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Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Hawkes
Eye. For those of you in Lower Sixth who haven't seen it
before, the magazine is produced by members of the
Sixth Form, for the Sixth Form. For those of you in the
Upper Sixth, things haven't changed much, apart from
the name, of course. This is a 'working title', so if you
think that you can come up with any better names, then
please let me know.
The old favourites are still here, with Anthony Bavan,
Will Deller and my self covering current affairs, and
generally ranting about topics that we feel deserve
attention. The edition also features reviews from Ellen
Morsman and Sarah Garrett, as well as an epic music
review from Alex Gyani and Michael Peters. There are,
however, some new faces, including Sports section by
Alex Hogan, and a report on the recent World Challenge
expedition by Daniel Townsend.
This is probably the last edition that I shall be editing by
myself, as someone in the Lower Sixth is due to be
taking over soon. At the moment, I am unsure as to who
this will be, so if you are interested then come and find
me or Miss Little.
Enjoy . . . .
Lost in Translation
- By Anthony Bavan
For those of you who know me to be Conservative - don't
worry I'm not selling myself to the libertarian right - but certain
government proposals and certain events that have befallen family friends
of ours in Saudi have caused me to reassess my stance on what measures
should be introduced in the name of protecting the citizens of our country
in light of 7/7. Particularly on the forefront of my mind is the issue of
wire (phone) tapping.
Now many of you would rightly tell me to get lost around about
now - that there isn't any controversy to be made about phone tapping.
You would point out that if listening in on someone's conversations
could save lives and avoid the reoccurrence of 7/7 then what's the fuss?
Indeed, approach me back in June and I would have told you the same.
This argument is sound only if the people tapping the lines are competent,
professional and logical people as opposed to the unqualified, ignorant
and 'penumbra' (implied meaning) searching half wits that have troubled
our upright and innocent family friends.
Though legal reasons have restricted the amount information I can
give, the family has allowed me to say that since 2003 the phone lines of
our friends in Riyadh have been tapped and monitored. Conversations
were recorded, statements edited and then used to incriminate them. The
bone of contention - The meaning and difference between the word 'we'
and the letter 'v'. Every time the word 'we' is used in their telephone
conversations, the translators have translated them and misinterpreted
them into the letter 'v' and cited that to be a 'call sign' for someone
unknown. This, they cite, is evidence enough and more disturbingly
enough evidence to have an international arrest warrant issued against
them. What I want to make clear is that there must be some regulation
both on the use of wire tapping and on the doling out of arrest warrants
which are being dished out as if they were nothing more than party
invites.
Though their case has nothing to do with terrorism, their lawyers
have explained to them that governments have used terrorism as an
excuse to extend wire tapping against anyone they may have a problem
with including, in certain countries, political opponents which is the area
in which their case falls. The implications are obviously serious. It is one
thing for terrorists to take innocent lives but it is another thing for them to
coerce our governments into taking unscrupulous and liberty encroaching
measures to stop them. In Saudi Arabia, a country big on phone tapping
and which tacitly admits to having the most advanced wire tapping
system funded by the US which monitors every call within the kingdom,
there are no such provisions like the Rule of Law, Habeas Corpus or
provisions 39 & 40 of the Magna Carta which in plain English means that
there are simply no rights of the accused. The Inquisitorial style of
hearings leaves no room for the burden of proof or the admissibility of
evidence i.e. you are guilty until proven innocent. Wire tapped transcripts
are tantamount to hearsay and certainly in this country wire taps are not
considered admissible in a court of law yet Interpol and its little 'Big
Brother', Europol, are making moves to make wire taps admissible - you
can get charged for chatting. So what's the point of all this?
Well having seen the wrought emotions of our friends now
wrongly placed on the other side of the law in a foreign country, it has
become clear to me that despite numerous UK based pressure groups'
dispersions, the United Kingdom has one of the most definitive and
(forgive my wannabe lawyer awe) beautiful legal systems of any country.
While we must protect ourselves against terrorism we must also protect
against destroying the time honoured safeguards against tyranny that are
inherent in our system. Many of you out there will take the utilitarian
point of view and cite that my friend's situation is a one off and that wire
tapping is thus still perfectly sound. However, my answer to the
utilitarian is that the English legal system is based on the precept that ten
guilty men presumed innocent is better than that one innocent man
presumed guilty. More over, as Thomas Paine highlights when we
acquire freedoms for ourselves we must make an attempt to obtain them
for our enemies. In the law the reverse is also true - If we take freedoms
away from our enemy we must ultimately take them away from ourselves
and indeed under the precepts of equality before the law and consistency
in the law this is what happens. Take away double jeopardy for example
to nail one elusive rapist and all of us will come to live under provisional
acquittals i.e. you'll never be found conclusively innocent and will
always live knowing you can be arrested and retried at any given time.
All that remains to be said is that if something isn't done about the
intrusion of wire tapping a lot more will be lost in translation - mainly
our freedom.
