive, music is so disposable I suppose.
A song that might take 6 months to a year
and have someone’s heart and soul in it gets
disposed of quite quickly. But I totally understand, on the other side its amazing to have
access to all this music.
It seems to. I think because I’m older and
a lot of my fans have grown up with me, their
tastes have changed in the same way mine
have. You get rid of all the production, you
get rid of all the swishy noises and bangs,
and actually the bone structure of the songs
are really good. They’re really strong songs,
and when I do these shows, because it’s
acoustic, I’m just stripping it all back and rearranging them, so people get a chance to
really hear it properly.
How do you feel you fit into the industry, not being labelled as one of the
‘young and pretty’ girl band types?
by Emmeline Curtis
THE EDGE catches up with the English
singer-songwriter, and talks influences,
lack of regrets and uncommonly small
hands.
Why did you decide to take such a long
break from the music industry?
When my label dropped me I considered
leaving my management company at the
time because we had a lot of creative differences, and I just felt like the things they
liked about me when they first signed me,
they had just tried to change everything. You
can see it with the succession of singles,
and by the end I remember I had to do some
kids TV programme and I thought this is so
humiliating. I had to get up and perform,
and I thought at least I get to perform, but I
turned around and there was a giant teddy
bear dancing behind me, and I just thought
this is not what I did this for! Anyway, a new
woman got hired at my management company, and I had wanted to work with her for
ages. She had worked with Portishead, and
so I thought they said they can facilitate what
it is I want to do creatively so I’ll try them
out for the next album. And then it was just
a case of years and years of writing, I just
wanted to write and write and write till I had
got a collection of songs I was really really
happy with. The recording and mastering
process then took forever as well, so it just
took a long time. I suppose there was a small
break, but actually I was working most the
Are you saying I’m not pretty? Thanks!
The thing is I was never like that, which
is why when I got signed they liked me so
much because it was a constant fight with
me. When they first met me, I scuffled into
their office with baggy jeans and my hair in
my face, and I was off the rails. Then it was a
case of them having to tame me and put me
together in a way that could be presented,
but there was still that element of the wild
thing in me that I think was still appealing.
Even though I was put through the record
company machine, it didn’t have the appearance of that, just shined up a bit and less
spots than usual. I’m not too bothered about
being in the charts though, I just want to
keep making music that I’m proud of. I’m really enjoying this time where I can figure out
who I am and figure what it is I want to do. I
lost all my confidence because of the whole
experience, I got real social anxieties and I
couldn’t speak to people properly. It’s nice to
just build myself back up now.
I read that you first started performing
again under a pseudonym - why is that?
That was to do with the confidence. It
was cool actually. I was convinced if I got on
stage that I’d get booed off if people knew
who I was. I was doing a lot of rock tours,
and the people that used to give me the most
s*** from my first album were people in that
genre. It was weird for me, because these
were the people I would have been friends
with before I started doing what I was doing.
I wanted to be heard by fresh ears, I wanted people to listen to it and make their own
minds up rather than being like, “oh yeah, I
remember her”. I did have some people go
Do you regret anything in your career?
I don’t think there is any point in regretting
anything in your life, I don’t think there’s any
point in that at all. Just learn from it. I don’t
regret anything that I did, it makes me who I
am now. I’m still learning and I’m still changing, and they’re all important parts of my life.
You have done a lot of press interviews, but has there ever been a question
that you have never been asked but want
to answer?
Good question. I’ve got a really interesting family history, and I always wanted people to ask me about that but no one ever did.
Do you want to tell us about your
family history then?
Yeah, why not! Well my dad is a violinist, and he’s played with The Beatles, Rolling
Stones, Roy Orbison, Shirley Bassey, and
he’s on like every bit of film music from Star
Wars to everything! He’s one of the violinists
on the Snowman cartoon. Every time I see
it on TV, I’m like “that’s my daddy!” So my
dad is an amazing person, an unbelievable
violinist. Before my dad there wasn’t that
many professional musicians in the family,
but if we go back to the 1700s there was a
group of violinist called The Studts who used
to play in the Royal Danish Court Orchestra,
which is a really famous orchestra. There
are books written about them and stuff.
There are loads of mental stories from my
family, like there was an old washer woman
on my mothers side who shagged a Lord or
a royal dude and had his illicit love child, so
we always joke that our family is made of half
royalty half wench. Which makes sense with
me having a posh accent but being a shlag!
Oh, and my family were also like musical
funfair people, that travelled all around the
world. Basically we were carnies, which is
why we have small hands. But I don’t smell
of cabbage, which is what The Simpsons
say of carnies - small hands and they smell
like cabbage.
Animal
Kingdom
INTERVIEW
By Tom McKenna
Animal Kingdom are a four piece
band from South London. Signed to major
label Warner they picked up iTunes
‘Best New Alternative Act 2009’. Releasing their debut album Signs and Wonders
in 2009 and supporting industry heavyweights Snow Patrol on several occasions, things can only get better for the
band. The group are set to embark on a
small tour of Southern England in February, to promote their new single ‘Two by
Two’, including Southampton’s very own
Hamptons on Feb 20th. THE EDGE talked
with the band’s frontman Richard Sauberlich.
For those who have never heard of
Animal Kingdom, how would you best
describe your sound?
Atmospheric, melancholy, its always difficult. (Shouts to other band members) “Guys
its the what we sound like question again any
ideas?” Guitars, piano, drums you know...
On an album with so many good tracks
why did you decide to release ‘Two by
Two’ as a single?
It wasn’t really our choice, its kinda something our management decided really!
I’ve heard so many people suggest
you sound like Sigor Ros or Animal Collective. Are these influences? Who would
you say was your biggest influence as a
band?
Yeah we definitely like Sigor Ros he has
such a big sound. Not really heard much of
Animal Collective, I think a lot of people misread our names we actually had someone
turn up to one of our gigs expecting to see
Animal Collective! But it was all good because they liked us too.
In 2009 you were voted US iTunes
‘Best Alternative Artist of the Year’ and
have had a lot of airplay in the states.
I’m not sure why we’re so popular in the
US, we seem to turn up in all sorts of dif-
Follow Us On Twitter!
ferent places. Apparently we’re big in Peru
and Poland as well. I’m not sure how they
get the songs, I think DJ’s take them over.
There’s a lot of people discovering new music out there especially on the college scene
though, it’s really good.
How did the Snow Patrol connection
come about?
Again that was just through our management so we definitely seized that opportunity, they tend to play slightly different sized
venues to us.
Its been a whirlwind year, what would
you say was your best moment from the
last 12 months or so?
Stepping out at the O2 was a bit like close
encounter with all the lights and stuff. Its
been such a good year. Probably the album
coming out, actually having our own album
was great. First single to come out too, lots
of first time achievements like seeing your
name in a music magazine or paper. But I’m
It’s true! You can now follow
The Edge on twitter; @theedgesusu
yet to hear our song on the radio. When we
heard ‘Signs and Wonders’ being played at
the pub that was such a nice feeling.
I recollect a blog last summer saying
that Secret Garden Party was your favourite festival of the summer. Is there already
a circuit of festivals set up? What would
be the one you want to play at most?
We haven’t had anything yet, they normally come through in about February /
March but hopefully we’ll get a few in Europe
too. We really enjoyed Secret Garden Party
last year, amazing gig.
Obviously you have the tour coming
up but what’s after that? Any sign of aqlbum two on the horizon?
Well its funny you say that I’m sitting in
the studio now just writing. We’re doing a lot
of writing in our downtime at the moment but
not sure about exactly when the next album
will be recorded.
FEATURES
OPINIONS, OPINIONS, OPINIONS
DIY FRONTMAN
by Dan Morgan
Tom Meighan: Glasto 2009
Editor Suggests:
Wish You Were Here
PINK FLOYD
Released in 1975, ‘Wish You Were Here’
was famously about Pink Floyd’s troubled
founding member Syd Barret, who suffered
a nervous breakdown and went into seclusion in 1968.
Written by Roger Waters, the track wasmixed to sound like a lone guitarist playing
along to a radio.
Well known for its crackling radio intro,
iconic guitar riff and raw vocals, this track
showed the iconic band at its most thoughtful. The yearning tone encapsulates Waters’
feelings of loss through powerfully simple
lyrics. “Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?” is a particularly effective
example.
The word ‘legend’ is everywhere. Film,
sport, art, indeed any field of activity have
within them those individuals considered to
be the complete epitome of what they do.
