The event- issue 115- 4th October 2000

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Sporty••• lndie ••• Rocky ••• Pop y ••• Just who is the real 11

Plus!

Muse "Take lots of drugs!"

Ed Byrne "I have a hangover" Bjorn Again: "You have a very sexy voice, you know"

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Cutting-edge reportage from the ents'n 'arts front line

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Jay Mclnerney The Bright Lights, Big City author gets chatty Ed Byrne Meet Ed. He's funny. And he's coming here, too!

Alex JovyfThe Czars Sorted director Alex Jovy and The Czars interviewed Bjorn Again/Muse Abba and Radiohead tribute bands unmasked!

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In In-depth features, comments. analyses and gubbins

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Blaaaaaaaaam!!

Comics on the big screen 09 News blues First they're-a-messin with Trev McD, now they're again' for me BBC! Generation miserablists 10 Angst in rock- where do we go from here?

11 Console wars Psx2 vs dreamcast: the real -life shoot 'em up 12-13 The real Melanie C! The rumours, the tabloids and the Spice Girls' worst habits

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Everything reviewed and previewed for your pleasure

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Music: Radiohead ; Bjork; Iron Maiden Film: Billy Elliot; Love and Sex; Road Trip; The Cup Video: American Psycho; This is Spinal Tap Arts: Reactions and Pretext; Human and Divine TV/Radio: Attachments; Hitler's Search for the Holy Grail; Olympics Interactive: Jet Grind Virtua Tennis; Snarg

Eventho 20-23 The best guide to what's on in Norwich. Ever.

The Event is produced fortnightly by Concrete: PO Box 410, Norwich, NR4 7TB Tel: 01603 250558 Fax: 01603 506822 E-mail: su.concrete@uea.ac.uk Printed by: Eastern Counties Newspapers, Rouen Road, Norwich NR11RB

ur ext Saturday a tribute concert is being held for Jill Dando - the television presenter who was shot dead in her home eighteen months ago- entitled "A Song For Jill", during which her favourite artists (including lesley Garrett, lionel Richie and Cliff Richard) will perform in order to raise cash for institution set up In her name. Now, this kind of extravaganza may be used for a good cause (In this case the proceeds are going towards the funding of crime research), but doesn't it seem a rather tasteless way of going about it? I mean, yes it's all done in good spirit, but what this boils down to is not a whole lot more than emotional blackmail ; playing on the sympathies of people for money. This particular example may not seem such a bad thing, but there appears to be a current trend of using the faces of famous dead people for the endorsement of a great deal of things, ranging from relatively noble causes to items of tack that make me cringe. The Sunday Times, for instance, is currently running a promotion whereby you can send off for a special packet of Jill Dando forgetme-not seeds (the proceeds going to charity, of course) to plant in your garden, dwell on her memory and " sow the seeds for a safer future " .

Aww , how thoughtful and caring of them.

Seriously though, such frequent usage of Miss Dando 's image for " compassionate " causes is

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"In life she was a news reporter and sometime Holiday presenter. In death she has become a saint, devoted to the fighting of crime." actually distorting our memory of her. In life she was a news reporter and sometime Holiday presenter. In death she has become a saint, devoted to the fighting of crime.

Of course Jill Dando 's image Is not the one from the gallery of dead celebrities to be resurrected from the grave at every opportunity. Since her tragic death on August 31, 1997, Princess Diana 's face has been dragged across cups, plates, and similar memorabilia, as well as page after page of tabloids, broadsheets and biographies alike, both praising her and slating her in what seems like cyclical patterns. The latest offering on this front arrives in the form of the biography of the Princess' former private secretary, Patrick Jephson, who (amongst other things) reveals that " cold hearted royals made Diana a rebel ". Oh, how Interesting! Because I haven't been told that Diana didn 't get on well with the Royal Family a thousand times before or anything. Hmmm. But that's not all: The Sunday Times has serialised the book for its readers, and has also set up a special webpage dedicated to the Princess, In which you can subscribe to receive weekly extracts (with titles like " In t he cage with a tigress " and " Her worst enemy was herself" ) from the book, as well as access to photo galleries of the Princess in her former glory.

Okay, I admit that many worthy foundations do benefit from the endorsement they receive from using images of people, such as Princess Diana and Jill Dando, and that 's great. But, it's the media attention they get from doing lt that bothers me, and the way that in getting such attention it somehow cheapens their death. So, while it's fine to celebrate their lives, it would be nice if we could just stop using and manipulating their deaths for our own ends.

M ark/and Starkte

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

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Kurt Cobain, Princess Diana and Jill Dando. Not t hree figures you would usually find in a sentence together, but with their images still selling newspapers years after their untimely deaths, people are still more than happy to buy the latest Radio Times with a picture of Dando on the cover, or a Princess Diana rose. Whilst it is clear that any death is tragic, are we holding on for too long or are we simply projecting our collective grief over personal issues onto well-known figures?

" Princess Diana 's death and the controversy surrounding it has been taken to extremes, and she has almost become a martyr which is totally wrong."

Anon "let them rest! " Esther LeBianc NAM 1 "lt 's good to remember, but also good to let go. " Dom1nic Ribbans BUS 1

" Her death was the best publicity that Princess Diana could possibly have imagined after she spent her whole life chasing publicity. Jill Dando's death was more harsh, but there are plenty of people being murdered all the time and it makes me really angry that they don't receive as much police time."

Johnny Patterson EAS 2 " Their images are used too much to sell papers."

Dave Lach SOC 2 " lt is very sad, but it gets too much, especially after this long. " Helene Rodgister EAS 3 "I think it's a bit sick that people still care so much after so long - you could understand if they knew her, but if they've just seen her on the TV I find it really creepy."

Charlotte Cottom LAW 2 Compiled by Elin Jones

Editor - Steve Collins • Acting Film Editor • Adam Chapman • Arts Editor· Elin Jones • Music Editor· Astrid Goldsmith • TV/ Game Editor· Markland Starkie • listings · Duncan Gates · Katherine Everitt · Adam Chapman • DTP · Elin Jones · Adam Chapman · Steve Collins · Nick Henegan Thanks to · James · New computers • God of the fortnight - Chappers • Devil of the fortnight · Word 2000 • Contributors · Merek Cooper - Nicola Mallett - Jim Whalley - Will Watts - Amy Brooker - Steve Quirke · Sam Evans · Tom Gatti · Keiren McSweeney · Simon Thornhill · D Enzor · Colly Wolinski · Gareth Morgan · Kathryn Hinchliff · Andy Marsh · Chloe Nicolaides · Katherine Everett · Alex McGregor · Alex Seyer

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Words: not Steve Collins

''AOUWNG!'' The shocking satanic truth behind cryptic Britney-speak!

BORN TO DO IT*!

Craig David's Laboratory of Love

(*You know, it. Like, sex and stuff.)

Now Britney's become an agony aunt, we thought we'd let pint-sized lothario Craig David 'do it' for The Event. All over your boing. dark, a soothing voice In the woods, a gentle touch In the bus queue. Perhaps your problem would be best solved with some 'personal' advice, hmm baby? You know, bottle of red wine ready to pour, jacuzzl turned on, calls diverted to answerphone. I'll hold your coat, maybe you can hold my... soul. Old you think I was going to say something else? Not me. I'm sensitive, like. To a lady's needs. Fill me In, and maybe I can do the same for you. In a rude way. Oh come on, I'll buy you a bag of chips. Bol Regards, Cralg Davld (All over your bolng)

Rudeness!

In a shocking twist of pop controversy this fortnight, it has emerged that God-fearing songbird Brltney Spears has been attempting to communicate subversive and possibly satanic messages through cryptically encoded noises on her million-selling pop records. lt is alleged that seemingly meaningless sounds in her songs, such as "aouwng", (from ... Baby One More Time) "nyeng-nyeng-nyeng-nyeng-nyeng" ( Oops! I Did lt Again) and "waow-waow-wah-ah-aoow" (that bit before the chorus in Lucky) actually carry coded messages of evil intent, and may in fact be a bit rude.

Present interpretations of the noises vary, but top secret stateside investigations have found that, when played backwards at half speed, they go ·gnwuoa", ·gneyg-gneyg-gneyg.gneyg-gneyg ", and "wooa-he-haw-woaw-woaw" . Which is, according to one FBI agent, "a bit scary" .

Grunting!

US parents' association the Mumsy's Alliance Against Ruderies have hit out against Ms. Spears, claiming that they are worried that their children might be getting subconsciously drawn into satanic practices through listening to Britney's songs. One concerned mother claimed, "My son has pictures of Britney all around his bedroom, and frequently dissappears in there for long periods of time. I can hear him making the most awful grunting noises. Just like that bit in The Exorcist!". Even Prince William is thought to have been affected by the horror, with a Buckingham Palace source informing us that ever since Ms Spears began emailing the young prince, his bedsheets have been covered in ·a strange ectoplasmic substance".

Rabbits!

There are, however, alternative branches of research going into the phenomenon which claim that these apparently nonsensical incantations can be understood by animals. "That nyengnyeng-nyeng business is what my cat says when she's looking at the birdies outside", asserted British scientist Or Berty Huntingdon-Smithe (PhD), when we tracked him down in his shed laboratory. Or Berty has been carrying out pioneering research at the end of his garden, constructing a translating device made mostly out of fag packets and Wurthers Original wrappers. "But if you ask me she's mostly talking in rabbit language. Inciting them to rise against us. I personally believe that she is in fact a great big rabbit. In a girl suit. A bit like Bigwig from Watership Down . Get up close to her, she's got furry hands. You know that bit in Lucky that goes 'Why do the tears come at night?' Sounds like mixy. Put her down! " According to Dr. Berty's translations, the noises actually mean "Go on, eat all your master 's carrots", "Piss in the orange juice", and "Poo all over the shop, my furry comrade!"

Yet Ms. Spears remains defiant that she IS going to continue with what she terms her 'freeform sound-experiments' on her next album . " it 's more avant-garde, a definite hop, er, step forward. And at least it won't be as toss the new Radiohead album. Aouwng! "

Dear Craig Please help me, I am so confused. Since I started at UEA two weeks ago I have been having unFaithful thoughts about my boyfriend. We've been together now for four years, and even though I love him and we both promised to stay true to each other, I've started looking at other men, sexually. I feel so terrible. Should /leave my boyfriend?

Anon, UEA Cralg writes: Dear Frustrated, Starting university Is always hard: leaving your friends and loved ones behind, the place where you grew up. Tearful goodbyes, promises made - and all those happy memories!

But lt Is especially hard for a lady. For a lady has a lady's needs. You, Anon, are a lady. But never mind, I understand. I understand your need for love, for advice. A guiding hand In the

Dear Craig, I have just started university, and am already feeling at a bit of a loose end. Despite being an attractive blonde with a good figure, I cannot seem to find the right man. I have attended all the fresher's events and every man I meet seems so insensitive and soulless. I am so disappointed, as I had imagined uni to be something of a 'meatmarket '! Please help.

Frustrated of UEA Cralg writes: My oh my. You are In a pickle. But don't worry, lt's perfectly normal at your age to feel urges for the opposite sex. All the young gentlemen asking for your hand, making eyes at you, perhaps enticing you to partake In a vigorous 'disco' dance! But wait. it Is very easy at times like these for a lady to allow her needs to come before virtue;

to allow the serpent of Infidelity to escape from the bushel of chastity. But chill, baby.

I, Cralg Davld, am the snake catcher.

Trust me baby. One week of my special counselling will put your soul at ease. Meet up on Monday, take you for a drink on Tuesday. We'll be makln' love by Wednesday, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Not Sunday, though - Morse Is on. Never miss an episode. Bol Regards, Cralg

Dear Craig The engine of my Ford Escort seems to be playing up. Every time I go to pick the kids up from school it overheats and stalls. I think it might be the sparkplugs. Any advice?

Alfred Pi/ton, Mundes/ey Cralg writes: 'Alfred', eh? Come on baby, you know Cralg Davld understands. Could lt be Alfreda, perhaps?

Summer '92, five loving minutes In the youth club games cupboard? Just doln' things that people In love do, y'know? Want Cralgy D to warm your engine again, Alfy? Dip my rude stick In your oil, hmmm? Plump up your fluffy dice? Oh, go on. I'll give you a swig of me elder. Bol Regards, Cralg

WinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWinWin

Blaggery Corner!

Cyberspace Oddity:

Booby Boutique?

There was a time when you had to make a nervous trip to the newsagent , clutching a fiver nicked from your mum's purse in your sweaty little paws to get your kicks. But with the, ahem, rise in popularity of the internet you can see boobs and things on demand in the comfort of your own room. In fact , the internet has so many rudie sites that it has become difficult to sift through them all. From Naughty Britney to Sexy Susie's Saucy Strip, there's nothing that really grabs your attention. "If only I could find a website where I could see ladies' breasts whilst also using my creativity and design skills", I hear you cry. Well, cry no more.

For at http:/;www.cultofrnarms.org, a very kind lady has displayed her breasts with the request that you design her some new nipples. Classy .

The site does seem in rather bad taste as the lady in question has obviously had to have her nipples removed for medical reasons, but if she has chosen to display herself on the internet , who are we to complain? The basic objective of the website is to send in a design which the lady can have tattooed onto her breasts where her nipples used to be. You can print-off a template of her nipples to colour in and send it off to her 1n America (where else?) and if she likes it your design could be gracing the delightfully titled Nipple Library Designs already 1n the library include plasters, eyes, cabbages and Monica Elln Jones Lewinsky's face. Hmmm.

Cranny of craziness! Nook of naughtiness! Just take a look at what's fallen off the back of The Event's big spangly pop lorry this fortnight ...

Hello and welcome to The Event's very own corner of shameless blaggeryl We've got freebies galore here - everything for the discerningly tlghtarsed lady or gent.

And all you have to do Is answer some some plss easy questions and pop your answer In the Competition Box In the Hive.

1: Toploader gubbins!

Yep, those loveably hairy keyboard-tinklers have given us some of their records to hand out to all and sundry. Three copies of new single will fall into the mitts of firstcomers, and what's more we'll wrap a ticket to their forthcoming gig around each copy! Cor. Just answer this teaser: How many people In Toploader (pictured right)?

2: Artful Dodger tickets!

3: Roni Size tickets!

He 's a bit waaay, a bit woooargh , he 's the Artful Dodger , and he's coming to the LCR on October 13th. And so are you, if you enter our competition . We 've got three pairs (count 'em) of tickets to the rather massive Ministry soiree (also featuring Chad Jackson) to give you in return for answer to th is stupendous stumper:

00 TOLD YOU YOU COULD DO IT LIKE DISS!!!

Roni did, that 's who. He and his Reprazent combo have long been mixing up hip hop and drum ·n· bass in the ir big pot of rhythm , and now they 're peddling new album 'New Forms ' down LCR way on the 10th October. You can go too, if you answer this wee little question :

After which Dickens character Is the Artful Dodger named?

What's Ronl Size's new album called?

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

eve lit

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Model UEA's prestigous literary festival is all set to bring a host of literary greats to our humble campus this semester. Jay Mclnerney, bete noir of fusty literary circles and author of Bright Lights Big City, kicked things off last week with a reading from his new collection of short stories, How it All Ended. A/ex Seyer spoke to him when he paid a visit ...

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verybody wants Jay Mclnerney. The enfant terrible of modern fiction, ch ronicler of debauchery and excess in 1980's New York and author of Bright Lights, Big City, is about to go onstage as the first guest author in UEA ·s prestigous Literary Festival. As a result, I have just ten minutes to interview the acclaimed diarist of American low l1fe who, if the stories about him are true. is certainly no stranger to the high life himself.

Bright Lights. Big City was published in 1984.

Written in an unusual second person narration (" Here you are agam. All messed up and no place to go"), it became a huge and unexpected suc cess. later being made into a film. Since then there have been several more novels including the critically acclaimed Brightness Falls and, more recently, Model Behaviour. How it All Ended. Jay 's recently published collection of short stories. looks set to maintain his reputation as one of the most consistently engaging modern modern writers to be lumbered with that 'bete-noir' tag which the cntics always dump on any writer who actually leaves their house.

Mclnerney·s books are populated by characters

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"They implied I was heavy drug user and a serial model-dater. That's pretty excessive I guess." who, in l1is own words, "travel in the sewer", who inhabit the dimly-lit backstreets of broken lives and dreams once frequented by messrs Bukowski and Ginsberg. Yet static as these characters' lives are , it's the travelling they do, the nightclubs they hang around in and the drugs they take . tl1at prov1de most of h1s work's narrative force. He IS. without a doubt, one of America 's ·coolest' wnters- but when we meet, he Insists ''I've never thought of my writmg as bemg intentionally cool. Whatever my style and my subject matter is, it's just a culmination of my life and literary influences." it 1s often suggested that Mclnerney's private life apes his fict1on. He admits that at least part of his first novel is autobiographical -yet after the stones I've heard about him it ·s rather difficult to believe that the rather quiet-see m1ng man I've

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~mLI1WOOLI1tJrn ~lJOOWrn~lJ~ ©[100[3 POSTGRAD ICEBREAKER PARTY FRIDAY 13TH OCTOBER FREE FOOD & CHEAP BOOZE!!

