11/12 Week 2 10th October 2011 by Exeposé

Features:

Arts Interview:

James Corden

Ian Hislop on injunctions, controversy and Private Eye page 8

on NT Tour and being a dad page 24

Music:

Festival Round-up

Glastonbury, Beach Break, Reading and more page 15

Exeposé

Record sign-ups despite queues Monday 10 October 2011 • Issue 583 • www.exepose.com • Twitter: @Exepose

Charlie Marchant Senior Reporter

A RECORD 12,000 students joined up to societies at this year’s Activities Fair. The new online sign-up system, which will allow students to sign-up all year round, means that this number is still rising. So far, RAG has received the most sign-ups, approximately 1200, followed by BodySoc with 760 members and CA who have also received over 600. Ellie White, RAG Officer, said: “We had signed up 958 people by approximately 3pm on Sunday, and have now got 1200 members. This is a real success for us, bearing in mind we are charging for membership for the first time.” However, despite the successful sign-ups, the Guild has admitted there were a number of issues with the new barcode system. These issues included confusion for some students who did not understand the systems, long queues at the tills on the day, overcrowding in the Great Hall and the Terrace and problems with input of society data into the system.

“We’re looking to ensure everything is smoother in the future”

James Fox, VP Participation and Campuses Ellie White commented on the new system, saying: “Students had to return to tables to collect membership cards and freebies. RAG is lucky in that we have a large committee which could handle this, but it was undeniably difficult for small societies and created traffic jams around the hall.” On the other hand, BodySoc took over £10,000 at the Fair and therefore recognised the pros of the new system. Helen Thompson, BodySoc President, said: “The barcode system made mon-

Free

Photo: Hannah Walker

ey handling a lot easier this year, with that many sign-ups at £17 our Treasurer would have been permanently queuing outside accounts!” She further added: “However, I have no gauge for how many prospective members were put off signing up by the queues in the Great Hall, I hope the number was low, and feel that as the guinea pig year we weren’t too badly affected.”

“It was undeniably difficult for small societies and created traffic jams around the hall” Ellie White, RAG Officer

James Fox, VP Participation & Campuses, has responded to these concerns, assuring students on behalf of the Guild that “improvements across the board will be made in time for the Refreshers Fair in January and next year’s Activities Fair.” He added: “An all-society consultation will be opened, asking groups to identify their key concerns and areas to build on for future years. We will make sure no stone is left unturned in the review; looking to ensure that everything is smoother for students and societies in the future.” The Athletic Union chose to continue with the previous sign-up system, accepting cash in hand payments from students. Beth Hampson, AU President, said that the AU didn’t want to make students queue multiple times as they believed this would hinder the number of members that signed up. She added: “We have always found this system works very well for us and have never had difficulties with it. So we took the view, why fix something that doesn’t need fixing?” See Comment for reactions to the Activities Fair

Intruder occupies student house See page 3 for full story

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Comment

Was the new barcode system at the Activities Fair a success? Comment explores the debate.

Lifestyle P 12 Lifestyle Editor talks to Richard Hurtley, Exeter graduate, about his new business and Gandy Street shop Rampant Sporting.

Music

P 15 Music speak to indie-rock band We are Scientists.

10 october 2011

News

Aaron Porter fights for students

Joe Johnston & Hannah Sweet - news@exepose.com

Hannah Brewer Senior Reporter

LAURA JOHNSON, the Exeter University undergraduate who faced charges of stealing £5,000-worth of goods during the London riots, will not be able to resume her studies at the University. The 19 year old English and Italian student denied five counts of burglary at Camberwell Green Magistrate’s Court in South London last Wednesday, but has since been released on conditional bail. Miss Johnson has been, and will continue to be, confined to her parents’

home in Orpington as she has been banned from entering any London postcode except to visit her lawyer and to attend court last Wednesday. She must also wear an electronic tag and abide by a curfew arrangement. Johnson is reported to have been found driving a car containing TVs, a microwave and mobile phones, moments after a branch of Comet in South East London was raided. A balaclava, a pair of gloves and a bandana were also found in the car. Sarah Hoyle, Media Relations Manager at Exeter University, confirmed that Johnson is currently unable to re-

Photos: Hannah Walker

The Video Games Editors attend one of the UK’s biggest gaming events, the Eurogamer Expo, and preview yet to be released games. Golden Horn, 166 Fore Street

La Tasca, 26 Bedford Street

New Horizon, 47 Longbrook Street

Peking House, 127 Sidwell Street

The Gourmet, 29 Longbrook Street

Victoria Inn, 36 Victoria Street

Deputy Editors Rosie Scudder & Ellie Bothwell depeds@exepose.com

News Editors Joe Johnston & Hannah Sweet news@exepose.com

Features Editors Clare Mullins & Sam Lambert features@exepose.com

lifestyle@exepose.com

Music Editors Andy Smith & Amy Weller music@exepose.com

Books Editors Tom Payne & Esmeralda Castrillo books@exepose.com

Screen Editors Tori Brazier & Luke Graham screen@exepose.com

Arts Editors Zoe Bulaitis & Laura Stevens arts@exepose.com

Video Games Editors Jess Leung & Alex Hawksworth-Brookes games@exepose.com

Sports Editors Rachel Bayne & Andy Williams sport@exepose.com

Photography Hannah Walker photography@exepose.com

Advertising Stuart Smith S.C.G.Smith@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722432 The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.

turn to the University, emphasising: “This is because of the conditions of her bail, which means she has to reside with her parents. We will await the outcome of the court case before deciding on whether to take any action.”

“We will await the outcome of the court case before deciding on whether to take any action” University spokesperson

A friend of Johnson said: “Laura is the least likely person to get involved in something like this.” She also told of how Laura was very academic. Nick Davis, Guild President, has encouraged Miss Johnson to approach the Students’ Guild for assistance if she is hindered from returning by the University. He said: “We do not condone the actions of Miss Johnson or anyone involved in the riots, but as a student of the University of Exeter she has the right to our support and advice.” Johnson is due to stand trial in January 2012.

Local food outlets rated for hygiene

Laura Stevens Arts Editor

editors@exepose.com

Lifestyle Editors Cyan Turan & Zoe Dickens

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Laura Johnson unable to return to campus

Video Games P 26

Editors Ellie Busby & Henry White

Exeposé

CAMPUS food outlets have been rated highly on their hygiene by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with only the Peter Chalk Centre Café scoring a middle ranking. Top student locations in town fared varyingly: The Victoria Inn on Victoria Street, widely known to students as ‘The Vic’, and The Gourmet Chinese Takeaway on Longbrook Street gained only one star. Raj India and Subway on Sidwell Street both scored a three, but top scores went to The Golden Horn on Fore Street and McDonalds on the High Street with both scoring the full five stars. The scheme, which covers Exeter’s 858 food outlets, provides food vendors with a sticker showing their rating of zero (‘urgent improvement necessary’) to five (‘very good’).

Restaurants and eateries are not compelled by law to display the rating they are given, but the vast majority have already chosen to make their score visible on a door or window. Emma Payne, VP Welfare and Community, commented: “It is great that the Guild outlets all gained top results. The stickers should be displayed as it is important that students are aware of food hygiene so they can be savvy consumers.” Talking to Exeposé, Lee Staples, Exeter City Council Environmental Health Officer spoke about the “very high rates of compliance” at the University, with the Halls of Residences in particular being of a professional standard. Thomas Grimes, a third year Geography student, said: “After knowing The Gourmet Chinese Takeaway rating I will no longer go there.” City-wide hygiene ratings are available for anyone to view on the FSA website at food.gov.uk/ratings.

EUSC rescues local woman from drowning Sam Lambert Features Editor A LOCAL woman was rescued from the River Exe on Friday 30 September by members of Exeter University Sailing Club at the end of their Freshers Week taster session. The woman, who was not wearing a lifejacket, went under the water following the capsize of the kayak she had

been sharing with a man.

“It was fortunate we were in a position to help, or the outcome could have been much worse”

Sophie Knight, EUSC member Ian Mayhew, Club Commodore,

pushed his boat out and sailed over to the couple, where he then pulled the woman from the river and took her to shore. He said: “I sailed downwind and managed to hold the boat in a position so I could get hold of her and pull her up onto the boat. She was in shock.” Mayhew sailed onto a pontoon near the Port Royal pub, where further assistance was quickly obtained from cus-

tomers. A first year student attending the session helped the man with the kayak. The ambulance later confirmed that the woman had a low body temperature and had been drinking. Sophie Knight, a third year student and sailing club member, said: “It was fortunate we were in a position to help, or the outcome could have been much worse.”

Exeposé WEEK Two

University pledges £5.5m to attract poorer students Lucy Cryle EXETER UNIVERSITY has pledged to spend £5.5m on attracting students from low-income backgrounds, after repeatedly failing to meet its targets. The University was named as one of 44 higher education institutions that have fallen below fair access targets, with figures from 2009 showing that the University’s intake of students from state schools was 5.7 per cent below their self-made target.

“The Guild maintains a strong emphasis in favour of cash in hand payments” James Eales, VP Academic Affairs

In an attempt to rectify this, the £5.5m pledge from the University will provide financial support, fee waivers and bursaries for those from a low income background, with students from care backgrounds paying no fees at all. This pledge comes as Exeter is ranked the second most expensive city for students to live in after London. James Eales, VP Academic Affairs, said: “Given the high costs associated with living in Exeter, the Guild maintains a strong emphasis in favour of cash in hand payments that will help students whilst they are studying.” To ensure that prospective students are aware of the financial support avail-

able, the University has created a ‘Student Funding Calculator’ which shows exactly how much support individuals will be entitled to, based on their household income. Ian Blenkharn, Head of Admissions at the University, said: “Our student recruitment and outreach team have been making sure that as many people as possible are aware of the financial support offered by the University and will continue to offer talks, guidance and support to students considering their financial options.” However, the University and College Union have suggested that there is no direct link between larger bursaries and intake of students from low-income backgrounds.

“The price of campus facilities needs to be cheaper to attract a more diverse student body”

Joel Chamberlin, third year Politics and Philosophy student Joel Chamberlin, a third year Politics and Philosophy student, commented on the UCU’s suggestion, saying: “Alongside bursaries, the price of campus facilities need to be cheaper and more accessible to attract a more diverse student body.”

Photo: Hannah Walker

TWO University of Exeter students have climbed 283 Scottish mountains in only 48 days to raise money for

armed forces charities. The marathon walk was in aid of DecAid which raises funds for British armed forces charities. Tom O’Connell, a recent graduate, was joined by third year Economics student Alex RobinPhoto: DecAid Press Office

Roof-top occupation puts Exeter on alert

STUDENTS returned from the football Varsity match on Wednesday evening to find that their house had been robbed. Oli Rossiter and his housemates found thieves had stolen four laptops, two ipods and a camera whilst they were out. Rossiter told Exeposé: “There was a football Varsity poster in the window but nobody really knows how the thieves got in, possibly through a window but no sign of forced entry.” He added: “Everyone is gutted because we were all at a charity event and this sort of thing happened!”

Joe Johnston News Editor

Box office moved

On Friday 7 October, an ongoing rooftop stand-off between an unidentified adult male and local authorities was resolved after 12 hours. The white, middle aged male had been in negotiations with the police on the roof-top of a student house, number five Culverland Road, in the St James Park area. Zoe Dickens, Lifestyle Editor for Exeposé and resident of the occupied house, spoke of a day of trauma. At approximately 08:20, Miss Dickens was woken up by a fellow housemate shouting: “There’s a man in our house.” Police and the fire brigade arrived shortly after being notified and all student residents at number five and surrounding houses were escorted out. The unidentified man was reported to have broken into the bathroom of number five, turning on the taps and the

son in the ‘Munro Mission’ which saw them climb the equivalent of Mount Everest 14 times.

“We’re all really proud of the boys here, they took on a big challenge but they pulled it off”

Hannah Brewer, DecAid Head of Media

Alex Robin and Tom O’Connell raised £31,000 for the armed forces charity, DecAid

Students’ house robbed during Varsity match Hannah Sweet News Editor

shower and removing all of his clothes. The police attempted to break down the bathroom door, but the man evaded arrest by climbing onto the roof of the house via the bathroom window. At approximately 10:30 the police informed the student residents of number five that they were not allowed back into their house. Throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon, the area surrounding Culverland Road was cornered off and secured by a heavy police presence. The unidentified male rebuffed attempts at negotiation by throwing missiles at the authorities. Students with residences on Culverland Road were not allowed back into their houses and were told to seek other accommodation for the interim period. At approximately 21:30 the offender was escorted down from the roof and detained by police officers at the scene. The University and the police were unable to comment on the situation.

Brave pair inspire with charity climb for heroes Sophie Broom

News

The charity the two walked for was co-founded by Tom who wanted DecAid to be a way of commemorating the tenth anniversary of the British Armed Forces’ deployment in Afghanistan. The pair raised in excess of £31,000 which will go towards the DecAid Charity Appeal. Alex and Tom’s climb was part of a wider DecAid push to raise £350,000 for the various armed forces charities. The Exeter students were joined by

families and friends of armed forces personnel who were killed in Afghanistan. Each mountain climb was dedicated to a different serviceman or woman who lost their lives in conflict and the group covered over 1,600 miles climbing for up to 17 hours a day. The tail end of Hurricane Katia caused difficult walking conditions and the students were plagued with heavy rain and strong winds but Alex’s effort was particularly impressive as he returned to Exeter University the day after finishing the walk. Hannah Brewer, Head of Media for DecAid said: “We’re all really proud of the boys here, they took on a big challenge but they pulled it off and raised an incredible amount for the charity.” James Eales, VP Academic Affairs, commended the pair’s effort, he said: “It was an absolutely fantastic achievement and a brilliant way to raise both money and awareness of the great work that DecAid does.”

Holly Pound THE Guild box office in Cornwall House has been relocated and combined with the information point in Devonshire House. James Fox, VP Participation and Campuses, reassures students that tickets can still be bought during the day and that the same offers will be available. It is also no longer possible to use the Lemon Grove as a short-cut onto campus. Fox commented: “As part of the refurbishment of the Lemon Grove a decision was taken to stop using it as a walk-through during the day in order to try and emphasise the fact it is a nightclub.”

Olympic torch to come to Exeter Helen Carrington

INSPIRATIONAL students at Exeter University will have the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch, as Coca-Cola’s London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay nomination campaign heads to the Student Guild on 13 October. The NUS-linked campaign ‘Future Flames’ is looking for students who are passionate about sport, music, dance and the environment. Students are invited to the Forum Piazza on Streatham campus to nominate ‘Future Flames’ who will have the chance to carry the Olympic Flame next year. Ed Marsh, Vice President of the NUS said: “We know that there are normal students who do some incredible things and we want to use this opportunity to really make sure that they are recognised and celebrated.” The campaign is backed by artist Dizzee Rascal who said: “Many young people are making a positive difference but no-one hears about it. We can change that by nominating the Future Flames.”

News

National Student News

10 october 2011

“Fees here for the long-term” says Sir Steve Smith Photo: Hannah Walker

Graduates overcharged on loan repayments THE Student Loans Company (SLC) has overcharged graduates on repayments to the sum of £107 million over the last 13 years, a BBC investigation has found. The amount that graduates have been overcharged has steadily increased over recent years, with approximately £16m in 2007/8, £19m in 2008/9, and £22m last year. Not only the amount, but the number of graduates being overcharged has also increased from only 117 incidents in 2000/1, to 40,050 in 2009/10. SLC has stated the average overpayment was £557, but in one particular case a graduate overpaid by £96,000. The BBC investigation also found that the number of complaints received by the SLC has almost doubled in the past two years, with a total of 5,810 people complaining in 2010/11, in comparison to 2,556 the year before.

NUS announces demonstration

THE National Union of Students (NUS) has announced a national anti-cuts demonstration on Wednesday 9 November. Liam Burns, NUS President, has called on students across the country to demonstrate against government increases in tuition fees, cuts to public services and the privatisation of the public sector.

Exeter moves up in world rankings EXETER University is now ranked 156th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Only the top 200 universities in the world are ranked, and Exeter has moved up 28 places from 184th last year. Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor, commented: “It is a great achievement to feature amongst the top 1 per cent of universities in the world. This ranking is further proof of the enormous progress we have made in the past few years and my thanks go to everyone at the University for their contribution.” Phil Baty, editor of the rankings, said: “To rise up the rankings, as Exeter has done, is really impressive, and testament, I’m sure, to a concerted effort by the University to boost its global standing.”

Exeposé

that when the cap came off fees and it was raised to £9,000 we would be able to compete with the leading institutions in the country.” Exeter University has been named as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in Europe. Last year alone the University injected over £400m into the local economy. The Forum Project and building work, Sir Steve Smith explained, has kept many local businesses afloat during the recession. He said: “People now see the University for what it is, which is, amongst many things, a massive provider of jobs for the City. “

“A new ‘English Ivy League’ of about nine elite universities is being created, which we’re in” Vice-Chancellor Sir Steve Smith predicts at least a decade of fee anguish for students, but pledges commitment to fairer access

Interview

Joe Johnston News Editor WITH 2012 marking the first year of the £9,000 fee regime for students across England, Sir Steve Smith, ViceChancellor of Exeter University, gives a stark forecast of the climate for student fees over the next decade, stating that “the die is now cast.” Speaking to Exeposé, he explained: “We are now in a world where tuition fees are the route by which universities are funded; it is going to be very difficult to reverse.” Sir Steve Smith, who recently finished his term as President of Universities UK, has spent the past two years lobbying against government cuts to higher education.

The Vice-Chancellor has predicted the country will fall into a double-dip recession, making it “very difficult to imagine any of the main political parties increasing the amount of public spending on higher education in the long term.” However, the Vice-Chancellor is adamant that the increased fees should not be a barrier to accessing higher education. The University is putting 31 per cent of all additional fee income into bursaries and fee waivers, and only last week pledged £5.5m towards attracting students from poorer backgrounds.

“The die is now cast. The new £9,000 fee system is going to be very difficult to reverse”

He said: “My aim is for students to come here because of their ability, not because they can afford to pay.” Speaking of how the new fee system will affect the university landscape, Sir Steve Smith remarked: “I think there’s a big change coming. A new market is being created. The Sunday Times and the Financial Times called it the ‘English Ivy League’; a new group of about nine elite universities, which we’re in.” He continued: “Since I arrived at Exeter University in 2002, the University has moved from an average of 35th in all four UK league tables up to 11th, and is currently ranked 156th in the top 200 higher education institutions across the world. It’s heady stuff.” With the £275m development programme coming to an end next spring, The Vice-Chancellor explained how the decision to build on Streatham was made “deliberately to try and make sure University Press Office

Work started at Birks Grange in June 2009 with the final stages completed in September 2011. There are beds for 832 people on site

However, the recession has seen graduate prospects plummet with recruitment schemes being cut by about 25 per cent, and they still are not yet back to pre-recession levels. Speaking of the outlook for Exeter graduates, Sir Steve Smith said: “There’s nothing I can say that makes people who have graduated and haven’t got a job feel better. It is almost patronising to say anything. “What we have done is look at our employability figures, which three years ago were not good. Now, employability is one of our comparative strengths. The key point is: our graduates are still doing very well in the job market.” Stating his ambitions for the University in the forthcoming year, he said: “Next year what matters is being part of that new ‘English Ivy League’. Internationally, I want to stay here to get the University into the top 100 in the world.”

Birks building complete BIRKS GRANGE is now completed and has been open for students since the start of the Autumn Term. Work has been ongoing for over two years, starting in June 2009 with the first phase being completed in September 2010, when the first students moved in. Since then, new residence blocks have been handed over regularly during the course of this year, with the final ones completed in September. There are beds for 832 people at the site, including en suite, enhanced and studio rooms. The development is part of the University of Exeter’s stated commitment to reducing pressure on the city’s housing stock by accommodating more students on campus.

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Comment Exeposé

The hot topic of debate in this week’s issue of Exeposé is the mixed response to the new system at the Activities Fair. Although there was an overall increase in sign-ups with the new electronic system, many Society Presidents and committees felt the new system has led to a drop in membership, as people were put off by the queues and heat. However, numbers are slowly increasing through the new online sign-up system. This is a promising trend but it does raise questions over society funding and financial circumstances. Many societies depend on the large input of money and interest that they generate at the Activities Fair, and societies fear it will be harder to recruit members and raise income later in the year.

“It is crucial that Exeter remains an open and accessible university for students from all backgrounds” Hopefully, the new automatically updated mailing lists on the Guild’s website will be more efficient for Society Presidents, as they won’t have to type in hundreds of email addresses. It also ensures students will be added to the society’s mailing list without delay, whatever time of year they choose to sign up. Although the fair was crowded

and busy, with long queues and several tills crashing throughout the day, it was the Guild’s first attempt at a very new system and it was always going to have a few glitches. By next year, the flaws should be ironed out, with a feedback and review process currently underway to highlight the major problems. Also reported in our News section is the criticism the University has received concerning the number of poorer students studying here. Exeter has failed to meet its target percentage of students from lower income backgrounds, despite pledging it would increase poorer student numbers as one justification for the rise in tuition fees to £9,000. It is good to see that the University has responded to this report with a £5.5 million investment in fee waivers and other support. This initiative should not only dispel the overwhelming myth that Exeter is solely a rich-persons university, but also enable those from lower income families to study here without financial worry. It is crucial that Exeter remains an open and accessible university for students from all backgrounds. The rise in fees, although undeniably a huge burden to students, must be used by all universities to maintain this responsibility and to improve on the recent disappointing statistics. Education must not become a preserve of the wealthy and fortunate.