Music is no exception to this rule; from the
wannabe rapper scrawling lyrics with his
mates to the 12 year-old indie kid rushing
out to buy NME each week, everyone has
their own idea of who makes the grade as a
musical legend. Inevitably, the list of musical legends is dominated by frontmen (and
women). Usually the vocalist, the frontman is
the figurehead of a band. But what is it that
elevates a frontman to legendary status, and
what must he do to get there?
If we look at great frontmen over the
years, a number of key features make themselves obvious. First, and most obviously,
the music they perform must be great. Paul
McCartney may not be the most charismatic
performer in the industry, but managed to
become a legend through the music he created. It is arguable that music’s greatness
can be measured by the influence it exerts
over other artists, and if this is the case very
few bands can come close to challenging the
Beatles.
McCartney is something of an exception,
though. There are precious few frontmen
who become legends purely through the
greatness of their music; the majority have
to have a unique charisma to set themselves
apart from their peers. Noel Gallagher, Mick
Jagger, Tom Meighan, Sid Vicious; there
aren’t many frontpeople who I’d readily invite
round to meet the grandparents. Certainly
there is a great deal of anger amongst great
frontpeople. Seeing the contempt with which
the Oasis singer regards his crowd, watching
Roger Daltry hurl his mike-stand across the
stage or feeling Zack de la Rocha’s seething
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
Bob Dylan
fury sweep across the audience epitomises
rock n’ roll ‘cool’. Aggression is a key part of
some bands’ acts; Kasabian, Eminem, The
Stooges, all their live sets have an undercurrent of anger which can electrify a performance.
It’s possible to be charismatic without
being necessarily angry. Intensity can take
many forms, and be no less infectious than
bare fury. Mick Jagger is often credited as
one of the sexiest men ever to stalk the
stage, and as a result his stage presence
is little short of awesome. Freddie Mercury
was another artist (for many the greatest
ever frontman) whose performance centred
around flamboyantly sexual dramaticism.
Other performers, like Morrissey or Dylan,
can just about get by being really deep.
Finally, the ambitious frontman should
have an active, interesting and preferably
f*****-up personal life. Tupac Shakur, Jim
Morrisson, Hendrix and Marc Bolan are all
legends, and all had more going on in one
evening than a combined season of Hollyoaks. It definitely helps to die of an overdose
(or get shot) before one has a chance to
grow old and mediocre; the endlessly irritating Bono is testament to this.
So here’s to the arrogant, funny, glamorous, sweaty, furious and just plain mental individuals contorting and swearing on
our stages. Great frontmen (and women; I
haven’t had space to properly mention legends like Debbie Harry and Karen O) are the
embodiment of all that is great about contemporary music, and how it challenges and
entertains us. In the digital age, when music
can only flourish if it is bland enough to appeal to every listener, let’s hope we continue
to see legends emerge and flourish in the
charts. And can someone please hand Chris
Martin a crack-pipe?
This track was written a year before its
release in 1963 on The Freewheelin’ Bob
Dylan, the folk master’s second album.It
reached No.1 in the UK in 1964.
Dylan wrote this song as something to
say to oneself to make one feel better, although the content is mostly sad. It was
accurately described by critic Tim Riley as
“the last word in a long, embittered argument, a paper-thin consolation sung with
spite”.
Typically simple in style, the first
version features only Dylan on both guitar
and vocals. The simple melody allows the
listener to concentrate on the beautiful lyrics. “I ain’t saying you treated me unkind;
you could have done better, but I don’t
mind” is touching on a very deep level.
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RECORDS
“The Betrayed is a
mixed bag, with some
tracks clearly designed
for the softer tones of
national radio.”
CHECKING OUT THE HOTTEST RECORDS
Lostprophets
After the bland melodies of 2006’s Liberation Transmission, Lostprophets lead singer
Ian Watkins said in interviews that this new
album would be a “darker” and “grittier” listen without losing the “catchiness” (read as
profitability) of the financially successful but
ultimately characterless Liberation Transmission. While the result doesn’t quite succeed in balancing these elements the album
benefits from the attempt.
The resulting album The Betrayed is
a mixed bag with some tracks clearly designed for the softer tones of national radio,
while other tracks are clear throwbacks to
the more earthy days of The Fake Sound of
Progress. The rest of the album is made up
by some successful and some bizarre combinations of the two.
The darker, heavier tone that Watkins
mentioned is immediately obvious from the
first two tracks. A powerful opening track ‘If It
Wasn’t For Hate We’d Be Dead By Now’ and
a fantastic chorus from the vowel challenged
second track ‘Dstryr Dstryr’ shows that the
band can balance the heavier tones of the
older albums with their recently discovered
catchy pop persona. However, the album
goes downhill from here.
Dropping down the track list The Betrayed
throws up some solid yet eclectic tracks with
the considerably more mainstream and mature track ‘Where we Belong’ preceding a token attempted throwback to the Prophets of
old in ‘Next Stop Atro City’. Middle tracks like
‘AC Ricochet’ and ‘Streets of Nothing’ offer
weak verses relying completely on some impressive chorus pieces. The quality of these
choruses makes the album frustrating as
The Betrayed
Visible Noise and Sony Music
RELEASED January 13th
we hear just short snippets of the stretched
vocals and superior sound that disappeared
after the opening songs.
The album closes with a whimper, penultimate track ‘The Darkest Blue’ padding out
the albums final minutes and final track, ‘The
Light That Burns Twice As Bright’, offering a
change with some experimental use of synth
but ultimately offering too little too late.
This album has a strong first half but collapses afterwards, containing a few great
moments either as a token track or trapped
in a chorus; sandwiched between dull indistinguishable verses. If you can put up with
some boring tracks it’s worth a go, but this
is an album indicative of a band that doesn’t
know what genre it wants to be. The heavier
instrumental will go down really well at gigs,
but as an album, despite having more char-
acter than the previous iteration, it offers
much but delivers little.
Gareth Lees
Good: A strong first
half of the album
promises a lot.
Bad:
Contrast
throughout the album of radio friendly vs. live friendly
songs grates badly.
6.
TRACKS TO DOWNLOAD; ‘If It Wasn’t
For The Hate We’d Be Dead By Now’,
‘Dstryr Dstryr’
Hot Chip
ALBUMS
One Life Stand
Parlophone
RELEASED February 1st
After the success of Made In The Dark in
2008, with single ‘Ready for the Floor’ making a storm in the charts, Hot Chip had a reputation to uphold with the release of fourth
studio album One Life Stand. The hype
surrounding the release suggested that the
Putney five-piece would regress to a style a
bit calmer than previous records, a suggestion that probably worried some hard-core
Chip fans and threatened the sterling reputation the Grammy-nominated quintet have
constructed.
On the one hand, Hot Chip have remained true to their promise. The album as a
whole is a lot slower than previous releases,
and many tracks are much more sparse than
the typical Hot Chip track. Yet, on the other
hand, there is something quintessentially
Hot Chip about this record. It may have a bit
of a calmer feel to it, but at the same time the
album is littered with dissonances that jerk
the listener from the sublime feeling some of
the tracks induce. It’s also a little darker than
the sound Hot Chip have become known for,
which is refreshing.
Tracks that exemplify this apparent shift
in tone come in abundance, and there some
absolute diamonds on this record. ‘Thieves
In The Night’ is sugary electro-disco at it’s
best, with vocals of Alexis Taylor soaring
beautifully over synth that can only be described as glittery. ‘Brothers’ is also a personal favourite. In the space of a few songs,
Hot Chip pluck the listener from the stars
and immerse them in a watery wonderland,
with the synth now echoing something of a
bubbly whirlpool. But this record is not without its dance anthems either. Although most
will cause a sensation that gets your toes
twitching, tracks that will be heard in every
club over the next few months are likely to
be ‘We Have Love’, with all its heavy beats
and synth riffs that hark back to the 90’s
disco generation, and title track ‘One Life
Stand’ is certainly one to listen out for.
Overall, it is a pretty flawless album, and I
personally welcome the change of direction
tthey have taken. There are some questionable moments in some tracks, (‘Slush’), but
it is largely a very enjoyable record.
We Are The Ocean
Often described as a poor man’s version
of Alexisonfire, We Are The Ocean have finally released this debut album Cutting Our
Teeth. The band have been touring for what
seems like forever and with this debut effort,
2010 looks to be the year We Are The Ocean
takes the fight to a genre that’s very quickly
becoming stale. 18 months ago it was not
dead certainty that the band would live up to
their own hype, but this album has allowed
the band to grow past their crowd favourites.