The next quiz is on Tuesday 1Oth October: come along and join in free entry and liquid prizes Don't forget our regular Happy Hours for cheaper beer! Mondays 8-9pm & Fridays 7-Spm

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Wednesday, October 4, 2000

JUSt met 1s America's 'literary bad boy'. He's barely even touched tile glass of wine in front of h1m.

This IS a man who for years skipped memly 111 and out of the columns of the American Spy magazine, gaining himself the reputation of flitting round New York 's coo lest clubs, with New York ·s hottest women on his arm. When I ask him about this 1mage as a party animal he laugl1s and replies rather cautiously, "I don't know. Compared to some of the tweedy, qu1et, scholarly types who write novels I suppose I m1ght be a litt le more flamboyant, you know, but it's funny how these things get picked up by the press ."

He feels that thiS scrutiny by the press has affect ed how people consider his wnting . that reviewers often judge his soc1al l1fe as much as his work.

"They see a p1cture of me 1n a night-club and t111nk that 's not 'literary behaviour'. If you VIOlate the stereotype you come 111 for crit1c1sm ... clnerney has been violat1ng the stereotype for a long time. After Bnght Lights Big City, his life in New York was hardly ever out of the tabloid press. So maybe he really did lead the wild life the press would have us believe he led. I almost want him to have led it, but he still cla ims that the reports were blown out of proportion, citing t he old "I often read about myself attending parties that I never attended" chestnut. So what's the most excessive thing the papers have supposed him to have done? I idly wonder whether I cou ld support that ki nd of life-style on a student budget. He gives a slyly revealing smile - " Models requ ire fairly high order maintenance."

To whatever extent his somewhat unscholarly social life appears in his work, Mc lnerney is st ill a craftsman, and he's very aware of the power of language and his use of it. As for his literary influences, he is most often compared to F Scott Fitzgerald . "Yeah, but I really didn't read that much Fitzgerald until people started companng me to him. Then I went back to find out what it was all about. 1 do think he was one of the greatest American novelists."

Another name often mentioned in connection w1th Mclnerney IS Raymond Carver, under whom Mclnerney stud1ed creative writing at Syracuse Un1vers1ty. " He was in some ways a d1rect 1'1fluence. altilough our flct1on IS very different.

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They're just really two of a w1de range on Influences.

Out of thiS wide range of Influences he c1tes h1s non literary ones as simply music and films. "In some senses popular mus1c has been an influence on me ... Film a little bit. More as a source of reference. you know. than an actual influence."

Film is, of course. something with which

"The literary community is kind of small and bitchy ... but it beats working for a living" Mclnerney is closely familiar since he adapted Bnght Lights. B1g City for the screen himself. But film is far more collaborative than wnting a novel and he was never one 100% pleased with the result. " I didn't really like it, but I wrote it. lt was okay. I thought the casting wasn't very good." I suggest that maybe Michael J Fox was a little fresh-faced for the role of the character as he comes across in the book. "He was a little bit too innocent. He's a good actor but not qu1te what I had in mind. I got along well with him . and we had a lot of fun. We used to stay up ·til all hours.

And then he would go to fi lm. Fortunately the writers don't have to wake up at dawn. That's one reason why I wou ld never want to be an actor."

As a w riter, however, he admits he's constantly surprised by his own success. " I think I've been pretty lucky. I've got a lot of attention and a lot of good reviews and I never really expected any of that." Has he ever felt hard done by the crit1cs?

He laughs. "Oh, yeah constant ly."

In fact, critics are people who Mc lnerney st1ll treats. even fifteen yea rs down the line. with an element of caution. "The literary community is kind of small and bitclly. it's also the only business in the world where you are reviewed by your peers. Film directors don 't get rev1ewed by other film directors or by t11eir rivals. They get rev1ew ed by film critics or mov1e geeks.·· But any negative press l1e 11as got has never changed h1s passion for wntmg. He sm1les. "it beats workmg for a livIng ... And w1th that. Jay Mclnerney sets off to work.

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Funn to yrne You know that Alanis Morisette song, Ironic? Well , it's not ironic at all! Oh, you knew that. Well guess who spotted it first? Ed Byrne, that's who. A/ex McGregor met him ...

Ed Byrne is hungover, and he is determined to get some of that ·great hangover cure". Appletise. So we conduct the first part of the mterview as Ed strolls on down to a newsagent m order to obtam sa1d beverage. Ah, the busy sounds of London streets, the muffled reception of a mobile phone when trapped inside an elevator. With Ed's thirst satisfied we leave the newsagent. Let's start the interview, shall we?

OK, introductions first. Even if you're reading this and you think "hmm, I don't know who this Ed Byrne guy is at all. Did he direct the Brother's McMullen?" you will have encountered his material - of this there is no doubt. Who among us has not had the pleasure of saying something to the effect of • ... and I thought that was qu1te 1ronic" only to have a friend, and I use the term in the loosest possible sense, reply "oh no, that's not ironic, that's just unfortunate"?

That's right, Ed Byrne's tirade against the Alanis Morisette hit single Ironic has entered the annals of Comedy Legend. But IS there a downside?

Does Ed perennially suffer from mildly unbalanced fans or critics waiting for him to use the word ironic in the wrong context? "Not really. In fact my definition of what ironic is, compared to Alanis Morrisette has probably just made it more

"There's selling out and there's selling out. I've done the Royal Variety Show, you can't sell out more than that." complicated. But after all proper irony IS just sarcasm".

So Ed's been able to dodge that bullet, but what about those disgruntled Alanis obsessives - do they seek a terrible vengeance upon Ed's person?

"No. no, ·cos the thing Is, they can't help but agree, they have to agree. I love doing stuff like that. For example I do some material about Back to the Future and you can feel the audience saying · no you can't slag off Back to the Future.

No no no you're being a bastard'".

Th1s reaction is one that is surely understood.

Back to the Future IS not JUSt a film, 1t's a part of our collective childhood, much l1ke Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Karate K1d. Can you 1mag1ne your life without these experiences? For they are as strong a part of your character as any other cherished childhood memory.

"But there's a gapmg plot hole" Ed beg1ns In h1s defence ·and once I've po1nted it out people say 'Christ, he's nght'. And I'm not ruimng childhoods like that Scottish nun at any rate". We move away from d1scussmg Back to the Future which was a rei ef because I felt like I was embarrassing myself. After all I did have my hands over my ears and I was yelling "la la la, I can't hear you. Great Scott Marty" and ·you chicken McFiy?". d Bryne makes a good impression, he's witty and charmmg, h1s voice 1s low suggesting he was relaxed and willing to chat. yet he doesn't feel the need to constantly perform.

When I ask h1m a quest1on he doesn't reply w1th a pre-scnpted answer. or at least. not one that I could detect.

I then ment1on five words whiCh send a shudder of fear down h1s spme. The five words that msp~red such a response were The Live At S1x Show. For those m the dark, th1s was Sky One's very short l1ved entertamment show m the same

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mould as TFI Friday, which featured Jenny Powell and VH-1's Gideon Coe. Oh yes, and one fresh faced Ed Byrne as their rovmg reporter type chap.

"I'm not particularly proud of that one. I didn't want to do it but they asked me and I said I'd do 1t as long as I didn't have to do Vox Pops and things like that. But they just made me do all the things I didn't want to".

But Ed did not last long before they powers that be gave him the arm around the shoulder treatment. "They said 'th1s 1sn't qu1te working' and I said 'you're right 1t isn't' and to be honest I was quite pleased to be the first to go." Although this misguided foray has been exc1sed from Ed's biography it can't be expunged from his memory as easily. "Every time me and Gideon Coe bump into each other, we look into each other's eyes with this intense sense of shame because we were both part of this really shit show."

Despite this one hiccup, Ed has appeared on a number of genumely good shows, one being The Conan O'Brien Show, little known but actually one of the better quality American chat shows.

But is it all bitching and backbiting as the Larry Sanders Shows suggests?

"Not really. I remember one time I went out for a meal with Conan and I said, 'ah, you must watch the Larry Sanders Show' and he said ·nah, not really'. And it wasn't until I watched Larry Sanders after this that I realised that they really take the pi ss out of Conan on it". So 1t all becomes glaringly obvious as to why he wouldn't really watch it then.

After his nationwide tour, which takes in UEA on October 6, the next thing the great British public Will be able to see Ed m is the Irish film, Rat, a comedy In which Pete Postlethwa1te turns mto a rat, appropriately enough .

Films are certamly something that Ed would like to do more of, "I'm a big Hollywood fan. I've got a b1g DVD player and surround sound and all that and I'd love to do loads of films". But would he want to be a big budget, chiselled, action hero of the type that men want to be and women want to be with? Perhaps Gladiator 2?

"I haven't got the bone structure for that kind of carry on. M1nd you Keanu Reeves swelled from being a skinny, long haired guy mto being an action star, so you never know " . Indeed, as did W1ll Smith so let 's not rule 1t out. Although he d1dn't have the half.

However, Ed's mystique as an action hero may be somewhat muted 1f he contmues to do those shoe adverts. Why did he agree to do such a dreaded thmg as a commerc1al? "Money, s1mple as that " , then adopting some kind of Orson Welles 1mpress10n he adds, " it was all for the money , dear chap" . And th1s kind of honesty must. at least. be respected.

Ed doesn't pretend to be a trapped by an artistic conscience ("I'm not here to save the world "), and he's hardly a po1tt1cal comedian: "I don't do that sort of thmg, my stuff IS mostly anecdotal. I don't have a conscience about that sort of thing.

There's certam products I wouldn't advertise though, you know, things like Nestle. But I thought the shoe adverts were quite funny and they let me help write them as well, so I don't have a problem with 1t at all".

He contmues, "my tour is sponsored by the Dally Telegraph and that doesn't bother me e1ther because it doesn't effect the content of the show. But I do worry about comedians. and I won't mention any names, who calls themselves Marx1sts and then do ads. You know, these people are basically working class voices for hire.

You know. there's selling out and there's selling out. I've done the Royal Vanety Show, you can't sell out more than that."

Wednesday, October 4 , 2000

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lii The Czars As Sorted joins t he ranks of British clubland films, Adam Chapman talks to its director, Alex Jovy lex Jovy is a rather dour man to interview. A bad back and a recent acupuncture session have left in him in a very serious mood as he publicises his first feature film, Sorted. starring Matthew Rhys and Jason Donavon, a "t hriller love story'' set in London's clubland. Add to this a "frantic" last minute slew of interviews to do and we have an almost subdued. rare ly animated director. Wh ich makes for a lot of fun all round .. .

Born in Germany and resident in England for the past fifteen years Alex Jovy graduated from law school at York and after deciding that he was too creative to follow up a legal career and that his fellow students "just didn't have anything to say when it came to anyth ing ere-

A

Denver-based classic songsmiths The Czars are supporting David Gray in the LCR on Sunday, October 15.

Want to meet them?

Describe your music In five words Flexible, introspective , dynamic, melancholy, optimistic.

Who are your Influences?

We're b1g Cocteau Twins fans, and one of my hugest influences is Kraftwerk. Also Throwing Muses, Jeff Buckley, Nina Simone .

Which song do you wish you'd written?

That 's a great question. I would say a Rad1ohead song from OK Computer, but I can 't remember what it's called. No, I wish I had written a song called Dirty Water, by Throwing Muses .

Who would you most like to be stuck In a lift with and why?

Kristen Hersh, because I worship her as a musician , and I want to dissect her mentally . You know, and just stare at her.

"Then there's the cocaine binges that last from ten at night until two in the morning... but it's pretty nasty" Wha t's your Idea of heaven?

Ignorance, I guess. No self-analysis, and finding the right sound. My mind is always work ing at a million miles an hour. and I'd like to be sort of oblivious to everything.

What 's you idea of hell?

Agoraphobia .

What 's the most rock 'n'roll thing you 've ever done?

Oh, I have the most perfect answer for that, but I can't tell you ... it would ruin my life. There were no animals or children mvolved though. Let me think about our European tour ... we went into a strip club in Pans. and got into a brawl because we didn't have enough money. They were charging us something like £150 for two glasses of orange juice. Then our producer Giles got into a physical brawl with one of the bouncers, it was sort of a nasty mess. Or then there 's the cocame b1nges that last from t en at night until two in the morning or whatever. But it's a pretty nasty drug.

When did you last cry?

Actually, we were just talking about that last night . The last time I real ly cried was at my mother's funeral. That was in 1995.

When did you last laugh?

I do that all the time, but I guess the last good laugh I had was when I was reading American Psycho the other day, and I came across this paragraph .. .let me read it to you. ( proceeds to look for it for about twenty minutes, t hen reads it out] it's hil arious.

Steve Colllns

"I just want to entertain.

I don't have any hard intellectual ambitions ... it's not an arthouse project" ative", he decided to follow a career in film .

Probably a wise move that one, as his first foray into filmmaking, as producer on the short film Holiday Romance, earned an Oscar nomination, an achievement he is apparently very moved by, " I never even dreamt at even having a shot at it, and then to get it for the first project I was so overwhelmed and it was pretty emotional". I'll take you on your word there A lex ...

The Oscar nomination d1d not open up as many doors as Jovy would have liked, as funding for Sorted was still very difficult, relying on the promise of a bi g name star who never materialised . There was not as much attention as Jovy had hoped. "Because I had produced rather than directed a lot of people liked the film but spoke to the director about it. But I had never been to film school so that played a big part in it". Once funding was found this proved to be a blessing. "I cou ld then cast the film the way I wanted to. To me it didn't matter who they were and what they had done and what they hadn't done" .

This is probably a healthy attitude to have if one considers the casting of Kelly Brook (i n a cameo so don't worry) and Jason Donovan (Neighbours mullet, West-end performances sans mullet and not much else) as drag queen Martin (not. I fee l, a very drag-queeny name).

Surprisingly, though, it is Donovan who g1ves one of the film's standout performances . lt seems a tad iron1c, though, that the man who once sued The Face over gay allegations should turn up playing a drag queen.

Surely that would have been a worry?

"Absolutely, but Jason has the attitude that he just doesn't care and l1e gives it his best and I think that shows. I guess you always need an angle and that's k md of sad but I·m real ly hoping that Sorted will give him a chance to re-establish h1mself".

There is always the fear though that Sorted will become known as the one where Kelly Brook shrugs off her Big Breakfast defeat at the hands of Lisa " I look like my dad in a skirt" Tarbuck and the bloke who used to snog Kylie when she wore dungarees camps it up. This suggestion doesn't sit very well with our Mr. Jovy. " I really don't care. Ke lly did a good job [not a mean feat considering she has about two minutes screen time requiring her to look sexy in a dress that bears a startling resemblance to underwear] and so did Jason . I just want to entertain. I don't have any hard intellectual ambitions ... it's not an art-house project" . This point is glaringly obvious on viewing the film. Whil st very stylish in part s, boasting solid performances from Matthew Rhy s and Faye Masterson there is something missing at the core of the film, perhaps because the love affair between the two central characters, Rhys and professional front page girlfriend Sienna Gui llory, is never fully developed, leaving the fina l c limax somewhat hollow .The story follows the jou rney of a Scunthorpe lawyer, earl ( Rhys) who travels down to London to tie up the affairs of his deceased brother Justin, only to find himself embroiled in the drug-fuelled London club scene as he seeks out the truth as to why his brother died. Sorted also boasts a career- worst performance from Tim Curry (who should be stripped of his Equity card next time he goes through customs and flogged within an

"Jason Donovan gives a standout performance as a drag queen called Martin" inch of his life) as drug baron and cardboard cutout lain Damian , and the funniest cameo by Tim Vincent as earl's dead brother (a bit of a stretch th is one ... Vincent playing a corpse, he does a pretty good impression of one in Emmerdale every week nig ht ). However, there is a certain sty le to the proceedings that manages to keep the viewer watching, the club scenes in particular, filmed at Ministry to keep the scenes as authentic as possible. According to Jovy this is tied in with his whole attitude to his job. " For me film-making is about bringing somethi ng out that might entertain on a Friday or Saturday night , and you don't have to come out being too strongly moved but you might have been captured for an hour and a half".

Jovy's mood could be put down to stress, a bad back or the fact that film-making has become "a 24 hour thing ", not allowing him to do much else. You'll have to excuse me , though, for reserving judgement on his next project , a comedy. He really was that charismatic.

lnfocus

7

Ill

Like shell suits and mullets, Bjorn Again are huge in Norwich. So Astrid Goldsmith spoke to Benny Anderwear. She didn't expect this .. .

HI Bemy, how's the tour goqp Very well indeed. We've been sold out nearly everywhere. We've been going about 15 days...our costumes smell a bit.

How naJY clmges of costm1e do you have a n/g/lt1 23. We just perform one song. it's a very long sorg.

And when someone has a solo, the others get changed and come back. [ lorg pause] You do realise that I'm jokirg, don't you?

Yes Bemy. Have you had aJy disasters so far on the tour?

Yes. We're in Tunbri~e Wells at the moment, we got here last night. When we arrived, our sandwiches were on the wrong side of the room. Quite outrageous.

Did you throw a pop star tantrum?

We did. We got some water and we threw it on the floor. And then we mopped it up quite angrily.

Rock'n'rolll You have a very sexy voice you know.