Thanks to all those who helped proof this issue:

James Crouch, Imogen Crookes, Fiona Lally, Kate Gray, Tom Kelly, Joshua OlphertsForrester, William O’Rourke, Amelia Jenkinson, George Graham, Rebecca Lodder, Elizabeth Creed, Jessica Bryant, Eleanor Christie, Victoria Collins, Sam Pine, Rosy Razzell, Callum McLean, Hannah Rogers, Clara Plackett, Emily Tanner, Yaz Millican, Chloë Parkin, Joshua Irwandi, Sammy Brook, Annette Zer, Ben Pullin, Hannah Mawdsley, James Hallinan, Will Kelleher, Imogen Watson, Georgina Banfield, Oliver Peat, Jessica Foreshew, Anna-Lujz Gilbert, Rachel Alcode-Hodgson, Aisling Fahey, Laura Greenfield, Ben Winsor, Joanna Clifford, Thomas Ling, Jonathan Jones, Laura Staunton, Alice Boorman, Liz Claridge, Matt Edbrooke, Jon Jenner, Freya Randall, Tim Cook, Megan Revell and members of the Exeposé Editorial Team

Editors: Ellie Busby & Henry White Deputy Editors: Ellie Bothwell & Rosie Scudder editors@exepose.com

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The Activities Fair disappoints

The Exeter Student Newspaper

Access for all

10 october 2011 Exeposé

Benjamin Jones

President of Debating Society As you might imagine, it is fairly rare for the Chairman of the Conservatives, the Chairman of Labour Students and the President of the Debating Society to all agree with each other. But there we were at the Freshers’ Squash equally stunned by the chaos of such a poorly thought out and badly executed Fair. Before I continue, I add the caveat that generally I consider the Guild in very high esteem. They provide invaluable services and whenever I deal with staff in the Guild they are universally friendly and very helpful. Quite rightly they are consistently ranked among the best student unions in the country. However, on this occasion I (and I dare say a great many other society Presidents, committees and members) were extremely disappointed.

An ill-conceived and poorly implemented new system was forced on societies over the strong objections of those of us who suspected the problems that would ensue. I have to admit that while I doubted the effectiveness of the new bar code system I had not anticipated the extent of the coming calamity when I wrote to the Guild over the Summer concerned about it.

“I was reassured that for next year serious revisions to the system would be implemented” At one point out of just 20 tills (for 6,000 Freshers) only two were working. This led to entirely innocent till operators having to deal with angry students who were forced to queue for up to half an hour a time to join their societies. Across the board societies will be feeling the costs of decreased membership as more students were put off joining societies by long queues and a frankly bizarre sign-up system which is very difficult to explain at a busy stall in

cramped, loud and noisy conditions. In response to a letter of complaint, co-signed by 16 society presidents, a meeting with the Vice-President for Participation and Campuses and the Director of Membership Services was arranged in which I was reassured that for next year serious revisions to the system would be implemented and smaller societies will still be recognised by the Guild. Additionally an apology was issued for the queues and for the problems societies and students experienced on Sunday. Furthermore, a full review of Guild red-tape will mean societies themselves are consulted before changes to the signup system are made. This is critical to making sure the failures of the Fair this year are not repeated. While both students and the societies who work so hard to secure members have been let down badly this year, at least for next time the Student Guild will take the problems experienced in Freshers’ Week very seriously and hopefully a positive impact has been made.

Exeposé WEEK TWo

Comment

The new RAM: unequipped and underwhelming Luke Graham

Screen Editor

After Freshers’ Week I imagine that everyone has visited the newly refurbished RAM bar. Almost everyone has their own opinion on the redesign. Just to state my position, I like the new decoration. It is sleek, modern, and brighter, with more space, and a much nicer place to spend time.

“The main problem with the RAM is price. The food and drink on offer is far too expensive for a Student Union bar” However, I have a number of grievances. Firstly, the reduction in seating in the RAM garden is upsetting. With all the recent sun it was a shame there was only grass to sit on. Why did they get rid

of the long trestle tables that inhabited the garden last year, which would have provided space for people to sit and eat while enjoying the sun? There is also less seating inside, meaning everyone is crammed together.

“The delays that occurred when ordering food and drinks were unacceptable for an establishment that is trying to be professional”

up to an hour, continued even when the bar was only half full. Also, out of all the times I visited the RAM, only once was the cutlery and condiments table fully stocked. At one point, people were expected to eat with tiny plastic knives and forks that easily snapped, and the ketchup was not replaced at all. On one day the bar ran out of Coke and other drinks. Had they not anticipated the large number of students on campus?

Perhaps these complaints are harsh and most of these problems can be solved with time as the staff get more experience, but there are deeper problems that cannot be solved as easily. For instance, with the opportunity to rebuild the RAM entirely, why was the decision not made to introduce a card payment system? It would be convenient for students. Also, many are unhappy with the new food menu. People now Photo: Jess Leung

More importantly, the quality of service in the RAM seems to have dropped. The bar is understaffed leading to long queues with everyone crushed against the tiny bar. Perhaps it is just that the current staff are still getting used to the new bar system and new kitchen, and hopefully this can be corrected, but the delays that occurred last week when ordering food and getting drinks were unacceptable for an establishment that is trying to be professional. Some of the delays for food, with people waiting

Lemon Grove publicity must improve

Gemma Webb NIHAL, Radio 1 DJ, playing at the Lemon Grove during Welcome Week, should have been one of the biggest and most well attended events of the week. However, attendance was a pitiable 20, half of which were bar staff. Meanwhile, people were queuing outside Arena until 12am waiting to get in and being turned away. It was the same at the other clubs in town. It isn’t the first time this situation

has occurred. Last year Zane Lowe played at the Lemon Grove to a crowd of around 50, and the same went for Greg James, where only approximately 40 attended. Surely out of the 16,000 odd students at the University more than a tiny fraction would want to attend. That was if they knew about the event. So, the reason for so few students going? A severe lack of publicity. Receiving a Facebook status update from the Students Guild at midnight on the night of the event saying: “Are you at the Lemon Grove with Nihal?” is just not good enough. Where was the advance warning, the Welcome Week advertisement? There is no excuse for the lack of publicity, especially considering

the large footfall and student presence across campus particularly during Welcome Week. It would be a huge shame if DJs and bands refused to play at the University just because of an awful absence of publicity.

the Lemon Grove at the start of the year is already deteriorating. With first years complaining about being encouraged to spend money on a fresher’s wristband

cannot buy food in the evening. The beer and burger meal no longer includes chips but costs the same price, so it has lost value for money. And the burgers simply aren’t great. The burger bun I ate had a thick layer of flour on the base, which I had to scrape off in chunks. Eating thick, raw flour made me feel ill. Two people have had a similar experience. Basically, the food is now more expensive, and simply not as good as last year. This leads to the main problem with the RAM: price. The food and drink on offer is far too expensive for a Student Union bar. Bars at other universities offer drinks for £2 or less. The reason fewer people went to the RAM last year is not because they were unhappy with the decor or food, but because of the price. Compared to RAM prices, it is cheaper (and more convenient) for many students to go to local pubs like The Vic or Wetherspoon’s chain The Imperial. The Guild’s failure to understand and fix this overpricing problem means that it will experience the same problems of falling revenue.

which hasn’t enabled them to get into the club, it doesn’t give much hope that the Lemon Grove has improved in much beyond appearance. Photo: Jess Leung

“It would be a huge shame if DJs and bands refused to play at the University because of an absence of publicity” Thousands have been spent on the refurbishment of the Lemon Grove improving it as a club and bar to encourage students to go to it more. Yet already it seems as if the promising promotion of

Freshers’ Week, take two Where do our fees go? Becky Lodder

Most second years seemed as excited by the prospect of revisiting Freshers’ Week as they were when it was their own. I was a little more dubious about the idea of queuing for over an hour in the cold only to be squashed into a club where I didn’t know anyone and couldn’t move, let alone dance. Whilst this did happen on a couple of occasions, Freshers’ second time around is all about knowing the right place to go. It’s about recalling our knowledge as returning students and using it to our advantage. When the Freshers all headed to Timepiece, we headed to Coolings and 44 Below for some two for one cocktails and had an enjoyable night out without the stress of wondering

if we were even going to get in. The week finished with the Activities Fair. I won’t go into the debacle that was the sign up process, but I felt the day itself went quite well compared to when I was a first year wondering which society would be best for me. This time I was the one canvassing outside the Peter Chalk Centre trying to persuade the students to join. The whole day was exhausting, but there was a definite satisfaction when you found out just how many people your society managed to sign up. So, although Freshers’ Week was not as hectic or blurry as last year, it was fun being older and supposedly wiser than the new batch of Freshers and enjoying the lesser well known parts of Exeter.

Henry White Editor

YOU, like me, may be wondering what exactly the thousands of thousands of pounds you are pouring into your education is being spent on. Now, in my third and final year as an undergraduate student here in Exeter, I have spent huge amounts of money on my English degree and am still puzzled as to where the money has actually gone. Last week I received an email from my module convenor. It very

directly informed us that we had an essential reading pack available to purchase, unbound, from the print shop for £9, and similar emails were sent to numerous other modules, with varying prices. These modules also gave us reading lists of books, which in my case, totalled £120. Both of these are additional to the £3000+ fees the majority of students are paying, not only in this discipline but across the University. Next year, as we all know, the price rises to £9000 a year. It is completely unacceptable for the University, and in this case the English Department, to think they can simply take our money and provide little to nothing in return. Third year English

students number close to 300, so it seems unbelievable that they are short of cash or funding to be able to provide us with our resources as part of the course cost. Frankly, for the money I am spending on this education, I expect more hours and all my books and resources included in the price. The current attitude that we will just accept these extra costs and minimal hours and shrug it off will be horribly shattered next year, when students arrive with three times the amount to pay. Providing so little at such a cost is an outrage and disgraceful exploitation of students, and next year a money-conscious student body simply won’t accept it.

Features Sam Lambert & Clare Mullins - features@exepose.com

10 october 2011 Exeposé

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Ian Hislop and those “bloody journalists”

Hannah Walker, Photographer, talks about press freedom with the Private Eye Editor

Ian Hislop, a regular panelist on the popular BBC comedy show Have I Got News For You; the Private Eye cover that caused controversy in September 1997

“IT’S a potent combination of jokes and journalism.” This is how Ian Hislop describes Private Eye, the currentaffairs magazine of which he has been editor since the tender age of 26. Hislop’s journalistic career began at Ardingly College where he wrote for the student magazine.

“You only have to lift your eyes from Britain to realise how fragile freedom of the press can be”

It was there that he was given the opportunity to interview the then-editor of Private Eye, Richard Ingrams. Without hesitation, Hislop’s first question of the interview was “Can I have a job?” and although the job offer didn’t land on his desk the next morning, soon after graduating and starting his professional career with Private Eye, Hislop was chosen as Ingrams’ successor. As the editor of such a satirical and often controversial magazine, Hislop understands how fortunate he is to live in a country which has 250 years experience of campaigning for freedom of speech. Remarking on how you “only have to lift your eyes from Britain to

realise how fragile freedom of the press can be,” Hislop is aware that what the magazine publishes in Britain would be suicidal in most countries. It is often asked if it is for this reason that most of the writers in Private Eye are unnamed. “Something along those lines. It is not just a desire for the editors to take all the credit,” is Hislop’s non-commital reply. “The writers wouldn’t be killed if we attached their names, but it may be of damage to their careers because of the satirical style of the newspaper. A lot of our writers are editors of other publications.” It was fundamental that the writers of Private Eye were protected from the criticism that the magazine received on two very significant dates in its history, when Private Eye was banned in one sense or another. The issue covering the 9/11 attacks was banned from being sold in America because it featured Tony Blair being told “It’s Armageddon Sir,” and his reply being “Armageddon outahere!” Likewise, WHSmith banned the issue covering Diana’s death because its front cover was essentially an attack on the public’s tremendous reaction to the Princess’ death. Hislop admits that such an attack on the general public probably wasn’t the best way to sell papers, es-

pecially at such fragile times for journalists, who were being personally held responsible for ‘murdering’ Diana. When asked about his opinion on super-injunctions, Hislop’s initial reaction consists of an extensive sigh and a lengthy silence, but the eventual reply was surprisingly definitive: “Well, they are grossly unjust. The idea that someone can take out an injunction that says you are not allowed to report this story, and you are not permitted to report the fact that you are not allowed to report this story, is extremely dangerous.”

“Journalists really are up there with estate agents and bankers. The public really don’t have any time for us”

A perfect example of a dangerous super-injunction concerns the commodities giant Trafigura, who used a superinjunction to suppress the release of an internal report on toxic dumping in the Ivory Coast to the newspapers. Hislop gives the example of Andrew Marr. The BBC presenter had used an injunction to prevent the publication of details being released about an

affair he had been having with a woman, who at the time was thought to have mothered his child. Ian Hislop remarks on how hypocritical it was of Mr Marr to have taken out the injunction, considering that he had recently critically interviewed David Blunkett about having a child outside of marriage. In British media there have been two giant pendulum swings with superinjunctions this year. One minute the public want to know everything: “How dare we not know that it’s Ryan Giggs,” and the next minute they are complaining: “Bloody journalists; you’re always trying to find out stuff about what they’ve been up to.” You just can’t win. Perhaps it is just difficult for the general public at the moment, in the light of the recent phone hacking scandal. Hislop agrees: “Journalists really are up there with estate agents and bankers. The public really don’t have any time for us.” However, in an attempt to defend journalists’ position, Hislop reminds the audience that the illegal activity between the police, senior politicians and news establishments was not discovered by MPs or judges, but by a journalist. In this country, when we asked for a free press, we weren’t disappointed but

nobody promised that it would be pretty. Hislop remarks that if we wanted a well-ordered, disciplined press, there are plenty of countries where you can have that, but not here.

“In this country, when we asked for a free press, we weren’t disappointed but nobody promised that it would be pretty”

He continues to highlight how we must not let the scandal detract from the fact that, in the midst of the phone hacking scandal, at least two journalists at News International completed some fantastic work in uncovering vital stories about the international whaling commission and FIFA. Hislop brings the questions to a close by warning us with a wry smile that there are still two super-injunctions out there that he’s been unable to report on. “Maybe sometime soon.” Ending, he implores the younger generations to ensure that the freedoms of expression which we take for granted are never forgotten.

Exeposé WEEK TWO

Unpaid internships: essential or exploitation?

Features

Clare Mullins, Features Editor, talks to the NUS President about the rise of the unpaid intern

A FEW years ago, internships were something rarely heard of in the UK, something Americans did. However, over the last five years they’ve grown in provenance. Between 2008 and 2009, the number of adverts offering internships on popular website Gumtree went up by 390 per cent (The Guardian) and, in areas such as banking and law, over half of all new recruits are now reported to have been former work experience students or interns (BBC). However, the new trend for internships has left many graduates out in the cold. Without a minimum wage for interns, those who do not come from backgrounds where parents can support them are being cut off from the opportunity. Even if they know the opportunity would benefit their CV in the long term, most graduates cannot afford to work for free for extended periods of time. The majority of internship opportunities are in London and, if students don’t live near the capital, or have a friend or relative to stay with while they intern, they can find themselves with crippling living expenses and big debts. The difference between work experience and an internship can be hard to pinpoint. Generally speaking, work experience is a short period of time, one or two weeks, where a student or graduate observes the workplace and gets an idea of what’s involved in a career. Internships are longer, lasting anything from a month to six months or more, and the intern receives considerable responsibility and contributes to the company. To ask companies to pay students to do work experience is impractical. Hovering around asking questions, you are more a hindrance than a help. However, if you are in a position for a longer pe-

riod of time, have become trained and skilled, often filling a role that would once have been a paid employee’s, then the conditions are different. Campaigners are not asking that interns be paid the full fee for a trained employee, simply for the work of interns to be recognised and for a minimum wage that allows these opportunities to be open to everyone.

“18,000 hours of unpaid work are carried out by interns in Parliament every week” When Exeposé asked NUS President, Liam Burns, about the subject, he said: “It’s a massive issue. If you accept that internships are going to get you a better job and get you access to networks and that social capital, then in fact the very people barred from accessing that, because they have to work many hours part time and can’t afford to do an unpaid internship, are the people who’ve never had it in the first place. That’s what’s so elitist about it.” NUS is committed to challenging unpaid internships and highlighting the inequality inherent in the system. “We’ve done lots of work with Intern Aware. Our Vice President for Further Education was at the low pay commission this week, making a case for legislation about this and wider issues.” Intern Aware is a campaign set up to promote fair access by ensuring interns are paid at least minimum wage. They spearhead a growing movement that is pushing for the government to close

legal loopholes and to enforce current legislation. “It’s being raised much more in parliament now. I always like it when an MP’s outed for having unpaid interns. I think that if you can’t sort your stuff out there, how’s the rest of the country going to do it?” Burns asked. Politicians, despite publicly denouncing the practice of unpaid internships, have actually been found to be some of the biggest culprits. A survey by Unite union found that 18,000 hours of unpaid work were carried out by interns in Parliament every week. The study also found that just under half of the interns did not even receive travel or food expenses. MPs flouting the law is even more worrying when you accept that the pressure to change the current unfair system will most likely have to come from above. “I don’t like the current system but if it was a choice between an unpaid internship and no internship at all then I’d choose the internship. It’s not really a choice,” said one Exeter student who’d just completed a six week unpaid internship at a magazine. Undergraduates and students, relatively inexperienced, are not used to standing up for their rights in the work place. In the current jobs market, with its often intense competition, they know that there is always someone else to take their place should they make a point of requesting to be paid minimum wage. They are in a vulnerable position. Legislation will have to come from government, demanded by student organisations such as NUS and Intern Aware. Some argue that internships are mutually beneficial and that minimum wage legislation would damage both parties. If companies have to pay, even

minimum wage, then the number willing to offer placements will fall. Companies are laying off staff and making cuts and cannot afford to pay interns. The number of available internships may fall, but is this a bad thing? Internships are becoming harder to find but are consequently valued more by future employers as their quality improves. Fewer internship positions would lead to a higher chance of being offered a job at the end of the internship and improvements in the quality of the placements. If employers want to get their money’s worth then they will give interns more training and more responsibility. Isn’t this what being an intern is all about? If, as an intern, you’re doing a job

that, under other circumstances, the company would have to pay an employee to do then you are being exploited. Graduates have spent their A-level years and their time as undergraduates listening to doom laden prophecies of hostile job markets and rising graduate unemployment (despite an annual increase in graduate jobs of 8.9 per cent - BBC). Employers, pushed by a need to cut expenses, exploit this ‘climate of fear’ and graduates, unsure of their rights and their own worth, are accepting it as a necessity. It is not a necessity. Training and experience are important, but if you are contributing to a company you deserve to be paid and, legally, that is your right.

Andy Burnham, one of the politicians to sign Intern Aware’s pledge

Prison overcrowding is pushing the system

What can we do about the justice system and sentencing practices, asks Hannah Brewer

THE criminal justice system in this country is broken. Prison populations in the UK are currently the highest they have ever been. Two thirds of Britain’s prisoners are being held in overcrowded jails. In some cases prisons are holding almost double their capacity, as they struggle to house the highest prison populations in Europe. The number of prisoners is spiralling out of control because the UK justice system is ineffective; prisons are in fact perpetuating crime, rather than deterring it - 60 per cent of prisoners in the UK are reoffending upon release. It is therefore clear that the UK needs to drastically change its approach to criminal punishment. The penal system’s inconsistency was exposed earlier this year when the courts failed to sentence coherently in the aftermath of the London riots. Although in that month of crisis Prime Minister David Cameron admitted that the prison system was failing and needed reform, he simultaneously insisted that “Justice will be done and the people will see the consequences for their crimes.” Yet these ‘consequences’ were far-

cically disproportionate. Most prominently exposed by the press were the acts of ‘justice’ administered upon Anderson Fernandes, who was sentenced to 16 months for stealing ice cream, and Jordan Blackshaw and Perry SutcliffeKeenan, who were sentenced to 4 years after admitting using Facebook to try to organize riots, even though no unrest was sparked by their actions.