Japan's General Election
The Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has emerged victorious
(with a landslide majority) after one of the most thrilling and important
general election campaigns since the Second World War. After the Japanese
Parliament rejected a post-office privatisation bill, a key part of Koizumi's
plans to continue with the resurrection of the Japanese economy, he
dissolved the lower house and called for a general election (where he refused
to support the campaigns of the 37 lower house members of his own party
who had opposed him). But why the need for a general election so soon
after the last one? Why such concern over the result of the election?
The problems stem from within Koizumi's party, the
Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), which has been in
power uninterrupted since 1955 (bar a short ten month
period), and which has often seemed like more of a
money grabbing social club than a political party. In
the 1970s, it initiated a policy of high spending on
public works programmes, which continued until the
1990s. Then, when the economy stumbled, the chosen
solution was to inject a huge amount of money into the
economy in one huge burst. Whilst this prevented a
slump in the economy it also served to empower a corrupt and cartelised
construction industry, which is now blamed for pouring concrete over large
areas of the country's natural beauty. As fears began to surface over the
country's rising national debt in 1998, the spending was slashed, but to what
extent? The election of Koizumi in 2001 was evidence of the fact the
majority of people felt that it should be slashed further. Thus it was thought
that the state institutions that facilitated the spending should be privatised;
and that, in anticipation of the inevitable increases in health care and
pensions costs (due to the shrinking and ageing of Japan's population), the
private sector would need to be revamped. This is what led to Koizumi's
post-office privatisation bill, the first step on the road to privatising other
state institutions. After this was rejected, he felt that he had no option left
but to call another general election to settle the issue. This was a huge
gamble, as if the LDP had lost the election the door would have been left
open for the anti-reformists to seize power and potentially stifle Japan's
economic upturn (in the minds of the majority of the LDP at least).
Aside from the aforementioned opposition from within his own party,
Koizumi has had to contend with a growing opposition party- the
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Rather than revamp the private sector,
they sought to overhaul completely the state sector (a far greater task than
that proposed by Koizumi). They also wished to grant more power to local
government, cut public spending even more than Koizumi had and reduce
the civil service payroll by a staggering 20%. However, the presence of a
strong opposition party has been a breath of fresh air to Japanese politics,
and with the DPJ losing more than one third of its 177 seats in Parliament,
the party will struggle to hold itself together. Without the presence of the
DPJ to keep the government in check, one fears that old problems may
resurface.
The immediate impact of privatising Japan Post will be small, and will be
spread over the course of a decade beginning in 2007. It is the first of many
new measures, though, including reforms to nine other major public
financial institutions. One of these, the Housing Loan Corporation, has
already been forced out of the direct lending business, with other private
banks rushing in to fill the void. Koizumi will be lucky if he can achieve
more than this over the next year before his time in office runs out (a quirk
of the Japanese electoral system). Japan's exports have never been a
problem, with companies such as Toyota, Honda and Toshiba exporting
huge amounts of goods; but exports count for only 10-12% of Japan's
economy. Part of Koizumi's plan is to rekindle domestic interest in these
firms; and this has already begun with Toshiba constructing a series of new
factories in Japan itself (after expanding in China). Also, Japan has
managed to capitalise on China's growing interest in consumer technology,
which has given a massive boost to the economy. Furthermore,
unemployment has fallen rapidly from a high of 5.4% to 4.4%, and is still
falling.
So, Koizumi's gamble has paid off, in the short term at least. The real test of
whether this has been a true success will be seen after the prime minister's
departure as the effects of these changes in policy are made evident.
Nevertheless, Koizumi has shown remarkable bravery in tackling disputes
within his own party whilst at the same time trying to consolidate the
economic reforms instigated by Ryuotaro Hashimoto in 1997.
Will Deller
How to save yourself.
Last week, BBC2 aired a short series of three programmes in
which twelve teenagers from North London attempted to give-up
all sexual activity for five months. Having clarified to the most
explicit detail what activities were permitted under the pledge
(none!), the group embarked on a highly amusing yet educational
journey. This was all part of a scheme run by two relentlessly
optimistic Christian youth workers, perhaps naively hoping that the
abstinence approach would put an end to a society full of
teenagers teeming with STDs, and teach them the value of selfrespect that comes from not sleeping around.
The teenagers involved in the scheme, some of whom would make
Vicky Pollard appear sophisticated, rose to the challenge, vowing
not to participate in 'No touching up or nuffink' as one young girl so
eloquently put it, for the duration of the project. Whilst their
enthusiasm waned towards the end, it was, as another girl
imaginatively put it, 'a case of sticking it out, not sticking it in'.
As part of the programme, the group of twelve were flown over to
Bible-belt America- a chance to meet some Christians, next to
whom the Pope would appear liberal and open-minded. The group
were lodged with some moronic young Christians, each following
their own pledge of abstinence, and their equally moronic pastor.
Pastor 'call me Jason' was young, friendly, and trying so hard to be
hip that it almost hurt watching him praise God, electric guitar in
hand.
All was going well until Pastor Jason met the British teenagers. In
no way put off by the dog collar, the teenagers set about
bombarding poor Jason with a myriad of 'no holds-barred
questions' that would make Graham Norton blush. Frank as they
were, it seems the group were desperate not just to get their air
fare's worth, but to hear from one of its greatest advocates, exactly
why saving yourself for marriage is a good idea. Jason sat there,
stuttering, blinking rapidly, and sweating so much that you almost
wanted God's hand to appear from above and
pluck him away from this crowd of heathens.