Thank you Bemy. Have you evet met you cover band, Bjom Ag;lln?

Well, hang on a minute. I think you've been sniffirg too much hot milk, because you're completely nutty. We are Bjom Again. If you are implyirg that we are ABBA , then you are completely wrorg.

Ok, In that case, have you ever met ABBA? Yes, about six years ago now. Only the men though.

We liked them. They think we're incredibly talented, very funny. We are. Really. We're also very popular with the women of Er-gland. Especially kind of studenty type people.

Do you have any #fJUples then?

Well, you. Yes, we do have groupies. They're the same ones, and we pay them to turn up to every show.

Do some people mistake you for ABBA1 Yes. Well you just did earlier. So it's a bit of a silly question. Next question please.

OK. What are your favourite sorgs from your live set?

I tend to like the ones that are a bit heavier. There are moments when the girls leave the stage, and Bjom and I kind of take it to a new dimension. We are the foremost rock and roll gods the world has ever known.

Do you know, you're making me a very happy man. Did you know it's my birthday today?

Happy birthday Benny. I'm 19, can I ask how old you are?

I'm 19 also. I have to say, you sound like a very nice 19 year old. I don't mean this in any rude way at all, but tell me what you look like.

Um.. .l'm 5'3" with green eyes and spiky hair. And I know what you look like because we were sent pictures of you.

Well I haven't got a photo of you. That seems incredibly unfair. Are you going to be at Norwich when we play?

Yeah, probably.

Will you come and say hello to a very folom and somewhat desperate Benny?

Er... OK. Well that would be extremely nice. Honestly, you have truly lit my cake.

"Rock and roll tantrums?

We once got some water and we threw it on the floor. And then we mopped it up, quite angrily" Well, I 'm glad to have made you happy.

That would be an understatement. You know, there are people who have a million pounds and live in a mansion, and currently have an endless stream of Jerry Springer tapes who are less happy than you have made me. Jerry Springer doesn't make me very happy, I like simple programmes like Delia Smith's guide to Rock'n'Roll.

Um... what's 'Banga ~about, Benny?

Yes. This sorg is about a boomerang, something which comes back to you. But then you get bored of it, so you bang it.

What do you mean, ·~ lt' - In Erf:land, 'batvf Is another wonl for seK.

Really? Wow. I'm blushirg. But only today in the shoppirg centre, I shouted it out to Bjom. I got some very strarge looks and now I know why. I had no idea what it meant, I'm quite shocked, but even more looking forward to meeting you. When are we coming to Norwich? Not soon enough.

Do you evet find yourself thlnkttg that you really are Benny1 Yes, every morning. That's a ridiculous question. Do you ever find yourself thinking that you are Astrid?

Yeah, but I am really Astrld.

Yeah, well I am really Benny.

But you're not In ABBA. There isn't only one Benny in the world. He, Benny

Anderson, is one, Benny Anderwear is another. I am me when I wake up, I am me when I'm driving my Robin Reliant and when I am buyit11; little knick-knacks to put on my mantlepiece.

Rlglrt, my final question. You must have etiOC.IIlfl money and t.wne by now, why do you conttlue toulfng?

I do have enough money. I don't really think about the fame. We are so incredibly famous, it would be a bit scary to think that we are more famous than fame itself. So I don't. I just like to think we can spread love and glitter around the world. We lead the world in so many ways, you know- fashion, music, good humour.

Even when we are 65, we will still be doit11; this. Only maybe a little bit slower.

Hm m m m m m m m m ...

Muse sound like Radiohead did when Radiohead used to sound like Radiohead. Or something. Steve Quirke tried to cheer them up a bit aside towns eh? A bit crap really. othing but candy floss, kiss-mequick hats and political party conferences. Fun to visit- just to be, y'know, ironic, but you wouldn't want to actually live there. However, if you were in the band Muse, you 'd actually have to. And it wouldn't even be somewhere good like Brighton: try Teignmouth, near Torquay. A town that's cold and dull in the summer, and cold, wet and extremely dull in the winter. No wonder Muse are fed up.

S

Muse are Mathew Bellamy (vocals, guitars, keyboards) , Chris Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals) and Dominic Howard on drums. Matt, Dom and Chris have been in bands together since their early teens. First as Gothic Plague then as Fixed Penalty, then as Rocket Baby Dolls. They'd play anywhere from the Cavern club in Exeter (the only decent venue in Devon apparently) to local pubs and bars. lt wasn't until their friends all started leaving for university that getting serious, gettit11;

signed and getting the hell out of Teignmouth changed from nice idea to absolute necessity. So they changed their name again - this time to Muse - got serious, got signed, got huge. That's one way out, I guess. So in the spirit of friends headit11; for University, and the ultimate in first year questions, I dr~ed lead singer Matt Bellamy <may from recordi!11; the second album and asked about his A~evels: "I sort of dropped out of A~evels. I did two.

I did music and media studies and I got 2 C's. I only did A~evels 'cos it was free education." But higher education's loss was the rabid Muse fan's gain. And God knows, there's a lot of them lurking around the Internet.

Dedicated fans with time to produce a Matt Bellamy stalker page must have a reason for their dedication. What's all the fuss about? What do Muse sound like anyway? Matt ·s answer didn't leave me any the wiser: "it's sort of like alienspace-punk-rock with experimental madness

indi&pe>p metal. it's like a cross between Jeff Buckley and Rage against the Machine in places. In other areas it can sound like somethirg between David Bowie and Roxy Music." All bases covered there, with the exception of opera, Steps and Britney Spears. Oh, and, er ... Radiohead? "People make sweeping comparisons just because ofthe voice, and to me it's like a normal singing voice." He continues, "I think the fact that they 're a five piece ... and the

"Advice for uni?

Get laid as much as possible, experiment with drugs, and drink a lot in the first year!" direction they're goirg in now - I think the stuff they're doirg there is an area I don't think we'd ever be in. In tenms of the concept and the feel and the vibe I don't think we could be more different to be honest." Usten to their newly re-released single, Muscle Museum, and make up your own mind.

World domination is on the way, though. As you may have read elsewhere, Muse have just returned from tourirg with The Red Hot

Chilli Peppers and the Foo Fighters. A little different from Torquay? "it was like a full on big rock experience. Most of the stadiums were about 25,000 capacity and every time we're on stage it's like playing to this mass of people who didn't know us. That's quite scary, but it was good fun." I'd always thought that touring with the Chill is would be pretty crazy, but all Matt had to say was "They were all nice guys." Short and to the point I suppose, but a surprisingly brief answer for a man who admits "I was a big fan of the Chilli Peppers when I was much younger." What's really disappointing, however, is that the most rock 'n' roll thing that Matt will admit to is singirg karaoke in a seedy bar. Matt did the honours on Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, leaving Dave Grohl to do what exactly? Harmonies? Backing vocals? Matt's answer is far more frighteni!11;: "mostly Guns n' Roses songs... " Christ.

With the interview dr<ming to a close, I asked crazy karaoke queen Matt for advice for UEA 's reN first years. I was expecting to hear something like 'don't make an idiot of yourself in a karaoke bar with American rock stars', but Matt's actual response was far more interestil"€: "Get laid as much as possible, experiment with drugs, and drink a lot in the first year, because the last two years are gonna be a time when you've really got to work." Sobering advice indeed, from a band destined for big things. Or if not, there's always karaoke.

Wednesday, October 4 , 2000

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With the News At Ten making a surprise return to ITV next year after it's short vacation , Kathryn Hinchliff asks whether tv bosses are thinking of the public or simply appeasing advertisers ... ret urns it will not be the News At Ten , but the ITV Nightly News , only twenty minutes long , but with no commercial break , and only on at 10pm three nights a week, remaining at 11pm the rest of the time. Longer reports will have to be forsaken because of the time allocated, but it will be extended to half an hour at election time and when major news stories are breaking. it rather makes one wonder if there 's really any point.

Anyway , the ITC got their way (sort of) and , as for ITV and the advertisers, they managed to wrangle an extra two and a half minutes of prime-time advertising space, to compensate for the 拢70 million David Liddiment claims to have gained from losing News At Ten. Two and a half minutes might not look like much on paper, but in real terms t hat means, for example, an extra thirty seconds of shampoo adverts (or other products considered womanly) in the mi ddle of Coronation Street,

The loss of ratings was a major concern to the ad vertisers who were paying for prime-time advertising but not getting the viewers At 10pm prompt , on a week night in January 2001, News At Ten will materialize back ont o our screens, only tw o years after it departed. Having not really notic ed its disappearance in t he first place, the last eig hteen months wi t hout the daily dose of Big Ben bang s and Trevor Mc Donald, seem more like tw o. For Trevor fans in particular, the loss of News At Ten coul d only have been a good thing, w ith th e present news schedule delivering him at both 6.30 and 11pm in t he evening and giving him his own current affairs show on a Wednesday night. Nonetheless whether the viewers want it or not, care about it or not, News At Ten is coming back, and another major scheduling reshuffle will take place as a result.

Ratings were the original reason for David

Li ddiment, di rector of ITV programming, disposing of News At Ten. They were dropping generally for most news programmes and that slot in particular was steadily losing out to the competition provided by digital and Sky, in more and more multichannel homes; especially as ITV is not currently available on Sky Digital and not likely to be in the near future. The loss of ratings was a major concern to the advertisers who were basically paying for prime-time advertising but not getting the amount of viewers assoc iated with a prime-time slot . However, having moved the news to eleven o'clock, Liddiment neglected to make good use of the available space, failing to produce innovative and exciting new television as promised, instead recycling old crap such as Taggart and Inspector Morse repeats. Under the 路new'

Liddiment neglected to make good use of the available space, .. .instead he is recycling old crap heading the channel brought us Lilly Live! between 9.30 and 10.20pm on a Sat urday night - apparently an ente rta inments extravaganza which has completely bombed due to, wait for it, being on at the wrong time! Obviously, the advertising groups we re st ill not appeased.

Unfort unately, rather than axi ng Lily Savage, we wi ll be forced to watch it at 10.20, where, it seems, it is more likely to find its t rue audience, whoever t hat might be.

The Independent Telev ision Commission was demanding the return of News At Ten for thei r own reason s, presumably for the great er good of t he general publ ic or something . A stal emate between ITV and the ITC ensued with the threat of an unprecedented judicial rev iew, if the situation wasn't resol ved soon. The result : a comprom ise and a News At Ten like we've never seen before.

The differen ces? Well, w hen it

which is definitely not for the "greater good of the general public ." it is, however, setting t he ball rolling for a situation similar to American television, where the adverts last longer than the programmes.

This solution seems to suggest that news scheduling is being controlled by advertisers, not by when the best slot for the news is, ie. when it will be watched by t he most people. David Liddiment is still adamant that 6.30pm and 11pm are the best times for the news and that ITV ratings have gone up since last year. But, then t his is hardly a surprising event, considering it always takes a period of time for a new programme to set tle down and find an audience. Advertising is not the only factor controlling the slots, however, as viewing figures are increasingly being put ahead of quality and structure as well. This is not an acceptable situation with news and current affairs programmes, where qual ity should be paramount regardless of ratings . Someone who does believe that the best time for the news is at 10.00pm is Greg Dyke, director general of the BBC, who announced his plans to launch a BBC equivalent to the News At Ten late last month at the Edinburgh International Television festival. ITV 's latest proclamation must have come as a bit of a blow, but he is determined to go head to head with them if necessary. This is something that can only do damage to both flagship news programmes and leave them open t o competition from other, non-terrestrial , channels, any of whom could easily launch a 9pm news and steal viewers from both BBC and ITV. Obviously, somebody in TV-Iand cares about what time the news is on enough to take the risk.

However, wit h increased subscription to digital channels, it's difficu lt t o believe that anybody is really interested in wh at time t he news is on.

Students will watch the news because they are too lazy to do anything else.

The BBC and Sky provide news twenty four hours a day, allowing peopl e to can catch up on the days events whenever they want . If peopl e t une in t o the News At Ten it is more likely to be bec ause they j ust happened t o be watching that channel anyway , and couldn 't be bothered to pic k up the remote and see if there is anything worth watc hing on the oth er side. As far as student s are

concerned this theory definitely applies, they will watch the news because the are too lazy to do anything else, although, they may specifically tune in to Newsnight - if only because Jeremy Paxman's persistent manner provides amusement and watching it gives them something interesting to say in seminars, creating an illusion of Intelligence .

But, seriously, to think that the slot movement of just one programme has caused such a huge corporate headache cou pled with a media frenzy seems slight ly ridiculous, because frankly, the idea that News At Ten was an institution loved and missed by everyone is news to me.

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Ever wondered why most movie adaptations of comic books are never as good as the original? Ever wondered why comic book fans are so sad and complain at everything? Well, Jim Whalley has the answers ... he tag lines for summer blockbusters rarely have much to say about anything, including the film they are actually supposed to be advertising. A stunning example of this is 'Get Lost' for Lost in Space. Succinct and very much to the (very much missed) point. But it 's hard not to imagine that whoever devised the slogan to this summer's XMen didn't have wider issues on their mind than the perpetual struggle betwixt good and misguided mutants on a fictional Earth. "Trust a Few Fear the Rest" screamed posters on billboards and bus shelters around the world and when it comes to comic book adaptations, of which XMen is a particularly high-profile example, that's pretty astute advice.

Comic books have been the origin for some of the most stinking garbage ever allowed onto the silver screen, from Spawn to Barb Wire, The Phantom to Howard the Duck. Producers seldom fail to take an original, occasionally cool idea with a built in audience and turn it into excrement even die-hard fans of the comic dare not

T

"lt is often these die-hard fans who start the backlash ... taking their hands out of their trousers for a brief second to spread bad word on the latest adaptation" view. The constant fear for filmmakers is that by staying faithful to the source text they will create a movie incomprehensible to the general public.

In fact it is often these die-hard comic fans who start the backlash ... taking their hands out of their trousers for a brief second and utilising their trusty computers to spread bad word on the latest adaptation.

When a title has been running weekly for more than fifty years (in the cases of Batman and Superman) that can mean a great deal more character development than can easily be shoe-horned into two hours of effects-driven entertainment.

Frequently the solution is to take the essence of the comic and work from there. In the case of Barb Wire this meant breasts, the result, predictably, being Pamela Anderson and indirectly, a plot ripped off from Casablanca. In the case of The Phantom this meant purple spandex (yum), the result being something Billy Zane would definitely like you to forget. Neither film shook the

world. But at least, because they were based on two of the more obscure and antiquated entries in the comic universe, no one really cared.

Something that cannot be said of Judge Dredd.

When the film adaptation of Judge Dredd, pseudofascist anti-hero of 2000AD magazine, was announced, people, generally, were excited. Sly Stallone had been recruited as the Judge and the producers even found an Englishman (Danny Cannon) who had read the comic to direct. Then, (sacrilege of all things sacramental) word emerged that in the film Dredd would take his helmet off. Repeatedly . To fans of the comic this was wholly unacceptable. In all the years he had been practising his extreme form of justice, Dredd had kept his face-covering helmet securely in place . Just because he now looked like Rocky was no reason to stop. Add to this the fact that he acquired both a comedy catch phrase ("I knew you were going to say that") and a lame comedy sidekick (Rob Schneider in sutrDeuce Bigalow form) and you have the ultimate in movie boycotts. To this day they probably have no idea exactly how bad a director Danny Cannon is.

Unless they saw the equally dire I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. The poor fools.

All of which begs the question: if turning comics into films usually culminates in cinematic dross, then why do supposedly intelligent people continue to throw away hundreds of millions of dollars in that very activity? The answer, in a word, is Batman.

Batman was the highest grossing fi lm of 1989 by a very long way . Through the use of unprecedented expenditure on marketing, special effects and cast (Jack Nicholson is thought to have ended up with around $60 million) and the near unique deployment of a quality director (Tim Burton), Warner Bros were credited with perfecting the blockbuster. Their reward was that most holy of Hollywood cash cows, a franchise. Studios like nothing more than to sit back and pump out sequel after sequel into successful films. Why else would Christopher Reeve have found so much work. And as Superman proved, the episodic nature of comic books provides the perfect platform. Never mind that by the third film any pretence of quality has long since vanished as by that time audiences usually feel an obligation to attend. Even if they are the first in a (potential) series, adaptations are now being made with open endings that demand a sequel. Sometimes this works (as with Blade) and sometimes it quite blatantly does not (will Mr.Stallone please stand up).

Suddenly, though, every studio wants a superhero series of their own. Perhaps they were waiting for the Batman franchise to decline. The second the dust settled on the disaster that was Batman and Robin (exactly who in the hell keeps employing Joel Shumacher?), Fox 2000 finally decided to put X-Men into production. Sony then followed suit by announcing their intention to bring Spiderman to the screen .