“Anderson Fernandes was sentenced to 16 months for stealing ice cream”

The tough approach taken by the judges and magistrates in response to the August riots is seen as partly to blame for the rising prison population which has jumped by 6,000 since the start of the year. Although Cameron was right to insist that such exemplary sentences and being “tough on crime” were necessary to stage a public crackdown, there is simply no room in UK prisons to house such minor offenders. The gulf must be realised between political idealism and

budgetary reality. It has been suggested that to solve prison overcrowding a distinction must be made between ‘violent’ and other crime: the former must be subject to incarceration whilst the latter is generally more suited to rehabilitative techniques. On the other side of the world, in China’s penal system, with over 2m prisoners, rehabilitation plays a key role. China’s technique is to try and control the prison population through expanding the use of parole, sentence reduction, and other forms of early release. Largescale paroles have been reported for groups of prisoners who pose no threat to society, including small time offenders, the elderly and the infirm, who excessively burden prisons responsible for incarcerating and caring for them. Meanwhile, in the US, being “tough on crime” is a political mandate. Prison populations are regulated within ‘Titan’ prison complexes, each housing 2,500 inmates each. State and federal legislatures have imposed mandatory minimum sentences, abolished or radically restricted parole, and adopted ‘three strikes’ laws that exact life imprison-

ment for a third offence (even when the offence is as minor as stealing a slice of pizza.) It appears that neither methods of the US or China are exemplary, or would indeed be effective in the UK. In 2009, plans for three ‘Titan’ prisons to be built in the UK, each two Wembley Stadiums in size and costing an estimated £350m, were ditched. A victory for penal reformers such as those of the Howard League, the oldest penal reform charity in the UK. The League operates under the motto: “Less crime, safer communities: fewer people in prison.” They believe that community sentences make a person take responsibility and live a law-abiding life in the community while non-violent offences should not result in imprisonment. Director of the Howard League, Frances Crook insists that: “If prison is to serve any useful purpose it must be to return prisoners to the community better equipped to lead crime-free lives. The current crisis effectively precludes this,” since staff are too overstretched to supervise vulnerable prisoners. However, in the UK two thirds of

convicts are already serving community sentences and are undergoing rehabilitative programmes, yet we still have too many prisoners. Yet above all the Howard League asserts that, “A record prison population is a sign of failure, not success. It shows that we are still not solving the problems that lead to crime in the first place”. Tackling the roots of crime sounds sensible, but as the impromptu riots demonstrated earlier this summer, we cannot always predict or prevent the factors which lead people to crime. People of all different backgrounds and ages took part in the riots; while it is easy to blame unemployment and dissatisfaction, these are primarily political scapegoating tactics. Offenders cannot always be categorised by their social, economic or political background. The solution to the overcrowding crisis depends on your view of justice and imprisonment. Should prison be a deterrent, a rehabilitating experience or a severe punishment? If it’s locking dangerous people up and keeping them separate from civilized society - then it’s imperative that more jails are built.

10 october 2011 Exeposé

Features

London 2012: a celebration or an excuse for British cynicism? Mark Carvell analyses the British reaction to hosting the 2012 London Olympic Games

WITH 2012 just around the corner and the shadow of the Olympics looming, surely it’s time for us, as a nation, to decide whether we are truly ‘backing the bid’ or shunning it. There seems to be a double-edged sword that governs the British reception of such a large-scale event. On one hand, hosting possibly the biggest sporting event in the world appeals to the sense of pride we have in our heritage.This could be a chance to demonstrate what makes Britain great, to remind the world that our country is still as mighty and capable as in the days of the empire, to hold street parties and support the athletes of our nation in true Dunkirk spirit.

“We are a selfmocking nation. Our modesty often betrays a deep desire to win”

On the other hand, it may be argued that we no longer command the position of world superpower, either in sport-

ing or political terms, and that these previous comments are all delusions of grandeur. Therefore it has become more common to shirk our British pride and instead hide behind the wooly jumper of cynicism that allows us to demean the whole thing and internationally justify any failures or oversights that may occur next summer. It is true that the tireless enthusiasm for the games that seems to exude from Lord Coe and his organising committee is starting to grate on even the most avid sports fans; almost every news story these days manages to worm in a discussion of the Olympics. Some would argue that even though we may have the infrastructure, engineering brains, and, debateably, money in London to be able to produce magnificent stadiums to rival Sydney, Athens and Beijing, we just simply do not have the sporting talent to make it worthwhile. So is this where our Olympic cynicism has its origins? Maybe it is unjust to discredit Britain’s athletes. After all we have produced plenty of gold medalists before

now – Kelly Holmes, Jonathan Edwards and Chris Hoy have all been at the very top of their disciplines, but the reality is that we cannot compete with the sporting superpowers that are America, Russia and China. After 2008 in Beijing, the British Olympic Association set a 2012 target for us to achieve 3rd place overall, leaving us behind only USA and China. In some quarters this would be viewed as an incredible achievement, but in setting this target the BOA have acknowledged an important point: four years prior to the games we can pretty much be sure what the result will be. The results are predictable. So we admit we are not going to come top of the medal table, but supposing we had a team full of gold medalists – would we then immerse ourselves in Olympic euphoria as a nation? I think not. One thing we British do best is pessimism. Why focus on the possibility of something being good when there is a chance it could all go belly up? It’s hard not to help but feel sorry for Seb Coe at times when you consider just what he is up against. The man can’t win. If the stadiums aren’t used in a worthwhile manner after the games the Legacy Committee will criticise him; if they aren’t built with renewable materials and powered using green energy the sustainability committee will criticise him; if they aren’t built to schedule the Deliverance Committee will criticise him; and if they run over budget … well he’s on his own with that one. Okay, so this isn’t necessarily true. These committees exist to ensure London 2012 is delivered on time and in a sustainable manner, not purely to criticise Lord Coe. However, all this bureaucracy is another thing we, the British public, hate. We would much rather go back to an era without the cost of committees and sub-committees and pa-

“The stadiums look incredible to anyone who has driven past them at regular intervals during their construction, and the improvement to the Lea Valley area will be phenomenal” perwork and filing. Money is probably the main issue for cynics of the Olympics; £9 billion is the estimated cost to the London taxpayer and many would argue that in the current financial climate, this is not £9 billion well spent. Yet we can afford it and we will afford it, whether we like it or not. The stadiums look incredible to anyone who, like me, has driven past them on the A12 at regular intervals during their construction, and the improvement to the Lea Valley area will be phenomenal. If we also consider the economic benefit for London next summer then maybe Ken Livingstone was right when he said ultimately the games would make London a profit. The British opinion of the games is summed up in the BBC’s satirical program Twenty Twelve. A hapless Kay Hope, Director of Sustainability, decides to install a motorised wind turbine as a “beacon to represent a green and sustainable Olympics.” We are a self-mocking nation. Our modesty often betrays a deep desire to win and we have an international reputation for being happy to participate - whatever the outcome. If this ever was true, it certainly isn’t any longer. We are a nation of sport lovers who are enthusiastic, possibly more so

than any other country in the world, at the prospect of doing well in any discipline. The problem is that we generate such hype and expectation around success that when we watch our sporting teams get beaten we cannot help but become infuriated and critical. The England football team can easily go from being the pride of the nation, to the most hated 11 men in the country within 90 minutes. Is British cynicism for London 2012 justified? Probably not. It will be quite spectacular to have the games on our doorstep, and as much as we all hate to admit it, Olympic fever will sweep across the country getting us all excited. Will we moan and groan about the aftermath and the cost? We wouldn’t be truly British if we didn’t. Maybe to save money it would be easier to get the world’s nations to meet in Hackney Park one Saturday morning for a kick about and then go for a beer afterwards. If we wanted to really stamp our identity on the games we could have bunting. I wonder what the Deliverance Committee would think about that?

Are you ready for the new generation of Facebook? As Facebook makes changes to compete with new rivals, Sophie Duncan analyses their effect FACEBOOK has revealed an ambition to cement its position at the forefront of social media and to go into the future as the focal point of the entire internet. At the firm’s annual F8 developer’s conference this month, founder Mark Zuckerburg announced plans to create the hub of all online consumption through ‘bringing other sites to Facebook’ and introduced a number of deals through which information about members’ online activities will automatically appear on their Facebook pages. A partnership with Spotify, for example, will allow playlists to be displayed on the site, while a similar deal with film rental site Netflix will give users the ability to track not only what their friends are listening to but also what they are watching. Collaboration with News Corp, The Guardian and The Independent will provide even more information about Facebook user behaviour. The fact that well established firms such as these have teamed up with the social networking site is testament to its coming of age not only as a renowned

media giant but as an esteemed tool used by other companies to aid their own expansion. Yet inevitable doubts have formed around the changes, most notably regarding user privacy. Whatever Facebook says about simplified privacy controls, many people would rather not have to monitor the automatic release of information that can already be communicated quite easily through a status or link.

“We may decide who has access to the information we put on Facebook but we cannot control what they proceed to do with it” But under the new Facebook it is not just the publication of current activities that users must be wary of. Profiles are to be transformed into audio-visual time-

lines, whereby members may tell their life stories as far back as being born. Through what has been deemed the ‘digital scrapbook’, statuses from years ago will become available and users will have the option of uploading photos and comments that present their lives far before their Facebook ‘birth’. These timelines may also be modified within the new ‘activity log’, which will, for many, make it seem like a legitimate means of further personalising their Facebook profile. But however strict your security settings are, as soon as information is on the internet it is no longer private. Even those who stick to the ‘I only add people I know’ rule remain vulnerable to having what is displayed on their page abused, as was made clear by the outcome of a recent court case. When Victoria Jones accepted the friend request of a former schoolmate who wished to share photos of her child, she decided to use it as an opportunity to avenge her ex-boyfriend. The 23 yearold schoolteacher from Newport stole the photos in order to convince ex Daniel

Barberini, 26, that they had a baby together. Miss Jones took 82 photos of the baby, whom she named Keira, including those of her first Christmas and birthday, and upheld the pretence for two years. She claimed that Keira’s twin brother had been born with Down’s syndrome but had died shortly after birth. The hoax eventually came to light when Mr Barberini showed one of the photos to a friend who also knew the baby’s real mother. Miss Jones has been banned from working in the classroom for two years after being found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct.

“Profiles are to be transformed into audio-visual timelines”

Herein lies the fact that while we may decide who has access to the information we put on Facebook, we cannot control what they proceed to do with it. We have grown used to endless public-

ity about the loopholes in privacy settings yet are habituated to documenting our everyday lives online. What’s more, the internet has become such an inherent part of society that to do so has become the norm. Facebook is an excellent tool because it allows users to share photos and chat online, as well as create groups and organise events. It is arguable that new links with other firms will come as a welcome novelty and enhance the site’s level of sociability, with the timelines adding to this an archival dimension. Yet it is a bold move from a company that, since its conception, has shared in the bad press surrounding social networking and personal security. As the updates become active over the coming weeks, Facebook members will have to pay particular attention to what begins to appear on their profiles. The publication of embarrassing music choices on Spotify can be laughed off, but the reappearance of statuses and actions from years ago, otherwise believed to have been discarded and gladly forgotten, may be less welcome.

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LEMON GROVE the on campus club is back

Lifestyle

10 october 2011

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Richard Hurtley: Sock star Zoe Dickens & Cyan Turan - lifestyle@exepose.com

Cyan Turan, Lifestyle Editor, talks to Richard Hurtley, Exeter graduate and founder of Rampant Sporting

APRIL 2011 saw the opening of the first stand-alone Rampant Sporting shop, nestled in all its pink and green splendour down Exeter’s gem, Gandy Street. Over the summer, Exeposé caught up with the brand’s founder and Exeter alumnus Richard Hurtley to see what all the fuss is about. Whilst a degree in History and Politics might not seem like a passport to success in the often cut-throat world of retail, things seem to be working out pretty well for Hurtley, who left university in 2007. “The same year I left I started a clothing brand, then called Hurtley Giles,” he recalls. “We wanted to do really cool rugby socks and the idea of a sportswear and casualwear fusion had always appealed to me.” Whilst Hurtley didn’t find a supplier for his socks until January 2008, the university was instrumental in turning an idea “that was thought up on a couch in Vic Street” into a reality. With a grant of £1000 and mentoring from Robin Jackson, now Director of the Innovation Centre, the entrepreneur undertook thorough market research.

“The brand is all about freshness, vibrancy and strong colours, but it’s also about sport and British heritage”

With confidence in his idea and a “very high quality supplier”, Hurtley went “full steam ahead” and ordered 400 pairs of socks. Selling online, in independent stores and at events around the country, the brand began to grow. “We went from selling just socks to include rugby shirts in our product range. From there we chose t-shirts and polo shirts to supplement the socks.” Starting with Shoreline on Gandy Street, the brand grew to amass 25 independent stockists. At this time, the company was called Lions Rampant, but following some investment in 2010, and a bout of confusion over an association with British Lions Rugby: “We decided to have a rebrand because we needed to remind ourselves where we started.” Thus Lions Rampant became Rampant Sporting. “Rampant is new and sporting is old. The brand is all about freshness, vibrancy and strong colours, but it’s also about sport and British heritage.” The Rampant Sporting label is definitely here to stay. Aside from shifting 25,000 pairs of their rugby socks, the Rampant Sporting range includes track pants, boxers, hoodies, t-shirts and much more rainbow-hued and logo-emblazoned sartorial paraphernalia. If you think this is all beginning to sound suspiciously like another Devon-based ‘Fabulously

British’ lifestyle brand, then you’re not alone. So how does Hurtley feel about the inevitable comparisons with competitor Jack Wills? “It’s human nature to compare,” he argues. “As a business you have to make your own mark. The reason we started the brand is because as a customer I didn’t feel represented. There was too much of a stamp. For us it was more about what you wanted to take from life.” I remain mildly unconvinced, but a trip down to the Gandy Street shop and a chat with Katy, the store manager, soon allays my scepticism: “We aim to stay true to our sporting roots,” she ex-

plains. “Jack Wills have become more fashion-led, with blazers and dresses. For us it’s about sport and heritage.” Whatever your opinion, you can be sure that this is a business with both fun and integrity at its core, providing jobs in a difficult climate. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously but we’re very passionate about what we do. Our whole philosophy is to redefine what the industry standard is. We always think outside the box,” summarises Hurtley. And besides, when your main point of comparison is a nationally recognised retail success story, things can’t be too bad.

When I ask if he has had any formal business training, Hurtley’s answer surprises me. “I did business studies at A-Level,” he states, modestly. “But having a business whilst I was at university was where I learnt the most. It made me realise I was capable. It’s all about learning what you can.” Accepting that entrepreneurship might not be for everyone, he continues, “It’s important to talk and think about business. For the few that have a knack for it, it’s really valuable, and for those that can’t it’s a learning curve. Only put in what you can afford to lose, and you won’t go far wrong.” InspirImage: Rampant Sporting Limited

ing though this is, it would seem that Hurtley is an exceptional example of a person who can do business. He came up with the innovative concept of the ‘house sale’ realised during a promotional event set in a garage on Blackall Road. “They’ve been really successful and we’ve run them in Exeter, Loughbrough and Oxford,” he enthuses, “But now we want to see the stores make it for themselves.” However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Working from his parent’s attic, Hurtley was doing the opposite of his friends, who all moved to London to find stable employment. “I was always a bit jealous of my London friends,” he admits. “When you start any business you have to make a lot of sacrifices. It’s a tough journey and sometimes people don’t realise that. I hardly saw any of my friends but I learnt a hell of a lot.” Nevertheless, it appears that Hurtley’s university friends have been essential in the success of what became Rampant Sporting. “The most important part of the university experience was how supportive my friends were. They were brand advocates at an early stage so you want to prove them right. I’m not looking back and saying ‘those were the days’ yet but it is a bit unbelievable really.”

“When you start any business you have to make a lot of sacrifices” Hurtley is right. It’s not every day that an undergraduate’s idea blossoms, with ever-increasing prospects. He would advise students to “make the most of your situation and follow through with ideas whilst you have the time.” Hurtley is keen to inspire other entrepreneurial spirits: “It’s been a really exciting three and a half years and making your own decisions and seeing other people talking about your brand is great.” So what’s next for Rampant Sporting? “We’re looking for other products that are going to be as iconic and we want to get as involved in the campus experience as we can” he says. “Students at Exeter are a big part of Rampant Sporting’s business. We’re doing weekly lock-ins with different sections of the student community and offering a 15 per cent student discount.” There are also more shops to follow in Exeter’s wake: “Ten per cent of our consumers are in Devon, so it made sense for our first stand-alone store to be situated there. Devon is part of the furniture, but we’re looking to build on our success,” says Hurtley. And with another shop already open in Suffolk, the future is looking decidedly Rampant.

Exeposé week two

“What happened when... I went to the Big Apple” SO here it is; my final column. We’ve had some laughs haven’t we? I’ve been censored, told off, I’ve annoyed a few people and owe an apology to at least one, but it’s been fun right? Anywho, enough of that; I have a job to do. There is one small snag of course…nothing particularly exciting has happened to me of late. I will admit, dear reader, that this made me panic. What on earth was I supposed to hand into the editors- a blank side of A4!? No of course not, that would be absurd but short of going out and deliberately creating a situation I could then write about, I was stuck. I can’t just make crap up either! I was very nearly about to hack someone’s phone when my housemate Tom stepped in and suggested I write about something he was very keen to see in print.

“Hellafied was not happy with $5. I was beginning to regret holding so many designer shopping bags” The story in question is related to a trip to New York I took some years back. It was the third day of the trip and my friends and I had been taking in the sights of Fifth Avenue (famed of course for its shops). On the way back to our hotel, two of our number decided to get a cab to take them the rest of the journey whilst I and the remaining two (who for this story will be named Simon and Phil as, well, those are their names) believed this to be the more ex-

Lifestyle’s columnist, Dan Orton, faces the trials of NYC’s ‘street vendors’

pensive option and would much rather take in a few more sights on the way back. We set off down the sidewalk, laden down with shopping bags (in a manly way of course) and expressions of awe on our faces as we marvelled at just how tall everything was. It was all going well until we were stopped by a chap holding a pile of CDs in one hand. “Would you like a free CD?” he asked me. Two more men had appeared to ask Phil and Simon the same question. “No thank you,” I replied, I had a feeling this fellow’s taste in music was a little different from my own. “Oh go on,” he said, and I realised he was following me, “It’s my own stuff… and I’ll sign it for you,” he added. I stopped, “Fine then, one free CD.” He grinned and took out a pen. “What’s your name bro?” “Daniel.” “Daniel? I ain’t signing nothing to a Daniel- it’s a rubbish name.” “I beg your pardon!” “Nah, I’ll call you DMoney.” “I really quite like Daniel…” He handed me the CD which now had ‘To D-Money from Hellafied’ scribbled across it. I thanked Hellafied (if indeed that was his real name) and made to leave. It was at this point I noticed a lot of Hellafied’s friends had surrounded us. Phil and Simon (or PDot and Simon Sayz as they had been re-christened) seemed to have noticed too. “How about a donation bro?” Hellafied asked. “A donation? You said this was a free CD. Free.” I had a horrible feeling my protests would do me no good. “Yeah but a donation would be helpful.” “Alright, how much do you want?” “$10.” “$10! I really don’t

think it’s worth that. I’ll give you five.” As I haggled with the mugger, Phil and Simon were not only having to give over their own “donations” but also being persuaded to buy some chocolate bars (which were probably stolen). Hellafied was not happy with my offer of $5. I was beginning to regret holding so many designer store shopping bags. “$7 is my final offer…err…bro.” “Ok, now what about some chocolateone bar for $2 or three for $5.” “I’ll take one.” “One!” “Alright, three and here’s $5.” I thrust my money at him, grabbed my chocolate and got the hell out of there. Phil and Simon were a little way ahead. “Mate, were you haggling with that guy?” Phil asked, more than a little shocked. “Well I wasn’t about to just hand over $10 for a CD, even if it is signed”, I replied stubbornly. Although it occurs to me now I was lucky I wasn’t stabbed.

“Daniel? I ain’t signing nothing to a Daniel - it’s a rubbish name” We arrived back at the hotel where our cab taking friends were waiting. “What took you so long?” they asked and then laughed once we had explained everything. You see, dear reader, their cab ride cost them $4. Our walk back, which should have been cheaper, cost us a combined total of $50 dollars and our dignity. And the CD was crap.

Lifestyle

Your Problems Solved

Uncle Matthieu and Aunty Amelia are here to help “Dear Lifestyle, I’m a second year student and have just started living in a house with four of my friends. I was really looking forward to it and I love my friends but we didn’t live together last year and now some of their bad habits are really getting me down. I was expecting a bit of mess but I feel like I’m having to do everything just to keep our house relatively nice. I don’t want my friendships to be ruined but I’m beginning to resent them. Please help!”

Amelia Nashe AS you’ll have realised, living with people is a very different dynamic to being friends with them, and it’s a relationship that has different rules. Compromise is rule number one, and it sounds to me like they’re not compromising their living standards to meet yours. You are well within your rights to ask them to be more considerate in cleaning communal areas. I suggest you broach the topic with them so that your friendships aren’t poisoned. For the talk itself, diplomacy is the key. Don’t be too confrontational, but don’t let them think this is just a stray whim of yours either. Show them that their mess is affecting your happiness and they should change their habits for you. Perhaps you should call a house meeting and organise a washing up/cleaning rota. Living with friends can be amazing, and once you reach an agreement on these differences, I’m sure you’ll feel better.

Campus Style Spotter OUR roving photographer and Lifestyle team bring you the best style on campus!