The album opens with ‘Look Alive’ which
is a good taster as to what We Are The
Ocean are all about, and will most definitely
be a huge live hit. The growling screams of
vocalist Dan Brown are contrasted yet complemented by the silky voice of singer Liam
Cromby, which in turn floats above smooth
guitar lyrics and energetic drums. Completed by Alfie Scully, Jack Spence and Tom
Whittaker, We Are The Ocean have found
a formula which suits them. Liam’s vocals
make for great sing-along choruses, whilst
Dan’s scratchy screams lets the songs gain
momentum and allow for a brilliant live experience. Moving through the album the brilliant ‘These Days I Have Nothing’ highlights
the vocal abilities of both Brown and Cromby
which sit above a complex, yet fantastic musical score.
There is no way of pigeonholing this
band, from sing along power rock songs to
huge guitar solos (‘Confessions’), and this is
what makes the boys so exciting. They have
a sound which will no doubt resonate with
Alexisonfire and Funeral For A Friend fans
but We Are The Ocean are their own band.
The album is fast paced, and a tribute to
their energetic live show.
Cutting Our Teeth nevertheless is aptlynamed. The album is crying out for a true
stand out track, with most of the album
sounding fairly similar. It feels like this band
has a lot more to offer. A band to keep an eye
on for the future.
Kate Golding
Hayley Taulbut
Good: Hot Chip
break away from
their usual sound.
Bad: Some questionable moments.
8.
Good: This album
signifies a bright future for WATO.
Bad: No stand out
track lets the album
TRACKS TO DOWNLOAD; ‘These Days I Have
down.
Nothing’, ‘Are You Proud of Me Now?’
7.
Cutting Our Teeth
Hassel Records
RELEASED February 1st
You
Me
At
Six
ALBUMS
The last two years have been quite a journey for the Surrey quintet from the sleepy
village of Weybridge. 2008 saw their debut full length album Take Off Your Colours
reach the dizzy heights of 25th in the charts,
and relentless touring saw their popularity
grow outrageously fast. 2009 was another
busy year for the boys, with even more touring and the completion of their second album
Hold Me Down. This album has achieved
Top Ten status, reaching number 5 in its debut week. I still find it incredible that these
boys have come so far in what seems so little time, but I was a little nervous as to what
to expect from their second release, were
YMA6 just a one album band like so many of
their genre seem to be?
The album starts brilliantly. ‘The
Consequence’, ‘Underdog’ and ‘Playing The
Blame Game’ being probably the best tracks
on the album. All the specfications for great
songs have been met: Roaring choruses?
Check. Catchy lyrics? Check. Great guitar
riffs? Check. Singalongability? Check.
The underlying theme of growing up and
facing the real world really hits you in the
face and is a sign that the boys have truly
matured since the likes of ‘Save It For The
Bedroom’. The first five songs are undoubtedly among YMA6’s best work to date and
will be firm favourites with their growing
crowds of fans.
The overall feel of the album is that You
Me At Six have gone back, to an extent, to
their old style, slightly heavier than Take Off
Your Colours, as signalled with the inclusion
of Sean Smith’s screams in ‘The Consequence’.
If you listen carefully, this isn’t the only
guest vocals on the album, with Kids In
Glass Houses vocalist Aled Phillips soaring in ‘There’s No Such Thing As Accidental
Infidelity’ which features as the penultimate
song. This basically turns the song into a
Kids In Glass Houses song and it feels like
You Me At Six are merely a backing band.
Although these guest vocals do add to the
track, Aled really takes over and highlights
how good a singer he is and how only betterthan-average a singer Josh is.
‘There’s No Such Thing As Accidental
Infidelity’ is an example of the dip in quality
in the second half of the album, with some
songs not quite matching up to the no-doubtto-be-teenage-anthems of ‘Underdog’ or
‘Safer To Hate Her’. The formula is the same
as the first few songs, with some good sing
along choruses which will no doubt rouse
the crowds, but from ‘Liquid Confidence’ to
the end of the album, with the exception of
‘Contagious Chemistry’ perhaps, there is a
lack of the ‘X-factor’, making these last few
songs distinctly average in comparison to
the beginning of the album.
Hold Me Down is an exciting advertisement for the future of this band. It proves
Hold Me Down
Virgin Records
RELEASED January 11th
“Roaring choruses? Check. Catchy lyrics?
Check. Great guitar riffs? Check.
Singalongability? Check.”
that You Me At Six are capable of producing songs which are both catchy, fun to sing
along to, but also of quality which will see
them rise to greater heights. It is a solid follow up album and far from merely a second
version of Take Off Your Colours. Hold Me
Down is the typical teenage ‘emo’ album,
with tales of heartbreak and deceit, but then
again, what else is there for a teenage boy
to write about?
Kate Golding
Good: Some absolute gems which will
prove to be huge hits
with the crowds.
Bad: A weak second
half of the album lets
the boys from Surrey
down.
7.
TRACKS TO DOWNLOAD; ‘The Consequence’, ‘Underdog’, ‘Playing The
Blame Game’
Upcoming
Headline Tour
Dates 2010
09/03
10/03
11/03
12/03
13/03
14/03
16/03
17/03
18/03
19/03
20/03
27/03
28/03
Birmingham
Newport
Sheffield
Manchester
Newcastle
Glasgow
Leeds
Nottingham
Southampton
+ Aftershow
DJ set
Norwich
London
Belfast
Dublin
SINGLES
Stars In Her Eyes;
Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding
Starry Eyed
Polydor
9.
Ellie Goulding has been on the tip of the
music industry’s collective tongue for some
time now, and it’s starting to look like she
might just live up to the hype. ‘Starry Eyed’
is the second single released off of the
highly anticipated debut album Lights, and
poignantly demonstrates the singers potential. From the offset ‘Starry Eyed’ shows off
Goulding’s juxtaposed style of raw vocal talent versus exaggerated electronic production, the result being a dreamy soundscape
that immerses the listener into its many layers of sound. Goulding’s siren-esque vocals
are elegant yet powerful, and are offset perfectly by the serene essence of the backing
track; it’s a fast paced amalgamation that
comes across all rather simplistically. Those
familiar with the demo recordings of this track
will be pleased to know that the production
quality has been much improved and Ellie’s
vocals are stronger than ever. If you’ve been
resisting the charms of Miss Goulding prior
to this release, this could well be the time
to admit defeat. It’s going to take a fleet of
bandwagons to cope with the buzz around
Ellie Goulding, and I certainly wouldn’t like to
predict the limits of her potential.
Tom Shepherd
Chapel Club
O Maybe I
Unsigned
7.
The first thing which comes to mind when
listening to ‘O Maybe I’ is that it could be
The Smiths or Morrissey singing to you. In
fact, Chapel Club are the ones doing the
honours, a new band from London who are
hotly tipped this year to be ones to watch.
NME have announced Chapel Club will play
a set at their awards show in London this
month and the band are touring outside of
London for the first time in February, which
will no doubt see them rise through the musical ranks.
The single is great. The vocals of lead
singer soar throughout the song, his eerie
voice reminiscent of Morrissey. Whilst the
guitars ring out some catchy little riffs, the
drums bring the song together perfectly. The
single feels ‘real’, like this band have yet to
be contaminated with the need to just produce music - this band feels music, as well
as writes it. This single doesn’t get boring as
with a lot of songs, with some great guitar
effects ensuring the song peaks at the right
time. All in all Chapel Club have succeeded
in creating a single which is both interesting
and enjoyable and should see the band increase its profile throughout the music world.
Kate Golding
Owl City
Fireflies
Universal
2.
I’m not sure I quite understand the British public’s choice in music anymore. Sure,
there have been some terrible songs reaching the number 1 spot, but this song has not
got the usual star singer behind it. ‘Fireflies’
is quite simply, awful. It’s synth-pop feeling
is reminiscent of Hellogoodbye and although
I liked that song, I can’t quite find the same
sentiment for this one.
The lyrics are annoying, his voice grates
on me and the cheese level is through the
roof. The song feels over-produced, with a
lot of annoying little gimmicky noises filtering through, as well as Adam Young’s voice
being dull and once again overly fine-tuned,
giving the whole song a pristine finish but
one which feels as though a computer has
had far more involvement than Young himself.
However, this song does have a happygo-lucky feel about it and clearly resonates
with the usual young teenage audience.
Having checked out the MySpace, the
other songs are much more promising,
which is why I can’t understand the thinking
behind this as the single, although, what do I
know? It got to number 1.
Kate Golding
Uffie
MCs Can Kiss
Ed Banger
7.
Uffie’s latest single ‘MCs Can Kiss’ released early this month, brought no surprises to those waiting for it. If you have
managed to avoid the Uffie hype so far her
singles (‘Ready To Uff’, ‘Pop The Glock’ and
‘Hot Chick’) tell you pretty much all you need
to know about the fun electro-hop style of the
sexy Parisian.