Fortunately for viewers, though unfortunately
for Jason, there was no such luck, as it
appeared he was to remain in this room full of
randy teenagers until he could successfully justify his opinions.
The flock, it was evident, were just as naive and dim as Jason
was. When questioned as to why they had decide to save
themselves for marriage, not one of the young Americans could
muster a better answer than 'Well, it says so in the Bible, so I'm
like totally gonna wait'.
How adorable! Doesn't it just warm the soul to think of all these
Americans pledging themselves to God, having never even
ventured out of Sunday school to consider why abstinence is such
a great idea. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means advocating
teenage sex (whatever you guys get up to I don't want to know),
nor am I mocking a belief held by many Christians.
There is nothing, in my opinion, inherently wrong with waiting, it
just seems risible that it takes a group of kids from North London to
knock some sort of intelligence into the vapid hole of independent
thinking that is the US Bible belt. Though it is not just religious
people who are guilty of blindly accepting ideas that appeal to
them. We are all guilty of it, as it is far easier to accept beliefs on
authority or gut instinct than it is to spend time thinking things over
for ourselves. Now, I'm not suggesting that you need to do a
Descartes and lock yourself in a room in order to reduce yourself
to your most fundamental thoughts.
In the words of the Bertrand Russell, who was himself a committed
atheist. . .(and a pipe-smoker too). . .
'It is not what a man of science believes that
distinguishes him, but how and v\/hy he
believes it. His beliefs are tentative, not
dogmatic; they are based on evidence, not on
authority or intuition.'
So why not take your own pledge? Pledge to be more openminded, ready to justify your opinions, to challenge the ideas of
others. Challenge my ideas if you will. And who knows, if we all
approach issues less dogmatically, we may just learn something,
and perhaps save ourselves in the process. Kathrine Hanna
Film Review: Red Eye
From the adverts, it's clear to see that this is not your average horror fest that
you may have come to expect from the director of such films as Scream and Nightmare
On Elm Street. Instead, this is a very commendable attempt at a psychological thriller.
The film starts as it means to go on, with suspicious documents and phone calls, and
definite tension in the air. The heroine of the film - Rachel
McAdams (Regina from Mean Girls) is the v^orkaholic
hotel manager whose fear of flying is not helped by the
fact that her flight is massively delayed. However, she
meets a charming man whilst checking in whom she ends
up sitting next to on the plane. The fact that the first
twenty minutes or so of the film could be mistaken for a
romantic comedy demonstrates the skill and versatility of
Craven's direction and also adds to the suspense because it's such an unusual set-up for
a film of its genre.
Like Piione Booth, this film is shot in 'real-time', so it focuses only on the one
night: the night of the flight. This adds to the atmosphere and McAdams provides an
intelligent and hugely likeable heroine. Her captor (Gillian Murphy from Batman
Foreverdiudi 28 Days Later) is also very convincing, but while he plays the part
extremely well it makes it harder to hate him when he's so darn good looking. However,
if you're expecting a gory, action-packed film, you'll be disappointed. Whilst being
genuinely scary, and tense, it certainly isn't a horror movie. You will also be
disappointed if you're waiting throughout the whole film for Gillian Murphy's eye to
turn red like it does in the adverts. It's only called
'Red Eye' because that's the name given to night
flights in the States - the logic being that in the
morning you wake up with a red eye. It would
^HIHHJHJB^Jli
also be fair to say that the scariest, and best,
I H p r ^ ^ ^ ! P ^ '•
scenes of the film take place on board the flight;
so the rest of the film is slightly let-down by the
less resourceful final scenes.
'Red Eye' may not be as visually scary as
most horror films, but it's not trying to be. The
director knows how to build up the tension and play on the viewer's mind. The concept
of having someone sit next to you on the plane who seems perfectly nice but then
gradually shows that he knows everything about you and is holding your father hostage
is definitely original. Another positive thing is that it does not drag on for too long, as
the total running time is only 85 minutes - this means there is never a dull moment. As
for the two lead characters - while there is no obvious romance between them, I picked
up the hidden signs and it's clear that those two would make a great couple. If one
wasn't hired to kill the other. Still, it worked for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr and
Mrs Smith.
Sarah Garrett
Book Report
Human Instinct by Robert Winston
By Ellen Morsman
If you've ever been curious about
the reason why your boyfriend acts the
way he does or what it is that makes
your parents care even when you treat
them like dirt 'Human Instinct' will give
you a more than satisfactory insight into
questions such as this. Our everyday
activities are tied and wholly dependant
on those so-called cavemen and how
they struggled to survive in the harsh
conditions on the savannah. You may
not want to think your modern
inclinations are shaped by half naked
men who camped outside. However, the theory put forward by this book
suggests that our brains have been shaped by people we only understand thanks
to fossils and remnants of their lifestyle. Robert Winston refers to altruism, sex,
parenthood, our innate fears and desperation to survive with a light-hearted and
relevant style. He uses examples from all species of animal to explain our
behaviour in an almost embarrassing study of modem man. He conducts his
own research in his own quirky style and develops some very logical ideas to
seemingly illogical human conduct.