[Left] Name: Ed Latham Studying: Business Management, 2nd year. What did you think of the Freshers’ Fair? “It was absolutely rammed. I found it pretty challenging but the best part was when some of the societies were dancing on chairs.” Did you join any societies? “RAG, Hispanic Soc, French Soc and I want to join Hide and Seek.” [Centre] Name: Laura Grange Studying: Film and Italian, 4th year. What did you think of the Freshers’ Fair? “It was packed but I got what I wanted in the end.” Did you join any societies? “Yes- I joined Film Soc, Tandem and XTV.” [Right] Name: Virginia Stuart-Taylor Studying: Spanish and Italian, 4th year. What did you think of the Freshers’ Fair? “It was just a heaving mass of people. I didn’t stay long.” Did you join any societies? “Tennis, Erasmus and RAG.”

Matthieu Perry I CAN understand your problems. A lot of people feel that in a house full of several students, they have to clean up for everyone else. After a summer of your housemates having parents or other family members clean up after them, they have to get used to cleaning up for themselves again. I can offer you two bits of advice. The first is to have a word with them as a group. Kindly explain to them that you have been doing more than your fair share of the cleaning and that you wouldn’t mind having a bit of help. Something else I would also recommend would be to clean up rooms in the house when other housemates are in them, this way they will notice your efforts to keep the house clean and you can ask them politely to help out. This would encourage them to get involved and gives the message that they don’t have to clean up all on their own either.

10 october 2011 Exeposé

Lifestyle

Don’t you know who I am?

Cyan Turan, Lifestyle Editor has the inside scoop on London Fashion Week

FOLLOWING a successful bid to wangle London Fashion Week press passes, Sunday 18 September saw my fellow Lifestyle Editor, Zoe, and I head to Somerset House for some fash-pack action. Walking down the Strand from Charing Cross Station, I saw that the fashion editors, bloggers and buyers were out in full force, ploughing up the pavement in their six-inch heels. I, unfortunately, had decided not to go too ‘fashion’ for fear of seeming overly desperate, preferring to exude a nonchalant cool, or so I thought. Wrong. It turns out that, at London Fashion Week, more is definitely more. I met Zoe in the Somerset House courtyard. She was wearing an amazing skirt and blouse, with the heels that I had too readily forgone, and had already been ‘style-spotted’ four times. It turns out Sunday is not a day of rest for keeneyed fashionistas.

But no matter. As I skulked around Somerset House feeling the most underdressed I have ever felt, the amazing buzz took over. There were sights to rouse the senses everywhere, from the army of British Fashion Council staff in their whiter-than-white lab coats, to blow-dried and beautiful fashion editors in this season’s most outlandish attire. Once we had our press passes, we made our way through the crowds to the entrance of the London Fashion Week Exhibition. Halted by a man with a clipboard, we were told to stand aside and queue as the venue was at capacity. It wasn’t long before perma-tanned ‘darlings’ were sashaying past into the packed room, blowing air kisses and professing their superiority. Eventually we were let in to the exhibition, which showcases the work of 150 up-and coming-designers, just in time to hear Gregory Barker MP give a speech praising the resilience of the

fashion industry. Waiting staff proffering champagne glasses and canapés were everywhere and Zoe and I soon mastered the art of looking and sounding more important than we actually are. The exhibition gives designers who can’t afford to put on a show the opportunity to display their work to buyers and the press. We navigated the rooms, enjoying the look of faux recognition on people’s faces when we brazenly introduced ourselves as representing ‘Exeposé… darling’. The fashion was mostly ethically produced, with designers investing their time into upcycling techniques and fairtrade production. A couple of hours later we left the exhibition, our jaws aching from plenty of smiling and small talk and our bags heavy with press releases and business cards. There’s certainly a lot of fresh talent out there, and here Zoe gives you her pick of the best…

The best of British fashion

Zoe Dickens, Lifestyle Editor walks us through the UK’s best new young designers tion inspired by African tribes which is both graphic and grungy in its aesthetic. Bold beaded embellishments are contrasted with bondage-like leather creations in a transgressive and controversial display which, in the designer’s own words is: “Forward, young, rebellious, and definitely not boring!”

EVERY September, when the Spring/ Summer shows roll around, it becomes almost impossible to open a newspaper or magazine or log onto the internet without seeing the words ‘London Fashion Week’. The UK is blessed with an abundance of design talent and for me the most exciting thing about LFW is the opportunity to discover new and off the radar designers who look set to go on to big things; here then is my round-up of the ones to watch for SS12. David Koma Young designers are hugely important to the fashion industry and, as such, there are numerous talent launch pads, such as Fashion East and British Fashion Council accredited awards, to help young designers establish themselves. David Koma is one of these young talents and was this year awarded NEWGEN sponsorship to help stage his catwalk show. Since graduating from London’s Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in 2009 he has slowly been making a name for himself among the fashion world with great success - remember Cheryl Cole’s embellished structural body con dress that caused such a stir on last year’s X Factor? That was Koma. Beyoncé wore the same dress a week later – it doesn’t come as a surprise that he calls it his signature look. For SS12 his collection, whilst retaining his trademarks of structure and fit, was inspired by aboriginal culture and used unexpected pops of bright colour to flatter the feminine form. With this attention to detail you can expect to see his designs on your favourite celebrities in no time at all.

KTZ Whilst not exactly a household name, KTZ have been showing at LFW for some years and may be familiar to some as a menswear label. However, this year’s collaborative project from designers Koji Maruyama, Sasko Bevoski and Marjam Pejoski, debuted their first women’s ready-to-wear collection to great acclaim. The label’s name comes from ‘Kokon To Zai’ (which loosely translated means ‘from here to there’) and they are also the masterminds behind the cult stores of the same name. Their SS12 show combined both the men’s and women’s lines to see a collec-

Phoebe English There is another side to LFW which you rarely read about in major publications. The off-schedule shows, sponsored by Vauxhall Fashion Scout, are the best place to find the capital’s best emerging talent. After winning numerous awards for her Central Saint Martins graduate

collection, Phoebe English debuted her first LFW collection at an off-schedule show this season and was picked as a Vauxhall Fashion Scout ‘One To Watch’ (incidentally this is also how David Koma was able to show his first collection at London Fashion Week). Although she insists that she only became a fashion designer by mistake (her first passion is acting), her mixed media collections have caught the attention of fashion industry heavyweights for their unique aesthetic. She is renowned for her use of real hair to create many types of garment and her work, inspired by light, gravity and motion, is often described as wearable art. If you’re after something a little avant garde for SS12 you could do much worse than tapping into the talent of this rising star.

Images: Zoe Dickens

Lifestyle Design Competition IT’S almost time for the annual Exeposé Lifestyle Fashion Shoot. This year we are planning a spread that is bigger and better than ever before and we want you to be part of it! The theme of this year’s fashion shoot is ethical, charitable and sustainable fashion and we’re looking for a budding student designer to create an outfit that quite simply fits the brief ‘Make It Yourself’. The winning outfit will be featured in our fashion shoot and the designer will get the chance to come along and help style on the day. This is a great opportunity to get your work seen by Exeposé’s 20, 000 readers. So if you fancy winning this brilliant prize then there are some guidelines you must follow. Absolutely none of the main materials used to make the outfit are to be new. Use old clothes, cushions, curtains, essays, let your imagination run wild but to be considered you MUST use recycled materials. The garment must be made to fit a size 8-10 and be wearable on a day-to-day basis. To enter simply e-mail lifestyle@exepose.com for more information about when and where to submit your entry. Good luck!

Exeposé week TWo

Music

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Andy Smith & Amy Weller - music@exepose.com

Upcoming 11/10 - The Answer, Cavern

12/10 - Ugly Duckling, Cavern 15/10 - Newham Generals, Exeter Phoenix

16/10 - ExTunes Live!, The Old Firehouse 17/10 - Evile, Cavern 21/10 - Foreign Beggars, The Lemon Grove

Interview

Not exactly rocket science, WAS it? Ben Winsor talks to US indie icons We Are Scientists THE Brooklyn-based indie rock band We Are Scientists burst onto the music scene in 2005 with their energetic and catchy With Love and Squalor. Their successive releases, extensive touring and humorous style have earned them a strong following, especially here in the UK. Having been a fan for many years, it was with some anxiety that I went to meet bassist Chris Cain, one half of the creative duo that comprises the band, ahead of their show in the Lemon Grove, on 1 June. The band’s archetypal goofy and laid-back attitude instantly puts me at ease. Chris is messing around on his iPad, but greets me warmly. Being part of a student newspaper, I’m keen to hear his thoughts on his university days, where he

and Keith Murray (guitarist/vocalist) first met. “The life of a touring musician is pretty sweet, but nothing compares to uni life. I’d say most people spend the rest of their lives regretting that they got enough credits to graduate,” he explains in his off-beat manner. “We’ve been spared total immersion into grief thanks to our current career, but you probably won’t. Enjoy uni while it lasts.” The sarcastic humour that he and Keith demonstrate on stage is present in his everyday conversation too. The band’s humour has a definite British quality (they enjoy a greater fanbase in the UK than their homeland) and I ask him about his attitude to British culture. “There are certain aspects that are still foreign to us,

but I can’t think of any examples...maybe my subconscious has accepted them all!” A new line the band have pursued in the UK is their decision to start DJ-ing after some gigs, which Chris describes as “pleasant enough”, merely “something to do.” The focus is still very much on the two things they do best: making music and being funny. “We’ve got some new songs kicking around, and we’re aiming to record October-ish,” Chris explains. Despite the most recent release being last year’s Barbara, Cain reveals that some songs still require tweaking for live performances. Fan favourite ‘Lethal Enforcer’, despite being what Chris calls “one of our best songs”, has arrangements that “can’t be pulled off” as a live three-piece Photo: Hannah Walker

Featured Events: Oxjam

18/10 - The Lemon Grove A fantastic night of music all in the name of charity, Oxjam will feature a mix of campus and local acts, including Alex Meddings, the Snap, Flapjack, Summertide and Melosa (and more to be confirmed!). Tickets are £3.50, for more info find the event on facebook.

Benjamin Francis Leftwich 21/10 - Cavern

Acclaim has been building for Benjamin Francis Leftwich since the release of his late 2010 EP A Million Miles Out, with solid backing from Radio 1 including a Maida Vale session with the Fleet Foxes, multiple Record Of The Weeks and his debut single ‘Box Of Stones’ awarded Zane Lowe’s much sought after Hottest Record In The World. On Ben’s most recent tour he sold out venues across the UK including London’s own The Garage. Combining delicate guitar lines and haunting vocals that draw a crowd to silence, it is on stage that Ben has cemented himself as one of the most exciting and talented live performers of 2011.

album REVIEW A Different Kind of Fix Bombay Bicycle Club FOR many bands that attempt to show off musical versatility, their efforts get consigned to the “two for ten pounds section” in record stores across the country. Fortunately Bombay Bicycle Club, as with their approach to all their albums, do not conform to a stereotype. After their energetic first effort that won support of the boat shoe wearing, vintage apparel sporting indie public, they made a dramatic musical Uturn to sensitive acoustic balladry and achieved notoriety among aficionados of the ever-expanding folk music market. For their third album, A Different Kind of Fix, we see Jack Steadman and co. boldly ploughing into the world of ambient sound and looped vocals

whilst doing their best to retain the sensibility of I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose and Flaws. Opening track, ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep’ certainly begins like an outtake from the band’s first album and ‘Beggars’ could be a bonus track from Flaws, yet both have been mixed well to fit with the tone of the record as Steadman’s electronically treated voice floats like a diaphanous jellyfish in the background. One band seen to be exercising a healthy influence here are Radiohead. Penultimate track ‘Still’ initially sounds like Steadman doing his best Thom Yorke impression, abandoning his other band mates and regular song-writing structure for a sparse piano dirge. However, this is not by any means to a negative end, with the rich ivory echo sounding as if coming from

within a cavernous crypt as heavy keys clatter behind the whispy fragility of the vocal. The sudden electronic stuttering of the words works wonderfully, fitting artistically with the title of the song and giving a thrilling glimpse into what the next Bombay Bicycle Club offering could be.

“Steadman’s electronically treated voice floats like a diaphanous jellyfish” Things do occasionally have the whiff of the poseur about them. Album closer ‘Beg’ veers into posturing Foalsesque indie with a patternless explosion of a thousand once played guitar

and so is often dropped from shows. The success of their MTV comedy mini-series, Steve Wants His Money, has also led to a desire to produce more humourous creations. “We come up with ideas all the time,” the latest being a comedy book, “A sort of collection of personal reminiscences to deal with alcohol, as most of our reminiscences do, and maybe a sort of ‘How To’ for giving and attending parties.” The band is also renowned for their mockery of journalists who are perhaps unfamiliar with their humour and mannerisms. “We demonstrate reactive annoyance,” explains Chris. “If the interviewer is especially dull or just asks us to reiterate facts, one feels a certain compulsion to contradict the truth or create interest for ourselves.” Wary of falling into the same trap, I ask Chris for his thoughts on a Tumblr page that has been created in honour of his moustache. “It makes me feel that the internet is being used for the right reasons,” he says with typical deadpan sarcasm. “There was a brief period when I felt that significantly more frivolous things were receiving attention.” We go on to discuss scenarios such as a Charlie Sheen record label, and the merits of techno-gospel as a musical genre, and the interview concludes with Chris deciding that the dictator who would be most appreciative of the band would be “Pinochet, he would have liked us.” It’s hard for anyone, even dictators, to dislike such a funny and energetic band. Their performance was typically banterous and upbeat, and provided the muchneeded quality and status to an otherwise unimpressive year for the Lemmy.

lines (one of which bizarrely sounds like the guitar break from Alien Ant Farm’s cover of ‘Smooth Criminal’) supplemented by a mind-bogglingly intricate backbeat. It is the sort of song to get a smattering of appreciative nods from hipsters at a house party but nothing that will be remembered as ground breaking. A Different Kind of Fix should be seen as a triumph for a band who strike an engaging balance between being adventurous and retaining enough catchy pop sensibility to keep listeners interested. Their solemn ambient wandering is peppered with enough jaunty guitar japery to ensure that Bombay Bicycle Club will increase their fan base and enjoy greater notoriety. A worthwhile listen. BEN MURPHIE

10 october 2011 Exeposé

Music

festival reviews

Our writers review the best of this summer’s festivals Glastonbury Somerset

GLASTONBURY. It may only be one word, but it symbolises so much more. Having already been to several English festivals, I felt that 2011 was the year to make that final rite of passage, don my wellies and stride proudly through the brightly coloured gates of Worthy Farm. Being from the North (well, Birmingham) I’m quite accustomed to wet weather, and was well aware and (I thought) well prepared for spending six days outside in a tent in the British summer. However, upon drawing closer to the site, the image of inches of standing water on the roads combined with the hammering rain on the coach sunroof was enough to make even the hardiest of festival-goers think twice before stepping off the coach once we finally arrived. That first step was one I will never forget. There was mud everywhere. Not just your normal Reading or Leeds mud, this was thick, very deep, boggy mud that would instantly turn you one ambiguous shade of grey if you were one of the unlucky ones to lose your balance and fall in. And rain. The festival alternated between horrendous rain storms and blistering heat, which resulted in some pretty interesting sunburn marks on display on the coach home. Unlike previous festivals I’ve been to, the entrance queue moved relatively quickly and once you’ve passed the metal fencing, you’re able to see the entire festival site in a valley beneath you in all its glory. This was our first Glastonbury, so we weren’t exactly sure where to camp and somehow took a few wrong turns and ended up right on the perimeter. However we soon found out it was only a ten minute walk to the arena and the night time view across the entire site, lit by thousands

and thousands of different lights was one that I will never forget. During the first few days we immersed ourselves in everything Glastonbury had to offer, from roaming around in the Green and Healing Fields, to exploring the evening haunts on offer such as The Common and Shangri La, two of the most indescribably surreal places I have ever visited, and will probably ever visit. Even just roaming around the site after the music had finished, there were still plenty of bars open, one which even had Mexican Wrestling at 3am! There was also the Stone Circle, which is definitely worth a visit at the end of a night to see the sun rise over the site. In a place that was dominated by noise, this spot provided a surprising moment of tranquillity. This was what drew me to Glastonbury. The sheer mystery of the place, the fact that there was so much on offer, you could spend your entire time there without seeing any music but still have just as an amazing experience as the next person, something that definitely cannot be said for any other British Festival. Something else that struck me was the freedom on display everywhere, again something that you just don’t get anywhere else. Everyone was incredibly friendly, hardly anyone was too drunk or rowdy, you never felt that you were in any way in danger or at risk of having your tent robbed, and considering the fact that there were over 170,000 people, the police presence was hardly noticeable. However, despite Glastonbury’s endless distractions, the music was still the centrepiece. Whilst some of the major bands were hit and miss, especially U2 whose set was perhaps dampened by the rain, other bands shone through. A personal favourite was seeing Aloe Blacc on the West Holts stage, a true showman whose relaxed yet enthusiastic performance and desire to please

the crowd epitomised the Glastonbury ethos. Both Coldplay and Beyoncé performed perfectly balanced sets, with Coldplay thoroughly upstaging U2 in the pyrotechnics department. The highlight was watching Beyoncé from the top of the hill in front of the Pyramid Stage. Whilst I’m not the biggest fan of her music, her set was perhaps the most

anything like Glastonbury unless you actually go. But when you get there, whatever the weather, you’ll soon find yourself never wanting to leave.

ANDY WILLIAMS SPORTS EDITOR

Beyoncé on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury

Dot to Dot Bristol

The mysteriously masked SBTRKT at Dot to Dot

impressive of the festival, and the image of hundreds of thousands of cameras flashing when she came onstage, will, again, be a memory that I will never forget. For those of you lucky enough to go in 2013, I really would suggest watching one of the headliners from up there - you won’t regret it. In short, you won’t get close to

WITH a format that allows you to hop from venue to venue across the buzzing city of Bristol, we began our day rolling up at Thekla, a music venue that happens to be a boat casually floating on the River Avon. Surrounded by the crème de la crème of the indie-hipster population, we weren’t quite sure if we hadn’t stumbled into the trendy end of Shoreditch on a new-wave French dubstep night, but we continued to venture on into the depths of the aquatic vessel. Our musical viewing began with the brilliant Trophy Wife and the weird but wonderful Niki and the Dove, both great bands who are definitely worth listening to. Despite the novelty of being on a boat (Lonely Island eat your heart out) we decided to progress out into the city and explore some of the other venues. This exploration led us to the larger venue of the O2 Academy, where The Naked and Famous had drawn in a massive crowd thanks to the large amount of

hype that has surrounded them this year. Their set was relatively underwhelming and after this experience, we wanted to leave the stress of the O2’s environment in favour of the quieter venues. This resulted in our chance discovery of The Joy Formidable who delivered a powerful and impressively loud set that could fill any stadium with their bold and guitar heavy sound. In fact, the smaller acts were so good that we passed up hanging around to watch the main headliners Hurts and We are Scientists, in favour of the relatively lesser-known names. This was a good move as I managed to watch some of the best sets I have seen in a while. We caught the set of a very drunk but completely enigmatic performance by King Charles, the well dressed rasta who exhibited his passion for triple rums and coke whilst simultaneously playing on his guitar. As the night went on, the indie bands left and the electro DJs came out to play. SBTRKT delivered a truly fantastic performance of his album, which was given an impressive strength by the spine tingling vocals of singer Sampha. Both of

these artists remain to be the highlight for me, as never having listened to their music before I was left blown away. This was followed by the disappointing performance by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs who simply couldn’t match the standard set by SBTRKT. Unfortunately, in the midst of our travels from venue to venue we completely missed sets by Benjamin Francis Leftwich and Ben Howard, both of whom will be gracing Exeter with their presence in the next few weeks. Dot to Dot proved to be a fantastic event for yet another year and once more provided a spotlight for the best of current rising talent, whilst also being fronted by some of the most exciting acts on the scene today. This one-day event is the perfect way to discover brand new music that will soon be circulating everyone else’s playlists in a few months time, without having to commit to the price tag and the intense carnage of a full on festival. AMY WELLER MUSIC EDITOR

Exeposé week Two

Wakestock North Wales

ASIDE from a family-feel trip to Latitude festival in 2010, Wakestock in North Wales was my first real dive into the ever-fashionable music festival culture. A mistake with alcohol allowance aside (resulting in an oh-so-classy rapid beer-downing session outside of the gates), entrance to the site was swift and painless. The line-up was an eclectic mix of hardcore dubstep with the likes of Caspa, DJ Fresh and Sub Focus, to rising indie acoustic star Ed Sheeran, to mainstream rock and pop, such as Kelis and Biffy Clyro.