The track is produced by electro maverick
Mr Oizo who manages to successfully blend
mutant disco (think Electric Six ‘Danger High
Voltage’ meets Daft Punk). The single has
Uffie flaunting the fact that she does not care
about anything – including her music.
The first noticeable problem with this single is just how dreadful her speak/rapping
is. She barely rhymes, largely ignores the
(good) Oizo beat, and continuously emphasizes her point: We the public are supposedly to blame for having let her career happen.
Take aside the poor rhyming and lyrics - which we expect from her - this track
overflows with a spirit of carefree fun and
abandonment. Her unique entertaining electro-hop sound is light hearted, fun and worth
listening too.
Ed Kennedy
Well, good news! There are even more record reviews
Want More? Course You Do! available
at; www.wessexscene.co.uk/the-edge
Reel Big Fish, from left to right:
Derek Gibbs, John Christianson,
Scott Klopfstein, Aaron Barrett,
Dan Regan, and Ryland Steen.
LIVE
Reel Big
Fish
Only so many things can shake off the
blues of a chilly January night. With howling
winds and sub zero temperatures, I wanted
nothing more than to curl up on the sofa and
never poke my head outside again. As desirous as this was, I braved the cold of the Portsmouth sea front, and found a pick-me-up in
the form of Reel Big Fish at the Portsmouth
Pyramids.
Up first were Sonic Boom Six, who somehow seemed a little over my head. A Ruff
Guide To Genre-Terrorism – the title of their
debut album - is so accurate it’s not necessarily a good thing. Their self proclaimed genre
violence throws together reggae with ska,
and punk with hip-hop amalgamating into a
combination that gave me a headache. What
I saw was horrendous, what I heard was even
worse, but I seemed to be the only one whose
senses were thoroughly offended. Virtually
everyone else was jumping to music that was
absent of a beat, singing along to lyrics that
were indistinguishable from wailing, and enjoying an act that had as much appeal to me
as the weather itself.
Thankfully, Big D and the Kid’s Table
seemed to have brought the sun from the
US. The Bostonian septet were absolutely
fantastic. The music was cheerful and full of
depth, whilst the added dimension of the ‘Do
Wop’ singers proved interesting and innovative. The girl’s synchronised dancing and skat
singing somewhat resembled The Exorsisters
(from the 90’s kid’s show Dr. Zitbag’s Transylvanian Pet Shop), but their style nodded courteously to a generation of skat singing long
gone with style and class. Although they’ve
been making and playing music for fourteen
PYRAMIDS CENTRE
PORTSMOUTH
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29
years now, Big D and the Kid’s Table are
still as fresh faced and relevant to the skapunk scene as ever, and they produced a
performance of epic proportions.
But nothing can detract from the headline act this evening - Reel Big Fish were
truly sensational! They were on top comedic
form, with the banter between Aaron Barrett
“I had a glass of red
wine...then threw up
a delightful pinky colour!”
and Scott Klopfenstein being simply hilarious, whilst the brass section excelled themselves with each track, souring through
the notes with typical RBF grandeur and
screech. The set itself was also fantastic – in just over an hour and a half, they
crammed in just about every Reel Big Fish
song you could wish for! They even managed to squeeze in a total of three covers:
‘Brown Eyed Girl’ from their latest album
Fame Fortune and Fornification, the classic
‘Take on Me’, and the truly wacky but somehow excellent rendition of ‘Enter Sandman’.
It really was a crazy hour and a half!
Other personal highlights included Barrett
hoisting his guitar over his head, and playing an astounding solo, whilst tracks ‘Where
Have You Been?’ and ‘Trendy’ really got the
crowd moving.
Yet, it was in the encore when
RBF truly exceeded themselves.
First, they launched into the many
versions of ‘Suburban Rhythm’,
showing their mastery of every
musical genre by skirting through
country and western to metal and
everything in between. But what
better way to round off a show that
was perfect in so many ways, than
classic drinking anthem ‘Beer’?
Preluded by Barrett’s description
of his last night drinking – “I had
a glass of white wine, and then a
glass of red wine, and then threw up
a delightful pinky colour” – the night
was concluded in a fun and raucous
manner that suited the night’s happenings to a T. It was the perfect
way to dispel the mid-exam January
blues – guitars, trumpets, endless
sex gags, and public butchering of
Metallica. Superb!
Hayley Taulbut
Good: The many
versions of SR,
delectable banter
and super-happy
ska!
Bad: SB 6 singer
ruined a version
of ‘She Has a
Girlfriend Now’.
9.
Did you know...?
Only founding member Aaron Barrett
(pictured above) has been in the band
since the beginning in 1992 - since then
Reel Big Fish has had over eighteen different members, with only horn player Dan
Regan and Scott Klopfestein coming close
- their tenure has lasted over 12 years!
LIVE
Rise
Against
O2 ACADEMY
BRIXTON
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Rise Against take the power and heft of
today’s openers, Poison the Well, and the
emotional sensibilities of the other support
act, Thursday, and combine them to produce
catchy but powerful punk songs. And it’s
because they take the best of both which is
why they are the band headlining tonight’s
gig. Poison the Well are well regarded in the
hardcore scene, but understandably carry
little crossover appeal. Not many of the audience are here to watch them, and this is
disappointing as they turn in an earnest performance, the poor Brixton sound not hampering them as much as it does the act which
follow; Thursday’s performance isn’t lacking
in energy, but the intricacies of their sound
are lost. Despite finishing on the indelible
‘Jet Black New Year’, the band’s short set is
ultimately not as memorable as they would
have desired it to be.
By the time Rise Against come on the
sound is fine, and they certainly make the
most of it. The band’s logo on an enormous
backdrop and two upside-down American
flags at either side at the front mean the
stage is visually striking. Opening with a
one-two punch of ‘Collapse’ and the brutal
‘State of the Union’ to a rapturous reception,
it is clear that this is Rise Against’s time. The
But Wait! There’s More!
latest album, Appeal to Reason, was well
received, and the band appears extremely
confident on the biggest stage they have
played in London in their ten year career.
The band played a few songs from that
album, ‘Re-Education (Through Labor)’,
‘Audience of One’, and the popular single
‘Savior’, but large chunks of the setlist was
derived from popular album The Sufferer
and the Witness: ‘Drones’, ‘The Good Left
Undone’ and ‘Chamber the Cartridge’ whipping up a storm in the sold out Brixton Academy.
The band’s stage presence has gone
from strength to strength, frontman Tim
McIlrath able to keep the crowd in the palm
of his hand, ably supported by Zach Blair
and Brandon Barnes. The only disappointments of the night are perhaps the lack of
songs from their first two albums (save for
‘Blood – Red, White, and Blue’) and also
how the normally brilliant ‘Paper Wings’
sounds a little flat tonight. This is more
than made up for though, by the rest of
the set, including a double encore. First
Tim comes out with an acoustic guitar and
plays the grab-your-neighbour-and-singa-long ‘Swing Life Away’, before the video
screens are turned back on, for another
semi acoustic song, ‘Hero of War’. This is accompanied with images of battle on the video, and the rest of the band resuming their
instruments at different points through the
song. With these it certainly feels a lot more
effective live than it does on record, where it
seems slightly obvious. The second encore
features ‘Dancing For Rain’, ‘Give it All’, and
finally, the excellent ‘Ready to Fall’. Echoes
of the catchy chorus in that last song are still
darting around the academy by curfew time.
Rise Against played a great set tonight, consummate stage performers and musicians
alike, solidifying their position at the very top
of the melodic punk genre.
Rik Sharma
Good:
Fantastic
stage presence, and
very catchy songs!
Bad: A little off key
at times, and lukewarm support acts.
9.
That’s right! You can find even more live reviews and upcoming gig news at; www.wessexscene.co.uk/the-edge
EXPOSED
BRINGING YOU THE SOUTH’S BEST NEW MUSIC
Viva
Sleep
Sleep is for the weak
Welcome to our brand new Exposed
section; alerting you to new and exciting
bands in the South. We’re kicking off the
section with the band Viva Sleep. Viva
Sleep are a progressive pop punk band
who are on the verge of releasing their
debut ep. Interestingly, the band have
opted for a very original and personal
approach to the aesthetics of the record,
in which each member of the band (and
owner of their record label, Tom!) has
taken their own pictures to be used for
the ep’s cover. (Examples shown below.)
Sound interesting? Then read on..
bands, but in general there’s a big spread.