New

Line are making From Hell with Johnny Depp and Universal are seriously considering Ghost Rider. Even Warner Bras are throwing their hat into the ring, taking their pointy-eared bachelor in black back to his roots with Batman: Year One, directed by Darren Aronofsky. And the good news is that some of them might be reasonably entertaining, if X-Men is any indication. Rather than commit the sins of the past, Fox copied Warner Bras template, spending a fortune wherever possible and forking out for a director with class (Bryan 'Usual Suspects' Singer) . As a result, X-Men is fast, inoffensive and actually displays a modicum of intelligence. Sure, the fans may initially have hated the new costumes (it would seem that, for super-

"For all their figure hugging clothes and unrealistic biceps superheroes really can make excellent film stars" heroes you should forget your browns and your greys, the new black is actually black), but they couldn't argue that lt was, in any sense, a bad movie. Regardless of recent optimism, though, attempts to revamp Superman starring Nicolas Cage have crashed and burned thanks to a spiralling budget and terrible script. Our trust is far from having been earned.

Although comic book fans appear to have a severe sense of humour deficit (ironic considering most of them are middle-aged and something of a joke themselves). lt would appear that all these fans seem to want is a bit of respect, as the Judge Dredd debacle proved .. And the weird thing is, staying true to the spirit of the original does generally produce a better movie. For all their figure hugging clothes (a fetishist's wet dream come true) and unrealistic biceps, superheroes really can make excellent film stars ... the emphasis, of course, resting on the word "can". The protr lem being that, due to mismanagement, they usually don't. .~

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COMPACT DISCS • RECORDS MOR£ THAN VIDEOS • BOOKS • MAGAZINES ~QJ~:PCP ~ AUTOGRAPHS • FILM • SPORT ~ AND MUSIC MEMORABILIA MUCH

CJ

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

In si ht

10

sKnowledge

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Happy M ondays

Modern pop is not all S Club 7 and Daphne & Celeste, you know. The popularity of moany bands like Radiohead, Coldplay and Muse has got Mia Vigar all worried ... poor lamb.

What 's the big fuss then ?

At the turn of the last decade The Happy Mondays, alongside the Stone Roses, were ha1led as the true saviours of alternative music with their distinctive brand of brash indiejdance crossover. Formed in Manchester (where else) by frontman Shaun Ryder, the Mondays consisted of Ryder's brother and his best pal along for the ride, the ecstasy-fuelled dancer Bez. They have endured so many splits and re-groupings over the years that they are now mere parodies of their former selves, almost a tribute band, seemingly only interested now in making a quick buck.

Who did what?

Just about every drug avai lable to human consumption and then some. lt shows. Also made some top music along the way, peaking with 1990's Pills 'n' Thrills ·n· Bel/yaches album which contains classics even the stiffest person would have a jig to, such as Step On and Kinky Afro. However, with the highs came the lows, which included (and still Includes) drug addiction and almost singlehandedly putting Factory Records out of business with their fourth LP, Yes Please. which took an age to make and cost a bomb.

After the demise of Shaun's second band, Black Grape, they have once more reformed in order to "pay the bills". as Shaun shamelessly admitted.

Sold a few records then ?

Yes. particularly 1n the Pills ·n· Thrills era. but never enough to fully pay for the1r extensive extra-curncular activities · hence the current get together. Still pulling the crowds in, though, w1th another greatest hits LP, and they also supported their fellow Mancunian drug-lovers Oasis in July. play1ng 1n front of 80 .000 people.

Which Is best?

Pills ·n· Thrills IS generally regarded as their best · mamly because it's got all the1r most popular trac'-s on 1t. However. Bummed also frequently graces ·greatest album ever' surveys.

Talented blokes or complete muppets?

A bit of both, really, which is all part of their charm. There was always more to them than JUSt the music, such as policeman's son Bez serving no other purpose at all than dancing, maracas in hand, like a jack-ass. And who could forget Shaun's classy s1delme as a Dally Sport columnist.

In retrospect

I'm thirty/ 1 only went with your mother cos she 's dirty · Kinky Afro Brlan Fraln

devout fans of Richey Edwards are also feeling an affinity with Mark Greaney. ost people can remember that April day in 1994 when 'Generation X' lost its saviour, Kurt Cobain. Cobain had become a hero for teenagers who needed someone 'real' to identify with, when they felt they were being treated unfairly by the society forced upon them. lt was no surprise, then, that after his assumed suicide, reports of young fans of Nirvana choosing to end their lives began surfacing in the press, and it was (and still is) frequently suggested that such distant tragedies which young people are exposed to may breed a copycat mentality. The link between the icon and the public is c losely connected. and whilst musical trends in bands are usually reactions to developments in society, the opposite must, by implication, also be an issue. Yet how much is this kind of situation facilitated by lazy journalism which, in seeking to group bands into 'movements·, ·cultures' and so on, finds reference points for new acts which inevitably disinter the memories of real human tragedy?

After the death of Cobain, and grunge, came Brit pop. Yet now, the once ubiquitous music craze that spawned a happy-go-lucky lad culture seems to have been almost replaced by the more sensitive side of guitar pop, transmuting into the whimsical melancholy of Travis' Why Does lt Always Rain On Me?. The 'why me?' mentality has once again spread through the indie army like a landslide, and it is snowballing into similar territory to that covered 1n the mid-nineties. lt seems that now that the country has been

M

he definitive recipe for modern angst rock is as followed: Two parts Radiohead to one part Manic Street Preachers, a heaped spoonful of Jeff Buckley, and a sprinkle of Nirvana for good measure. Season to taste with Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, or Joy Division. Although not an original cuisine, it is one that proves popular amongst the rush of indie bands currently surfacing. JJ72, Coldplay, Terris, Doves and Muse are all advocates of the post-Buckley school of sensitivity,and it is this recipe they all seem to have a copy of.

Coldplay are the band of the moment. Chris Martin has every reason to be a very happy man .

Just months earlier, the not-very-well-known-at-all Coldplay shared a gig at the Norwich Art Centre with buzz-band of the month, Terris. Over the summer they have stormed into the world of popular music. So popular, 1n fact, that their acclaimed debut LP, Parachutes briefly flirted with the number one spot in the album charts.

The charmingly mnocent song of unrequited love.

Yellow, ensured Coldplay became a household name. ·we live in a beautiful world' sang Chris. and for them 1t seemed to be so. Their fellow indie-peers must be green with envy. 'This is the

T

"This is the music of hearts and souls" mus1c of hearts and souls ' wrote the music press, tripping over their frowns to kiss the shuffling heels of Mr. Martin and co.

Also nipping at said heels are Irish band JJ72, headed Mark Greaney. the seemingly tormented genius behind the sad songs. Critics are eager to lavish titles like 'The New Joy Division' , and more often 'The New Man1c Street Preachers' on them, and we might argue that like their antecedants, these melancholy songstrels have entered a musical arena stained with the gory memories of past troubled troubadours. But why , exactly, are these reference points repeatedly wheel out time and again? Is 1t simply the music - or something altogether more sinister?

Such considerations might seem almost as disturbing as the music itself. lt is true that Mark Greaney's lyncs are not unlike those written five years before by Richey James Edwards, a man famous for slashing '4 Real' into his arm in an NME interview at Norwich Arts Centre (see photo). Not stopping there with his displays of self-abuse. he sliced his torso open on stage with knives given to him by a fan whilst on tour in Thailand. Worries of how the media representation of such public self-harm by a youth icon might affect fans· own behaviour were exacerbated following Edwards' dissappearance in January 1995, when he left his London hotel and went missing. Both the NME and Melody Maker instantly started receiving a flood of confessional. desperate letters from distraught fans , some of which told of suicidal feelings and patterns of self-harm. Letters written in blood arrived in the post, whilst others sent in used razor blades. Both newspapers immediately began running features on the apparent 'culture of despa1r' that seemed to be emerging, tracing

Wednesday, October 4 , 2000

the painful heredity back through messrs Cobain and Curtis to Nick Drake, Janis Joplin et al.

Such, then, is the lineage of ·angst' in rock. But if we are to take the blunt compass of hacky cynicism to such comparisons and scratch just a little beneath the scarred surface, we might perhaps conclude that the reference points are. in the main, not so much musical as biographical. Musically, the tortured family tree that has been retrospectively traced down from branch to root in light of Edwards' dissappearance seems to have little form; the branches just don't seem to fit. Just listen to JJ72 back to back with Nick Drake- what connection or similarity are we supposed to be hearing here? The tragedy of Drake's, Cobain's, Curtis' and Edwards' lives is, it seems, being used as little more than an aesthetic 'hook·. The reference point is not so much the music. but the deaths . The comparisons seem almost to be urging on another 'culture of despair '. What, we might wonder, will it take, this time, to get the blood-penned letters flooding in? Another sickeningly 'martyrized' suicide?

JJ72 are scornful about the music press linking them so often to The Man1cs, but on JJ72's official website. fans were exchanging messages going by the names 'Rich1eManicG1rl', and more disturbingly. '4 Real'. lt would seem some more

"What will it take this time to get the bloodpenned letters flooding in?"

Britpopped out for the t1me being, young people are finding they can 1dent1fy better with the angst-revival that seems to be on the up. What we are seemg now IS a more 'sensitive' side of guitar bands in the UK, all eager to ride the waves of Radiohead and Travis. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but 1t's easy to ignore t11e point at which genres become people when you're too busy humming along.

Is 1t true then, that we do live in an age of anxiety? Or is it once again a product of journalistiC confusion between cultural crossreferencing and individual people's problems?

True, bands often tune 1n to the climate of the times. The pressures of conformity to a capitalist society in the seventies produced punk. lt was out of this era that Joy Division came, taking a step away from the anger, and instead exploring a world of mood and melancholy, offering an alternative expression of discomfort. The Manic Street Preachers wrote 1n the Nmet1es about politics. the class system and human nghts issues such as abortion, which were felt also by the buying public . Radiohead were uniquely adept at expressing the anxiet1es of entering a technological and superficial age with their masterpiece OK Computer. Now we are faced with the pressures to analyse ourselves, to 'open up' and to answer the 'why me?' questions . But which came first , the angst or the music?

Either way, as the new bands line up to keep this apparently cyclical question from resolv1ng itself, the trends in modern rock music will change once more, as long as the press acts as the catalyst. Until then, remember to stock up on the Kleenex.

l

__ evet n het __________ , _ _. · ... l!t _____ ~ns•s -

Xbox: Kooky but tough

Dreamcast: Old master

I

And in the silver corner...

With new tangled games consoles coming out constantly competition is really hotting up. Jim Whalley stepped into the fray to take a look at the main contenders. ow can 200,000 people be wrong? There is little doubt that Sony won the last round of the console war. Although not wanting to mix metaphors, back in 1995 it was a three horse race; console giants Sega and Nintendo against new boys Sony, taking their first steps into computer games, having mastered every other field in electronics.

The first battle was between Sega (quietly confident thanks to their previous success with the Megadrive) and Sony. With two similar consoles the smart money was on Sega's Saturn. However, the smart money was way off. Sega had dangerously underestimated the opposition.

Although they were the first to get their machine on the market, they neglected to recruit the th ird party support - independent software publishers required to produce a constant stream of software .

H

"They assumed the Sega name would be enough but the Saturn was under marketed" They assumed the Sega name would be enough to draw companies in, but the Saturn was difficult to programme for and under-marketed. Sony, arriving a couple of months later, learned from their rival's mistakes. Their Playstation was awash with support and a programmer's dream. Despite both having 32-bit power, games looked better on Playstation and, thanks to blanket TV and press advertising, people knew about them. In the crucial Christmas buying period, Sony kicked ass. The Saturn was dead in less than a year. Suddenly Nintendo, with their more powerful 64-bit console still a year away, were worried. Adverts were published, urging the public to wait, insisting that when it finally appeared the Nintendo 64 would make its rivals appear positively antiquated. Regrettably, no one listened. The N64 is still holding on, but only just.

There are now 100 million Playstations in homes around the world. This is the situation as now, five years later, the conflict starts all over again.

Six months ago, if you asked Joe Public what console he or she was going to buy next the answer would be immediate.

Information on the successor to Sony's world-beater was flowing freely, with its Japanese release imminent. Playstation2 would be 128-bit, backwardly compatable with original Playstation games and featuring a DVD player. People were understandably excited. lt will be released in Britain on November 24th, although your chances of walking into a store on that day

and buying one are, well, zero. Every Playstation2 scheduled for the first launch, around 200,000 units, has been pre-booked. Unless you've already been to Dixons and ordered yours, you'll be lucky to get one for Christmas. it's tempting to say these numbers are conclusive; that Sony has won.

Everyone else might as well give up and go home.

But, increasingly, it appears that every one of those 200,000 could have made a costly (£299.99 at the last count) mistake.

With Playstation, Sony's masterstroke was to change the public's perception of what a console should be. Where as previous generations of machine, such as the Megadrive and Super Nintendo, were pitched at garners - the generic term for teenage boys with spectacular skin problems - Playstation was portrayed as a lifestyle accessory. Suddenly gaming became cool. lt didn't matter that most of the games available for the platform were second rate at best. Every twentysomething in the land had to be seen to be in with the current trend. lt terms of software, Playstation was always weaker than its rivals. Other than a few key titles (namely Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo and Wipe Ou() it struggles desperately for quality, surviving, indeed thriving on sequel after sequel to mediocre franchises (FIFA and Tomb Raider being just two examples).

Exactly the same thing is occurring with Playstation2. Only this time the problems run deeper. At least Playstation was a technically proficient console. Its successor, however, is swamped with problems. Most of the early Japanese shipments had to be recalled because of faulty memory cards. The region-restrictions on the DVD player didn't work. Developers announced problems getting key graphical features to perform. Also, word quickly emerged much like the Saturn, Playstation2 is a devil programme for. Whatever theoretical power it contain, whether developers will be able to it practically is highly questionable. Fans of system point to forthcoming releases Metal Solid 2 and Gran Turismo 2000 evidence of what it can do. MGS

release and GT2000 is simply GT2 on the Playstation with improved graphics.

The path is open for Sony's rivals to regain their lost market shares and it appears they are taking full advantage of the opportunity. Sega's next generation system, Dreamcast has now been available for over a year and, despite having less

"If consoles are judged purely on the quality of their games then Nintendo have great prospects" processing speed than Sony, now have a huge library of genuinely first rate and innovative titles with many more on the horizon . There is a game to beat Sony's offering in most genres. Soul Caliburfar out classes Tekken Tag Tournament, and Crash Bandicoot and Metropolis Street Racer should beat GT2000 into the floor.

If consoles are judged purely on the quality of their

r-----------·

games (and what other aspects really need to be judged?) then Nintendo also have great prospects.

In a recent chart by respected games magazine Edge, the N64 currently has the top three games of all time in Zelda 64, Mario 64 and Goldeneye.

When they finally get round to releasing their next console GameCube, people may finally realise exactly what they've been missing.

Most distressing of all for Sony is news that Microsoft also intend to enter the war. Their Xbox is scheduled for release late next year. At present over 150 developers have been signed up for the system, something Sony has not bothered to do, assuming the Sony name would be enough to attract them. Now where have we heard that before?

The only conclusion to be drawn is that the war is far from over. Despite their problems, Sony still have a very strong position. Whether they will continue to let it slide is by no means certain . But, it does seem odd to spend three hundred pounds on a system with crappy games and a less than brilliant DVD player, just because that's the brand you've used before.

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L------------~-------------~ Wednesday, October 4, 2000

12

pease stan "I'm sure you'll agree that I am not f-ing fat. I've put on weight because the truth of the matter is that before, I was underweight. I'm a victim.

I had to be skinny or I wouldn't be accepted"

I

l

"Fame can be very lonely.

One moment you' re performing in front of thousands of people, and then half an hour later you're sitting in your hotel room on your own "

think 'plain ' Is the word I'm looking for. As I'm ushered through the door by a helpful assistant, the room Is Incredibly ordinary. Its most outstanding contents are a bowl of fruit, some coffee and various herbal teas on the table, and bottles of mineral water neatly arranged In the corner. Oh , and a young scouser wearing no make-up, with her hair loosely tied back, who just happens to be a multi-millionaire and one of the most famous and recognised women In the world.

I

Melanie Chisholm is, of course, one of the more successful solo Spices . But whereas high profile marriages and splits, births and excesses have ensured that at least one of the other Spice Girls has been in the news at almost any given point during the last four years, Melanie c is different.

Regarded by many as the most talented of the four (or five), she is also one of the most down to earth people you could ever hope to meet. The drummer from her backing band sticks his head around the door and speaks to her as if she is one of the readies- as if Mel C (Me/ Cl) would want to know that there's a sound curfew until 5pm. I mean, come on, this is a proper, bona fide , twenty-four carat pop star we 're talking about here! But as I soon discovered when I met her, the erstwhile Adidas enthusiast is, well, pretty normal really.

The solo career that she is currently touring in support of has grown in strength from somewhat rocky beginnings at V99, to take in such venues as Wembley Arena, the Shepherds Bush Empire . and .. . the LCR at the University of East Anglia?

As I settle into a chair, and survey the smal l dressing room with a shower and toilet that takes

up most of the space ( " I'm in the bogs" . she informs me), I ask what has persuaded her to play a tour of this nature, when bigger venues are surely a more financially lucrative option . "I didn't think I'd be able to fil l the kind of places I'm used to playing with the Spice Girls". she responds .