“Wakestock was my first real dive into the ever-fashionable music festival culture”

Kicking the weekend off with Yasmin, a relaxed crowd enjoyed her set, with her beautiful voice providing a real contrast to the heavy electro feel of the music. Finishing off with the infectious ‘Finish Line’ and including hit collaboration ‘Runaway’ with rapper Devlin, Yasmin was a brilliant introduction to the weekend. Friday continued with some seriously exuberant bouncing to the pounding bass of Tek 1’s set that truly shook the floor. Neon Trees were something of a disappointment, considering their album Habits is well worth listening to, with vocals that were easy to drift away from and guitar that clashed with

RockNess Inverness

AS soon as Amy and I crossed the threshold and entered the campsite of this mid-sized Scottish festival, we could tell one thing: these people were here for a seriously good time. Having travelled almost literally the length of the country (Exeter to Inverness is a surprisingly long way) to get here, the electric excitement in the air as we entered was a definite indication of the atmosphere of the coming weekend, and the quality of the acts. In terms of the music, highlights of the daytime sets included Two Door Cinema Club, who graced the main stage in an early-evening set, and set an incredibly high standard for any bands to follow them. Their catchy hooks and energetic performance, complemented by a crowd that were very much up for a dance, made for a fantastic opening

bass. For me, however, the highlight of the day was a front row view of Ellie Goulding with her stunning voice translating perfectly to a live performance. She had a great connection with her audience and really got an injection of personality into radio-heavy tracks like ‘Starry Eyed’. Having left the stage still dazzled by Goulding, we proceeded straight to join the vast crowd that seemed to breathe with a violent energy to Chase and Status. Call me a wuss, but I parked my shattered self by a hog roast stand and appreciated the set of one spectacular hit after another from a safe seating distance out of accidental-elbow-to-theface range. Saturday featured an outstanding performance from Modestep, including brain-throbbing tracks such as ‘Dub King’, and their latest single ‘Sunlight’. We proceeded over to Nero with high expectations. Unfortunately only half of the duo turned up, and with little more than a DJ set – not the collection of tracks from their mindblowing debut Welcome to Reality album that we were hoping for. Saturday was rounded off by the biggest surprise of the festival: The Wombats. I had, of course, heard singles such as ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ but had never investigated any further. What a catastrophic error; their second album The Wombats Proudly Present… This Modern Glitch was a joy to discover live, with a seemingly never-ending stream of fantastic tracks, my personal favourite being ‘Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves).’ Sunday was, for me, a disappointment. Sure, Example’s tracks were band of the festival. Another stand-out act of the early line-up was Magnetic Man, mixing electro dubstep for the masses, and getting an absolutely brilliant response in return. On the smaller stages, favourite acts included Bombay Bicycle Club, who were back on top form in the leadup to the release of their latest offering, playing a crowd-friendly mix of old hits and new material; DJ Shadow, whose skilled DJ set was matched entirely by the impressive light and graphics show projected onto the spherical DJ booth; and Jamie Woon, who played to a surprisingly small crowd in the smallest tent at the festival, played his laid-back soul-electro to great reception, one of my personal favourite acts of the festival. The headliner acts drew huge crowds, with Kasabian on the Friday night giving a sterling performance, putting their all into the show, and leading the crowd in anthemic sing-

Music

energetic and Biffy Clyro were the personification of drama and modern rock, but poor crowd control and an unchecked proliferation of pills meant that I expended my entire energy desperately trying to stand upright and avoid a black eye or a bloody nose as the violence raged around me.

Photo: Amy Weller

“Whatever happened to dance sessions that resulted in sweaty hair and aching calves, but managed to avoid actual physical harm?”

Chase and Status (who were giving the crowd moshing tips by the end of their set) I could understand, but Ed Sheeran is an acoustic singer with a sharp and witty outlook in his seemingly soft lyrics, how does that in any conceivable way invite a mosh pit? Whatever happened to dance sessions that resulted in sweaty hair and aching calves, but managed to avoid actual physical harm? Thankfully the music was outstanding and the weather was kind, so I still had a brilliant weekend, but next year I’ll be better prepared for the realities of having to party in a tent filled with thousands of people with questionable blood-alcohol levels and no sense of personal space.

ALEX WYNICK alongs. Chemical Brothers were somewhat disappointing, their set sounding repetitive and forced, I felt that it was the kind of performance that would have been much more enjoyed if you were under the influence of some hallucinogenic, which much of the crowd appeared to be. The Cribs, who were headlining the second stage at the same time, gave a strangely lacklustre performance, apparently due to the underwhelming crowd who had turned up to watch. As one of the few who had turned up to watch them, I felt a little put out that their diva-attitude got in the way of a good performance. Paolo Nutini headlined the Sunday night and, despite seeming out-of-it for the whole of the show, played a brilliant set, his voice, although occasionally strained, was strong and moving for the vast majority of his performance. Although his music style didn’t really sit with the rest of the festival, he got a resoundingly welcoming reception from his fellow Scots. Overall RockNess was really enjoyable, perhaps most comparable to Reading in terms of atmosphere, as it seemed a lot of punters were there simply for a weekend of freedom, and the music was more of a pleasant side-show to the drinking and dancing. More relaxed Latitude-loving festivalgoers may find RockNess somewhat intense, but for a weekend of raving and madness, this was a great festival. ANDY SMITH MUSIC EDITOR

Katy B at Beach Break Live

Beach Break Live Pembrokeshire

THIS year’s Beach Break Live was definitely a weekend to whip out the oh-so-sexy rain poncho. However, despite the unpredictable rain it proved to be an epic three days of music and mess for the student community.

“The downpours did not deter the eager student crowd” The Beach Break site itself is magical, you arrive with the excitement of a small child, the only difference being when hitting up the Beach Break fair ground on the first night you’ve probably already consumed a litre of Strongbow. Headliner Tinie Tempah kicked things off on the main stage on the Friday night, delivering his chart hits and plenty of flashing lights but not a lot else. Things didn’t look too great either, given the constant downpours the following day, although this did not deter the eager student crowd and people were flocking to catch the act everyone was excited for, the ginger acoustic sensation, Ed Sheeran. He delivered a brilliant set, both engaging and skilful, which captured the audience’s hearts (as cringe-worthy as that sounds). Beach Break veteran Example returned for a massive crowd pleasing performance throwing

out chart-topping hit after hit. Professor Green, however, gave a disappointingly average performance closing the main stage on the Friday night. The best was definitely saved ‘til last as Sunday not only brought the miraculous oncoming of a heat wave, but it also delivered a strong line up of main stage artists throughout the day. This featured the brilliant Jamie Woon who performed from his fantastic debut album, and an amazing set from Newton Faulkner who had the crowd singing along to each of his songs. Combined with the sunshine finally drying everyone out, it lifted the day with fantastic summer energy. Katy B delivered her songs with an impressive gusto, which provided the perfect build up to the explosive set delivered by Magnetic Man. However, it wasn’t all about the main stage - the dance tent also saw a lot of action, the highlight seeming to be the incredible DJ set offered by Zane Lowe. Nero was the biggest disappointment, playing relatively unknown tracks and none of his own material, seeming more like a DJ set than a live performance, but Sub Focus really lifted the bar with an outstanding set. All in all, Beach Break Live proved to be a great festival, and being mainly attended by students, it had a great atmosphere. AMY WELLER MUSIC EDITOR

Music

End of the Road Dorset

THIS year’s End of the Road festival continued its tradition of being a small and intimate event that can punch above its weight, though its rising popularity proved to be a double-edged sword. Situated in the beautiful Larmer Tree Gardens in North Dorset, where peacocks and macaws wander the grounds, the crowd increased from five thousand to eight thousand this year, leading to grumbles amongst festival regulars that EOTR had lost what it prides itself on; community, intimacy and uniqueness. However, the bigger crowd meant bigger headliners on a bigger stage, and arguably the biggest treat was the inspirational Beirut on the Friday. Their unique mix of indie-folk and world music fitted perfectly with the balmy evening, the warmth of the brass and ukulele proving to be an uplifting experience as the crowd sang along with the

10 october 2011

triumphant ‘Postcards from Italy’. Other highlights included a serene set from Laura Marling, whose live performances have seen her grow from a timid solo artist to a confident and charismatic musician with a talented band behind her. So enraptured were the crowd, no one spoke during or in between songs - they just applauded and waited patiently. Marling treated the respectful crowd to songs from her forthcoming album, the finest of which being ‘Salinas’.

“So enraptured were the crowd, no one spoke in between songs”

The ethereal Wild Beasts cemented their reputation as one of the best British bands to emerge in recent years with a powerful set, and the festival ended on a high with harpist Joanna Newsom playing her only show in the last two years to an adoring, if slightly cold and

soggy, crowd. Performers are just as faithful to EOTR as the fans, and regular favourites Allo Darlin’, Brakes and Phosphorescent returned to large audiences, whilst American acts Willy Mason, Best Coast and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah had their travels justified by grateful cheers. However, the magic of EOTR rests in its attention to detail. The woodlands were turned into an artistic wonderland, with sculptures, fairy lights and origami adorning the trees. A piano bar further down the trail led to many impromptu secret sets, the best of which came from indie giants Okkervil River, who also headlined the Garden Stage on the Saturday with a set full of energy. This provided a welcome change to the otherwise folk-heavy day. In the evenings, crowds flocked to the woodland disco, sat around the communal campfire, played music for one another, and drank hot spicy cider from the Somerset Cider Bus until the early hours. A truly unique experience. BEN WINSOR

Reading Festival Reading

READING Festival (or Leeds, if that is more up your street) has been the highlight of every teenager’s summer for over 40 years now. The festival takes pride in the fact that their weekend tickets sell out within a few hours of going on sale; people sit at their computers refreshing their browser every second until they can get a peek at the line-up and their hands on a golden ticket. However, sales this year were very slow – probably due to the disappointing line-up. The headliners were a strange choice for such an established festival. With My Chemical Romance, The Strokes and Muse headlining, it seemed that the organisers simply wanted to appeal to as many different people as possible. The result left many weekenders feeling ripped off as one of the days was bound to be disappointing. I actually felt too old to be at the festival which was full of drunk teenagers having mud fights in their favourite band

Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Beirut and Guests Hyde Park, London

MANY superlatives have been thrown around by reviewers of Arcade Fire’s epic stadium and festival tour of the past 12 months, but on my third time of seeing them, I’ve decided to settle on the adjective ‘euphoric’ to best describe the experience. The band, headed by the charismatic Win Butler, demonstrates the same child-like happiness with every performance, and this enjoyment leaps into the crowd who respond in kind. In a world full of cynics debating the future of music, Arcade Fire stand out as an example of what music should be about, joy. Despite a changed setlist, with the anthemic crowd-pleaser ‘Wake Up’ being unleashed early, and the live debut of their recently-released song ‘Speaking In Tongues’, the performance was as

impressive as ever. Even the generic festival-esque feel of the Hyde Park arena and a slightly subdued crowd couldn’t detract from an audio-visual experience of the highest quality.

“The band demonstrates childlike happiness, and this enjoyment leaps into the crowd, who respond in kind”

Enormous screens showed clips of Spike Jonze’s ‘Scenes from the Suburbs’, a collaborative film created for Arcade Fire’s album The Suburbs. They fitted perfectly with the forceful yearning of ‘We Used to Wait’, which rose and peaked with the frenzied pace of ‘Power Out’. Fan favourites ‘Keep the Car Running’ and ‘Tunnels’ were kept for the encore, and the sunny evening in London ended on the Blondie-esque

‘Sprawl II’, with Régine Chassagne enhancing her lush vocals by twirling ribbons about her. However, Arcade Fire were merely the pinnacle of a day that exhibited some of the best music around. Mumford & Sons, perhaps tired of touring their only album for so long, treated Hyde Park to a host of new songs, all of which sound promising. The Vaccines got the crowd going with interesting and energetic songs. Crowd favourite ‘Wreckin’ Bar’ awakened a crowd dampened by early rain and a subdued opening from Owen Pallett. However, the talented Beirut proved to be the best support. Zach Condon’s musical project provided the brass, romance, and the voice to fill Hyde Park in the evening sun, with their unique brand of world-indie-folk captivating the audience. Condon also took the opportunity to play new material, with the jumpy ‘East Harlem’ being the highlight. BEN WINSOR

Exeposé

Laura Marling on The Woods Stage at End of the Road

tees. In my opinion, day one was too ‘emo’, day two was too ‘indie’ and day three was a haphazard mixture of bands which just didn’t fit together – Elbow supporting Muse? No. The strange lineup certainly divided the festival-goers, with some questioning: “WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO READING?”, whilst the other “uniquely rebellious” teenagers enjoyed their first taste of freedom in a rather tame mosh pit.

“So much effort was put into this finale, I had never seen such a great performance from any band before” I wish I had spent more time at the other stages instead of watching mediocre bands on the main stage. The dance tent on Friday was full of big name acts such as Simian Mobile Disco and the NME stage was headlined by Beady Eye which, although not to my liking, was a

big selling point of music aficionados. I caught the talented Tim Minchin on the Alternative stage and, as always, he was hilarious from start to finish. The highlight of my weekend, however, was seeing Muse headline. I was never much of a fan of the band but their set was absolutely phenomenal, putting any previous doubts to the back of my mind. So much effort was put into the finale - I have never seen such a great performance from a band before. They also played Origins of Symmetry, their second full-length album, and widely considered their breakthrough release, from start to finish, which excited Muse fans all over the festival. Perhaps my opinion on Reading Festival may not match up with everyone else’s. I think given the right person and the right time this line-up would be amazing. However, I think I have to accept that, at the age of 20, my Reading days are officially over. JESS LEUNG VIDEOGAMES EDITOR

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10 october 2011 Exeposé

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Tori Brazier & Luke Graham - screen@exepose.com

NEWSREEL

OMG YOUSE GUYS!! Blake Lively and Leonardo DiCaprio have broken up and are, like, back on the market! Yeah... I didn’t even know they were an item. Slow news week, I’m afraid. Or is it?! Arrested Development (American sitcom, go watch it... watch it NOW!) has officially been given the greenlight for a movie and a new TV series. Fans, rejoice! In Movieland this week, the first trailer for My Week With Marilyn, starring what appears to be the majority of the British acting establishment, and based on a true story, has recently been released. Kenneth Brannagh is cast as Laurence Olivier and showcases some of the best ‘mouth acting’ of recent times. Also, in joyous casting news, Johnny Depp is in talks to play one of the pillars of modern American literatureit’s only Dr. Seuss! Depp has already agreed to co-produce the eventual biopic. Finally, wish us luck as we head to the 55th BFI London Film Festival to bring you all of the latest news!

COMPETITION

HERE is our first brand spanking, fancy new Screen competition! We have ONE PAIR of FREE Picturehouse tickets to give away to a lucky Screen reader. All you have to do is send us an email with the subject: I LIKE SCREEN!! It’s that easy, and (insider secret) no one ever emails us... They don’t believe we have free tickets to give away, but we do - honest!

Screen’s roving reporters scrutinize new-fangled film frontiers Sarah Yeoman enjoys Live-Stream sophstication

LIVE streaming productions allow theatres to expand their audience globally; fans of theatre, cinema and online viewers can all share in the experience. A livestreamed production in New York even reached 50,000 viewers. When watching Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein live-streamed at the Exeter Picturehouse, I was expecting to see a video camera on a tripod at the back of the theatre and a rather fuzzy and static attempt of a live stream, but how I was wrong... The use of cinematography was incredible: cameras were used from different parts of the theatre, offering a range of angles and perspectives, and resulting in an even more in-depth experience than the theatre audience were getting! Not only did we get close-ups

and birds-eye-view perspectives of the action but a 360˚ experience. The live camera editing was done to perfection, with smooth cuts between the various camera shots. There were a few technical hitches along the way, the sound cut out for a few seconds and went a tad fuzzy at times, but overall the sound and picture quality were both of film standard. The live stream concept ticks all the boxes for me. We could argue that theatre has become mediated by a technologically controlled society, but instead I would say a new art form has been created; by combining theatre and film experiences, new dimension has been brought to the cinema. I recommend it to everyone!

Tom Payne, Books Editor, asks whether 4D is golden or gimmicky?

CAN 4D cinema succeed where 3D failed? Probably not, said a pained minority of nauseous and deafened patrons after viewing a 4D version of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. But it’s not all bad news. 4D cinema, which combines 3D film with physical effects in the theatre, has enjoyed a steady amount of praise in South Korea, where it is currently being trialled. In many ways it’s a response to suggestions that the 3D revolution is already coming to an end. After all, when Avatar was released in 2009, almost 80 per cent of moviegoers chose to watch it in three dimensions; in 2011, only 38 per cent of audiences who watched Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides bought tickets for 3D cinemas. And where there are discussions over the viability of 3D, near-apocalyptic reports of eye strain, dizziness or head-

aches are never far behind. The company behind the 4D insurgency, CJ 4DPlex, have plans to build American’s first 4D cinema in New York - a significant step forward then, but one that probably won’t hold firm in the court of public opinion. Although it’s sometimes cool to expect bursts of air shooting past your ear when arrows start flying, or to have your seat rock in the wake of an explosion, it can also be tremendously annoying, gimmicky, and of course, not nearly as immersive as its developers would have you believe.

Tori Brazier, Screen Editor, goes to the Drivein!

WATCHING a film at an American drive-in theatre has been an ambition of mine ever since I fell in love with 50s nostalgia, many moons ago... not that I can actually drive yet, so as to ‘drivein’, but this is a mere detail. I did settle for a compromise though, and go to a restaurant set-up as a drive-in movie theatre, complete with roller-skating waitresses, shiny openroofed “cars” to sit in, and enough burgers and shakes to drown a whale. This was to be my taster, so I could see whether I would be

Chris Davies likes it outdoors...

I HAD an incredible and unique cinema experience this summer. It was a (rare) perfect August day when I attended an outdoor screening of the Steven Spielberg classic E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial in the picturesque setting of Exeter’s Northernhay Gardens. The immense screen was beautifully framed by an old tree, and the audience were treated to a full

Films to see before you graduate: Beetlejuice (1988)

Director: Tim Burton Cast: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton (15) 92mins

TIM BURTON and Michael Keaton’s most enduring Hallowe’en costume, Beetlejuice, is a true cult icon despite less than 20 minutes’ screentime. His second film, the first to use his now-ubiquitous Gorey stylings, was a modest success at the time and still enjoys a great deal of popularity through its sheer wacko originality. The quirky story begins with a model village terrorised by a spider, rolls past the terrifyingly threatening ‘Saturn Sandworm’, and ends leaving us halfway between life and death as the victims of a plane

crash dance on the stairs to Harry Belafonte. The film is a feast of wild stylings and grim visual gags – particularly in the oddly colourful ‘Afterlife’ scenes.

“I’m the ghost with the most, babe”

The plot, Skellington-thin but held together by outrageous bursts of imagination, is neat and pitch-black: newlyweds Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis are killed in a car accident, only to find themselves in limbo and forced to terrorise the yuppies that have moved into their dream house. The unfortunate lovebirds then accidentally recruit the freelance exorcism ‘expert’ Beetlejuice (Keaton), who specialises in dark pranks – all with his own agenda.

It is when Beetlejuice (astronomers no doubt seethe at the spelling) finally appears in the film, bursting out of a miniature grave and kiss-raping Davis, that things really get going. Davis and Baldwin are game, but they’re too boring. It is the supporting cast who best occupy Burton’s unrestrained vision: Winona Ryder as the wannabe ‘doomed’ Goth kid; Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Jones in excellent comic turns as her grotesque, Dahl-esque parents; Sylvia Sidney as the chain-smoking underworld ‘case-worker’ (here, suicide cases are doomed to afterlives as civil servants); and of course Keaton in the title role. Keaton here is the true embodiment of some unholy character-scenery combination. Made up unrecognisably,

wearing increasingly over-designed costumes, Keaton springs straight from a Burton illustration, more pencil scribble than man. He ad-libs many of the movie’s best lines, and provides a unique anarchic presence- mimicked, but not bettered, by Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter. Think about it: there is a reason the film is named for the endearing letch, despite his supporting status. This film is a worthy cult classic for its background details: its wild supporting characters and art direction, both embodied in the rotting corpse of the title. Just ignore all advice to the contrary, say his name three times, and let Beetlejuice into your life…

CALUM BAKER

hungry for more. The huge screen at the ‘Sci-Fi Diner’, which all the cars were set up to face, played a 45 minute loop of vintage shorts, cartoons and genuine B-movie adverts for such classics as Cat-Women of the Moon and The Amazing Colossal Man! The idea was to settle in your car, order food, and then sit back and soak up all the Sci-Fi. Eating such ‘traditional’ American fare at the diner certainly did enhance the overall experience as I became completely hooked on the concept. The sound was at just the right level so as to not be deafening (as a tinnitus sufferer, I was relieved) but loud enough so that no dialogue was lost- by no means an easy balancing feat nowadays, it would seem. There were even old-school advert breaks to order food (including my favourite dancing hotdog one, featured in Grease). It is true that drive-in movies are not the most social of encounters, but for anyone interested in amping up their cinematic experience, it’s a cracking one! moon – just like the movie’s iconic image – when the film began around 9pm. The atmosphere was electric and the huge crowd were completely absorbed by the film, cheering when Elliot and ET rode silhouetted across the moon and erupting into applause at the climax. Everything seemed to come together for the screening. Although cool, the weather remained dry until the moment ET ‘died’ when it began to spit with rain, but, in an incredible display of pathetic fallacy, the rain stopped when ET came back to life. Finally, in the closing moments when the spaceship flew offscreen into the night a lonely aeroplane or helicopter could be seen in the distance over Exeter, lights flashing in the sable sky as if the ship and the events of the film were really taking place before us. It was a magical evening!