Robert Winston Shaping our minds
TV Review
By Ellen Morsman
Afterlife - ITV:
Saturdays, 21.10
Lesley Sharp and Andrew
Lincoln are to star in Afterlife,
a new, highly original series on
ITVL Lesley plays a medium
who is able to reach people on
the "other side" as a result of
a traumatic accident. But she is
uncomfortable with her
powers, and fears the effect
they have on her and other
people.
Andrew Lincoln plays Dr
Robert Bridge, a psychology
lecturer who is very sceptical
about Alison's powers, and
believes they could even be
dangerous.
They meet when Robert
takes his students to a
clairvoyance evening as part of
their course studies. One
student, Veronica, is visibly disturbed when Alison singles her out
and claims to be able to see her mother, who died in a tragic
suicide pact.
The series follows the emotional, poignant and frightening
stories of Alison and Robert.
Afterlife manages to combine genuine scares with emotional
and compelling stories concerning characters and situations that
are familiar to us all. The most frightening things happen in the
most ordinary of places.
Kingston Grammar in Ecuador: The World Challenge Expedition 2005
By Daniel Townsend
Project Phase: 16**' July to the 19^ July
We were in high spirits as we headed off for our project we had won a football
match against the local kids the night before in the coastal town of Puerto Lopez.
To be fair, they were about seven though, and the victory was mainly secured
through the brilliant tactical decision of putting Max in goal for the opposition. As
soon as we arrived in Rio Blanco, a tiny village only accessible by a half hour
drive up a dirt track in the back of a pick up truck, it was straight to work on the
foundations for the new dining room we were going to help build at their tiny
school. By the next day we were already mixing cement which is by no means an
easy task without a cement mixer and only three spades and having to lug the
sand in 40kg bags from a couple of hundred
metres up the road. As well as this we were
also painting murals in the existing school
building which turned into a fairly tricky job
when it came to the times tables which had
to be repainted three times due to mistakes!
However we realised it was definitely worth
all the hard work on the final night when the
local community held a fiesta to thank us.
There were about fifty people crammed into
the classroom and more spilled over outside
as the heads of households thanked us for
our help. I'd personally be glad to see the
back of us seeing as Andy and Jhono
managed to block their toilets on a number
of occasions. Our impromptu performance of
Bohemian Rhapsody in return for the songs
the kids sang for us really did leave the locals
a bit puzzled though.
Acclimatisation Trek on the
Quilotoa Loop- 24^*^ July to the
26*" July
We moved from the coast to high
altitude to acclimatise before the real
mountain climbs began. The three day
trek took us through some breath
taking scenery which ranged from very
British countryside to near jungle
within a few miles. We camped in
tents at altitudes as high as 3800m
along the way. The going was tough at times as shown on the last day when Jee
collapsed with dehydration and we had to stretcher her to the nearest village.
Finally though we made it to Quilotoa where we were met by wind that was so
strong it was throwing pebbles into our faces and so spoilt the photo opportunity
at the crater's edge looking down on to the turquoise lake below. The next
morning it was so cold the mini bus engine refused to start and we had to push
to get it going.
El Corazon Volcano (4800m)- 27*"
July to the Zg**" July
In preparation for our climb of Cotopaxi
we set off without a break straight to El
Corazon. Though it may have been the
smaller of the two volcanoes it was no
mean feat in itself as it is as high as Mont
Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.
We spent the first day trekking to the
plateau at about 4000m where we pitched
our tents on the spongy grass. The next
morning we made the final ascent to the summit in strong winds up a near
vertical rocky slope. We all got to the top with the exception of three so it was
good result in all.
Volcan Cotopaxi (5897m)-31^* July to
2nd August
After a much needed rest day we were off to
the volcano for our glacial training to get
used to the crampons, ice axes and goggles
we'd need for the glaciers. Much of this time
was spent sliding down the ice on our bums
and we left the glacier highly unprepared for
the climb on the next day. However it had
taught us the real problem of altitude as
even the walk from the car park to the refuge
left many of the group exhausted. The next
day was spent nervously counting down the
hours in the warmth of the refuge during
which time Miss Buelley had to go back down
the mountain with altitude sickness. We went
to bed nervously at 6pm in preparation for
the climb which would start at one o'clock
the next morning. Hardly any of us had slept
a wink as we walked out into the biting cold
the next morning and began the long climb
^J
into the darkness. As every hour went by the queue of climbers began to shorten
and by about 5500m only Max, Tom and I were left. Suddenly though the whole
night's climb seemed worth it as the sun rose and the clouds stretched out below
us. Max dropped out soon after and Tom and I could only reach 5700m,
annoyingly close to the summit, before we had to turn back due to the fact the
wind was so strong we could hardly stand up without getting blown over. The
descent down was pretty tough especially due to the fact the water had frozen in
our bottles but we finally made it back nine hours after we set off.
Jungle Trip- 4^*^ August to 7**^ August
We used the jungle as an opportunity to relax after the trekking and climbing.