She's undeniably modest . I quiz her further about the tour, ask ing whether it's an attempt to play to a more mature audience in order to change her image - but her replies indicate that she is simply performing for enjoyment . " I like playing shows like this. lt gives me a chance to play at places I've never been." Nonetheless, questions have been asked about whether her album and the singles released from it have been carefully ta ilored to appeal to all areas of the record-buying public. Elements of R+B, dance , northern soul , rock and guitar-based indie can be heard on

Wednesday, October 4 , 2000

Northern Star and it seems as if Melanie C has undergone more image changes than a chame leon with an identi ty crisis. Could these changes be at the behest of her record company, ever eager to cash in on the latest trend? I ask her whether she feels in control of her image.

Somewhat surprisingly, she replies 'no'. " I don't know f-all about hair and make-up" she says, "so if somebody says that they've got something that'll look really good on me, I'll do it ...

The Spice Girls have often been criticised for being pawns of the record industry - behind the facade of girl power are a lot of men in suits. But although the Spice Gi rls became very well known through a series of endorsements on top of their pop careers, it seemed as if contracts were the governing forces that dictated what they did.

Melanie is, however, keen to dispel this idea.

"We've never really had it that hard. I mean, we f-ing worked hard , and we had it hard in the early days, but because there was always such a demand for the Spice Girls even before we were signed to a record label , we had control. But

up.

something I would not do now is do all of the endorsements. But now, I'm a little bit older, I wouldn't do anyt hing to be famous. I am famous now, and I 'd real ly like to maintain t hat fame, but I've got more artistic freedom now. We don't regret anything but there are things we wouldn't do now. " So how many contractual obligations does Melanie C have in her ow n right? "None, really . You can get out of anything. We haven 't signed a manager at the moment - we have someone who manages us, but we employ them.

Everyt hing's negotiable. I've got a great lawyer."

Is that important? "Very import ant! You need someone to watch your back, big time. it's my livelihood. it's not a job to me, it's my life , my ambition, it's all I've ever wanted t o do. I lose th is and I've lost everythi ng. " A good lawyer wi ll no doubt have come in handy during Melanie's numerous ru n-ins with the t abloi d press. I ask her what her fee lings are about them. Cue laughter and a comment of " Ooh, t hat ol d chest nut " . Nonetheless, she gives vent t o her feelings with considerable venom.

"I f-ing hate them. I think t hey're way out of order; I think they're out of control, and I think that it's absolutely disgusti ng that t he Prime Minister hasn't done something about it before now_" But surely the tabloid press are also a necessary evi l, as they give you exposure to the max im um amount of people? Melanie, however, does not subscribe to th is view. " I may have been lead to believe that in the early days of the Spice Girls - 'you need them like they need us'- but it's bolloc ks. I don't use the m now. I don't need them. I really don't think the tabloids are necessary to be successful in music. I don't think t hey're necessary ful l stop. All t hey're full of is gossi p and lies, and the general publ ic th row aw ay 20 or 30p a day t o read a load of shit. You may as well get the ir four year old kids to write a f-ing fairy story because t hat's what they are.

On my life, I would say that 95% of t he things I read are not true."

At th is point, Melanie's personal assistant enters the room with a large suitcase . I am told that it conta ins " hai rdressing and makeu p shit". though it is clearly for her lat er performance- she isn't wearing any now. Right now, the Me I that adornscomplete lack of a celebrity demeanour is clear, as she herself admits: " I can't be arsed to wear makeup now - I'm not Joan Collins! " We move on to more specific aspects of the hack journalism she has been subjected to. You will almost certainly remember the criticism Melanie

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- -

13 would never have had the money behind it that it did to work with such fantastic people because they don't come cheap. " Clearly Melanie is thankful for the opportunities that have been presented to her through being in the Spice Girls, but she is more than prepared to fight her corner if her val idity as a solo artist is questioned. Two major music magazines have done this, and Melanie is not shy about venti ng her spleen.

"What really sickens me was when journal ists from Q and NME heard the masters, they were over the moon, they f--i ng loved it. They had me on the front cover of NME for V99, I was on the front cover of Q, big interview, big photo shoot , and they ' re bigging me up, how great I am, and as soon as their readers didn't like it - (adopts whiney voice again) 'why is a Spice Girl in th is magazine, because this magazine is supposed to be cool?', they completely slag us off. They

"What pisses me off is when lying bastards like the tabloids accuse me, who's a very honest person, of being a liar. lt's like, f- ing hell! You printed so many guys that I 'm supposed to have shagged that I've never even met!" received over her weight gain, and also the unfounded questioning of her sexuality. How does she deal with it? To her credit, she confronts the question and gives her lengthiest answer yet, though I get the sense that she inwardly bristles at the injustice of the allegations in question .

"To be honest , I've been quite lucky, considering the press attention the others get, especially Victoria and Mel , but I've been close to people who 've had to deal with it for a long time, and I've had to be supportive of people who are going through it. So I was sort of prepared, but you never know how it feels until it happens to you.

And when it did, I was angry because both of the issues were dealt with very badly." She addresses the weight gain criticism first: "I 'm sure you'll agree, I'm not f--ing fat. I've put on weight because the truth of the matter is that before, I was underweight. So I get to a healthy weight and they're criticising my weight gain.

There are kids out there who aspire to be like us with eating disorders or body image disorders. I'm a victim too- if I was famous, I had to be skinny or I wouldn't be accepted. And then when I got famous and thought 'I can't be arsed keeping skinny any more', the papers printing it was very unhealthy."

With scarcely a pause for breath, she's back on the offensive. "And then the sexuality thing: If I was a lesbian, so f-ing what? it's none of their business anyway. I thought it was very rude towards lesbians because at the time I had short hair, I've been quite muscular, I've got tattoos. it 's like 'Oh, that 's what a lesbian looks like'. I thought it was very backwards thinking. it's a bit back to the dark ages. You know, 'she's never seen with a boyfriend, her personal assistant's a woman, they must be gay'. I just thought it was disgusting."

What clearly irks her more though, is the suggestion that she is lying to people about her sexuality. "I'm not a liar. What pisses me off is when lying bastards like the tabloids accuse me, who's a very honest person, of bei ng a liar. it's like: F-ing hell! You printed so many guys that I'm supposed to have shagged that I've never even met! And you 're saying I 'm a lesbian but I'm not coming out . And I've got a lot of gay fans- a lot of fans come up to me and say 'when are you going to come out?' it's like: 'Never'! F--ing hell, maybe I should be a lesbian, but I'm not. it's water off a duck's back."

M

elanie C is obviously a strong character, with strong opinions and convictions.

With such a personality, you would think that men would queue up to be seen with her. But the whole (albeit extremely flimsy) substance behind the allegations of homosexuality was that she was almost never seen with a male compan ion or boyfriend. Our conversation turns to the lack of a companion in her life. Is fame an isolating experience? "it can be very lonely", she says. "One moment you're performing in front of thousands of people, and then half an hour later you're sitting in your

"I knew how good the album was. I know I can sing and I know I'm talented musically and have written a great album. But people see me as Sporty Spice"

"If I was a lesbian, so fing what? lt's none of the tabloids' business anyway"

AbOve:

She must be gay.

Below: Met loses the

wom~n.

tracky

stabbed me in the back , NME and Q. They were both really vicious to me, because their readers didn't like them giving me positive reviews . And now the Spice Girls are doing another Q cover shoot . I'm only doing it because it 's the Spice Girls - I wouldn't do it if it was for me ." Sensing a chance to link back to a previous question, I ask if she is contractually obliged surely she 's being dictated to here? Why do the shoot if she dislikes the magazine? But Melanie reveals a selfless streak to her nature in her response. "I'm morally obliged. The other girls want to do Q. We get the front cover of Q, it 's big. We get promot ion for the new album , but if it was Melanie C I wouldn't do it" . This attitude does her credit . For the good of the group, she seems willing to put her personal feelings aside.

We continue to talk about the Spice Girls. How have solo careers affected the group? "it 's made us a lot more tolerant of each other, because it's given us a little bit of time apart, and we were living in each other's pockets and we

"I f-ing hate the tabloid press. I think they're way out of order; You may as well get their four year old kids to write a f-ing fairy story because that's what they are"

hotel room on your own . You don't want to talk to your mum; you can't be arsed to talk to your mates. You just want to talk to that person . it 路s hard if you haven't got that person- it 's hard if you have got that person because you can't see them, so life' s shit! " The dilemma of having a high-profile relationship abruptly summed up in one sentence! "So concise" , I comment, laughing. Melanie laughs too, but then asks: "What does 'concise' mean?"

This momentarily surprises me, as I think she's joking, but she really does want to know. I tell her that it means "clearly expressed in few words. and she nods before continuing . "it can be very lonely. Not to say that I've had it because it's a very serious illness, but I've had feelings of agoraphobia. I accept that I'm going to go down the shops and people are going to go (adopts high-pitched voice), 'Oh my God, it 's Sporty Spice, what are you doing here?' There are some days when I can't be bothered with it. If I just want to go down the pub for a drink, I've got to be prepared for people asking for autographs for their kids, or some pissed-up blokes trying to be funny. I can 't be arsed . So in that way it's a bit sad, I can 't be bothered going out."

Despite her solo success. it becomes apparent during her responses to the next set of questions which I ask that Melanie C still considers herself very much one of the Spice Girls. Indeed, at the outset of her solo career, her label as Sporty Spice caused her more trouble than she cou ld have anticipated . But is the Spice Girl tag really a hindrance , or a help? Could Melanie C have stood without it , or is it a millstone around her neck?

She is keen to promote the former view . " I knew how good the album was. I know I can sing and I know I'm talented musically and have wr itten a great album . But people see me as Sporty Spice. But I really know me, and the general publ ic th ink they know me because of how I've been portrayed. I didn 't realise I'd come up against so much criticism ; I thought people would j ust go 'Wow , hasn 't she done well!' But I t hink I'm winning a lot of people over now . I'd never have been able to have made this record if I hadn't been in the Spice Girls, but maybe I would have got a rec ord deal as a solo artist . But it

really started to get irritated with everybody".

What irritates her most about each one of the others then? Her responses are predictable for Melanie B ( " She 's extremely f--ing loud!") and Em ma Bunt on ("She sleeps like a baby all the t ime") , but I am surprised by her descript ion of Victoria Beckham as being " like a headless chicken - she never sits still ".

My t ime with Melanie C is up. As I leave, a young man comes in, and is greeted by a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Melanie. Gossip-sensors twitching , I enquire who he is. "You 'll see", says Melanie, coyly , and it is only later that my hopes of a huge scoop are dashed when I find out that he is from support band Tomcat. But to promote further malicious gossip about Melanie C wou ld be totally unfair - she's certainly had her share of that already . So will we ever know the real Melanie Chisholm, then? Well , one thing 's certain: whether Sporty , lndie, Rocky or Poppy, this northern star will always have her feet firmly on t he ground . Long may she shine.

Anthony Lovell

Wednesday, October 4 , 2000

the

_14___,_n_s.._p_e_c_te_d_:_M_u_s_~-~~===~=-;;;mr-""'-;z";~,**'-*''ii!-W-*·---- event

Singles:

Ibums Radiohead What do you expect from an album that has been so long in the making and so eagerly anticipated? Well , 1f OK Computer had a complex, layered, over-wrought sound, then Kid A, w1th even more studio t1me behind it and a whole new rostra of influences. must be full of produced nuance - Greenwood's atonal guitar l1nes battling w1th an Aphex Twin drum machine, a Primal Scream-esque funk bassline backing Thom harmonizing with himself. DJ Shadow cutting up some hip-hop in the corner ...

Kid A is nothing like this. lt is short, tense, sparse and fraught. The opener, Everything in its Right Place. slides over you with caressmg electric piano and beautiful , Aphex-esque manipulated jittery vocals. The frightening title track sucks you into the ice-age as Greenwood's keyboards mess with your head and Yorke mumbles and growls in the background. 'The band' is wheeled out for Tile National Anthem and Optimistic, the former a fuzz bass rock-out death threat , descending into a cacophony of trumpets. Yorke still has that sweet mournful sound, though; on How To Disappear Completely, with its walking bass and understated guitar, he sings ''I'm not here 1 This isn't happening" with an affecting faraway helplessness. The crowning moment. though. is ldioteque - a nightmarish , tense techno pulse backing an extraordinarily urgent vocal: " Ice-age coming 1 We're not scared

I This is really happening".

Th 1s record w1ll creep up on you, steal your clothes and tell you the world is going to end tomorrow. it sounds l1ke noth1ng you 've ever heard, and so. you will believe it.

Tom Gatt

i9

Madonna

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Madonna, 1t seems, has undergone someth1ng of a transformation. This, in itself, is of no real surprise. For M ads, still on occasions dubbed "The Material Girl " by lazy middle-aged radio execs, has made a career out of redesigning herself. The 1mage was as much a part of the product as the music itself; some would say more so. In fact it's this determination to keep ahead of the trends that has transformed her into an international icon of epic proportions. So where now? Ray of Light met huge critical acclaim for its new direction under Wil liam Orbit and lyrics that ex posed a rare insight into the person underneath the image. However, Madonna, never one to stand still, has relegated Orbit to just three tracks on Music and , while no worse than some of the better tracks on Ray of Light, they are definitely not the highlight of this spectacular album , the entirely redundant American Pie in particular. it is under the production of M1rwais that the music truly comes alive, stripping Madonna's vocals down to the rawest they have ever been and warping them in all ways

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The new album by Iceland's most famous export arrives in the form of the soundtrack to the critical ly acclaimed Dancer In The Dark , directed

by Lars Von Trier and starring Bjork herself.

However. don't let the word "soundtrack" put you off this record, because this is not a mere assortment of background tunes and melodies w1th one recurring key-song, but a collection of intriguing and demanding musical works. In fact, although it 1s by far Bjork 's shortest album (runn1ng at a mere seven tracks that last just over half an hour), Selmasongs IS probably BJork 's most 1nspmng work to date. The sparse, beats'n'strings style of production on her last album , Homogenic. has been developed and adjusted to create a ncher, more grandiose sound, reminiscent of her Post-era work. such as lsobel. Yet, thiS IS by no means a regression for the Ice landic songstress. On the second track, Cvalda, for example, the experimental percussion that BJork has become renowned for (many of the rhythm sections on Homogr:mic were taken from sources like the sea and the wmd and then cut up to form a beat) has become even more ambitious- in this case. it is the sound of a factory at work that is manipulated - and is accompanied for the most part by an overwhelming 80-piece orchestra.

This IS not mus1c for the masses, however, and many people may find this album a little too pretentious for their liking. But overall, Selmasongs is a beautifully crafted musical project from a very talented lady.

Mark/and Starkle

01

Live Undoubtably the biggest act at the UEA this year, Mel C paid a vis1t to our sticky-floored LCR on Wednesday 27th and, thankfully, managed to leave without a shandy-drinking fresher attached to her face. Her current tour is to promote her first solo album Northern Star, which was released last year to m1xed reactions, and the audience crammed into the LCR certainly reflected the uncertainty surroundmg Sporty's solo career. If Mel was aimmg for an indie following when she decided to tour smaller venues than she had been able to with the Sp1ce Girls, she must have been shocked at the blend of teeny-boppers, m1n1-Sk1rted 40-somethings and trendies (being ironic, okay?) that gazed up at her from the depths of the LCR dancefloor. This was a difficult crowd to please and 1t takes quite a performer to be able to put on a show which would keep everyone happy. Luckily, Mel managed to do JUSt that with a sl1ck performance wh1ch featured all her well -known songs like Never Be the Same Again, Gomg Down and the lb1za-style I Turn To You, as well as some more ·rock· sounding unreleased tracks which bore a striking resemblance to Aerosm1th. Obviously her

imagmable. Tile likes of Nobody's Perfect, with vocoders out in full strength and the epic Paradise (Not for Me), all breathy French mtonat1ons and analogue keyboards is also notable. The album starts off b1g and brash and fast moving, developmg mto a slower. more even pace. it 1s these low tempo tracks that are the most beautiful, endmg (if it weren·t for the Don McCiean rehash) w1th the exquisite Gone. a lo-fi guitar-based ballad worthy of the best. it's all the better to savour, when you see the back picture of Madonna, looking confusedly at the guitar she is holding, as if she wouldn't know how to use one in a million years.

Anyone who has heard the title track will know that Madonna has stepped out of the pop circle 1n a direction other artists hadn't even realised was there. And when a singer can do this after almost twenty years in the business and make the best album of their caree r then I think the least we can do is sit down and listen to the sound of their music.

Adam Chapman

I cringe-worthy performances at the beginning of her solo career have taught her some lessons and so she managed to avoid any prolonged attempts at banter with the crowd, although her 'I'm not on with the Spice Girls so I can f-ing swear if I flng want!' attitude was slightly alarmmg.

As anyone who has listened to Northern Starw1ll know, it is very difficult to pigeon-hole Sporty's musical style. Whilst it is admirable that she 1s so adaptable, it made 1t rather difficult to get into the gig when one mmute Mel was pogomg around the stage to GaGa. and the next we were expected to wave our lighters around when she went all mellow w1th Be The One. That being said, the quality of the arrangements as well as the excellent performance by Met's band ensured that she pulled off the live gig w1th panache more than can be sa1d for some of her Spicey colleagues. it's all too easy to slag Mel C off for be1ng il Sp1ce Girl / fat / crap. but as she showed on Wednesday night she has a fantastic vo1 ce and puts on a great show . Her t-sh1rt bore the slogan 'I Love Norwich' well . Met, the feelmg·s mutual.