Exeposé week two

Drive

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman (18) 100mins

Drive is the brand new film from Nicolas Winding Refn, director of Bronson and the Dutch Pusher Trilogy, and stars man of the moment, Mr. Ryan Gosling. It tells the tale of a man with no name who is a mechanic and car-based stunt man by day, and a getaway driver for local, small-time villains by night. Although an unlikely hard man, Gosling plays the Driver with finesse, radiating an effortless level of cool the likes of which have not been seen since James Dean and Steve McQueen, at the same times as bringing a brooding, silent menace to the role. He’s a joy to watch. Gosling is supported by an incred-

Jane Eyre

Director: Cary Fukunaga Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell (PG) 120mins THERE have been many adaptations of Charlotte Brönte’s novel Jane Eyre, and Cary Fukunaga’s new version appears to be one of the best. The nuances and extensive layering of the triple-decker novel however, remain, as with previous efforts, lost in translation. It begins in medias res, where the eponymous Jane Eyre has run away from her occupation as a governess at Mr. Rochester’s estate of Thornfield. Jane arrives isolated, broken and lost at the home of rural priest St. John Rivers.

ible cast that really does make the film. The wonderful Carey Mulligan is perfect as the quintessential girl-next-door Irene, Bryan Cranston brings a tragic edge to the Driver’s mentor Shannon, and an almost bombastically pantomime performance from Ron Perlman as a local gangster helps to make the audience both laugh and be terrified at a moment’s notice. Interestingly, most of this cast seem to have cut their teeth in television: Cranston in Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle, Christina Hendricks in Mad Men, Perlman in Sons of Anarchy (although he did lead both of del Toro’s Hellboy films) and Albert Brooks, who most will know for lending his voice many times to The Simpsons. All of their contributions to the piece are excellent, their transition from the small to silver screen utterly deserved.

His family and the audience then simultaneously learn more about this mysterious figure through flash backs. As Jane begins to recover physically, she reflects on her unhappy childhood with her coldhearted aunt and her mistreatment at Lowood School. Jane finally finds comfort in her new job and companionship with her master, Mr. Rochester, until everything spirals out of control when secrets are revealed. Mia Wasikowska portrays Jane as the same strong willed and opinionated character present in the novel, whose sharp remarks and challenging nature capture both the respect and love of Rochester, allowing them to be unconventional equals. Michael Fassbender plays an enigmatic Mr. Rochester, who is both volatile and vulnerable in equal

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Director: Tomas Alfredson Cast: Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Tom Hardy (15) 127mins

HAVING been barraged with the superslick trailer of the latest British thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on every cinema visit for the past year, it would be an understatement to say that I was very excited about finally watching the film. If there was an award for best trailer, this one would win the contest hands down. It presents TTSS as a truly epic tale of espionage; the cuts are fast and the dialogue they have chosen is highly charged and sinister. What the trailer excludes, however, is what makes TTSS an even better film than it at first appears. The main appeal of the film for me, in the actual watching of it, was the treacleslow movement of information, and the suspicions prevalent in the British Secret Service. It is a difficult film to take in all at once; the man next to me fell asleep a third of the way through, and as I left the film I heard one disgruntled student

complaining: “Who was the mole anyway?” This confusion is vital, however, as in watching the film you are denied the smug secure position of mere spectator. The audience is submerged amongst the secrets that fuel the spy-seeker plot.

“TTSS is a truly epic tale of espionage” The film is a brilliant encapsulation of its Cold War setting; the rain on London streets, and the beige of a 70s trench-coated civil servant. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is undoubtedly slow moving, but made all the better for it. It’s difficult to explain, but the elements that would appear boring in a 60 second trailer make TTSS a brilliant watch.

ZOE BULAITIS ARTS EDITOR

Special mention must go to the approach Refn brings to Drive. Although there are clear parallels with Bronson (the shocking outbursts of graphic violence for one) it’s clear that Refn, with his Hollywood debut, has graduated to the big leagues.

“Gosling radiates an effortless level of cool”

The film includes nods to Scarface - notably in the film’s distinctly 80s feel, with its synthesized soundtrack and neon fonts. Fans of television series Only Fools and Horses might be interested to see that Drive has used the exact same font as them in all of its promotion, as well as the opening credits. Drive might be the best film I have seen in what has been an impressive summer of film. It’s suspenseful, beautiful, tragic and brilliant - a must see. Action arthouse at its finest.

CHRISTOPHER PRESTON

measure. Jane and Rochester’s love is central to the plot, and Wasikowska and Fassbender mesmerise in their finding of a most profound love. The leads are also supported by a stellar cast, including Dame Judi Dench as the naïve and prudish housekeeper Mrs Fairfax. The film is well crafted and well acted, with most of the scenes and text executed with great fidelity to the novel. The Gothic elements and sub-plot of the supposedly ‘haunted’ house are sidelined by the couple’s romance, making the atmosphere less eerie than in the book. Despite this, Fukunaga has created a beautiful piece of artistry which is engaging, believable and intelligent.

What I’ve been watching: Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace GARTH Marenghi’s Darkplace is a classic example of the noughties’ obsession with vintage taken to a whole new postmodern level. Despite being broadcast as a spoof horror series in 2004, viewers sometimes genuinely believed they had uncovered an 80s classic. The show revolves around pretentious horror writer Garth Marenghi (Matthew Holness) and his dim-witted publisher Dean Learner (Richard Ayoade) who introduce episodes of the ‘official’ show, Darkplace: a low-budget hospital horror thriller from the 80s, typically featuring enormous hair, low quality special effects and off-hand misogyny. Marenghi is the writer, director, producer and lead character (Rick Dagless M.D.) in his own show, and each episode features interviews with the self-proclaimed ‘genius’ and the impossibly dense Learner. In the first episode, Dagless accidentally opens a gate to hell and spends the next five episodes fighting the dark forces surrounding the hospital. Evil takes odd forms in Darkplace hospital, from infected broccoli and giant malicious eyeballs, to Neanderthal apes and irate, ghostly, bagpipe-playing Scotsmen. Dagless acts like a superhero, wielding his Magnum revolver, and is accompanied in his mission by Thornton

Screen

Reed, the expressionless and emotionless hospital administrator, Dr Lucien Sanchez, the deep-voiced charmer with a tendency to lose lip-sync, and Dr Liz Asher, the helpless damsel with a blonde bouffant and psychic powers. The series also features a few stars before they were famous, such as Stephen Merchant as an irritable chef and the Mighty Boosh duo as a deluded hospital chaplain and a gigantic marauding ape on a bicycle. It takes true talent to create a show as genuinely appalling as Darkplace, and the comedy comes from the ridiculous plotlines, spectacular melodrama and painfully bad special effects. Rest assured that the infant-schoolnativity-play level acting, occasional sight of a cameraman in a mirror, random shots of potted plants or bookcases during conversations, strings clearly visible on flying objects, and the sight of the selfimportant Dagless being chased along a corridor, in slow motion, by a possessed filing cabinet are all part of the intended experience. Believe me, nobody could create anything this fantastically dreadful by accident.

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace is available online and on DVD.

HELEN CARRINGTON

ELLIE BUSBY, EDITOR

Life In A Day: YouTube’s finest hour?

Charlie Marchant examines the YouTubegenerated global documentary

LIFE In A Day is Kevin MacDonald’s patchwork-documentary of the world we live in through the eyes of the people living in it. MacDonald – teamed up with Ridley Scott – constructed a film of montages out of videos uploaded to Yo u T u b e from people across the world of whatever they

were doing on one particular day chosen at random: 24 July 2010. Over 80,000 videos (4,500 hours of footage) rolled in from 192 countries as people answered MacDonald’s three questions: “What do you love? What do you fear? What’s in your pocket?” The footage spanned the cycle of life itself: birth, death, childhood, adulthood, learning to shave, marriage, poverty, slaughter, laughter. The building blocks of the film came from a Slovakian film-maker documenting a Korean cyclist who had been cycling for seven years across 190 countries. Approximately 20 per cent of the film came from 400 cameras MacDonald sent out to Africa and Latin America in an attempt to include not just the technologically savvy Westernised world. Though the clips spanned a chasm of different cultures and content, MacDonald said, “The single most common image was people filming their own feet while walking. The second most common image was watermelons. July 24 was obviously peak watermelon season almost everywhere in the world.”

Life in a Day has been criticised for being over-ambitious and visually patchy, but I have to say, it’s difficult to think of a film that has made me feel so many different, varied emotions within such a short space of time. The scale tips from flinching at slaughterhouse scenes, crying at an autistic boy tied up in an Egyptian graveyard, hearty laughter at the man filming his son learning to shave, sickening shock at the German Love Parade and confusion over just what that snail is trailing its slime all over… No CGI, no fake narrative, no obstructive editing; this is a film reliant on slick editing and a repetitive drumbeat style soundtrack that mimics the rhythm of life. Like all good documentaries, it dictates a final reality check. For those of us who have our Blackberries glued to our hands and are devastated that Tesco is sold out of the jam we wanted: across the world real things are happening to real people, we are just a tiny microcosm of a far bigger, disorientating macrocosm.

10 october 2011

Books

Exeposé

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Esmeralda Castrillo & Tom Payne - books@exepose.com

Your Books Editors run through their favourite books-turnedcinematic triumphs 1) Silence of the Lambs

Thomas Harris’ 1988 thriller novel is turned into a masterful work of cinema. The result is a suspenseful and sharply witty thriller that in many ways betters the original novel.

2) No Country For Old Men Stalwart cult writer-directors Joel and Ethan Coen follow Cormac MacCarthy’s 2005 novel almost to the letter. An invariably unsettling cinematic experience.

3) Trainspotting

Irvine Welsh’s 1993 book breathed new life into contemporary fiction, just as the film gave British cinema renewed vigour.

4) The Shining

Stephen King’s 1977 horror novel is made timeless by Stanley Kubrick’s iconic adaptation (released 1980).

5) The 39 Steps

A “sexed-up” early triumph from Alfred Hitchcock, released in 1935. A classic, yet tense adaptation of John Buchan’s novel from 1915.

Shots in the dark: turning books into film

Nicolas Cage stars in Adaptation (2002), a film written by Charlie Kaufman about the difficulty of adapting books to films

feATUREs

Adaptations might seem cheapening and frustrating, but for Franscesca Morosini it’s all good art

IF Charlie Kaufman’s film Adaptation (2002) is anything to go by, adapting written works into filmed pieces isn’t as easy as the cinemagoing public like to assume it is.

“Adaptations exist to bring change, new ideas and twists and we just have to accept that ” There is often a lot of hostility, as well as excitement, towards films based on books, especially from fans of the original texts. People do not want to see their favourite story altered and can feel it belittles the book. But there’s no need to get so possessive over a story; the poor screenwriter cannot please everyone. I know it’s annoying when an actor you hate is cast as a character you

love, or the clever subtleties you admire disappear completely, but changes and compromises have to be made. The book cannot just be repeated verbatim; that’s what audiobooks are for.

“The book cannot just be repeated verbatim; that’s what audiobooks are for” I know I’m as bad as anyone else; the trailer for Woman in Black has already made me angry. Why is Harry Potter running around a deserted house? And why does it look like a horror when Susan Hill felt so strongly that her story was not a horror? But it’s simply because what works in a novel and on stage does not necessarily work on the big screen. It would be pointless to attempt it – you do not want to just repeat what has already been done. Adaptations exist to bring change, new ideas and twists, and we will just have to accept that sometimes these will be seen as pointless, cheapening and annoying. But it probably was the best way to do it. Well, usually. Not in the fifth Harry Potter film though. That one could have easily been better.

Luke Graham, Screen Editor, explores the risky business of bookto-film adaptations

OVER the past few decades, we have seen more and more adaptations of novels into films and television shows. Often, Hollywood and television networks have been criticised for this trend and been accused of running out of original ideas. This is partly true; creating films and TV shows have become more expensive. Rather than risk money on untested ideas, producers turn towards licenses which have already proven financially successful, with a large audience ready to give the project their support. And this is not necessarily a bad thing. A recent example of this process has been HBO’s Game of Thrones, based on the

first book of The Song of Ice and Fire, a fantasy epic by George R. R. Martin, first published in 1996. This is a classic example of the symbiotic relationship between literature and adaptations. When you experience and enjoy one you are drawn to the other, in order to compare the two experiences and spend more time with these characters, stories and situations. You can tell this relationship exists because the industry is practically gambling on it; fans of the book will want to see these characters brought to life, while sales of the novel a film is based on often skyrocket. Another great thing about this relationship is that it makes up for the shortcomings of one or the other. In Game of T h ro n e s , there are dramati-

cally satisfying moments, but lacklustre moments in the book. And while the story in Game of Thrones is enthralling, some of the writing is terrible! For instance, Catelyn Stark describes her postcoital feelings as “a good ache.” Bleugh.

“Rather than risk money, producers turn towards successful licenses” People are quick to compare the book and the adaptation, either favourably or negatively. But this should not be the case. There are huge differences between the two mediums; books can offer stories with a much grander scale, which Hollywood has only recently been able to present (why do you think it took roughly fifty years before The Lord of the Rings got a proper film adaptation?) My final point is that, despite the symbiotic relationship, both the book and the adaptation are separate entities, and must be considered as works of art in their own right. If you’ve read a book or watched the adaptation, do not be concerned by trivial things such as continuity, one should simply be enriched by the experience. After all, “Winter is Coming…”

Exeposé week two

FeATURE

Kate Gray tells us what to expect from Pottermore... THIS summer saw the release of the Beta version of the much-anticipated Pottermore to a select group of one million fans. The nice thing about it was

that the majority didn’t see themselves as Beta Testers, but merely lucky fans getting a sneak-

FeATURE

Libraries aren’t a luxury, they’re essential, says Amy Deakin

THINK of libraries and to most an image of a bespectacled shushing woman comes to mind. Libraries are places of silence, of students scribbling and old ladies reading family sagas. But that image is dead. Libraries are changing. After recent rapid leaps in technology, most libraries have transformed themselves with the times. The service has expanded from simply books to free internet, computerised systems, e-Books, electronic self service, cafés and comfortable surroundings to coincide with changes in the public’s habits and expectations. Libraries are allowed to be a little noisy. But despite these changes, libraries have a new nemesis: Economics. The UK is in a time of austerity and cuts. In the midst of all the noise about

peek. The disappointing thing was that, because they didn’t see themselves as Beta Testers, they were faced with a buggy, un-perfected and cut-down version of what they were expecting. However, the potential remains massive, never before has a book been put online in such a different way, on such a huge scale. Each chapter of the book is summarised with a painted picture with added depth once you click around a bit – fairly hard to describe really – and certain parts of the picture are interactive. For example, the Famous Witches and Wizards cards you can collect, or the Potions mini-game that, if not fixed to be a little less than brain-mushingly difficult, will cause a number of frustrated laptop punches from at least a few members of the community.

Still, the fact is that here is a book that has reached such a wide audience whose author has thought to take steps outside the literary comfort zone, and has started to re-popularize reading rather than sitting around bemoaning the tempora et mores of failing newspapers and vampire pulp fiction. No, says Ms Rowling, I will not sit back and let reading die out – I will appeal to the digital generation. Why didn’t anyone ever think of that? Good on you, JK.

cuts to public sector pensions, social services, health care and child benefit, libraries seem a little unimportant; why worry about borrowing books when hospitals are under threat? Having a library might be ‘a nice thing’, but when times are hard, well, it’s got to go. But the library isn’t a luxury. It is essential. Few would argue that schools ought to be cut. Education is integral to children’s and adult’s development alike. Without it, our society would suffer. But many fail to realise that the library is part of this education, this cultural and intellectual enrichment provided by books. For students and the general public alike, libraries are a vital study tool, providing a way of discovering books you would never have thought of searching for on Amazon. According to the campaign group Voices For The Library, 10 per cent of libraries are at risk of closure. That may seem small, but consider the consequences. For example, elderly people, a group that benefits immensely from libraries, of-

ten find it more difficult to travel the extra distance if their local branch closes. What is an inconvenience for some library users is an impossibility for those with limited mobility. Never underestimate this fact. Libraries are in fact one of the few social activities, particularly for families, that cost nothing. Shopping, the cinema, meals out, day trips – these have to be paid for. But the library is available to all. Which makes the proposed cuts even more of a tragedy. For if 10 per cent of libraries go, and no one says anything, people will assume libraries are redundant, irrelevant. One by one, libraries will begin to shut down, or become ‘integrated’ with other services, like leisure centres, meaning that the community element becomes swallowed up. Bookworms of the country – this is your calling. Even to those who haven’t visited a public library since primary school. Forget Amazon. Head to your local library, and get browsing. Future generations will thank you for it.

“Never has a book been put online in such a different way, on such a huge scale ” While there are, admittedly, a fair few bugs - one of the main minigames, the wizard duel, has been down for maintenance pretty much since the launch, and every now and again the site fails to cope with all the traffic and shuts itself down for a while - and it’s not used to its full capacity (some-

thing anyone could see from reading the grumpy yet justified comments left on the site from everyone so far.)

“Fans got a buggy and un-perfected version of what they were expecting” I remain hopeful that the beta testers’ gripes and moans will be used wisely, since that’s really what beta testing is for, but the only official input doesn’t allow for individual suggestions for improvement as much as a ‘Rate how fantastically fantastical this is on a scale of 1 to 5!’. The internet is driven by what the people want, and this is no time to stop listening to the masses. The experience could do with a lot of polishing and extending, so that it lasts more than an hour, which is what most users have found so far, and also by becoming far more interactive. The point of this entire ‘online reading experience’ is that it should be different

ReviEW

Ragnarok: The End of the Gods A.S. Byatt

Canongate Books Ltd. ISBN: 1847670644

MANY will turn their nose up at a retelling of the most famous Norse myth of Ragnarok, yet Byatt’s almost poetic prose transforms the heavy source material into a pleasantly accessible read. ‘The thin child’ discovers a hefty, bound book after being evacuated to a country town. A ruthless and destructive world is contained within its covers; the content is particularly relevant to the thin child who is living through a time where a once seemingly peaceful world is dissolving into one of suffering and hatred. Parallels are constantly drawn between the gods’ apparent apathy towards their unavoidable demise

Books

than the books, and perhaps more than books could be. We have the technology to make this a fantastic and novel way to read books (pun intended) and to waste such an opportunity, especially on such an immersive book series, would be a real shame. Here’s hoping this is a pioneering magical movement rather than a damp Squib.

bookmark

Pottermore is currently only available to those who are part of the Beta. There are now one million people with access to Pottermore and everyone who registered through The Magical Quill challenge can access the site. From the end of October, registration will be open to everyone and access will be given to registered users in phases. The site managers intend to add a number of other features, including the Pottermore Shop in early 2012. and the thin child’s perceived fate of her Britain. Perhaps the novel’s flaw is that Byatt herself is too attached to the source material; the myth is stretched to encompass associations with deforestation, sometimes denying the reader an opportunity to apply the timeless myth to their personal experiences. In Byatt’s afterword, the personal meaning of the myth is taken out of the reader’s hands as she deconstructs the importance and purpose of myths in the present day. Whilst Byatt bypasses any ambiguity as to the purpose of this retelling, it is a delight to get lost in the world she has recreated. Her prose is like biting into a slightly over ripe apple; succulently sweet passages describing the beauty of the gods’ world co-exist with the harsh acidity of their horrific actions. The novel is beautifully written and seems timelessly pertinent, even if twisted to fit the author’s personal motives. CAMERON MILNE

Epilogue . . . reviews of essential literary classics Our Man in Havana

Graham Greene Vintage Classics ISBN: 0099286084

I’VE picked a somewhat leftfield choice from Greene’s substantial canon. Unlike the complex religious overtones of Brighton Rock or the personal politics of The Quiet American, this book – one of Greene’s so-called ‘Entertainments’ – does not enjoy so much exposure and success. Time to rectify this. More absurd and overtly satirical than Greene’s ‘serious’ works, Our Man concerns an expat vacuum cleaner salesman, Wormold, who finds

himself recruited for British Secret Service and – confronted with a large commission for information on events that just aren’t happening – invents an increasingly complex web of stories to placate his London superiors.

“Our Man in Havana doesn’t enjoy as much exposure and success as Greene’s other works” The novel, blackly comedic throughout, unfolds with an effortless lightness and an almost frenzied tone that perhaps contributes to its reputation. It just proves, however, what a fantastic writer Greene was, even in those works he viewed as less than masterful. This populist, rather cinematic slice of intrigue is, however, no

less satisfying than the more cerebral of Greene’s novels which worm their way onto English syllabi all over the world.

“The novel, blackly comedic throughout, unfolds with an effortless lightness”

Quiet American-esque scenes are weaved throughout as Wormold spars with the sadistic local Police Captain Segura, who suspects our weary antihero at the same time as he wants to marry his daughter. Greene’s everwell travelled documentation of Havana lends the tenser scenes a sense of sweaty realism, supporting his ear for almost pulpy dialogue and his knack for wry ironies. All this could create a mere air-

port read, but as Greene introduces the character of Beatrice – sent from London as Wormold’s administrator – things become a fair amount more humanised. The farcical nature of Wormold’s telegrammed correspondences with HQ are offset by a weird burgeoning romance as the lies build up and Wormold’s allegiances are complicated. It is this that leaves the reader – or at least left me – more satisfied by the end. The conclusion to the main plot lends it the air of an effortlessly masterful shaggy dog satire, but with the addition of Beatrice Wormold is given an emotional arc. Admittedly, nowhere near as complex as the relationships – both romantic and platonic – of Greene’s ‘masterworks’ The Quiet American, The Power and the Glory, The End of the Affair and the film The

Third Man – but still sweet enough to make Our Man’s enjoyable genre exercise just about the supreme example of Greene’s ‘Entertainments.’