The days were spent easing along the Rio Napo River in motorised canoes
occasionally stopping off along the way for a spot of gold panning or a stroll in
the jungle. We really did learn a lot about jungle life and the natural medicines
derived from plants by the local people. However, much of the time was spent
eating or just relaxing on the balcony at the jungle huts. The only downside were
the bugs which were all sizes, I was especially pleased to wake up with no less
than 239 individuaJ mosquito bites on my legs one morning and the girls were
even less pleased when a hand sized tarantula decided to join us at dinner.
Alex Gyani
&
Michael Peters
Given
would
is the
bands
that the summer is the time for festival in any self-respecting music fan's calendar, it
be ridiculous for us not to review any of the major festivals. Since the Carling Weekend
largest festival in the world, as well as the best, we have reviewed a wide spectrum of
playing there this year.
FRIDAY
Since their debut album 'Yes!' did less well than maybe they deserved DO ME BAD
THINGS still have a lot to prove to the average music fan and an opening slot on the main
stage offers them just the right platform. However, just as they enter and dive straight into
"Time For Deliverance" their amps cut out and they are forced to leave the stage. Thankfully
they return 5 minutes later and deliver a glorious set, mixing all musical genres into
something completely new and brilliant. Hopefully this set should see the band led by the
Freddie Mercury-esque frontman Nicolai Prowse catapulted straight to stardom. (AG)
The problem with novelty acts like the GOLDIE L O O K I N ' CHAIN is that after a while
what made them funny simply becomes annoying and tired; just ask Wheatus, the
Bloodhound Gang and Alien Ant Farm. Therefore, by rights the GLC should be about as
amusing as ] i m Davidson by now. Thankfully, their songs stand the test of time, mainly due
to the fact that their songs aren't just jokes strung together by notes, they're genuine festival
anthems. (AG)
With bands like the Zutons and the Coral pouring out of IMerseyside, it seems like
Liverpool may overtake Manchester as the northern musical capital. However, ail of these
bands have yet to prove they are worth their salt, except foe the DEAD 60's. Their brand of
psychedelic ska may sound a lot like the Clash, but the band pull it off perfectly and the whole
tent are caught up in frontman Matt McManamon' howls ad spiky guitar riffs. This band are
set to be huge. (AG)
Given frontman Charlie Simpson's history, FIGHTSTAR were never going to have the
easiest time convincing the audience they matter, and were given the Reading tradition of
chucking bottles of urine at bands they disapprove of, this was potentially a very messy
affair, just ask 50 Cent and the Rasmus, who suffered that fate last year. When Fightstar do
take to the stage the crowd let out collective screams of "Busted suck!" and "Play Air Hostess".
However, halfway through their first song there is a bizarre silence as the hecklers suddenly
realise that they're not half bad. By the time they belt out 'Paint Your Target' the majority of
the crowd is behind them. Sadly, though their set is slightly let down by a dodgy PA and the
fact that Charlie has to keep one eye out for the odd (relatively undeserved) bottle heading his
way. (AG)
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, however, don't suffer from any lack of support from the
crowd, who seem to hang on every word frontman Gerard Way belts out. To say this band are
loved would be a great understatement. However, MCR deserve every drop of adoration in
which this crowd are drenched in and not just due to the electrifying performance and
songwriting, but because of the fact that the band have just played both Reading and Leeds
on the same day, which is no easy task. As they play a thunderous rendition of 'Helena' they
leave to ear- shattering applause, safe In the knowledge that this truly was their moment of
triumph. (AG)
As the I^CR crowd disperse. It seems like the COOPER TEMPLE CLAUSE will be
playing to a rather diminutive crowd, which may seem surprising, but to be fair little has been
heard from them for well over a year. So It seems like this performance will see if the band
still have what made them such an exciting proposition when they first came out. However,
they open their set with a bizarre acoustic song, slightly reminiscent of U2's 'Beautiful Day',
only the Cooper's day sounds dull and overcast, a far cry from the schizophrenic early work.
Sadly, instead of stepping up from this, they continue In the same dreary rut. Even the
ground-shattering 'Panzer Attack' sounds tired, which never seemed possible given their
riotous live shows in previous years, and although the odd passers-by are impressed, the
majority of the crowd leave the tent disappointed. A true shame. (AG)
Its been quite a year for THE KILLERS, which saw them shifting a ridiculous amount of aptly
named Hot Fuss album. However, this slot on the main stage should see Is they really have
the stage presence to pull off a show like this one, since its fair to say they definitely have the
support from the crowd. Yet as they run through their songs almost note perfectly, they look
sheepish on such a large stage, with singer Brandon Flowers looking at his band mates for
support as they look duelessly back at him. Even their new songs like rehashes of "Mr.
Brightside". Proving that although they're fairly established now, we'll have to wait until the
next album, to see if they really have the capability to hold their position at the top. (AG)
The minute the lights go down and Tom IMeighan, front man of KASABIAN, struts on
to the stage, the Radiol/NME tent is filled with a brain bursting scream from the audience.