Elin Jones

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

CORRS In Blue

EMINEM 0 2 The Marshal! Mather LP DAVID GRAY 0 3 White Ladder MOBY 0 4 Play WHITNEY HOUSTON 0 5 The Greatest Hits

0 6 ~CLUB7 TOM JON ES 0 7 Reload BRITN EY SPEARS 0 8 Oops! I did it again G~BRIELLE

0 9 R1se

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FIVE Invincible

Iron Maiden From Out of t he Silent Planet Dig out your leather and hide your daughters, Iron M aiden are back! The new single has all the attributes of a Maiden classic. Arry's galloping bass, the majestic melody of the three guitars and the siren-like intensity of Bruce 's voice herald the band's return to the throne of heavy metal. Up the Irons!!!

Kleren Mcsweeney

A so

e eased:

Drugstore )

This ·Mark and Lard' single of the week marks the return of Drugstore after an 18 month break.

Although 1n all this is not a bad Single w1th lsabell's sultry vocals "burning w1th des1re" over a sem1-acoust1c backdrop , you can't but feel you've heard it all before.

S/mon Thornhlll

Finley Quay Spirt :} 1zeC' 'Finley Quaye' and 'slow patch' have seemed synonymous for too long. However. Sp1ritual1zed offers fans a welcome return to the Sunday Shin1ng-style tune. The formula is classic Finley quirky intra, building up to some great gu1tars and the odd dodgy lyric. Definitely one to listen to while getting ready for the pub, and all for the price of two Smirnoff ice!

D. Enzor

U2 Beautiful Day it's been a while since we've heard anything new from U2, and on the strength of this song, it'll be even longer. I was expecting Beautiful Day to blow me away with its groundbreaking originality, but unfortunately I got a song that's JUSt too similar to so much of what U2 have done before.

One for the die-hards only.

Colly Wollfnskl

ldlewild

Roseabntv Roseability is a heavier song than ldlewild's more recent efforts, with louder guitars and typically 'Wildy vocals. A return to form after the pop sensibilities of the previous two s1ngles. Not a classic but a good solid smgle that g1ves you would expect from ldlewild. A simple but effective gu1tar song.

Gareth Morgan

Ins ected: Film

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Billy Elliot

Directed by: Stephen Daldry Starring: Jamie Bell, Julie Waiters

The story of one boy's struggle to achieve his dream of becoming a top class dancer, funded by the Lottery and produced by the BBC. Hang on, haven't we seen this somewhere before?

This film could not be more British if it tried: made by a British director (newcomer Stephen Daldry), shot on the sunny north-east coast and hosting the cream of British talent. The great British public was even kind enough to foot the bill for this syrupy little enterprise, by dutifully paying their license fee and dolefully buying lottery tickets every Wednesday and Sat urday. Yes, we have all reached deep into our collective pock路 et for this and I for one am left wondering why?

This may be a sweet little film, despairingly tragic, while also being encouragi ng and ultimately uplifting but anyone taking a trip down to their local video shop will be presented with a choice of recently successful British films which basically perform the same function (The Full Monty, Brassed Off, Ratcatcher). Are our memories so short that t he British film industry can get away with sell ing us this well-worn formula over and over again?

Well the answer seems to be a resounding "Yes" judging by t he amount of media interest surrounding this film. However, you would have thought they could have looked a little further for inspiration than the last sure-fire Bri t ish blockbuster.

Can no British film be successful without involving striking miners or redundant steel-workers?

The fact t hat we've been t old th is story before doesn't detract from the film itself, it's just curi路 ous that we always seem to return to this terribly bleak period of recent history.

Side-stepping these considerations, Billy Elliot comes off as a fine film, which will tug the heart strings of the entire nation. If you see it you will

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laugh, probably cry and will certainly find yourself humming the soundtrack days later. Set against the turbulent relief of the miner's strike in 1984, it follows the story of Billy (Jamie Bell) whose surprise discovery of his love of dance sparks a journey of self-discovery and personal salvation from the harsh reality of his violent home-1 ife. Nurtured by his acerbic dance-teacher (Julie Waiters), he finds he has a real talent for expressing himself through the medium of dance (like wow man).

The problem is his macho-fixated Dad and bad tempered brother, to whom ballet is not quite in the same class as boxing. This clash of culture throws up some genuinely funny moments, in partic ul ar involvi ng Billy's best friend, whose fledgling discoveries of homosexuality will keep a grin on your face for weeks.

This fil m is packed with Seventies classics (T-Rex etc). whic h are used to great effect, so much so that young Billy may not be the only one inclined to a bi t of improm ptu two step around the house.

Against this good a soundtrack, the cast can illafford to hit a false note and they do not disappoint. Jamie Bell plays Billy with a roguish charm casual ly trad ing cutting remarks with Julie Waiters' disillusioned dance teacher, Waiters in easily her best part since Educating Rita.

How ever, t he casting of stars and bit part players from British television can occasionally make you feel like you are watching an extended version of Byker Grove but with performances this good, its only a minor consideration. Definitely one to watch and why not, you paid for it. Altogether now: "Dance, Billy dance!"

Merek Cooper

17

Road Trip :::

Directed by: Todd Phillips Starring: Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, Amy Smart

A worthy graduate from The Hollywood School of Teen Movies, except surprisingly rather good In an obvious kind of way.

Hollywood only seems to make two types of movies these days: big dumb action movies and big dumb teen comed1es. And what do you know?

Most of these films are generally awful, so the prospect of viewing Road Trip, a teen comedy, may not appear all that enticing, unless you have a certain penchant for the big and the dumb.

However, Road Trip is definitely the exception to the rule; not only is it funny, it 's also smart. lt concerns Josh (played by Breckin Meyer), a student trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with his childhood sweetheart Tiffany (Rachel Blanchard), who is at a different college to him. Encouraged by his best friend E L (Sean William Scott). he sleeps with another girl, Beth (played by Amy Smart) . Josh videotapes the experience and, to cut a long twist short, accidentally sends the video to Tiffany. What then ensues 1s a frantic race to intercept the tape before h1s unsuspecting girlfriend can watch it.

Essentially, Road Trip becomes a rites of passage movie, as Josh, E.L, their friend Rubin and the college geek Ky le speed across America in Kyle's car, learning the obligatory lessons about life and love along the way (it wouldn't be a teen movie if there weren't lessons to be learnt). What lifts the

movie above the usual teen fare, though, is its acting, particularly Scott as E L, a deliberately obnoxious character, making throwaway comments like 'it's not cheating if you're with two people at the same time, because they cancel each other out.' Another standout is MTV comedian Tom Green, who narrates the film, recount ing the story of Josh's adventures to a group of prospective college students. Green 1s the sl1ghtly deranged (to put 1t mildly) jester of the film , and it's worth paying for a ticket JUSt to see the scene where he attempts to feed Rubin's snake a live mouse, crooning 'feel the wrath of the snake' while strumming an out-of-tune guitar and making cluckmg noises.

Direction by Todd Ph1llips IS suitably fast and frenetic, allowing as many jokes as possible to be squeezed into the film. Phillips also mercifully avoids any of that annoy1ng cod-philosophising so rampant in most American movies, concentrating instead on keeping up the movies " madcap" pace. The movie is certainly no American Beauty but it is fantastic fun , and like Clueless (a film it resembles in many ways). never dull and definitely worth repeated viewing .

Will Watts

Love and Sex

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The Cup (Phorpa)

Directed by: Khyentse Norbu Starring : Jamyang Lodro, Orgyen Tobgyal , Neten Chokling

Directed by: Valerie Brieman Starring : Famke Janssen, Jon Favreau Romantic comedy with ... Surprise! Great actors and a funny script. Whatever next?

lt is understandable that the course of celluloid true love can never run smooth, for where is the entertainment in watching relationships that mirror our own : vapid , soulless and empty , lacking 1n drama and, more often than not, with sub-standard looking people. Sadly, though , 1n our attempts to shut out reality for an hour and a half we have to embrace the likes of Meg Ryan to our hearts. Someone clipping their toenails in your bed or the ever so kooky blonde one being ever so kooky and blonde? Pedicure me someone. lt is refreshing, therefore, that director Valerie Brieman has come up with a romantic comedy which manages to mix a heavy dose of relat1onsh1p realism with a certain degree of Hollywood sheen. And what? No Meg Ryan?

Famke Janssen mstead? Lordy Lord , how lucky we are. For Janssen has found her feet admirably in this, her first foray into romantic comedy , as Kate , a magazine writer who, like most of us, just happens to be crap at relationships. Th1s character trait , an important one considering the film traces her relationship history from grade school to present day, does not give way to numerous character tics and various perfectly constructed ways of falling off a chair.

And what is a romantic heroine, without her hero? Love and Sex presents us with Adam, a successful artist, who, while not much to look at proves the old adage that self-confidence can get you far with the laydeez. Played by Jon Favreau with such timing that it impossible to fault him and helped by a script that avoids the usual Hollywood cliches, we have 1n Adam (oh the irony) the obviously perfect match but with so much emotional baggage attached that the relationship grows stale and dies. While th1s IS the point that the film takes a slight nose-dive, losing the pace and spark of the first half, this is eas1ly forg ivable due to the affabll ity of 1ts two stars. In a sometimes dubious genre, Love and Sex is one of the best romantic comed ies you will see th1s year.

Adam Chapman

This simple tale of Buddhist monks In exile Is one of the must see films of last year. Norwich gets a second chance at 7.30pm on Sunday, October 8 at Cinema City.

Think of your average Sunday. You know, that all too short day perched precariously between the heady extremes of Saturday night and the cold hard reality of the dreaded Monday morning.

To a large majority of the population it involves one of two things: a day of religion or a day of football ( lt all depends on who you subscribe to: Heaven or Sky). So for those who can't choose, here is a film that effortlessly combines the two. lt is safe to say that everything about The Cup is remarkable . Set in a strict Buddhist monastery in exile from Tibet, it follows a group of young trainee monks on a quest to beg, buy or borrow a satellite dish on which to watch the 1998 World Cup Final.

If the plot seems to be playfully unbelievable already, this gentle little film takes on new dimensions on learning two important facts.

Firstly that the entire cast is made up of real Buddhist monks who memorised and acted dialogue on the spot and secondly that the director is now believed , by the Buddhist faith , to be the re-incarnation of a saint from the nineteenth century. Two considerations that make viewing The Cup even more remarkable.

Although this film is outwardly a whimsical comedy, if you manage to scratch past the surface there are serious 1ssues being addressed, most notably the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

With so many amazingly surreal aspects, The Cup is a film that really should not be ignored. You can worship your gods next Sunday .

Merek Cooper

Also showing October 6 October 13 October 20

The Nutty Professor - The Klumps Romeo Must Die Dmosaur What Lies Beneath Coyote Ugly

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

18

ected: Video

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the

n

American Ps cho

D1rected by: Mary Harron Starr ing: Christian Bale . Chloe Sevigny, Reese W1therspoon .

Successful adaptation of Bret Easton El/ls' Infamous novel. A rare case of the film being better than the original.

Mary Harron 路s film adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' novel is a triumph , one of the most artistically successful transitions from page to screen of recent times. Easily ec lipsing recent efforts at screen adaptations such as The Beach (a complete unsuprising, embarrassing disappointment). and The Last of The Mohicans. Christian Bale takes on the gruelling task of bringing Patrick Bateman to life in th is satire of 1980s American society gone bad, cataloguing his rise in social standing, to the depths of his schizophrenic insta路 bility. Although it includes a couple of big names ( Le to. and Witherspoon as well as Bale). Harron still manages to personalise her work , creating the feel of a small-budget arthouse film.

Bateman is one of modern day fictions most chilling characters: a successful city figure, member of the board, and patron of all the cities best clubs and bars. As soon becomes obvious. his life is not as simple as it seems, although his progression from American Success into American Psycho is not immediately clear. As the film progresses the viewer is treated a growing insight into Bateman's character. the "card" incident in the boardroom displaying both the strength of the text. and of Harron 's directing.

The feeling throughout the film is one of subtlety , and this is, essentially the mam forte of the film.

Although we are given clues throughout to Bateman's character, none of these are shown

together . This allows the viewer to gain a real, and personal , insight into the character's mind.

The pressure of the life that Bateman has been forced to lead. and the inherent competitiveness that is involved in such a lifestyle is displayed in Bale's performance with unflawed accuracy .

Because of this. one almost feels sorry for his character, but at the same time the viewer is left fee ling as though Bateman has joined them . on the other side of the screen. and is just watching his own life unfold. An observer rather than a participator.

The excellent supporting cast mean that none of the passion of the book is lost . although some of Easton Ellis' more tiresome asides are quite rightly cut. Through these characters the viewer becomes prepared for sudden changes in Bateman's behaviour. but the extent of these changes lends an almost humorous aspect to the film , as it seems almost too much.

Be prepared for some gruesome scenes towards the end though but if you are looking for a blood and guts film then don't bother. If House on the Haunted Hill is your kind of thmg this will only succeed in giving you a three day headache as you try to figure out Batemans subtle character changes. For all the rest of you this film can't be recommended enough. American Psycho will play in your head for a long time afterwards, if only for Sam Evans the scene of Bale in the shower.

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Erin Brockovich

Directed by : Stephen Soderbergh Starring: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart Environmental human drama notable for Ms Roberts and her surprisingly good performance.

Aah Julia Roberts (read that as you will) ... First a toothsome pizza delivery gal. Then a toothsome hooker with big hair. Then a wee bit of a nosedive through average rom-com territory and then , poor woman, a dall iance with Hugh "ever heard of a motel" Grant in an overrated North London postcode to bring her back on top, and what does she go and do? She not only goes and makes a bloody good film without falling over once. Ha! Who'd a thunk it?

That is not to say that Roberts departs too far from her usual acting range. The trailer trash mother of three may sound like a bit of a deviation from her recent performances, but being a "movie star" rather than a jobbing actress, Roberts may be forgiven for having picked up a screen persona over the course of her career.

That this persona involves smi ling a lot is no bad thing either. The falling off cha irs thing though ... well, there are disabled children who do that and no one laughs at them.

The fact that this is essentially an environmental

legal drama should not put people off. Erin Brockovich follows the rea l-life case of a power company accused of polluting the water supply in a backwater American town . Roberts plays a low ly legal secretary who unwittingly uncovers the whole affair. Along with her boss (expertly played by Albert Finney) . they attempt to reach a financial settlement for the cancer-ridden residents. Admirably . the film rarely dumbs down the unsettling material to suit the mass market and, as a result, it is both intelligent and grounded in some sense of reality, making the human drama that unfolds even more effective .

The presence of both Roberts and Finney never detracts from the tragedy at the heart of the film, while still allowing for the friendship that develops between the two to become a key part of the entertainment. While direct ed by Steven Soderbergh in a fairly standard way , it is the story that does the talking and, while not devastatingly original in its concept, the end result is one that Adam Chapman bears repeat viewing.

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This is Spinal Tap

Directed by: Rob Reiner Starring: Rob Reiner, David St. Hubbms, Christopher Guest.

Rock mockumentary gets a re-release so that all you lucky people can go out and buy it.

Now a cu lt film , few people will not have heard of the 1984 classic This is Spinal Tap . The rerelease on video (and recent release on DV D) provides the chance to re-discover this gem or to laugh for the first time at the trials and tribu lations of the fictional British rock band Spinal Tap. Directed by Rob Reiner (Stand By Me, A Few Good Men) this spoof documentary. or "rockumentary". chronicles the backstage antics and demise of Spinal Tap. Martin di Bergi (Reiner himself) follows the ageing rocksters on their 1982 US comeback tour promoting their twelfth and most controvers ial album to date "Smell The Glove " .

David St Hubbins , the long-shaggy-blond-haired lead singer and gu itarist is played spot on by Michael Mckean . Similarly, singer and guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) . comes up with some great one-l iners, such as "I'm influenced by Mozart and Bach. it's a Mach piece really ". The more understated Harry Shearer as band member Derek Smalls also provides some humorous moments.

However, although they are a bunch of likeable guys, at times the band members come across as pretentious stereotypes who are so gormless that they nearly sound profound - as they themselves say "there 's such a fine line between stupid ... and clever".

While it is hard to believe that the dialogue is in fact ad-libbed and improvised, thus undermining the supposed "reality" aspect of the film, it is the music that holds the film together. The songs. written by Guest, Mckean, Shearer and Re iner, are all surprisingly funny. Some of the best lyrics come from the song Big Bottom "talk about mud flaps my girl's gott'em".

Reiner manages to criticise the superficiality of the music industry, under the guise of 'Polymer Records'. whilst also satirising it light-heartedly.

The fact that he achieves a successful documentary style wh il st also satirising the subject and the medium is a double whammy, resulting in a mockumentary that deserves to be seen , but not to be taken too seriously.

This is laugh out loud comedy at its immature best 路 so go and buy it.

Amy Brooker

Wednesday, October 4, 2000

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Boys Don't Cry

Directed by: Kimberly Peirce Starring: Hillary Swank Chloe Sevigny Oscar-wlnn/ng gender confusion drama In the redneck mld-West of America. A first I do believe...