“The conclusion lends it the air of an effortlessly masterful shaggy dog satire”

Ultimately, when an author groups his works into something akin to ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ books (cf. Iain Banks), it is tempting to agree offhand and assume the ‘Bad’ novels - in Greene’s term, ‘Entertainments’ – are just pulpy money-spinning knockoffs. But when Greene suffuses his thriller with some of his best comedy and drama, you know what you really have is an ironic classic. CALUM BAKER

Arts

10 october 2011 Exeposé

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Zoe Bulaitis & Laura Stevens - arts@exepose.com

interview

James Corden: Lad on Tour? Laura Stevens, Arts Editor, catches the comical whirlwind of James Corden behind the scenes at the National Theatre

I WAS going to meet Smithy. The man that has featured on the World Cup, the BRITS, Comic Relief and much more in his unstoppable domination of televi-

sion. Yet, the James Corden that I encountered was not this brash and loutish character, instead he was an ambitious, quick-witted, young Dad capable of

leading a hit in the National Theatre.

“If the doors weren’t open I would just have to keep knocking” One Man, Two Guvnors combines one liners, ad lib and the hilarity of physical comedy. A completely farcical plot involving Francis (James Corden), an unemployed musician having to work for two masters, Rachel Crabbe (Jemima Rooper), who is disguised as her identical murdered brother and her lover, pretentious and public school boy, Stanley (Daniel Rigby). Confused? Add to that the secrecy that Francis must keep and throw in a pair of distraught lovers and the nonsensical nature of this play becomes clear. The narrative allows for some wonderfully uproarious scenes such as one where Corden has to serve both masters at once, amply aided by Tom Edden who steals the scene as Alfie, the elderly waiter on his first day. Bringing some feminist humour in, Claire Lams as Pauline is given glorious lines as Corden’s potential lover such as: “Men. They’ll do anything to get you into bed: Lie, cheat…buy a bed.” Talking to James Corden after the show and enquiring how this stamina is sustained, he was decisively upbeat: “It’s not any different to anyone else, it’s hard to balance work and life, but I love my job, I can never complain.” This is typical of Corden during the interview; whilst he admits he would

ART ATTACK WE asked students what they thought of Juan Miro’s painting L’Oro Dell’ Azzurro and it certainly got a lot of attention this week! Will Roberts: I think this is Juan step too far. The guy was a L’Oro unto himself. Nick Vines: The contrast between yellow and black is a very powerful comparison, and his use of shapes and imagery are showing a lot of cosmological parallels. Personally I like it, especially how he uses black and yellow combination throughout the image, but then throws you with the

blue/black hole of abyss in the centre. It also looks like it is done on MS Paint.

a ‘pretty spindly stars’ technique. It works, they are bloody pretty.

Alan Hooker: If this is art, then so is the vomit that one may find frequently on the pavement outside Arena.

Hannah Walker, Photographer: I agree with Calum. I like it - it’s just the yellow background that makes you want to put some sunglasses on!

Rebecca Lodder: I’ve always thought of good art as something I could never produce myself, not sure that’s the case with this picture!

“If this is art, then so is vomit on the pavement ”

Jessamy Queree: The blue’s like an agate slice! It’s like an agate slice on a mobile! For what it’s worth, I like it.

Zoe Bulaitis, Arts Editor: This piece is surreal. I like the feel of it though. It’s hard to get blue and yellow that do not clash and the space theme is evident despite the minimal lines and shapes used.

Calum Baker: Never before has an artist spent so much of his career refining

love to be rolling about in his baby son Max’s playpen, it is clear through the repetition of the word “lucky”, how privileged he feels to be where he is. It is this drive and ambition that led him to leave school with only two GCSEs above a C, so determined was he to enter the acting world. For him, there was “no back-up”, as it was “all I had ever wanted to do” ever since his first day of playing the crowd at his sister’s christening. When he was put back down in the audience, looking at the person in front, he recollects thinking: “Well this feels rubbish.”

“For me, there was no back up, it was all I had ever wanted to do” Corden grew up in High Wycombe, a place he describes with “huge affection” as “blissfully ordinary but sometimes painfully ordinary.” Alongside some revelations of his more, ahem, biological explorations of the opposite sex in quiet suburban roads, his breaking moment was landing a role in the National’s The History Boys. When reminiscing about this play, parallels cannot help but be drawn with One Man, Two Guvnors. Both directed by Nick Hytner, both at the National, such was the romantic attachment formed that before even knowing what play it was Corden agreed to act. Apparently Hytner’s response was, “I’ll direct it if you do it.” Coming back to the same place as a solo performer, without the protec-

Juan Miro’s L’Oro Dell Azzurro

tion of an ensemble would have been daunting for some, but Corden appears to relish the chance for individual attention. When watching from the wings as Dominic Cooper held centre stage in The History Boys, Corden realised that things wouldn’t just come to him: “If the doors weren’t open, I would just have to keep knocking.”

“It’s not any different to anyone else’s, it’s hard to balance work and life, but I love my job, I can never complain” This led to a phenomenally successful collaboration with Ruth Jones to produce Gavin and Stacey, where, despite some flops, Corden continued to dominate TV through his persona as Smithy, hosting the BRIT awards and League of their Own. This combination of TV and stage, and a book in publication, is one that Corden terms himself a “ridiculous profession.” But, as long as he is able to keep going, he will. Yet, for the moment it appears that Corden, for once, might be putting this drive, not on the back burner but on a slightly lower heat, as he states: “I currently have never felt more fulfilled personally or professionally and never felt happier.” Don’t miss James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors, touring the UK until 29 October.

Exeposé week Two

THEATRE review

Julian Sands in a Celebration of Harold Pinter @ Northcott Theatre 15 September

IT has been nearly three years since the death of Harold Pinter, and the Northcott Theatre opened its doors to actor Julian Sands for an evening of remembrance and celebration of the renowned playwright, directed by John Malkovich. However, the word ‘playwright’ was largely ignored throughout the evening, as if the dramatic work of Pinter was of such excellence it would be as obvious as discussing the genius of Shakespeare’s work for the stage. Sands in-

stead focused on an aspect of Pinter that comes as a shock to those who do not know the man intimately – Pinter as a poet. For most, Pinter strikes a strong association as a dramatist. Heralded as the most influential modern playwright, his unique colloquial style and indeed his distinctive pauses are unlike anything else on stage. However, Sands was quick to announce, Pinter himself named Samuel Beckett as the greatest playwright of the 20th century, and did not welcome the title of genius. “What I write is what I write,” he once announced in his typically elusive and enigmatic style. Sands therefore chose to take the controversial stance that, even without plays such as Betrayal and The Birthday Party, Pinter would have found literary fame through

the strength of his poetry. The stage was exceptionally minimal with only a table for a book of Pinter’s poetic work, clutched by Sands at all times, and a glass of water. The delivery from Sands was particularly strong; mastering the simple verse, he created poignancy from the unadorned words on the printed page. The audience received it well, with a maintained silence that Pinter would have relished. There is one poem that remains in my mind that epitomises the intensity of the show, and indeed the power of Pinter the poet: “I know the place / It is true / Everything we do / Corrects the space / Between death and me / And you.” ZOE BULAITIS ARTS EDITOR

ART review

Contemporary Open @ Phoenix Gallery 15 September - 2 November

I COULD certainly never claim to be anything of an expert when it comes to art, particularly contemporary art. It seems to be more about the concepts behind the work than simply what you see on a whitewashed wall in front of you. To me, a good piece of contemporary art is one that successfully puts the concepts that the artist assures us they are trying to convey into an understandable visual display. With this thought in mind, I headed to the Exeter Phoenix. My personal favourite was the collection of six paper plates on which Mindy Lee had graphically explored the unflinching horror of the martyrdom of saints. The series portrayed weeping and twisted figures having bones, teeth, breasts, eyes and fingernails extracted. I found the images strangely profound, albeit disturbing. If the purpose of art is to evoke a strong reaction, then Mindy Lee certainly succeeded. As too did Paul Vivian, if that emotion is confusion and scepticism. I was on the verge of picking up the stained polystyrene coffee cup and putting it in the nearest bin, when I suddenly realised

Arts

that it was in fact part of the exhibition. The helpful guide assured me that this was in fact the artist’s intent, and that these “mundane office supplies” were creating “an apparition”, but as the viewer I remained unconvinced. I was initially dubious about the screen showing Laura Phillips’ work and approached it last, wondering if I would agree with the judge’s decision to award it first prize. It was comprised of two minute fragments of film; melodramatic and blurred urban images like those from a surveillance camera. As a satire of kitsch art it worked brilliantly, although I struggled to derive any further meaning from her work.

“Weeping and twisted figures explored the grotesque martydom of saints on paper plates”

I was, however, intrigued by the occasional sight of a man in a Dalek suit wandering through the set, before vanishing with a flicker, leaving me unsure if I had imagined him. However, I did have dreams that night of being pursued by the elusive Dalek man. If art is the implantation of a disturbing image in the viewer’s head, then Laura Phillips deserved first prize.

Art feature

Wear your Art on your sleeve A STAPLE item in wardrobes for well over 200 years, the t-shirt has an everlasting appeal. Comfortable, versatile and in a selection of different styles and colours, it’s a basic item of clothing fit for most occasions. But who knew how expressive an item it could be? Grab a marker and you can write whatever you want on it, any kind of slogan, exclamation, proclamation, or damnation. On any other piece of clothing it would seem inappropriate or just wrong, but on the t-shirt it is entirely acceptable. That is because the t-shirt is the great unsung canvas of the world. An open space to design something unique and create a product that means more than just the cotton fibres it is made of. It is a chance to reach an audience of everyday people. The t-shirt is the simplest way to express yourself and one of the easiest ways to make money from your artistic talent. Thanks to the internet, clothing-art

has expanded into an entire online community, where artists and buyers exist on the same forum, sharing appreciation and criticism directly.

“The t-shirt is the great unsung canvas of the world”

Take the website Threadless, a site anyone can join for free, leaving how involved you are up to you. Designs are sent in and then voted upon by the community, the highest rated are then selected by the Threadless team to be made into t-shirts to be bought. The artists win a cash prize and store credit, whilst the rest of the community is now able to buy the winning product. The purchaser is happy with their new t-shirt and the artist has the gratification of seeing their design out and about. Threadless is not by any means the only site that exists for this purpose;

other such ones are DesignByHuman or 8Ball, some more community based than others. Sites are not only limited to t-shirts; artwork can be sold in traditional print form as well as on iPhone cases and laptop skins. Society6 is a site in which the artists retain all of the rights to their work, so you are safe in the knowledge that you continue to own the design you have created. In a world where art school fees are rising and budget cuts are closing the doors on galleries, the internet will be the saviour of the artist and the t-shirt will be the canvas. It is the perfect place to sell your work or find something original. So go on, express yourself. RACHEL SAMUEL

We would like to formally apologise for the

attribution error in the 12 Sept. Issue. The Much Ado About Nothing review was written

by Maddie Soper and not Alex Wynick. Eds.

T-Shirt Design ‘Cats Love Cameras’ by Andrea Courchene

HELEN CARRINGTON

Video Games Alex Hawksworth-Brookes & Jessica Leung - games@exepose.com

10 October 2011

Exeposé

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Exeposé at the Expo: Eurogamer 2011 coverage

Alex Hawksworth-Brookes, Video Games Editor, previews the biggest games coming out this Autumn THE Eurogamer Expo is one of the UK’s biggest gaming events, featuring a wide array of yet-to-be released games. Exeposé Video Games went along to get some hands-on time, and deliver the verdict on some of this year’s most anticipated games. After queueing for a considerable amount of time, we finally got our hands on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, one of this year’s most talked about games. This was the first hands-on event in Europe and, despite being a beta, the game still stood up well. At the start of the demo we emerged from a cave into snow-clad mountains; this was Skyrim, the Norseinspired setting for the game.

“Nintendo had a minimal presence at this year’s Expo” With only 15 minutes worth of play time we wasted no time and quickly followed a path into the mountains, searching for something to test out the new combat mechanics on. Combat has been massively improved since Bethesda’s last entry in the series, Oblivion. The left and right triggers control different hands, and each one can have either a spell or a weapon equipped. This results in some stunning combinations, from holding a massive axe in either hand to sending streams of fire and lightning across the snow. We opted for a sword and fire spell combo and soon left a pair of dead bandits in our wake. The visuals are also an area of great improvement; magical fire crackles from fingertips and strikes land with greater weight than before, although characters still look rather wooden from a third-person per-

spective. Landscapes also look beautiful, although a lot of textures lacked polish - this is no doubt a result of the beta programme not being the final version. The user interface is also vastly improved. Although we didn’t get time to begin any missions or get to any towns, Bethesda’s previews show that NPCs will be a lot more responsive to the world around them, rather than just being static entities. Our 15 minutes up, we reluctantly left and made our way over to try out Rage, the latest first-person shooter franchise from id Software, most famous for founding the genre with their Doom series. The latest in a long line of games to be set in

a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Rage hopes to offer a blend of frantic action, vehicular combat and story-driven gameplay. The only element that we got to experience was the action, and it’s great to see that id still know how to build a good shooter. All of the guns feel weighty and sound powerful, and have a variety of ammo types, from explosive rounds to crossbow bolts that turn enemies into remote control mines. Enemies reacted to different combat situations and worked together to try to surround us as we fought our way through tight corridors. The distinctive art style brought both the characters and environments to life. However, if Rage is to really succeed, it needs to bring a compelling story to the table, something that we weren’t able to experience with our limited time. Nintendo had a fairly minimal presence at this year’s Expo, although having a playable version of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword more than made up for this. Despite being long-running fans of the series, we still held serious doubts about the decision to use motion contols for Link’s latest outing. Our time with Skyward Sword went some way to reassuring us, but we are still not entirely convinced.

The section that we played took place in a dungeon, seemingly early on in the game. The Wiimote is used to swing Link’s sword, whilst the nunchuck controls movement. It took a little getting used to, but before long we were finding our way around the room competently. After using our bow to enter a smaller room, we got a chance to try out combat. A cartoony skeleton hulked towards us, and began to block our attacks in ways obviously designed to encourage attacks from certain directions; either horizontally or vertically. This meant that combat became more about precision, rather than just frantically swinging the controller around and hoping for the best. Although we enjoyed the demo, and thought that the graphics were very eyepleasing, especially by Wii standards, we are still worried that the motion controls will make long-play sessions impossible, potentially breaking up the pace of the game and causing

frustration. However, despite these concerns, Skyward Sword looks set to impress when it is released this November. Hitman: Absolution wasn’t playable on the show floor, but a demo was viewable at IO Interactive’s developer session. The demo level was set in a library where the protagonist, Agent 47, has just been trapped by the police. Unarmed, Agent 47 must use his abilities to escape the scene. One of the new features on show was Agent 47’s ‘Instinct’ ability, which can be used to display enemies’ patrol paths. Apparently this was only one of many uses for this ability, although none of the others have been revealed yet. IO were also keen to emphasise how players will be given freedom of choice regarding how to complete their objectives; go in guns blazing or take the stealthy option. The demo began with the latter; Agent 47 slipped past several cops before finding a power cord to take down a guard with. After sneaking past several more sentries, and sabotaging a fuse box, Agent

47 fought his way out, using a captive guard as a human shield. The demo ended with Agent 47 donning a police uniform and walking past his pursuers into a crowded street.

“A distinctive art style brings both the characters and environments to life” Both the sound effects and graphics were impressive throughout the demo, and it will be exciting to see how all the various mechanics will be developed as the game progresses. The last game we got our hands on was Batman: Arkham City, which bore many similarities to its prequel. However, there were also some very important differences. Rather than being limited to the confines of Arkham Asylum, players now have free roam of an entire city. No doubt searching for the city’s many secrets will make up a considerable part of the game’s 25 hour play time. The basic mechanics remain the same, although there have been a few tweaks and enhancements to the combat. The graphics have received an upgrade as well, although the city retained the same moody, gothic feel of the original. These weren’t the only games on show, of course; both Call of Duty and Battlefield look set to provide solid entries to the series. Only the multiplayer element of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations was on display, and this was shockingly similar to Brotherhood ’s multiplayer. Having spent hands-on time with the games at this year’s Expo, we are sure that this Autumn will feature some of the most exciting and stylish games of the year.

son

Exeposé week two

Interactive artistry; Will Hayman goes Indie ENTRY to art galleries is free in the UK. This is because, so the argument goes, it will encourage the Great British Public to steep themselves in the high-culture that so suits educated and money-generating people. That, and free stuff is awesome. It is in the latter tradition that I have scrounged my way in to the Eurogamer Expo at Earls Court.

Really Big Sky

Once inside, I gravitate like a zombie on the scent of a brain toward the Just Dance 3 stand, where there are girls dancing. Next to which is the Indie Games Arcade. Indie games are games from small independent developers. This means that game pitches that wouldn’t pass the ‘marketability’ scrutiny of big development houses, like a stylistic re-thinking of the classic shoot-‘em-up formula, do get made. Really Big Sky is such a game. It’s a 2D side-scroller with a colourful, distinctive and very pretty visual style and pitch-perfect, powerful sound design. It asks players to fly through space shooting at things and drilling

through planets. Really Big Sky faces down competition from Waves, another shoot-fest. Shoot stuff until time runs out and collect power-ups and points. While polished to a shine, Waves suffers from a lack of progression by placing the player in a locked screen-sized arena. Pineapple Smash Crew has none of that. From Rich Edwards of the cleverly named Rich Make Game company, Pineapple Smash Crew is a squad-based shooter focused around the tactical use of grenades and rockets. In an excellent synthesis of modern ideas with classical no-nonsense, uncomplicated gameplay, it has players commanding their squad of four marines around expansive maps as a single group, from a top-down perspective. Switch between your soldiers to use their various – and awesome – grenades, health buffs and rockets. For comic relief the soldiers constantly chatter to one another and the dialogue is very funny.

“The best argument for games as art comes from indie developers”

Amusing squad chatter is exactly what you won’t hear in Fotonica. Playing Fotonica, you command a runner. You navigate courses which stretch into the horizon by running and jumping, always in a straight line, ide-

ally collecting purple ‘dots’ as you go. There are multiple ways to navigate the courses, and exploring them is fun and challenging. Hold any single button on your keyboard to run and release to jump. Also, this is one of the most beautiful and absorbing games I’ve ever played. The art design is futuristic and simple: all the drawing is achieved with straight lines. The sound and music puts you into something of a trance and the feeling of speed makes your fingers tingle.

graphics, an exciting story and plenty of action. The original Uncharted, entitled Drake’s Fortune, told the story of Nathan Drake on a quest to follow his ancestor’s journey to the legendary city of El Dorado, with the help of fellow treasure hunter Victor Sullivan and reporter Elena Fisher. The Uncharted games are third person shooters with a large amount of platforming and some puzzle solving too. The developers used body and facial motion capture technology extensively in the game to bring alive all the characters not only in cutscenes but during actual gameplay too. This gives the games a very cinematic feel as all the emotion in the actor’s voice translates into what’s on screen; giving it the game the feel of a blockbuster. For Uncharted 2: Among Thieves the developers added multiplayer, updated the graphics and increased the size of the cast. This made Among Thieves a bigger and better experience. In my opinion, Uncharted 2 is still the best looking game on any console with an insane level of detail on every aspect of the environment. In a time when single player experiences were tack-

Jessica Leung, Video Games Editor, goes Live with some reVITAlised technology

Photo: Jessica Leung

Pineapple Smash Crew

Looking over the indie games on show at Eurogamer, it’s clear that indie gaming is still a niche market. Indie products tend to be small but perfectly formed, created with thought, creativity and love. They aren’t revolutionising gaming and the big developers arguably do just fine trotting out familiar games in established genres. However, the best argument for games as art, right now, comes from indie developers. For the sake of the medium, I hope the larger developers start to ask themselves why this is.