The Mars Volta, Hundred Reasons and Jimmy Eat World are probably the most shared
influences. In relation to current music I think
we have things in common with bands like
Tubelord and Biffy Clyro, but we still have a
more ‘Rock’ vibe than them.
Talk us through your sound.
Fast, urgent, layered rock music; there’s
obvious hat tips to punk, prog, hardcore etc
but really I think we’re a rock band.
What do you think of the South’s music scene at the moment?
It’s pretty vibrant. I work within the music
community and I’ve been impressed with the
current crop of bands coming through. I think
a few years ago it was very good, then there
was a distinct dip a while back which we’re
now riding our way out of. I think bands like
Burn The Fleet, The Moullettes and Wise
Children have a genuine shout at making
waves on a national level.
Who would you cite as your influences
and how does that come across in your
music?
I think we all share influences from a few
Tell us about the new ep.
The House of Viva Sleep began as a
Double A-side single, but we hit a blue streak
and wrote a bunch of songs which we were
really happy with, so we threw them into the
equation and added our two favorites from
the demos from the cut last year and made a
proper record out of it.
Where did the idea for the front cover
for the ep come about?
I think it was Tom from Walnut Trees
(records) idea which we all knocked heads
on and came up with the final product idea.
We don’t see ourselves as a band trying to
‘make it’ our goals are simply to write and
record the music we enjoy making and play
some good shows, so the DIY idea suited us
down to the ground.
There are some very interesting pictures taken! Was there any criteria in
mind when taking the pictures?
Absolutely not, they’re a mix of pics taken
specifically as they looked good and just
pics which we liked. They’re all taken by us
though. I put forward pics of my old pets and
a lot of pics from holiday, good memories
basically.
Could this be a continuing theme.
Without trying to jump the gun, could this
idea be expanded for future releases?
I don’t see why not. It could become our
‘thing’.
Finally, what is in the pipeline for the
band in the not too distant future?
Play some shows, we have a show on the
10th of Feb with Twin Atlantic and Canterbury (Joiners) and then on the 13th of March
we’re doing a joint launch show at the Joiners with our buddies Burn the Fleet. I think
we’re going to look at doing a little jaunt at
some point if the release goes down well!
Viva Sleep’s debut ep, ‘The House Of
Viva Sleep’ is available for preorder now
from Walnut Tree Records.
Interview By Tom Shepherd
No spin.
Straight talking from KPMG.
Graduate Programmes
All degree disciplines
When it comes to what we do, there’s no
need for spin. We offer audit, tax and
advisory services to everyone from oil
companies to music gurus. And when you
join us, you’ll do the same. Simple really.
For more straight talking, visit
www.kpmg.co.uk/careers
FILM
WATCH OUT FOR THESE FILMS
Up In
The Air
Jason Reitman
George Clooney, Vera
Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
RELEASED
January
15th
RATING: 15
With a great script, immaculate performances and stylish cinematography, Up In
The Air is a return to an old Hollywood style
of movie making. That is to say that, it is the
acting of George Clooney himself that wows
us rather than his blue C-G, 3-D counterpart.
If this be the case however, why was it that I
left the cinema feeling a little dissatisfied and
slightly underwhelmed?
Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is a corporate
downsizing expert whose cherished life on
the road is threatened with the arrival of Nathalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) to the company,
and her innovations in video conferencing.
Motivated only by constant movement and
the obtaining of frequent flyer miles, Ryan
loves the nomadic nature of his job. In order to prove the error in Nathalie’s logic and
retain his in-flight perks, Ryan takes her on
a series of trips to show her the realities of
firing employees. Whilst Ryan advocates the
need for human interaction in his profession,
his prefers a somewhat isolated personal
life, until he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). The female version of himself, Alex
proves to be Ryan’s perfect opposite. It is in
his relationship with these two women that,
Ryan gradually begins to question his isolated existence.
The credentials of the film rest almost en-
tirely on the slick performances of Kendrick,
Farmiga and particularly Clooney. Kendrick
and Farmiga counteract each other perfectly;
Kendrick portrays the hopefulness of youth,
whilst Farmiga exudes an older-and-wiser
cynicism. It is Clooney however, who brings
the sassy-Cary-Grant-esque elegance to the
film. To watch George Clooney in this film, is
to be reminded of the beguiling pleasures of
cinema. He is both suave and graceful in a
particularly difficult role.
At the end of the film, however, I stumped.
For one I wondered about Clooney’s character. Would he really continue to lead the
same banal and isolated life? Would his revelatory journey not deter him from the job
that he had so loved? Perhaps that is entirely the point, that a man in that situation
had nothing else but to continue on with the
“Clooney shines in
an otherwise fairly
banal and mediocre
film.”
same lonely existence. But for another - the
ending of the film is ridiculous. The company
stands to save millions of dollars through
the new video conferencing scheme, but
because Nathalie leaves, they abandon her
innovation. In reality, the company would
continue with the cost-cutting exercise, and
Ryan would be taken off the road and maybe
even fired himself.
Besides Clooney, the topicality of the
film is the key to its success. Considering
the current economic climate, Up In The Air
seems to have more resonance now than it
could have done in its original novel form,
written in 2001 by Walter Kirn. To cast former
employees who’ve recently become victims
of the recession is a stroke of genius. However these moments of realistic brilliance are
not only brief but also rare. If only the rest
of the film had felt so honest, Up In The Air
might’ve offered something more special.
Despite its numerous Academy Award
nominations, for me Up In The Air was disappointing. Jason Reitman hasn’t managed
to conjure up the kind of old-school ‘moviemagic’ that I had expected. Clooney simply
shines in an otherwise fairly banal and mediocre film.
By Amy Steadman
Good: A great script.
Bad: A rather unrealistic and disappointing ending.
7.
FILM
Film Fact
Brothers
Jim Sheridan
Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllanhaal, Natalie Portman
Released January 22nd
RATING: 15
Based on a Danish film directed by Susanne Bier, starring Americans Tobey
Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman, and now helmed by multiple Oscar
nominee, Irishman Jim Sheridan, Brothers
arrives in cinemas with an international pedigree.
Captain Sam Cahill (Maguire) is devoted
to his army regiment, his country and has a
happy family life. He learns that he is to be
shipped to Afghanistan. His brother Tommy
(Gyllenhaal) has been let out of prison, much
to the disgruntlement of their father who favours his upstanding and patriotic military
son. However, Sam’s helicopter is shot
down and he and a fellow soldier are taken
hostage. Sam’s wife Grace (Portman) is informed that her husband has been declared
missing and presumed dead and Tommy
takes responsibility to take care of his brother’s family. Tommy and Grace grow close
as he becomes an increasingly present fixture in the family, and a surrogate father for
Sam’s daughters. Meanwhile, having been
rescued by American troops after months of
captivity and torture, Sam returns. He is a
changed man, both physically and psychologically. Paranoid and disillusioned, Sam
begins to suspect of his brother’s and wife’s
infidelity with violent consequences.
Due to the current conflict in Iraq and Af-
Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllanhaal
portray brothers in this film. In real life the
pair are often mistaken for one another
and have even reached the point of signing autographs for one another.
ghanistan, war and its effects are socially
relevant topics for films to depict. Most recently Kathryn Bigelow showed us with visceral intensity and claustrophobic horror, the
experiences of a bomb disposal unit in The
Hurt Locker. Before that Ari Folman, in his
superlative animated, semi-autobiographical
documentary Waltz with Bashir, depicted
soldiers’ complete repression of the atrocities of war; a shared amnesia. Sheridan
shows both in Brothers.
Sam’s capture in Afghanistan is captured
through handheld camera shots that visually
excavate the confined underground cell he
inhabits. And the torture he is subjected to
is rendered indescribable through language
when, on his return to his home, Grace persistently asks him, “What did they do to you
out there?” He stares back, unable and unwilling to recall events and responds, “What
happened with you and Tommy?” In these
tense exchanges, the film deals with psychological trauma caused by war in a reserved
and mature manner. It would be impossible
for film to ever come close to depicting all
aspect of war as they are actually experienced, which is why Sam’s transformation
may have been more powerful if we had not
been shown what happened whilst he was
out there.
The other half of the film deals with Tom-
my and Grace growing closer. He and his
work friends build her a new kitchen, and his
father finds a new respect for his other son,
who is finally taking responsibility for something. Tommy, assuming that his brother is
gone, is beginning to act more like him. It is
now his duty to care for his brother’s family;
the final memory of Sam.
All of the performances, for the most part,
are played with sincerity and restraint and
against type. Jake Gyllenhaal is surprisingly good as the black-sheep brother and
convincingly portrays his own transformation
from criminal to caring father-figure. Natalie
Portman does enough with a script that only
really requires her to mourn for her husband.