Admittedly the trailer for Boys Don't Cry left many writing it off as yet another two hour Hollywood film, indulging in too many "one gender confused individual's conquest to find his/ her place in society " platitudes. However, cynics were proved wrong as for once Hollywood. albeit indie-Hollywood . managed to get it spot on.

Hilary Swank plays Brandon Teena . a girl who leaves her hometown to start her life afresh as a boy. When Brandon arrives in Fall's City sj he manages to find himself a place in this very close-knit community and dates a number of the local girls, one of whom is Lana Tisdel played by Chloe Sevigny. The relationship between Brandon and Lana grows beyond friendship. into love.

However, as is often the case in such circumstances, it turns sour as one drunken night Brandon 's true identity is revealed. Upon discovering that his true nature is somewhat different to their own. Brandon 's male friends turn against him with tragic consequences.

Swank 's perfomance is stunning and definitely worthy of an Oscar, as she takes on the ro le of a boy with such credibility that you never once think of Brandon as a girl. In turn . Sevigny perfectly depicts the naivety of a smalltown girl in love with a caring and loving man. so different to the men that she has grown up with.

However, the only thing that lets this film down is that it leaves you unsure whether Brandon is actually a girl or a boy as the fi lm gives the impression that in terms of genetic makeup. he is both .

This heart-rending true story will not be to every one's taste. Yes it is harrowing and yes. it does make you cry, but if you happen to enjoy watching a film depicting a true story. with great acting and fantastic direction . then you might just appreciate it.

No , it 's not a laugh-a-m inute. Jim Carrey acting like a prat, Hollywood blockbuster (as you might have guessed by the topic being addressed) but it does manage to tell a true story without the usual flourescent Hollywood bumper sticker emblazoned on it.

Nlcola M allett

the

__event ========='"=s~e===c===t===e===d===:===A===rt===s======1:: 7: : J Reactions: New Poetry Pretext: Volume 2 Published by Pen & lnc, £7.99 each

How can you judge a poetry anthology, especially one which, like Reactions, spans over 40 writers of widely varying ages?

That 's the problem facing me as I come to write this review, and the honest truth is that you can't. The only way to judge is to read it yourself. As I did, you'll probably find some of the poems overly pretentious and lacking impact ; but you'll also find a number of the poems urging you on line by line, eagerly anticipating each new clause, flicking the pages to devour the next piece.

What I can confidently say is that you won't find the poems repetitive . Although a large number of the writers included have found their way through UEA's creative writing programmes over the last few years, the influences and interests cover a large gamut of human experience, taking a fresh glance with each line, so that, despite there being nearly 200 pages of poetry in the collection, you never sense yourself going over old ground. Of course there are recurrent themes, just as there

are recurrent themes 1n daily life · love, sex , parents all crop up (although not , thankfully, together, for the Oedipallyinclinded amongst you).

Where there is some repetition is in the style of the poems. All the contributors have opted for free verse, regrettably taking · contemporary poetry" to exclude the rigour of rhyme and metre; to misquote one of Joanne Limburg 's pieces:

... it became this English poem: so laconic, so understated, so decent, you'd never know the poet's family weren't washed up with the Vikings, the Normans or the Huguenots.

This continuity of style and voice is a little disappointing, considering the diverse backgrounds of the writers. With poets born and raised in as farflung locations as America, Germany and Morocco, it's hard to believe that their styles should collide so completely, but this is really a minor quibble when

contrasted with the qual1ty of the work on offer, and borne out by the number of awards and publishing contracts detailed in the authors' biographical notes.

The tenor of the work is reflected, too, in Pretext, which shares some contributors. The second edition of the School of English and American Studies' literary magazine - although magazine is really a misnomer when stretched to 250 pages - is a surprising combination of original prose and poetry, and critical interviews with leading writers. Again, the book uses the considerable wealth and talent of the school as a springboard for literary experiment, providing an outlet for established authors like W G Sebald alongside practical unknowns (at least in the UK) such as Andrew McGahan.

Perhaps the biggest draw for Pretext, however, is an interview with Martin Amis, Booker Prize winner and honorary graduate of UEA. From a general reader's perspective, the interview is too dry, dwelling heavily on the academic theory of writing, framed

1n concentric circles of questions and answers, but for a student of literature or Amis fan , the directness of the text reveals a lot about Amis ' way of working, and the motivation behind some of his most famous books.

This balance between the serious academic pursuit , and the fru1t1ness of the short stories that have been a trademark of UEAsponsored writing since lan McEwan , is the overarching motif of the edition, and what guarantees its appeal to a wide audience.

The aim, it seems, of both Pretext and Reactions is to provide something innovative and new that elicits - no, demands - a response from the reader, whatever the1r temperament .

Pretext handles its jagged blend of contents confidently, whereas Reactions is a little too smooth in places, seemingly afraid of rocking the boat of what constitutes "contemporary poetry".

They do share, however, a fresh outlook on 'proper' literary publishing, that deserves to be nurtured. lames Goffln

Exhibition: Themes From Great Cities

Exhibition: Human and Divine

Dragon Hall, October 2 - 13

Salnsbury Cent re for VIsual Arts, September 30 - December 1 0

As part of Norwich's Fringe Festival, Dragon Hall is hosting an exhibition of the work of Sir Michael Hopkins and Will Aslop.

The two architects are well known for their innovative use of hightech materials and blend of practical considerations with aesthetic priorities. At the exhibition, models and drawings of both of the architects' work will be shown so that the creative process from conception to the finished building can be seen .

Sir Michael Hopkins is currently working on the Norwich Library Project so we will soon be seeing his work 'in the flesh' so to speak, and he has a vast portfolio of other work. He designs his projects to respond to specific opportunities and constraints within each site, and this makes for a fascinating exhibition as Sir Michael's thought processes unfold in his drawings and you can follow the problemsolving and development of the

designs. Whilst an exh1bit1on of architecture may seem an odd inclusion in the Fringe Festival, the expressiveness of the lines and shapes used make the drawings into objects of art themselves. Sir Michael intended to express the idea, if not the reality, of prefabrication and repetition and his use of tensile structure adds an unexpectedly flamboyant element to his designs.

Will Aslop designed the new Peck ham Library, the Visitor's Centre at Cardiff Bay and this year's British Expo pavillion at Bilbao. These well-known buildings provide a stunning set of drawings and models which show just how much hard work and thought goes into such large-scale projects. The space of Dragon Hall provides an excellent back-drop to the exhibition with complementary lighting to enhance the effect of the exhibits.

Elin Jones

Human and Divine is a tounng collection made up of seventy exquisite works from private collections and galleries such as the Victoria and Albert . The size used ranges from the palm-sized to pieces so big that they require special machinery to move them. What unites the pieces is their subject religious worship. The human form is used to portray the figures of worship in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism by using the easilyrecognisable poses and icons which symbolise the different figures. For example, a broken tusk symbolises the elephant-headed Ganesha, whilst other gestures and decorations belong to other figures. The explanatory plaques which are placed amongst the exhibits point out these 'clues' and bring the works of art to life, making the exhibition more rewarding as it becomes easier to recognise the symbols and the works become more meaningful.

Although the exhibition features only

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Indian art, it is interesting to note how many of the pieces have been very obviously influenced by Western art and religion. Whilst some statuettes are recognisably Indian with their elaborate decoration and symbolism, others seem almost like Christian cherubims with Western features and soft waves of hair expertly carved into the stone.

The materials used are also wideranging, mainly due to the fact that the exhibits span almost 2000 years of art and different fashions in materials.

From marble to sandstone, the pieces all have their own unique way of reflecting light to highlight their intricate and painstaking decoration and detail.

The arrangement of the exhibits is designed so that the eye is constantly drawn to the next, and so that the contrasts between the carefully-selected pieces have the dramatic impact they deserve.

Elin Jones

Sweet Bobabola Norwich Arts Centre October 4 This "utterly unordinary" comedy is performed by Hoipolloi, and features their distinctive brand of physical and larger-than-life characters. The comedy is based around the story of a threat to the security of humans on earth - cakes baked by aliens! The resulting events are a mix of fantasy and farce, and provide a hilarious night out.

Jazz Jamaica Norwich Arts Centre October 7 This highly-accessable 'skau' band blends the ever-popular sounds of improvisational Jau with the dance rhythms of Jamaican Ska. Jazz Jamaica are performing at the Arts Centre as part of the East Coast Jau Festival and hope to repeat the success of their appearance at the St Lucia Jau Festival four years ago.

Graham Swift Lecture Theatre 1 October 4 The second in the series of authors in the Literary Festival, Graham Swift visits the UEA to give a talk about his famous works including Waterworld (winner of the Guardian Fiction Award). Ever After and Last Orders which is currently being filmed. Swift is also the winner of the 1996 Booker Prize and 1998 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award .

Comic Art Exhibition Abstract Sprocket October 2 - 12 This free exhibition was one of the most popular events at the Fringe Festival last yar with Barry Kitson's collection of Batman illustrations and this year it features work by Barry Kitson as well as Jon Haward and Ed Hillier. With the recent resurgance of comic books and the relase of The X-Men, the exhibition should be very popular, and you can even update your comic book collection!

Wednesday, October 4 , 2000

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Attachments Essential TV 01:

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BBC2,

" Hey look people! There are naked professionals on the telly and it has only just gone nine o'clock! I didn't know This Life was on again. Oh look a penis!" You could easily be forgiven for th1nk1ng that Attachments, a brand new series about the lives of a group of young high flyers work ing in a struggling web design company, was a bit of a second rate rip-off of the groundbreakmg, lawyer-centric series that graced our screens a couple of years ago. Why? Well. I shall go into all that later.

The plot revolves around Mike, the manager of a fledg1ng internet company. and his girlfriend and eo-worker . Luce. The show. initially at least, focuses on the immense number of problems they are having setting up the business. The amount of stnfe they encounter is all made worthwhile. however. by the mischievous. yet well -meaning. rabble they employ to help run the f1rm who, through their roguish exploits and amusing oneliners. serve to relieve the tension that they all face .

Okay, so 1t's not exactly bad viewing, the writing is oft en sharp and witty and the plot premise is both topical and interesting. However. the writing heavily overshadows the characterisation. in that the wnters seem to have placed a lot of importance on thinking up witty dialogue and have forgotten about developing the characters.

As a result. they are often cliched and rather unmspired stereotypes. There is the office joker, the computer geek (a must for any mternet business) , the fe1sty girl who is really just one of the lads ( 1n that she fancies girls. but all the blokes secretly fancy her), and the bossy one that nobody likes very much.

Add to that the fact that none of them seem particularly easy to like or relate to and you get a programme that is perfectly fine to watch once or

Essent ial TV 02:

twice but not muchmore without a packet of ProPius close at hand. A fundamental flaw one would have thought if you were trying to create a long-runnmg senes.

So is 1t really that comparable to This Life? Well, the similarities are frequent and obvious. unsurprising really seeing that they were written by the same team. For mstance, where This Life concerned a group of young , qualified persons who all live with each other and a few work together, Attachments is about a group of qualified persons who all work together, and a few live together.

Spot the difference 1f you can.

Apart from that they actually look the same with plenty of fly-on-the-wall style shots and rough editing while. like This Life, the soundtrack comes from the mus1c the characters listen to rather than from a separate score .

Okay, so these points may seem triv1al (partiCUlarly so, if you didn't watch This Life) and shouldn't really matter anyway, but they are still valid, especially since these are the things that made This Life the groundbreaking show that we allknow and love.

Overall though, Attachments is a well created, entertaining programme in its own right, made even more so by the gratuitous nudity that appears to be blatantly put there for "the shock your auntie" value more than anything else.

Unless. of course, skateboarding in the buff has recently become a popular past-time that I am not aware of.

However, its pnmary selling point (the links with that other programme) may ultimately turn out to be its downfall because, while comparisons may initiall y be welcome to pull in the viewing figures, they will soon be turned into a platform for cnticism and, quite frankly, it just doesn't quite live up to the standards set by its forebear.

Hitler's Search for the Holy Grail C4 hursoa October 5 at 20.00

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For tho~e of you who m1ssed it the first time, Channel 4 have excavated Hitler 's Search For The Holy Grail, a fascinating account of how Hitler and sen1or members of the Nazi party searched through history for evidence that would confirm the existence of a German master race. Th is documentary, presented by M ichael Wood , shows archive footage of the Nazis travelling around the world, looking for the key objects in history which would substantiate their beliefs and hopefully prov1de support for the Nazi doctrine. Their search, which encompassed archaeological digs in Persia, scientific experiments in Antarctica and Venezuela, and the measuring of human skulls in Tibet, were all in an attempt to authenticate the myths of Atlantis and the Holy Grail. This search became the basis of the third Indiana Jones film, although anybody watching this in the hope that all archaeologists have the charisma of Harrison Ford will be sorely disappointed.

According to M1chael Wood, the Nazi leadership shrouded their actions in myth and legend to the point of using it as a means to justify their acts of genocide. If no evidence could be found to verify their claims, they then brought in leading German scholars to collaborate their stories. and give them validity. By using history as a political weapon, Hit ler managed to convince an entire nation to embrace only what was genuinely German and to accept the Nazi policy that anything else should be, and would be, exterminated .

Lasting one and a half hours, this programme goes into a great deal of depth on where these ideas of an Aryan race originated, and how so many people were taken in by them . Perhaps not the best programme to watch as a bit of light relief on a Thursday evening, but compelling viewing nonetheless.

Kathryn Hlnchllff

Essential Radio The Olympics truly are an experience. Suddenly one finds oneself inexplicably drawn to some really obscure things. Why . for example, is clay pigeon so compelling? Why is sailing around in flimsy, little boats such a spectacle? Is synchronised swimming really a sport worthy of the Olympics? And how can one appreciate such things on th e radio?

The commentary has been second to none on Rad io Five Live. Being a self-confessed armchair fan I have found the coverage most refreshing.

Highlights have included successes in the coxless fours rowing ( "The Italians are coming back!" being a phrase forever etched in my memory) and athletics (Jonathan Edwards, Denise Lew is and Kelly Holmes all winning medals). Furthermore, the British team itself has been unashamedly partisan and passionately

patriotic, while hailing all sporting achievement.

All our success has been given equal standing, while cri tici sm has been rightly levelled at those areas where we have failed (most notably swimming and hockey ).

As these games draw to a close I can honestly say I have been fait hful to the Brit ish cause. consistently tuning into what has been our most successful Olympics since 1926. I have been there from beginning to end. Forget the triathlon. forget the marathon; covering this mammoth sporting feast has been an endurance sport in itself. I think the team from Radio Five Live deserve a medal for their own achievement.

The Olymp1c station has kept the broadcasting flag flying, and truly deserves to take a lap of honour.

Andy

Essential Soaps Lordy, Lordy! This week sees the unfortunate decamping of Usa Riley (aka " Mandy Dingle'') from Emmerdale: yes, she of most disturbing You 've Been Framed infamy. This is because she 's in love with two boys (must be all those extra hormones she has) and- there must be somethi ng in the water up there- they both want her too ... yes, all of her. Yorkshire has never been so densely populated. Ahem.

On t'other side of the farm, Kathy's on a blind date and Tara路s new stud farm is about to be unveiled. Personally , I think it's all gone downhill since they dropped the 'Farm路 from the title to allow for more viewing time.

Down in the good old east end of Laaahhndaahn, the Slater family have been causing a bit of an upheaval and continue to do so for a good few weeks yet. The grandmother, an unsightly

Wednesday, October 4 , 2000

prisoner cell block H extra, and Pat have a long standing feud and it looks as if she might reveal Pat 's past as a scarlet lady ; though it's hard to imagine Pat in only one co lour ... there must have been some tasteful earrings to go with the frock, possibly of the peacock-vomit blue variety. The Slater sisters on the other hand (already lovi ngly dubbed the four (w)horses of the apocalypse) have already succeeded in upsetting Sonia, Mel and Ian's nanny Laura, who copped off with one of the sisters路 fiance. Furthermore , poor old Robbie has decided he's in love with th e "attractive" one and is bound, therefore. to entertain ridiculous notions of going out with herthereby ensuring that we, the view ers, have plenty to laugh at. whilst the more serious storyline of Dot going a little loopy is still Chloe Nlcolaldes twanging at our heartstrings.

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Essential Game 01: Jet Grind Radio (Dreamcast) The first of this week's two games up for review has been condemned by the Keep America Beautiful society. And if that isn't enough of a reason to buy, it also happens to be a pretty amazing piece of software. Originally titled Jet Set Radio in Japan, but changed for international release thanks to obscure American licensing laws, Jet Grind Radio is probably the first game in history to combine the pursuits of roller-blading and graffiti. The player assumes the role of a Tokyo street gang member with the aim of skating around, spray-painting over rival gang's logos. Once all logos have been altered in an area, more of the city is unlocked for play.

Matters are complicated by the fact that the other gangs, the police force and, in the later stages, the local Mafia would rather you ceased operations. They don't think twice about using machihe guns, flame-throwers and armoured helicopters to stop you. Graffiti is clearly a major problem in Tokyo.