Navigating Through Uncharted Waters SINCE its release in 2007, Uncharted has been at the forefront of the PS3’s exclusive games. The game creates a cinematic experience by combining together spectacular

Video Games

ing on multiplayer components Among Thieves shone as an example of how to do it correctly. Including many competitive game types, as well as cooperative arenas and missions, it was obvious that this was meant to be a quality experience and wasn’t just rushed out. The Uncharted 3 multiplayer mode was available to play at Eurogamer. It adds more varied competitive team games and a more varied arena mode that includes a medley of different objective based games. My favourite mode was a 2v2v2 deathmatch where three teams face each other. Teamwork is vital; you have to rely on your partner to cover your back, and it’s great to play whilst talking tactics. An incredible amount of work has been put into the third installment; in the Uncharted 3 development session the lead game designer revealed how one of the team members got heat stroke running up and falling down sand dunes so that they could get realistic footage for in-game animations. Also at the conference was Nolan North, the actor for Nathan Drake, and it was great to see how passionate these guys are for the game and how important making a quality experience is to them. With new lighting and particle effects, Uncharted 3 is set to outshine the previous games and with Brits being the antagonists it looks as though the story will be a good one. ATHANASIOS SKARLATOS

EUROGAMER Expo 2011 featured two new revolutionary concepts on the show floor: Play Station Vita, due to be launched early next year, and OnLive, which actually debuted at the Expo on the first day. Both attracted hoards of people with queue times nearing a few hours at some points in the day and I was one of the people willing to wait in line for a hands-on experience with both. The Playstation Vita (officially abbreviated to PSVita) is the new concept from Sony in handheld gaming. At first sight, the design of the console does not differ greatly from its predecessor, the PSP. However, there is so much more to the new PSVita than meets the eye. It features two analogue sticks as opposed to one and a 5-inch touchscreen. In addition to this, the PSVita also includes a rear touchpad and supports three-axis motion sensing technology. The games that have already been announced for the PSVita include many big names such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Resistance and Call of Duty. I was lucky enough to have a chance to sample the new Uncharted game. The graphics were outstanding on the crystal clear screen and the game played as well as on the Playstation 3. The touchscreen and motion sensor was fully incorporated into the game where the console could be tilted or touched to move the characters and shoot enemies. However, I felt that this was quite gimmicky and could easily decline into a frustrating novelty. Fortunately though, it is still possible to fully experience the game the traditional way! The touchscreen would be useful for many other games they are planning to bring out and, of course, to browse the internet with ease. The console supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G, making this the most powerful handheld console on the market to date. The ability to Skype using the front and rear cameras on the console is also one of the many features distinguishing the

PSVita from its competition. The advanced technology packed in this tiny handheld is ground-breaking and I cannot wait to test out its full capacity when it is released. Next we moved on to the OnLive queue. OnLive is a new concept where users can stream games directly from an external server, thus ensuring that people with a low-end computers can still experience market leading games without compromising on quality. The idea has been around for a few years now and it is a brilliant concept that has been well-executed. The OnLive app can be downloaded for free and is compatible with both PC and Mac. At the moment there are over 150 games that can be played on demand and users can also play demos of any game for free. OnLive is also available as a console where any game you purchase on your PC can then be played on a TV. OnLive makes games more accessible to those who may not be able to afford super speed processors. The biggest question is whether the system can handle the influx of users during peak times or whether angry gamers will be faced with uncontrollable lag. Only time will tell whether OnLive proves to be a threat to other consoles or whether it will simply be another fleeting gimmick.

10 october 2011 Exeposé

Video Games

review

Gears of War 3: Epic Games; Microsoft Studios; 360; 20 Sept 2011

SOME may tell you that a sequel is never as good as its predecessor. However, in the case of Gears of War 3 they could not be more wrong. As an avid player of all three games in the series I can tell you that the finale of this Epic Games trilogy has it all: love, blood, violence, and of course, never ending waves of locust.

For all those Gears illiterates out there, know this: humanity is in peril. Over many years (and games) humans have been pushed to the edge of extinction by the locust, a surprisingly devious and deadly race, that originate from beneath the earth. In Gears 3 you can expect to see new enemies aplenty whilst you battle against the never ending tide of creatures that literally spring up from the ground. You play as Marcus Fenix, the grizzled veteran leader of Delta Squad, and with your team you embark upon one final mission to save the remnants of the human race.

Whilst Gears prides itself on having a compelling storyline, that is not all it has to offer. Complete with a myriad of game modes this is one of the most expansive games in its genre. If you’re a fan of PvP there are loads of different maps to play, with several different modes. Or, if you like the idea of fighting, AI endless hours can be spent fighting “The Horde”, a series of 50 waves of enemies that teams of 5 human players pit themselves against. Whilst this feature was present in the previous games in the series it has been re-vamped and given “depth” by introducing a character development system where you increase your abilities in several areas including the building of barriers and turrets. Believe me, it gets quite addictive. The game also includes a completely new mode, where players use increasingly powerful waves of locust to attack COG fortifications. This mode is fun while it lasts but is so short that it’s hardly worth mentioning. Visually the game is stunning; the surroundings are sharp and load much faster than in previous games due to the massively improved game engine developed by Epic Games. However, the story can be somewhat of a chore to finish on the harder modes, due to the repetitive environment in which fire-fights take place, but for those of you more interested in online playing it doesn’t really pose a problem. To call this game revolutionary would be a step too far, but for those who enjoy a good shooter it’s well worth a buy.

Top 5... Games that you might not have played but definitely should

Bubsy 3D

Bubsy 3D is famous for being one of the worst games of all time. As the infuriating feline protagonist, ‘Bubsy’, you have to overcome terrible control issues to explore an environment that the game’s makers should be ashamed of creating. Playing Bubsy 3D will make every other game you ever play seem that much better, and is worth playing for that reason alone.

Psychonauts

Simply put, Psychonauts is a work of absolute genius. Set at a summer camp for psychic children, this platformer puts together some ridiculously imaginative levels, great character work and a hilarious script to make an exceptional game that will keep you laughing throughout.

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

Braid

Don’t let Klonoa’s childish appearance put you off; beneath the cutesy exterior is an extremely heart-wrenching story that you can’t help but get sucked into. Alongside some imaginative level design and an outstanding soundtrack, this makes for a magical and unforgettable experience.

Braid is a mixture of game, art and philosophy, and is probably the greatest thing I’ve ever played. Its short length is remedied by the difficulty of its clever and unique challenges, all of which are augmented by stunning visuals, fantastic music and a loose, yet intellectual narrative that you won’t come out of quite the same person you were before. JACK D’ARCY

Skies of Arcadia

While some may find Skies of Arcadia’s dated gameplay tedious, look past that and you’ll be treated to a superb story of pirates, explorers and sinister forces, all set on floating islands in the sky. The thrill of exploring this beautifully imagined world in this fantastic RPG is a sublime experience that you won’t soon forget.

8/10

ADAM BRUNT

review

Rugby World Cup 2011: HB Studios; PS3/360; 26 Aug 2011

AFTER a wait of four years, there is finally a next-generation rugby game. HB studios, creators of the EA Sports Rugby series, are this time without their big-name publisher, instead teaming up with the rather smaller 505 games.

“The opposition are either comically pathetic or ridiculously tough”

This lack of funding perhaps explains the criminal licensing, leaving you with the ridiculous situation in which the two best teams on the official game of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand – i.e. Australia and NEW ZEALAND themselves – are entirely made up. This is because a rival rugby title, Sidhe Studios’ upcoming Rugby Challenge, has secured exclusive licences for the All Blacks and Wallabies before HB approached their respective unions, so while their absence is frustrating it is, almost, understandable. The absence of the real rosters for Samoa, Fiji and Tonga, along with the rest of the so-called ‘minnow’ nations,

on the other hand smacks of sheer laziness. All this adds up to a barely sustainable blow to the game’s credibility before you even pick up a controller. Unfortunately, things don’t get much better from there. The player likenesses are bizarre, seemingly a step backward from Rugby 08 (just have a look at the new Jonny Wilkinson). The difficulty settings mean that the opposition are either comically pathetic or ridiculously, unrealistically tough, with the tiniest scrum half monstering your biggest forward and opposition flyhalves putting the ball onto your five metre line every time, regardless of their kicking skill, on the hardest difficulty. Medium is the best bet to play on, but once you are beating teams with ease on this setting the stupidity of Hard will give you little joy. I could go on listing the various niggling deficiencies in open play but, in truth, not much has changed since Rugby 08, which was itself a rushed re-hash of Rugby 06. Selling a next-gen game in 2011 with a code from 2005 really isn’t good enough. It would be unfair to say that this game is all bad. A couple of things are markedly more impressive than on the last HB Rugby game, notably the sound. The crowd’s excitement builds dynamically with the play, really adding to the game’s atmosphere. The commentary is also very good, a noto-

riously rare quality for a sports game. The new risk-based rucking system is a positive step by HB, though it is far too difficult for the smaller teams to hang onto the ball against big-name opposition. Realistic, perhaps, but a bit frustrating for a game. Some will say that as fans of a comparatively small sport in gaming

Skies of Arcadia

terms, we should be happy with whatever we’re given. Given the £35 price tag and a rival, better-looking title on the horizon, I reckon you should save your cash. Rugby World Cup 2011 is a huge disappointment for rugby fans worldwide.

4/10 Andrew henly

Exeposé Video Games asks ‘What Have YOU Been Playing This Week?’

Let us know on Facebook and Twitter Jess Thomas: “Mario Kart, because throwing banana skins at people in real life just isn’t fun enough.” David Rees: “Team Fortress 2, because there’s always someone with a bigger gun, but this time IT’S ME.” Tom Wilson: “Also Team Fortress 2, but mainly for the hats. And because I hate myself and play Medic.” Kate Gray: “Angry Birds, although I realise shouting ‘KILL THE PIGS’ loudly in public might start another riot.” Olli Whittle: “The Hebrew Study Buddy app, because it’s only the first week and I’m already behind.” Tom Payne: “Mario Kart 64, becase 90s video game-logic is just hilarious.” Andrew Henley: “Deus Ex: Human Revolution, because setting shopkeepers on fire in real life is considered a faux pas.” Tori Brazier: “Harry Potter PC Games, because I just found my old CDROMS!”

Time to win Want to win an iPad 2 or one of 100’s of instant prizes? Race inside now.

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10 october 2011

Sport

Exeposé

EUMHC Updates

2nd XI cool off Firebrands Hockey

Will Heywood Reporter EXETER 2nd XI opened up their league campaign with a positive 6-3 win over Firebrands, thanks to a brace of goals from Josh Godfrey. In a highly contested game, in which numerous cards were shown, Exeter started the stronger of the two sides keeping hold of the ball for long periods and winning a couple of short corners within the first 10 minutes. This pressure was finally converted into a goal for Godfrey who showed good hands and composure to finish. Two more goals came for Exeter through Dafydd Bury and Godfrey.

However, on the brink of half time, Firebrands won their first penalty corner and, after the drag flick hit the post-man on the line, the penalty flick was put away to make the score 3-1 at half time. Determined not to let Firebrands fight their way back, Exeter quickly extended their lead after the break with a reverse stick shot from Exeter’s Captain, Mark Siddorn. Firebrands, though, refused to lie down, converting a drag flick to bring them within two goals. A neat deflection from Jonny Clark, from a resulting penalty corner, and an outstanding team counter attack goal from Max Cerulus ended the visitors’ hopes of grabbing any points from the game, however, with the final result ending up at 6-3.

Solid start for Uni 4th XI Hockey

Scott Wooley Reporter Exeter University 4s had a solid start to their season, beating the Old Bristolians 4-2 away. With the combination of some new faces in the team, the weather and the sandy pitch, it was important to get the ball rolling quickly. The game started scrappily with a few rash challenges being made from both sides – Matt Marshall picked up a green card as a result of one and Will Clapp was left on the floor by another. Midway through the first half the hosts opened the scoring from a short corner, which was eventually knocked in at the back post. The conceded goal prompted Exeter to start playing properly and it was not long before a well-worked goal came: the ball was played down the right to Cummings who hit the ball in low across the D to be deflected in by Scott. Exeter came quicker out of the blocks than their opponents after the break and it was easy to see that the

Old Bristolians were tiring. Exeter’s excellent use of their four rolling subs was key and Exeter went ahead for the first time in the match with a slick short corner routine involving Tomkins and Marshall. The passage of play for the goal saw the ball knocked left and slapped to the back post, which Cumma deflected in from close range. This lead didn’t last long, however, as the score was 2-2 within minutes with the Old Bristolians left midfield dribbling to the back line and squaring for a simple tap in. Exeter came back strongly, though, and were soon ahead when some good passing outside of the D by DJ, Clappy and Cumma found Scott in the D who turned and pushed the ball past the keeper. The hosts then pushed up to try and find the equaliser, which left loads of space for Beaman to arial from the back, which was smartly taken down by DJ who passed left to Cumma into the D. He then unselfishly squared the ball back to DJ who pushed in from close range. The remainder of the game was seen out comfortably by Exeter with Adam Lax making a few good sliding saves.

Uni 5s outrun by ISCA A Hockey

Ben Stupples EUMHC Publicity Officer THE opening day of the season in South Division 1 saw Exeter University 5s lose 5-1 to ISCA A at home. Both teams boasted youthful, energetic players and, judging from the opening minutes, the fixture promised to be a high-paced, competitive affair. The heat swiftly sapped both teams’ players of their initial exuberance, however, and Exeter – clearly the more unfit out of the two sides – started to leave holes in defence and midfield that ISCA were quick to exploit with two goals within minutes of each other.

Exeter fought back from their sudden deficit with vigour and tenacity but struggled for the clinical finishing up front that typified their last season. After the break ISCA A pressed further up the field against a continually tiring Exeter team who, due to injury, were now down to a 12-man squad. ISCA deprived Exeter of the ball, passing it around from a solid platform at the back before unleashing several quick paced, incisive attacks along the flanks and through midfield. Although ISCA A probably should not have scored as much as they did, five goals crossed University of Exeter’s goal-line and only one, a drag-flick in the closing moments of the game from Jack Hinshelwood, crossed ISCA A’s.

A brace for Nash - EUAFC push City to

Rachel Bayne, Sports Editor, goes through the post match analysis Exeter City FC named Ben Nash, EUAFC’s striker as Man of the Match after his brace of goals in the first half. Nash combined with EUAFC’s wingers to score against the run of play, which set a strong impetus for the City team to come back hard in the second half. Undoubtedly, the town team’s victory was due to increased fitness in their youth team structure, but Wednesday’s match, like last year’s Varsity which finished 2-1, will go down in memory because EUAFC scored first. Ben Nash spoke to reporters after the match, saying that the Varsity for him and all the squad would make up some of the most memorable moments of his university-sporting career. Nash jokingly told reporters that the team had a good feeling before kick-off because of EUAFC’s lucky

squid: “We had our lucky squid in the changing room and I brought that along; that’s an inside joke, but we had our lucky squid, so I knew it was going to be our day and it was 3-2!” Nick Peare, team captain, also spoke after the game. He spoke of the amazing atmosphere in the changing rooms at half-time. “The boys in the changing room were just buzzing, we didn’t have to say a word, everyone knew exactly what had to happen, which just shows the camaraderie we’ve got coming along at the minute.” Peare felt awe-inspired playing in front of such a large crowd of spectators: “It’s just a buzz for everyone to play in front of such a great crowd, in such a great event and just to pit your wits against a bunch of pros and I’d just like to say a special thank you to them – it

went well. “This game is just a platform for us and hopefully we can go on and just push on and have a great season.”

“We had our lucky squid, so I knew it was going to be our day and it was 3-2!”

Matt Slater, co-captain of EUAFC, talked of his experience as a spectator: “Superb game, to go 2-0 up, I think it was beyond anyone’s expectations. Yeah, it was superb, a really great night. Totally, although we narrowly lost it, it’s the greatest Varsity match I’ve seen in the three years I’ve been here.” The Varsity match was watched by over 3,000 people at St James Park,

Exeposé week two Photos: Hannah Walker and Josh Irwandi

Crossword

No. 23 by Clare Mullins

Across 1. What little girls are made of (5,3,5) 6. British naval hero (7,6) 8. Killer whale (4) 10. Plastic-loving, Nordic pop group (4) 11. Spice made from crocus stigma (7) 12. Encase (4) 13. Up for it (4) 14. Stare (7) 16. Norse God (4) 17. Greek God (4) 20. Smoke flavoured sauce (8,5) 21. American President at the time of the Wall Street crash (7,6)

Sport

Down 2. Student studying for a bachelor degree (13) 3. Bloody (4) 4. Cooking fat (4) 5. Traditional French wedding cake (13) 7. Brain (slang) (4) 9. Luxury American resort city (5) 10. Member of a German tribe that settled in Britain (5) 15. First film in the Trois couleurs trilogy (4) 18. Present location (4) 19. Capital of Norway (4)

Fifth year for Sports Volunteering Scheme the limit in the Varsity match including a vast contingent of AU members. Although there wasn’t a record amount of supporters at the ground, the club did manage to raise a considerable amount of money for charity. The ‘town v gown’ match was also streamed live on unisportonline.co.uk. This is a massive first for university sport journalism, with the coverage including pre-match reports and postmatch interviews. Over 70 people watched the entire Varsity match online and the website received over 500 hits from interested viewers. Beth Hampson, AU President, congratulated EUAFC and spoke of the arrangements for the match: “Basically, I do all the background work and they do all the ticket sales and everything that gets the people here.” She went on to talk about the

match, saying that it was “A game of two halves, if only it ended after the first, but it’s something that can be worked on for next year.”

Match Stats Corners - City had seven in the 1st half and five in the 2nd half. EUAFC had only one corner in the whole match. Shots on target - City had two shots on target in the 1st half and made seven shots on target in the 2nd half. EUAFC only had three shots on target, which were all in the 1st half - two were goals. Attendance - 3,030

Volunteers

Simon Dewhurst Reporter STUDENTS at the University of Exeter are participating in the fifth year of the Sports Volunteering Scheme (SVS). The scheme offers students the opportunity to coach sport in local primary and secondary schools with sessions taking place either during PE lessons or as lunchtime and afterschool clubs. Volunteers are able to offer as much time as they want and sessions are designed to fit around their other commitments. The SVS is organised by the Athletic Union, alongside school sports co-ordinator Matt Upson. It is one of the only schemes running in the country which allows students to coach sport in the local community. As well as helping to enhance employability by counting towards the Exeter award, the scheme also subsidises a student’s chosen coaching qualification for

every ten hours of volunteering they complete. The 2011/12 SVS Training Day was held on Wednesday 5 October at the University Sports Park. It was attended by 55 volunteers who were provided with training in the morning before leading a multi-skills event with over 90 local school children in the afternoon. Over 150 students have signed up to take part in the SVS this year. Beth Hampson, Athletic Union President, said: “The SVS has gone from strength to strength in recent years. More and more students have decided to get involved in the scheme and this year has been no exception. “The Athletic Union is really proud of the work of our volunteers who have such a positive impact on the local community.” For more information about the Sports Volunteering Scheme, contact svs@exeter.ac.uk or call the Athletic Union on 01392 722646.

MOnday 10 October 2011 Exeposé

Sport

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FOOTBALL

Andy Williams Sports Editor

Exeter University ATHLETIC Football Club came within minutes of clinching a historic draw with Exeter City; only to see their hopes dashed by a late header, which sealed victory for the Grecians. Despite taking a two-goal lead into half-time courtesy of Man of the Match striker Ben Nash, EUAFC were ultimately unable to match their League One rivals who sneaked home with a victory after dominating the second half through three goals from Roderick Young. The match kicked off to the sound of EUAFC’s fans hearty rendition of “Oh Exeter”, and with the vast majority of the 3000 strong crowd behind them, the team quickly eased into the game. Both sides exchanged early forays into each other’s final third, only for the defence to rise to the occasion and snuff out any threat. EUAFC’s Ben Nash was almost through on goal in the first ten minutes, but was quickly seen to by City’s defenders. Twenty minutes into the match the mandatory streaker ran on, much to the amusement of the crowd. However, perhaps this small distraction played on the minds of the City players, who allowed EUAFC through on goal, and Nash to open up the scoring, thumping the ball into the net off a rebound. 1-0 University. This early goal sparked a quick response from City, yet Exeter’s back four of Freddie Short, Lewis Aimson, Nick Peare and Oli Rossiter all chipped in with important tackles to ensure the lead was preserved. Five minutes later, after some fine midfield football from Andy Waddingham and Matthius Marriot, EUAFC had ventured deep into City’s half and a superb cross from Matt Langley allowed Nash to find the back of the net for a second time, smashing home from close range to double the lead. As half time approached, City again managed to put together a serious spell of pressure, resulting in several corners, yet a few fine saves from Tom Clifton – Moore and more stalwart defending saw that EUAFC went into the break with a 2-0 lead. After a thoroughly entertaining display from the University’s Cheerleaders, the match was back under way, and right from the off it was evident that City had stepped up a gear. Despite their strong start, a few missed tackles allowed Aimson to run up the left and set up Matt Dale, but his shot was just wide of the mark. However, a lot of the second half was spent in EUAFC’s penalty area, with the professionals making regular attempts on goal, only to be denied by several excellent saves by Clifton –

Photo: Henry White

City 3 - 2 Uni Exeter University Football Varsity 2011

Sadly the resistance could not last forever and City finally opened their account on the hour mark, with Roderick Young’s clinical strike proving too much for the University. This was compounded moments later by an audacious lob from Young to draw the teams level. City looked like they were about to really turn the heat up, but last ditch

tackling from Captain Peare and more heroics between the sticks from Clifton Moore saw EUAFC keep the scores tied. With full time looming, EUAFC looked like they had just enough left in the tank to scrape home with an impressive draw, only for their hopes to be cruelly dashed in the dying minutes by Young, who completed his hat-trick

with a fine header in the top corner. Groans resonated around the ground and heads fell in to hands in the stand, but credit to the players as they did not give up until the final whistle, with the match ending 3-2 to Exeter City. Whilst the result might not reflect the sheer effort and determination put in by the players on the pitch, it was without

a doubt the closest match, and most impressive display from a University team this fixture has seen in a long time. All the players did the University proud and were a credit to themselves as a team and a club. Coverage contiuned with photo spread on p 30-31.