But it is Tobey Maguire who often impresses
as Sam, even if the end climax scenes are
played a little melodramatically and it takes
a bit of effort to see him as a high-ranking
army officer. He was Peter Parker after all.
By Adam Vaughn
Good: All performances are noteworthy in this well-crafted piece of fim.
Bad: A bit of overacting on Maguire’s
part in a misjudged
climax.
6.
FILM
Jaques Audiard
Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup
Released January 22nd
Rating: 18
A Prophet
In the last issue of The Edge, Stephen
O’Shea in his review of Avatar, was faced
with a dilemma: ‘How do you start a review about the most expensive movie ever
made and the most anticipated film of the
last year?’ And so it is that I find myself in
a similar quandary with A Prophet. How do
I begin a review of one of the most laudedover and universally praised films of the last
twelve months? Jacques Audiard’s French
prison drama clinched the Grand Prix award
at Cannes, was crowned Sight & Sound’s
Film of the Year, and won the London Film
Festival’s inaugural Best Film prize, not to
mention its other award triumphs and nominations, and heaps of critical commendations. It was lucky then, that I went into the
screening without having read any reviews
and without having heard any opinions. And
in response to my previous predicament, I
think it’s best I start with a synopsis.
Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim), a young
Arab man, has been sentenced to six years
in prison for, possibly, assaulting a police officer, although no explicit allusion is made.
Whilst inside he is called upon by the prison’s
Corsican king-pin, Luciani (Niels Arestrup) to
‘waste’ a fellow prisoner, Reyeb (Hichem Yacoubi), who may have ties to the mob boss.
In one of the most harrowing scenes in the
film, and in any recent film, Malik practices
his execution technique. He stands facing
his cell mirror and rehearses concealing a
razor blade in his mouth. Wincing, he reposi-
tions it with his tongue, occasionally spitting
out blood into the sink. Subsequently, having earned the protection of the Corsicans,
Malik starts to manufacture his own criminal
business from inside the prison. Illiterate,
he begins learning how to read and speak
Corsican, thus allowing him to slyly study
the make-up of Luciani’s criminal enterprise.
He gradually becomes entrusted within the
prison crime syndicate and, due to his own
business, begins to live comfortably inside.
Haunted by supernatural visions of Reyeb,
and able to move freely between the Corsicans and the Muslim community in the prison, Malik is christened as a prophet.
A Prophet is one of those films, like last
year’s Let the Right One In, that appear as
if from nowhere, able to blow you away with
their audacious storytelling and reassurance
that the director knows where the story is
going to end up. Yes, Audiard’s film enters
screens with a trail of gold and critical praise
behind it, but it certainly hasn’t received as
much high-profile publicity as say, Avatar.
With A Prophet, it truly is a case of the film
itself doing all the talking.
The story reminded me of modern masterpieces like The Godfather and Goodfellas,
and their narratives of small-time criminals
rising through the mob ranks. The film plays
out with an air of inevitability where, in such
a hostile environment, crime is seemingly
inescapable. In this way it is reminiscent of
Fernando Meirelles’ City of God, where life in
the favelas of Rio is its own prison and crime
is the only thing that its inhabitants know. In
A Prophet, Malik is given days of leave for
him to conduct Luciani’s business overseas.
In a sequence that captures the inexorable
grasp of crime, Malik walks through an airport metal detector sticking out his tongue,
unconsciously mimicking the prison’s search
procedure.
Part of the film’s strength comes from the
central performance by newcomer Tahar Rahim, whose total embodiment of Malik and
growth from petty crook to criminal entrepreneur is always engaging. Arestrup’s performance as Luciani is also effective. He portrays
both an intimidating and unpredictably aggressive crime boss, and a man scared of
dying in prison alone.
Bold, tense and ambitious, A Prophet
is an original, uncomfortable yet endlessly
watchable film. If not quite perfect, as some
scenes play out a little too leisurely, it gets
ever so close.
By Adam Vaughn
Good: Newcomer
Rahim’s outstanding performance and
Audiard’s direction.
Bad: Some slowly
placed scenes that
are only a minor
quibbles.
8.
Gamer
DVD Review
Mark Neveldine
and Brian Taylor
Gerard Butler, Michael
C. Hall
RELEASED 16th September 2009
RATING: 18
When Gamer and its trailers first hit our
tv screens and entered our lives all the way
back in August/September this reporter was
quite intrigued by the premise of the film and
what it was trying to achieve, but with a busy
schedule and other films to see I never got
round to viewing it. That was until I recently
watched the action thriller on DVD. And to
be more than quite frank I now wish I hadn’t
bothered.
Gamer is set some time in the future
where two new games have swept across
the world and taken it by storm. ‘Society’, a
Sims like game but those playing it control
actual people rather than fake computer images, and ‘Slayers’, a similar game which
sees gamers take control of death row inmates who have to survive thirty rounds of
the game to be set free, but of course no
one gets that close. The story of Gamer is
concerned with one Slayer in particular, Kable who is played by Gerad Butler and his
attempts to achieve that thirty game prize.
But as the story and the film unfolds all is
not what it seems and it appears that computer game designer Ken Castle, portrayed by
Michael C. Hall, is hiding an extremely dark
plan for all of us.
At first glance Gamer would appear to
have some pretty good ideas about challenging the world in which we live in. These
ideas are evident throughout the film, but
they are expressed in such a shocking fashion that one is inclined to forget about them
and simply cringe in disgust. The entire film
paints the human race as game and sex obsessed monsters who crave destruction and
nudity. The movie can barely make it five
FILM
minutes at a time without something exploding or providing rather overly graphic shots
of women. And while the message is obvious
and poignant from the start it soon becomes
repetitive and overwhelming.
The action shots are often quite cool but
even they become monotonous and boring
by the end. Gerad Butler is capable once
more in what has become a generic action
role for this Hollywood favourite. The only
real star of this film is Dexter star Michael
C. Hall who shines as the evil genius Ken
Castle. He is both believable and extremely
creepy throughout the film, providing Gamer
with most of its intrigue and its intensity.
All that remains to be said about Gamer is
what I’ve said throughout this article and that
is that it attempts to tackle some interesting
issues all be it in a rather confusing way, but
ends up going way to far and instead of getting us to question our own humanity we are
left questioning the disturbing imagination of
writer/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian
Taylor.
By Stephen O’Shea
Good: Some decent
action sequences.
Bad: Offensive visuals.
3.
Edward Scissorhands
Tim Burton
Johnny Depp, Winona
Ryder
RELEASED 26th July
1991
RATING: PG
“His scars run deep.”
Tim Burton films always have a sense of
the extra-ordinary about them, but the trailers for his latest creation, Alice in Wonderland, indicate that he might have surpassed
his previous achievements in weird and wonderful film-making. For over three decades
Tim Burton has brought us classics ranging from Batman to The Nightmare Before
Christmas, to Coraline, but perhaps none
has been more crucial to the process which
has led him to Alice in Wonderland than his
1990 classic, Edward Scissorhands.
Edward Scissorhands envelopes everything that is now a must for any Tim Burton
film, stylised sets and characters who are
Classic
Review
caricatures of themselves, outlandish but
pristine hairstyles and pastel coloured landscapes. The beauty of Edward Scissorhands
however, lies in Edward himself (Johnny
Depp) whose gothic and tragic appearance
makes for an overwhelming antithesis to the
sugar frosting sprinkled on the community in
which he comes to inhabit.
Edward Scissorhands’ life begins in a
gothic, run-down mansion at the top of a
hill, where he is found by the community’s
kindly Avon lady, Peg Boggs (Dianne West),
who takes him down the hill and welcomes
him into her family. Initially, Edward adapts
perfectly, his skills with haircutting and
hedge-trimming making for the light relief
moments in this film. However, things begin
to go wrong for Edward as he falls in love
with Peg Boggs’ daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Kim’s jealous boyfriend, Jim (Anthony
Michael Hall), tricks the innocent and eager-
Calling All Film Buffs!
to-please Edward into committing a theft,
and further incidents afterwards convice the
townspeople that he is a dangerous monster.
The moment at which Edward’s fate is
sealed indefinitely is one of the most poignant and distressing moments in the film. Kim
finds Edward alone in the garden making
an ice sculpture of an angel, which creates
ice shavings that fall around Kim like snow.
Snow has never been seen before in the
community and Kim dances underneath it. As
she dances, Kim’s boyfriend Jim appears, at
which point Edward accidently cuts her as he
turns round. With this single move, Edward’s
fate is decided; he will never be accepted,
and he flees back to the mansion as the mob
of townspeople, led by Jim, rise against him.