They know what to expect as Tom yells 'Let's tear this place apart!' and the band launches
into the thumping chords of 'Reason is Treason.' The crowd now becomes one single unit of
jumping bodies as Kasabian rips through a host of tunes from their debut album as well as
some new songs including The Stuntman - a tune with a filthy electronic beat that whipped
the audience into frenzy. The introduction to crowd favourite 'L.S.F' kicks in, the band are
bang up for it, and as the song ends Tom acts as the conductor while the entire tent chants
back the chorus. The moment everything has been leading up to finally arrives and the
infectious guitar riff of Club Foot sets off a riotous pit of death for anyone in the front 10 rows
of the crowd. It's all good fun really, and when the dancing stops and Kasabian take a bow,
the audience is left hungry for more. (MP)
THE PIXIES already legendary status means that there's no question that they have
the ability to pull of this, their second headline slot at Reading. However, their appearance
will suggest otherwise. With Kim Deal, a woman who was once so cool she could turn polar
bears to icicles, now looking like she's just come from the school run and Frank Black looking
like he's had one too many pies. Yet even though the Pixies should be able to tear the festival
apart, 3 songs in they still feel like they're holding back. Thankfully, they play a 28 song set
and by "Crackity Jones" they are truly on fire, leaving the crowd with a glorious rendition of
"Gigantic" ringing in their ears. (AG)
SATURDAY
ROOTS MANUVA seems pretty excited this early in the morning, but to be fair after
playing Reading for a fair number of years he has finally been booked for the main stage and
with his 2004 performance here being one of last year's highlights, there's no doubt he can
pull it off. With a full backing band he sounds a lot fresher and varied than previously, with
songs like "Witness the Fitness" forcing the crowd into a dance frenzy. (AG)
With the Libertines in a shambolic mess some may well assume that their former band
mate's band RAZORLIGHT would soon follow suit. Thankfully, Razorlight still realise that
rock is not about model girlfriends with crack habits or kissing Elton John, but about the
SONGS, so with their bizarre backdrops, which features a radio, coffee table, TV, sofa and a
dozen bamboo plants, they take stage. They play a solid set, full of surprises such as the
gospel choir on newie "Kirby's House", which will be featured on the next Warchild album and
Johnny Borrell shows that he isn't the arrogant, humourless muppet he's made out to be, by
introducing "Golden Touch" as " our song about anal sex". It's admirable to see them rise
above the media circus and suggests that they'll be around for a while yet, which can only be
a good thing. (AG)
KINGS OF LEON have officially been promoted from just the beardy, slightly odd
smelling people you find sitting at the back of the tube mumbling incoherently to themselves
at Sam, to proper rock stars. Their anthems fill the arena, the only problem is the band
themselves, they may look like proper rock stars now, but it feels like they'd prefer to sit in
the corner of a pub down the road, rather than play to 60,000 of their fans. (AG)
The same criticism can't be levelled at the FOO FIGHTERS, shown by Dave Grohl's
opening words " I love Reading so much!", and you'd have to be blind and deaf not to believe
the man. After all this was the festival that made the band and tonight is their 7'^ appearance
here, not to mention their 2"'^ headline show. During a truly breathtaking rendition of "Best of
You", which Is accompanied by the most amazing laser show you're ever likely to see, but
that's not to say that this band need to rely on gimmicks. When Grohl sings an acoustic
version of "Everlong" you can feel the arena flood with emotion. He also takes his place
behind the drum kit, whilst drummer Taylor Hawkins takes centre stage to sing "Cold Day In
The Sun", something which Grohl says is the first time he has done it for 13 years, when
Nirvana last headlined here. They end with a blinding rendition of "My Hero" and "Monkey
Wrench", which not only crowns them as the band of the weekend, asserts the fact that the
Foos are far more important than Nirvana ever were. (AG)
SUNDAY
THE RAKES hit the Radiol/NME stage at midday on the Sunday and greet the fans
with bad news - Lead singer Alan Donohoe has called in sick! If anyone has seen The Rakes
before, they'll know that Alan's showmanship and Joy Divislon-esque dance routine makes up
a great portion of their live show. All is not lost though as lead guitarist Matthew Swinnerton
takes on vocal duties and holds the fort admirably. The end of the set draws near and special
guests from the likes of Bloc Party and Maximo Park drop in to help out with vocals and are
received with raucous applause. As The Rakes' final number "22 Grand Job' is belted out into
the audience, crowd surfers flail overhead as the rest of the audience yell back the lyrics. As
The Rakes exit the stage they leave the crowd running for the nearest record shop. (MP)
There's an audible gasp, which escapes the audience as IGGY & THE STOOOGES
take the stage. For a 58 year old addict Iggy looks pretty good- the heroin must have pickled
his skin. However, the crowd emit a second gasp as the band get stuck into a brilliant version
of "1969", which sounds as relevant now as ever. They continue playing the majority of the
brilliant "1969" and "Funhouse" albums and although this means they have to omit some of
Iggy's solo work no one really seems to mind. They even break out a saxophone for " I Feel
Alright" and as Iggy dances around the stage, until his chest is bloody you know that this band
won't stop playing until every last organ in his body fails. Easily the best band of the day, if
not the weekend. (AG)
It's MARILYN MANSON'S last ever show, so we should really in be for a treat, who
knows given his affliction for stage antics, he may even eat his own head. Sadly, ever since
Eminem took his crown as "America's biggest threat to Children since polio" (© George Bush),
Manson has completely failed to come with anything remotely controversial, both in terms of
his music and character. However, as he shrieks an excerpt from "Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory" over the PA it seems like this could well be a fitting ending to his eventful
career. However, it soon becomes apparent that he doesn't really have enough original ideas
to keep the show going. Despite, the odd flash of brilliance the majority of his set is filled with
lacklustre covers or roadies running around on stage trying to sort out his next stage prop.