The police convince the mob that Edward
has died, but Kim, refusing to believe this,
follows Edward into the mansion, where she
is unknowingly followed by Jim. Inevitably, a
fight ensues which ends in Jim being killed.
With this, Kim kisses Edward and returns to
the bottom of the hill. As the film closes, we
move forward many years, to an elderly Kim
telling her grandchildren the story of Edward
Scissorhands. When asked how she knows
Edward is still there, Kim’s response that it
never snowed before Edward came, and
the following cut to snow pouring from the
mansion as Edward sculpts ice, alone and
having remained as young as when he first
left the mansion, is one of the most affecting
images in cinematic history.
The stylisation of Tim Burton films that
we are now so familiar with was not the
only trend to be fostered by Edward Scissorhands. Burton’s casting of Johnny Depp
in the role of Edward assured Depp a career
as one of the foremost actors of the decade,
through a role that was as far removed from
his typical bad-boy style as it was possible
to be. The relationship between Depp and
Burton has continued through many of the
films which followed Edward Scissorhands.
Edward Scissorhands boasts just the right
blend of the cooky, the frightening and the
beautiful to be hailed as Tim Burton’s finest
film –it remains to be seen if Alice in Wonderland will be stealing that crown.
By Charlotte Woods
If you love films as much as we do, you can find even
more film reviews at; www.wessexscene.co.uk/the-edge
LIVE
02 ARENA
LONDON
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
GIGS, CONCERTS, SHOWS ETC
Muse
Muse have a reputation, well deserved
most would agree, for being one of the best
live bands in the world! Not too shabby for
three chaps who grew up in Teignmouth,
Devon. I feel I have to add that I’m a massive Muse fan and watching them headline
at 2008’s V-festival was one of the best live
performances I’ve seen. It must appear odd
then, that despite boasting for weeks to whoever would listen; deep down I had strong
concerns that the evening just wouldn’t
measure up. Their latest album The Resistance was met with mixed reviews, often
seen as being too self-indulgent and overambitious: after all it closes with a three part
fifteen minute rock symphony. These were
sentiments I partly shared, and worries that
the set-list would be dominated by this persisted throughout the support.
As The Big Pink wrapped up their set,
having done an admirable job warming up
the packed out crowd belting out tunes, especially their hit ‘Dominoes’, all eyes stayed
glued to the stage as the audience eagerly
awaited Muse. When the lights dimmed
three giant towers reaching as high as the
arena itself lit up to the sound of marching
and shouting, setting the scene of a totalitarian state. Then out of nowhere the veil was
dropped and the towers were revealed to
contain the band elevated in midair imme-
diately plunging straight into hit single ‘Uprising’. This was followed immediately by
‘Resistance’ and the excess only continued
to grow as I was treated to enough lasers
to give the whole crowd 20:20 vision. Even
right at the back the sound was unreal, effortlessly filling the Arena. In a swirling mass
of lyrics about unproven crimes, thought police and love as resistance I was worried I
was having so much fun I was committing
a thought crime! All my fears instantly disappeared as everything that was criticized
about the album seemed to become meaningless. Over the top, chaotic, over ambitious - yes. But perfect at full volume. For
me this encapsulates what Muse are all
about, and what elevates them above other
bands: not content playing an incredible gig
they also bring to bear a mind-blowing visual experience leaving everyone in the arena
wondering how such a powerful sound and
presence can come from only three people.
Not that I minded, but for those not partial
to Muse’s latest tracks the new material was
sufficiently mixed up with classics such
as ‘Plug In Baby’, ‘Hysteria’ and ‘Time
Is Running Out’, as well as favourites
from their last album, namely ‘SuperMassive Black Hole’ and ‘Starlight’; all
enabling guitarist Matt Bellamy to prove
his status as guitar hero has in no way
diminished. By the time the signature piano
and loud-hailer appeared for favourite ‘Feeling Good’ the audience couldn’t get enough.
Instrumental interludes provided a break
from moshing long enough for bassist Chris
Wolstenholme and drummer Dom Howard
to showcase their musical talents before
heading back into the action. As the encore
closed with ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ and the
mighty ‘Knights of Cydonia’, I wondered how
I ever could have doubted them.
If I had to put my finger on any negatives
it would only be that classics like ‘Butterflies
and Hurricanes’ had to be dropped from the
set-list in favour of the new material. This is
just me being really picky; for me they never
really disappointed, and Muse are never
more at home than playing a stadium filled
to the brim with their massive, insanely eccentric and deliciously over the top sound.
If I had to sum up this latest tour in three
words... A-MAZ-ING!
Adam Ford
Good: Epic sights
and sounds.
Bad: Perhaps too
much from The Resistance?
10.
Breed 77
TALKING HEADS
SOUTHAMPTON
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19
For a band that have been around since
the early 90’s, I was unsure what to expect
from Breed 77. Combined with the fact their
music fuses together the disparete genres of
metal and flamenco, I travelled to the Talking Heads with mixed feelings of anticipation and intrigue. But my worries were soon
quashed. Supported by emo-rockers Cars
on Fire, and London based quintet Symphony Cult, the Talking Heads brimmed with excitement and energy. And Breed 77 did not
disappoint!
The Cuban five-peice burst onto the
stage with a menacing fury to the ticking introduction of ‘Wake Up’, perfectly exemplifying their flamenco-metal style. This swiftly
gave way to the classic ‘Blind’, surely one
of their best tracks, with even Bruce Dickinson (vocalist, Iron Maiden) placing it within
his top five songs from the year of release.
Breed 77 then followed with ‘ New Disease’,
a brand new track from their latest album Insects, kicking up the pace with a fantastic
Mediterranean breakdown.
Despite the Talking Heads being a little empty, the gig was going well: the band
were energised,
the sound was
crisp and there
were some die
hard metal fans
giving it their all at
the front.
Yet it was a
rather bizarre performance in many
ways, littered with
hiccups and oddities. Drummer Os-
car Preciado suffered some tecnical difficulties throughout the entirity of ‘Alive’, spending the whole song signalling to people off
“They are definitely a band worthy of
greater success.”
were blasted over the sound system as little interludes whilst the
band were off stage, and at their
reappearance, they worked the
material into the live show almost
seemlessly.
To add to the problems, vocalist Paul Idola had a sore throat.
But all credit to him - he battled
through the whole performance
with such determination that the
little flaws in his voice were barely
detectable.
They closed the gig with an excellent cover of The Cranberries’
‘Zombie’, giving this song a new
lease of life, the Breed 77 way.
They topped off the 12 song set
with an encore of the classic ‘La
Ultima Hora’ to great applause. After sincere thanks from the band,
Breed 77 vacated the stage after
a great performance on the whole
which showed their song writing
prowess and versatility. They are
definitely a band worthy of greater
success.
stage. Just as they were about to break into
Alex Payne
another song the gig came to an abrupt
stop. It turns out he had played a whole
song minus a snare drum, splitting
the skin halfway through under the
Good: Varied set,
weight of his drumming. Nevertheeclectic
musical
fusion,
energetic
less he made up for it with an excrowd.
cellent drum solo, involving a lot of
drumsticks being thrown in the air.
Bad: A few minor
To add to the oddities, Breed 77
mishaps, but nothing
spent a lot of the set playing preto ruin the night.
recorded tracks in addition to their
live performance. Album tracks
Breed 77. From Left to Right: Stuart Cavilla,
Pedro Jose Caparros Paul Isola, Danny Felic, Oscar Preciado.
8.
LIVE
Vocalist Paul Idola
CULTURE
Obituary: J. D. Salinger (1919 - 2010)
“If you really want to hear about it, the
first thing you’ll probably want to know
is where I was born and what my lousy
childhood was like, and how my parents
were occupied and all before they had
me, and all that David Copperfield kind of
crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if
you want to know the truth.”
J. D. Salinger, famous as the man who
did not want to be famous, died of natural
causes at his New Hampshire home. The
91-year-old had spent the last 50 years living in quiet seclusion there; he is survived
by his two children from his second marriage
and his third wife.
Remembered as the author of one of the
most famous and celebrated novels of the
Twentieth Century, The Catcher in the Rye,
Salinger’s disillusioned yet innocent 16-yearold hero Holden Caulfield became the voice
of thousands of students across America.
His tale of adolescent angst and rebellion
made them realise that they were not alone
in their alienation; it was ok for them to be
disdainful of convention and conformity, yet
self-conscious and uncomfortable in society.
Born Jerome David Salinger to a Jewish businessman father and a Scots-Irish
mother in 1919, he grew up in Manhattan,
New York. After dropping out of the exclusive
McBurney School on Manhattan’s Upper
West Side, he was sent to the harsh world of
a military academy in Valley Forge, Pennsyl-
vania. While there he edited the academy’s
yearbook, Crossed Sabres, and also began
writing stories, publishing many of them in
magazines during the 1940s. During 1938
he travelled to Europe to learn about his father’s meat business, but had “a happy tourist’s year” there instead. He attended three
universities (New York, Ursinus College and
Columbia) but never received a degree.
When America became involved in World
War Two following the attack on Pearl Harbour, Salinger was drafted into the army.
He was stationed in England, at Tiverton,
Devon, and was part of the landing at Utah
Beach on D-Day in 1944. It was during the
war that he met his first wife, a German
woman named Sylvia, whom little is known
about except that she was a member of the
Nazi party. They divorced less than a year
later.
Throughout this time Salinger was writing
stories and publishing them at regular intervals. They received some interest, but it was
not until the publication of his first and only
novel that Salinger gained critical and public
acclaim. The Catcher in the Rye became a
bestseller, and continues to be to this day.
Reading it is seen as a rite of passage for
many young people who did not want to be
‘phoney’, and the voice of disenchantment is
as pertinent today as it was in 1951; it captured the mood of a generation, and of every
generation that followed.
Salinger’s next book, Nine Stories, was
published in 1953, and it was also during
this year that he settled in New Hampshire
and became a recluse to the outside world.
He requested that his photograpth be removed from the cover of his books and refused all interviews and questions. His only
other works included Franny and Zooey in
1961, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour in 1663. His last published work appeared in The New Yorker in
1965, ‘Hapworth 16, 1924’. Most of the short
stories contained in his works concerned
the fictional Glass family, whom Salinger’s
daughter believed he loved more than his
own children.
In 1955 he married his second wife Claire
Douglas, with whom he had two children,
Margaret and Matthew. They later divorced
in 1967. He had a notable relationship with
writer Joyce Maynard, a 19-year-old Yale
student who dropped out of her freshman
year to live with the 35-year-old writer after
an article she had written for the New York
Times Sunday Magazine caught his eye.
Nine months later he grew bored and sent
her away. In 1988 he married nurse Colleen
O’Neill, 40 years his junior, who survives
him.
An aura of mystery surrounded the reclusive writer because he did his best to thwart
any attempts to write an autobiography of
him. He so hated being recognised that he
would run away from people who tried to approach him in the street, and would eat in the
kitchens of restaurants to avoid people.
Although it is 45 years since he last published any writings, friends have revealed
that his home contains a locked safe protecting at least 15 finished manuscripts, all
concerning the Glass family. They will either
be published or destroyed upon his death.
Hopefully it is the former.
Emmeline Curtis
Assassin’s
Creed II
GAMES
ALL THE BEST GAMING RELEASES
PS3/360
Ubisoft’s much anticipated sequel to 2007
surprise hit Assassin’s Creed on Xbox 360
and PS3 has arrived. Let’s take a look at
what the history students will be complaining about in 2010...
Assassin’s Creed 2 begins by busting
out of the original’s futuristically decorated
templar prison with help from modern day
assassin, Lucy. For those who played the
first game, the vengeance felt while kicking
one of your captors as he lies prone on the
ground as white hooded assassin descendent and former bar-tender Desmond feels
very satisfying. The escape provides an
exciting opener, (re)introduction to the simple combat, and opportunity for exposition
about the ongoing templar-assassin war.
We arrive at our new hideout where new
friends, tomboyish engineer Rebecca and
sarcastic, sidelined database managercome-assassin Shaun (voiced by Danny
Wallace) show us an S&M style chair which
will be our home for the next 20+ hours, the
animus 2.0, before shunning us “to do some
work”, making this new area as much a prison as the last one for those of us keen to see
the modern assassins in action before rushing back to the Renaissance. The developers want us back in the chair, we oblige.
We step into the worn boots of brash
young banker’s son and assassin descendent, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, in the late
15th Century. He’s womanising, violent and
agile to a fault, but has a lot to learn during the following decades fighting against
his Italiano passion and righteous bloodlust. The starting approach already makes
a lot more sense than being stripped of your
equipment (acceptable) and skills, like THE
ABILITY TO DEFEND YOURSELF (what!?)
as Altair was.
The opening credits as young adult Ezio
shows the setting sun over Florence with
your brother, Federico, sitting satisfied at
your side on a rooftop, and their honest
warming dialogue, “we lead a good life,
brother”, “the best” you reply. It fills you
with awe at how good a choice of location,
geographically and chronologically, Renaissance Italy is.
New tricks provided by Leonardo Da
Vinci, acting as your ‘Q’ and Alan Turing
rolled into one, include the one shot firearm,
smoke bombs, the poison tipped wrist blade,
and finally the beautifully realised double
wrist blades for those of you wondering,
“Why aren’t I able to really kill that conversation those two guards are having?”
Many of the niggling flaws have been
fixed; the beggar who pushes you into a
guard just as you make your move on a
long-watched target has been replaced with
a minstrel who can be distracted with cash.
Other problems remain: archers still fall from
rooftops after you spend careful minutes
sneaking up to quietly remove them, alerting
the target below and forcing the question of
why you can’t lay them gently down or push
them to a death which doesn’t have your
name written on it in neon: “It could’ve been
an accident, I heard he drinks on the job and
has balance like a see-saw with a brothel on
one end.” Everybody laughs, back to guarding, etc. etc.
Vehicle travel has been improved but it
may be not enough, the wilderness and endless sprint between cities has been removed
leaving much less need for horses, but the
wild coach run, Da Vinci’s glider and the
serene gondola feel like, at best, gimmicks
or, at worst, annoyances and breaks in the
game’s otherwise seamless flow.
Despite the same sort of gripes as the
first, Assassin’s Creed 2 is not a game I
could put down. It has its faults, probably
more glaring that in many other games,
but you won’t care when you look up from
the building you were surveying with your
free-runner’s eye to see the sun glistening
on the water beyond a gondolier, shadows
dance on the roof tiles, a thief clambering up
a balcony with a skill you recognise as your
own, courtesans fanning themselves waiting
to be called upon and fire breathers playing
to the entertained crowd. You can’t help but
enjoy the simplicity of the thing; the visuals
are stunning, the missions short, sharp, and
satisfying, the whole thing feels polished
and the sci-fi aspect doesn’t detract from
your belief in this immersive world of templar
conspiracy. This game is such a leap past
the original concept that if they can use this
as another seemingly impossible stepping
stone on the free-run to perfection, then Assassin’s Creed III may well be the game of
our lifetime.
Harry Campbell
Good: Free running
is as good as ever.
Bad: Fumbled final
mission set-up.
9.
TUESDAY
Midgar @ Joiners 19.30
TUESDAY
TUESDAY
9
2
23
WEDNESDAY
24
Amy Can Flyy @ Joiners
19.30
WEDNESDAY
Joey Cape @ Joiners 19.30
10
3
Fight Or Die @ Joiners 19.30
WEDNESDAY
Jan/Feb TheGigGuide
MONDAY
22
ExLovers @ Joiners 19.30
The Drums @ Talking Heads
19.30
MONDAY
1
Lisa Mitchell @ Joiners 19.30
MONDAY
8
Coco Montoya @ The Brook
20.00
AIM Society Presents
Soma High + The Sharps @
Bridge Bar 20.00
THURSDAY
18
25
Tristram @ Hamptons 20.00
THURSDAY
Girls @ Talking Heads
20.00
Lulla Violet @ Joiners 19.30
Bad For Lazarus @ Hamptons
20.00
THURSDAY
4
A Loss For Words @ Joiners
20.00
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
19
26
Fever Season @ Joiners 19.30
Lostprophets @ Guildhall
19.00
5
Pretty Visitors @ Hamptons
20.00
FRIDAY
Errors @ Joiners 19.30
SATURDAY
20
The Queue @ Joiners 19.30
Animal Kingdom @ Hamptons 20.00
27
BeatBullyz @ Unit 22.00
SATURDAY
Virtue @ Joiners 19.30
So Many Dynamos @
Unit 22.00
Danny Connors and the
Ladders 19.30
SATURDAY
6
Pronghorn @ Talking Heads
19.30
Imperial Leisure @ Hamptons 20.00
SUNDAY
21
Paper Aeroplanes @ Hamptons 20.00
CasioKids @ Joiners 19.30
SUNDAY
22
28
Alex Hadaway @ Joiners
19.30
Rachael Dadd @ Hamptons
20.00
SUNDAY
7
First Aid Kit @ Hamptons
20.00