He leaves the stage, with a tape running of himself singing a cover of M*A*S*H theme tune
"Suicide is Painless", confusing the crowd and leaving them decidedly underwhelmed. (AG)
If, like me, on the last night of the festival you didn't want to endure a tedious hour or
more of "rock legends" Iron Maiden, you could pop into the dance tent for a bit of fun in the
capable hands of MYLO. From the first electronic beeps of 'Paris four Hundred' to the foot
stomping base of 'Drop the pressure,' Mylo has the crowd worked up into a hot and sweaty
mass of dancing maniacs. Looking at the stage, there's a speed freak behind the electronic
drum kit, two yes TWO bassists plucking away and the main man himself on the decks and
keyboards who frequently popped down into the photo pit to rock away on his guitar, inches
from the audience. The songs are all blended together seamlessly to create one jam packed
hour of dancing and the perfect end to the festival. (MP)
With their little run in with Sharon Osbourne at this year's Ozzfest in the States, IRON
MAIDEN are now more popular than ever. They enter the stage to rapturous applause,
playing with all three of their guitarists making short work of their fret boards and lead singer
Bruce Dickinson shrieking over the PA like a man possessed. Immediately any question of
whether this band still have it are answered, its also obvious that the band themselves are
also enjoying themselves, since these grounds have particular significance to the band and
Dickinson, who was asked to join the band backstage here twenty five years ago. However,
several giant inflatable demon's heads later, and you realise that really this bad are simply
playing one song over and over again, and while it may be a good song, there' only so much
cheesy 80's metal you can take. This may well have to do, with the fact that the band chose
to only play songs off their first four albums, which seems slightly odd, considering half the
audience weren't born when they were released, but throughout the set it simply feels like the
band should try something slightly different to really put on a great show. (AG)
But Reading Festival isn't all about t h e m u s i c ; there is a w h o l e host of o t h e r activities
t o partake in!
EAT RAW BACON!
MEET THE NEIGHBOURS!
VISIT THE SIGNING TENT!
TORTURE JELLY BABIES!
POP INTO THE 0 2 BAR!
BUY A STUPID HAT!
ENJOY CULLINARY DELIGHTS!
WATCH PEOPLE DOING FIRE POI!
Q
u
Album Releases
Sigur Ros- Takk 12/9
Goldie Lookin' Chain - Safe as #@%! 19/9
Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow 19/9
Ryan Adams - Jacksonville City Nights 26/9
Dead 60's - Dead 60's 2 6 / 9
The Prodigy-Their Law (The Singles) 26/9
Katie Melua - Piece By Piece 26/9
Bloodhound Gang - Hefty Fine 26/9
Souiwax - Nite Versions 26/9
Sean Paul - The Trinity 26/9
Warchild 2: Help! (Charity Compilation feat.
New stuff from Bloc Party, Razorlight, Mylo,
Coldplay and more!) 26/9
Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So
Much Better 3/10
Afro Celt Sound System - Anatomic 3/10
Go! Team - Thunder Lightning Strike 3/10
Bullet For My Valentine - Poison 3/10
Hanson - Best Of 10/10
Paul Weller - All Is Now 10/10
Babyshambles - TBA 10/10
TATu - Dangerous And Moving 10/10
Audio Bullies - Generation 10/10
The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell ... And
Back28/iJ
Upcoming Gigs
The Prodigy Brixton Academy 1-4 Dec
The Bravery Brixton Academy 28 Nov
H a r d - Pi Astoria 9 - 1 0 Dec
Audio Bullies Uni Of London Union 19-20
Foo Fighters Earl's Court 17-18 Dec
My Chemical Romance Brixton Academy
Oct
3-4 Oct
Roots Manuva Kentish Town Forum 23
White Stripes Hammersmith Apollo 5 - 6 ,
Nov
8-9 Nov
Franz Ferdinand Alexandra Palace 3 0
Nov - 2 Dec
Depeche Mode Wembley Arena 2 -3 Apr
McFly Wembley Pavillion 2 Oct
League Of Gentlemen Hammersmith
Apollo 1-4 Dec
Stereophonies Alexandra Palace 16-17
Dec
Sigur Ros Brixton Academy 9 Nov
Pitchshifter Astoria 2 4 March 0 6
MYLO Brixton Academy 5 Nov
06
Billy I d o l Brixton Academy 1 1 Nov
Chem Bros. Brixton Academy 9 - 1 0 Dec
Alter Bridge Astoria 15 Nov
Feeder Hammersmith Apollo 5 Dec
Fun Lovin' Criminals Kentish Town
Forum 2 1 Sep
I a n Brown Brixton Academy 2 6 - 2 7 Nov
Pogues Brixton Academy 2 0 Dec
Alice Cooper Wembley Arena 6 Nov
Dandy Warhols Hammersmith Apollo 26
Oct
Motorhead Brixton Academy 19 Nov
Squarepusher Camden Koko 17 Nov
Alex Parks Shepherds Bush Hall (Not
Empire) 2 0 Oct
Babyshambles Brixton Academy 1 1 Oct
Bloodhound Gang Astoria 9 Nov
Coldplay Earl's Court 1 4 - 1 6 Dec
Devendra Banhart Astoria 16 Nov
:PORT
Real want Beckham contract talks
England captain David
Becl<ham is to iiold tall<s
with Real Madrid about extending his contract.
The 30-year-old former Manchester United midfielder has
one more year on his contract after this season and has
welcomed the club's offer of talks. "The club have said they
want to talk to me about signing a new deal and I am very
happy to do that," Beckham said. "My life here is perfect and
I'm happy at Real Madrid so of course I want to stay as long
as I can."
England's Loss
^Losing a player of Jason's character is another
blow for England coach Andy Robinson."^
Jonathan
Davies
He's done everything he wanted to achieve when he
crossed over from rugby league. He's won a Grand
Slam, a World Cup, scored a try in the final and
played for the Lions. Robinson's still only 31 and has
a lot of rugby left in him but maybe the level of
commitment now is too much for him. However
Robinson has put a lot of t i m e and commitment into
it and now he wants to put more time into his family and give something back to
Sale, because they've shown him a lot of commitment as well.
Flintoff celebrates World X I call-up
England's Freddy Flintoff has expressed his delight
after being named in t h e World X I squads to play
Australia in October's ICC Super Series.
The all-rounder has been selected for both Test and one-day
duty. "I might even get the chance to bat with Sachin
Tendulkar, which would be fantastic. I'm going to be like a
kid in a sweet shop. "It's great when I think back two years
because I was still trying to play for England, never mind
even being thought about for a World XI side. English
paceman Stephen Harmison is also named in the thirteen
man squad.
WONDERBOY or WONDERYOB
By Alex Hogan
Is our boy Rooney worth ail
this trouble? If this question
had been asked after the
European Championships in
2004, the general consensus
would have been that Rooney
as a player comes as a whole.
He is aggressive in mentality
and talented on the pitch and
these combined make the
player we all know and love.
But is this the view of English
football fans today? Rooney's
'temper tantrums' in
performances for England
against Spain and Northern
Ireland and, most recently, the
rush of blood to the head
playing for Manchester United
against Villarreal, make us
question whether his
aggression ruins his game.
Rooney has risen to stardom
because of his startling talent.
He came onto the big stage at
Goodison Park, playing for
Everton at only sixteen years
of age. It soon became
apparent that Rooney was one
in a million. His first moment
of nationwide fame came
against Arsenal with a thirty
yard screamer flying past the
England No.l David Seaman. A
naturally gifted striker, Rooney
scored 15 goals in 67
Premiership appearances for
Everton since making his
debut for the club in August
2002. The teenager's
record for England is also
outstanding. His excellent Euro
2004 displays brought his tally
to 9 goals in just 17
appearances for his country. It
was these performances which
really instigated a bidding war
between Manchester United
and Newcastle for the
teenager's signature. The Red
Devils signed the 18-year-old
in a deal that could eventually
be worth £30million in 2004.
On his debut, a baptism of fire
in a Champions League group
game against the tough-tobeat Fenerbahce, he scored a
sensational hat-trick as United
went on to trounce their
Turkish opponents 6-2. Since
then he has continued his fine
form. He added 14 further
goals (including a vollyed
wonder-strike in United's 2-1
home win against Newcastle)
to his tally and has clocked up
43 appearances, justifying his
high price tag. He was the
undoubted highlight in United's
otherwise lacklustre season.
He was also named the PFA
Young Player of the Year
beating off stern competition
from Jermain Defoe, Arjen
Robben, Cristiano Ronaldo,
Stewart Downing and Shaun
Wright-Phillips.
Wonderboy Rooney's
tempermentai nature can,
however, get the better of
him. His frequent on-field
swearing encouraged the
English Schools' Football
Association to drop him from
appearing before schools
claiming he was "not a good
role model". FIFA president
Sepp Blatter made further
comment, in saying that
Rooney needed "a clip round
the ear" Rooney's antics off
the pitch have done little to
dispel these criticisms; a
student accused him of
assaulting him in a Manchester
nightclub. Rooney denied this
and was later vindicated as the
claim was dropped.
So, do all Wayne Rooney's
achievements outweigh his
wrong doings? Since the
beginning of his career Rooney
has increasingly come under
fire for all the wrong reasons.
As a footballer Rooney is a
'wonderboy'. He is aggressive
by nature BUT he still fulfils his
job for club and country to the
best of his vast ability.
However, if Rooney were to
stop doing his job effectively
because of his temperament
then we would have to criticise
him as a footballer. Wayne is a
star on the football pitch. Time
will tell whether the
boywonder matures into one of
England's finest or foulest.
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