With all the sequels and film adaptations currently plaguing the gaming world, it is incredibly refreshing to play a truly original idea, especially when equal attention has been paid to graphics, sound and, most importantly, game-

Essential Game 0 2: The second game under examination is rather more conventional though no less stunning.

Without wanting to be too obvious, Virtua Tennis is a tennis simulation, a perfect conversion of the hit arcade game. The big selling point is the graphics. lt is easily the best looking sports simulation ever made on any console. Eight real life players including Tim Henman (although not Sampras or Agassl, Sega couldn't afford them) have been accurately captured in pixelated form .

They serve, hit and run just like the real thing, punching the air following success or beating the floor in defeat. With a slight squint it's just like watching Wimbledon.

Thanks to its arcade origins, the game has a great pick-up and play factor. Only the direction stick and two buttons (one for lob, one for the rest) are required. First-time players will find

play . For Jet Grind Radio the designers have come up with a new visual technique know as cell shading. This allows a black line to be drawn around each object in the game, giving the impression of a two-dimensional cartoon wh1le retaining 3-D game-play. Perhaps the best way to describe the gaming experience is a cross between Crazy Taxi and Tony Hawk's ProSkateboarding, only faster and with more extreme stunts. To escape a gun-wielding policeman by grinding from lamppost to lamppost before grabbing onto the back of a car and motoring away is a genuinely exhilarating feeling .

Even when the 16 huge levels have finally been completed dozens of extras have been added to keep you entertained, such as races between your fellow gang members (more of whom JOin you as your territory increases). There is also a graffiti editor allowing you to plaster your own designs around the city.

So, if you like your games fast and fun with depth, great graphics, amazing sound (Japanese hip-hop) and immense longevity, Jet Grind Radio is a purchase you have to make when it 1s released this month . If not, exactly what kind of Jlm Whalley games do you like?

Virtua Tennis ( Dreamcast) themselves pulling off astounding shots within minutes.

Vlrtua Tennis really comes Into its own in multi· player matches. Former friends will soon find themselves shouting in frustrat ion at their partner's mistimed smash or loss of concentration .

However, the game is not without faults . The in· game music consists largely of Inappropriate power-guitar chords that will soon be turned down and there is no option to play more than one set.

Also, no female players have been included; it might be nice to have a break from the mens' appalling haircuts. But, overall, these are minor quibbles in another-wise entertaining package.

Game, set and match to Sega. Or any other useless tennis-based pun for that matter.

Jlm Whalley

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The essential guide to what's on in Norwich over the coming fortnight

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Campus Film The Beach Thursday 5t h Oc t - 7pm Thrill -seeker ( Leo di Caprio) prances around Thailand looking for high adventure on legendary tropical island.

Never seen it. Never read it. Never exactly lit my lemon.

Magnolia Friday 6th Oct · 8pm Normal (albeit st ill rel ati vely bizarre) days in t he lives of various San Fernando reside nts, including Jason Robards, Julianne Moore and Tom Cruise. As a sex the rapist. That could be entertain ing fo r a man with no natural ch ildren.

Bringing up Baby Sunday 8th Oct · 8pm Classic comedy wit h Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn . Described as "zany"" , but I'm sure it's alright really.

Facej Off Tuesday 10th Oct · 8pm N1ck Cage and John Travolta as old enemies who swap identities in order to outwit each other. Sorry, but isn't t hat just over com pli cat ing mat ters?

The Talented Mr Ripley Thursday 12th Oct - 7pm ""Become a completely different person " week continues with sad-case Matt Damon adopting the lifestyle of gadabout Jude Law. A Clockwork Orange Friday 13th Oct · 8pm Malcolm McDowell and that bloke off Dalziel and Pascoe in Stan ley Kubrick 's ode to violence . At only two and a quarter hou rs this is one of the late Stan's snappier efforts. And note today's date 1n case of roam ing psychopaths with crap imaginations.

Three Kings Saturday 14th Oct - 8pm Rogue soldiers Clooney, Wahlberg and Cube in search of hidden treasure during the Iraqi war . I wouldn 't be surprised if this is what Americans always do when there's a war on.

Clerks Tuesday 17th Oct · 8pm Kevin Smith's breakthrough project on the funny side of small-time retailing.

Apparently you can buy ""Silent Bob " dolls that don't say anything when you squeeze them . I like that.

City Film Ascenseur pour I'Echafaud (Lift to the Scaffold) Subtitled tale of a soldier 's attempt to bump off h1s lover"s husband. Cheery

title indicates possible failure.

Subtitled Showing at : Ci nema City · Oct 8th - 2:30pm Billy E/1/ott Stripling seeks ballet fame in the depths of t he miners· st rike, ably assisted by teacher Jul ie Waiters.

Reviewed on page 15.

Showing at : Ci nema City - Oct 13th & 14th .

8 :15pm, Oct 17th· 8 :45pm Od eon ABC UCI Ster Century Th e Cell Implausible criminal psychologist (Jennifer Lopez) hunts krayzee killer Vince Vaughan (or d'Onofrio . can 't re member which). Another Silence of the Lambs rip-off which happens to be quite expensively done . And not as good.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Ster Century Chicken Run STILL haven't seen this yet. Mind you, neither will the Aardman team. Th is is the first of a 4-picture deal. And it took the best part of 4 years.

Showing at: Odeon ABC Dancer in the Dark Lars von Trier directs Bjork as a single mother in a futile battle to raise money for her son's sight operation. She gradually goes mental and starts imagi ning herself starring in old Hollywood musicals. If that plot won the Palm D'Or, the film must be Incredible.

Showing at: UCI Dinosaur it's exactly like Land Before Time, only with computer graphics and lower ""cute" quotient. I'd be fascinated to know what dinosaurs talked about in those days. Probably how everything used to be nowt but lava.

Showing at: Odeon ABC EAFA Millennium Show 1000 years of glorious Norfolk on film.

Ideal subject for a hideous forfeit.

Showing at: Cinema City · Oct 14th · 2:30pm The Fllntstones In VIva Rock Vegas If you want to go see this, I think the best place would be in a sealed crate.

At the bottom of the Wensum. With a few unwanted kittens to remind you how the human race treats those that are no longer necessary .

Sh owi ng at: UCI La Ha/ne ( Hate) Boyz 'n t he Hood meets inner-city Pari s in th is acc laimed subtit led drama Showing at : Cinema City- Oct 15th · 2:30pm

Essential Film: Oh Brother Where Art Thou Joel and Ethan Coen burst back onto celluloid with their own inimitable take on Homer 's Odyssey. George Clooney is petty crook Everett Ulysses (geddit?)

McGill on a 1930's chain gang who makes a bid for freedom with hopeless fel low cons John Turturro and Tim Slake Nelson in inevita ble tow. The trio set forth across t he American Deep South t o reac h Mc Gil l 's home, where he c laims to have buried a large amount of money. The brothers somehow manage to work every feature of the Ili ad (including John Goodman as a one-eyed lawman- the Cyclops) into this engaging tale with the ex pected number of twists and turns along the way. If yo u like yo ur humour dark , distort ed an d downright del ectabl e, th is is wel l wort h the journey.

The Harvey Girls Posse of waitresses lead by Judy Garland make their way out of the city and into t he Wild West armed with not hi ng but th e power of song.

Probably not quite as easy as it sounds in rea l life.

Showing at: Cinema City - Oct 8th · 5:00pm Himalaya Drama set against changing cu ltural values in a Nepalese mountain village.

"Eee, ah can remember when all this were nowt but...oh bugger, it's st il l mountains".

Showing at : Cinema City · Sept 29th & 30th and Oct 2nd - 5: 4 5pm Oct 3rd & 4t h - 8:15pm Oct 5th · 2:30pm and 5:45pm Hollow Man Sc ientist ( Kevin Bacon) discovers invisibility and acts irresponsibly. In one shocking scene he touches a lady's bottom .

Showing at: Odeon ABC UC I L'Humanlte Murder hunt leads to young detective gradually losing his grip on rea lity. I'm probably just a philist ine but I wish they'd cheer up.

Showing at: Cinema City · Oct 17th · 2:00pm & 5:45pm

Showing at: UCI

6:15pm, Oct 10th · 2:30pm & 8:15pm, Oct 11th & 12th · 8:15pm

Me, Myself and lrene Sc hizoid traffic cop (Jim Carrey) transports imperilled witness (wife Renee Zellweger) in Farrelly & Farrelly's latest offering. Against my better judgement, I'm start1ng to think this might be genuinely funny.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UC I Ster Century

Now Voyager Classic Bette Davis romance set in South Amenca.

Showing at: Cinema C1ty · Oct 15th · 5:00pm

Keeping the Faith There's this priest. right, and his best mate 's a rabbi, yeah. and they both fall in love with the same woman.

Honestly , that's the plot. Almost certainly more enterta1n1ng than the potential "find-t he-punchline " challenge.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI

M/:2 .. John Woo, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to utterly wank up th1s film to the best of your ability.

Done it? Oh we ll, er, check the listings to see if there 's anyth1ng decent on ...

Showing at: Cinema City - Oct 6th · 11:15pm

Love and Sex Journalist (Famke Janssen) turns to own experience to write article on relationships . Probably a soppy version of High Fidel ity for women. Reviewed on page 15.

Miss Julle Mike Figgis directs Strindberg·s Lady Chatterley-type play starring Saffron Burrows and Peter Mullan .

Showing at: Cinema City · Oct 6th, 7th & 9th ·

Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps Eddie Murphy's back as h1s own supporting cast, but with love interest and song provided by Janet Jackson this has all the necessary hallmarks of " dodgy"".

Showing at: Odeon ABC 0 Brother, where art thou?

See Essential Film.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Ster Century The Perfect Storm Fish are not worth dying for. I'm sorry, I know they were terribly brave. but you wouldn't lay your life on the line to

Use our searchable listings database at

_____ www.concrete-online.co.u k Wednesday, October 4, 2000

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Scary Movie Snatch Shaft 0 Brother Where Art Thou The Cell X-Men Keeping the Faith Chicken Run Stuart Little Gone in 60 Seconds

keep the chippy up the road open, would you? Actually, don't answer that.

Showing at: Cinema C1ty - Oct 13th - 11:15pm Oct 15th - 7:30pm Phorpa (The Cup)

Two Tibetan football fans attempt to persuade a group of monks to buy a satell ite dish so they can watch the '98 World Cup. I'm really not making this up. I'm amazed anybody did.

Reviewed on page 15. Subtitled.

Showing at: Cinema City- Oct 8th- 7:30pm & Oct 11th - 2:30pm Play lt to the Bone

Boxi ng buddies Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas end up facing each other in high profile fight. it's over whose career is going nowhere the fastest.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Road Trip

US college boys in frantic race to intercept video of sexual indiscretions.

Will they succeed? Can't say it rea lly bothers me much. Rev1ewed on page 15.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Ster Century Scary Movie

EVERY SI NGLE cliche from EVERY SINGLE moderately successful film within the last couple of years collides into somethmg wh1ch I'll just bet isn't nearly as funny as it could be. Breast implants stabbed. Black guys screeching. Funny?

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Ster Century

Space Cowboys

Old geezers (Eastwood, Sutherland, Garner, Lee Jones) reunite for final space mission. Imagine Apollo 13 down the bingo. That metaphor doesn't actually bear much close examination.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Steam on the Screen Sorry, I wanted this to be that sort of st eam too , but I'm afraid it's about trai ns. 105 minutes of them. Arguably the pick of the year so far.

Showing at: Cinema City - Oct 13th - 6:00pm Stuart Little

At lastl A role for wh1ch Michael J Fox would normally be considered too tall! I wish Jonat han "I want to be Macauley Culkin, even though he's a has-been at 20" Upn1cki was that b1g. Then I could beat him against the wall by his ta11 until he shut his stupid face. Hope t here's no children reading this.

Showing at: Cinema City - Oct 7th- 2:30pm Odeon AB C Tarzan

Be prepared for witty dialogue, "deep canvas• background ... and to cover your ears when Phil Coli ins gets going.

Showing at: UCI Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train

Snapp1ly-t1tled French drama about a group of mourners gomg to the funeral of somebody that didn't seem to like any of them. Sounds like one of those films that can induce a strike mentality. Subtitles.

Showing at: Cinema C1ty- Oct 13th- 2:30pm , Oct 14th - 5:45pm & Oct 16th 8:15pm

Cmema C1ty - Sept 29th & 30th and Oct 2nd & 5th 8:15pm , Oct. 3rd & 4th - 2:30pm & 5:45pm X-M en

What can I say? As the first of what must be at least a trilogy , it does all you expect of it. Fast-fact - the reason for dropping the garish cartoon costumes 1s officially that they looked like shit.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI

CIU bs

Does anyone else think this is really a pretty average cop thriller, except everyone's black? Oh no, silly me, it's a (remade) seminal moment in fi lm history. What was I thinking?

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Ster Century

Shaky goes gory with Anthony "No really, I take great pride in my Welsh heritage" Hopkins. Jessica Lange in leat her and Alan Gumming getting st abbed. Doesn't sound a bad night out.

Showing at: Cinema City- Oct 6th, 7th & 9th 8: 15pm, Oct 10th & 11t h- 5:30pm, Oct 12th - 2:00pm & 5:30pm Toy Story 2

Snatch

Jones, Stratham and co are back, this t1me b1gger, sharper and more environmentally contentious than before. Featunng Brad Pitt as a young p1key boxe r.

Showing at: Odeon ABC UCI Ster Century

Can't have too much of a good thing?

Worth going back if you never saw the "out-takes" section dunng the closing credits.

Showing at: UCI La Veuve de Salnt-Pierre Captain's wife (Juliette Binoche) takes pity on condemned prisoner 1n French Canada Odds are agamst laugh-aminute fam 1ly fun . Subt itled.

Showing at:

DJ Twister: October 5/ 12 Joe Alans Uplifting House night apparently.

70s Night: October 5/ 12 Hys If you enJOY domg the whole dress1ng up and dancing to music from the decade that style forgot then this is the only Thursday retro night.

. .- - - - - - - - - - - _ .£2 (NUS)

Wednesdays Superfly: October 4/ U MOJOS Descend the stairs into the gloom and shake your ass with the scarily trendy clientele. Funk, drum & base and a splash of R&B and you have the basic ingredients for an alcohol-fuelled, funky eveni ng. £3 Flockln' Sheep:October 4/ U Ikon Cheap and cheerful fun at one of Norwich's longest established clubs. lt may lack the charm of the newer nightspots, but it's an " interesting" alternative to the standard student nights, especially if you l1ke meetmg people who talk a bit funny and go up at the end of their sentences. £2 before 11pm WeRK: October 4/ U Manhattans DJ Shaun Johnson 1s in the house (yes I know ... but that might mean something to a couple of you .. . family members perhaps?)

Reverb: October 4/U Po Na Na Take advantage of th1s new addition to the Norwich night life . A vast improvement on previous tenants at the sight (Barcelona's to name but one) it creates a mix of intimacy and fun that is sorely lackmg 1n some of the city's larger nightspots.

Tonight's tunes are funk and soul through the decades. £1 after 21.00 DJ Jam: October 4/ U Hy's All popular dance styles courtesy of DJ Rob Mac and guests. £1

Titus Shaft

Charty Handbaggy: October 5/ 12 The Loft The only gay club 1n town ... so you're lucky this IS a warm. friendly, intimate settmg .. .

Thursdays Spank: October 5/12 Time Uplifting and progressive dance. Just try not to lose your friends and end up wandering around aimlessly for hours in a drunken stupor and then decide to walk home after you discover everyone you came w1th has pulled and then get lost and pass out on the pavement outside Megazone. Believe me .. . not fun. £1 before 23.00 (NUS) The LCR Disco: October 5/ 12 UEA The highlight of the UEA social calendar. Debutantes and the1r beaus are let loose on campus for a night of sherry and nibbles in the Lower Common Room accompanied by the mus1cal delights of the S Club Septet. £2 .75/ £3 on the door

Value for Money: October 5/ 12 Liquid lt does exactly what 1t says on the can ... um ... get you a litt le bi t tiddly and make you fall over? £2 before 23.00 £3 after Bassment: October 5/12 Mojos Join the History of Art students and their ilk for the polar opposite of the LCR.

Fridays Empower:October 6/ 13 Fat Pauly's Get in the mood for the weekend by drinking too much and puking your guts up on the pavement.

Hytlmes: October 6/ 13 Hys Club anthems w1th DJ Rob Mac . £3 Hot: October 6/ 13 Ikon There is always time to go home and watch Casualty you know. You don't have to succumb to peer pressure. £4 it's the Business: October 6/ 13 Liquid The boys wear the Lynx and the girls look like tarts but who cares? We all have the urge to dance and it makes no difference who it's w1th . £2 before 23.00/ £3 after Elegance: October 6/ 13 Mojos R&B for the weekend.

Parkslde: October 6/ 13 Po Na Na Acclaimed DJs Dan Smi th and Pat rick Cavaliere are let loose for the night with some decent House music in Norwich's newest club.

The Loft: October 6/ 13 Popular gay night in the ugly zebra striped building. But who cares about the exterior. it's what's inside that counts.

The Thatcher Years: October 6 The Waterfront Don 't worry. this evening has nothing at all to do with politics. That kind of stuff stays firmly in the lecture room th1s evening . This is a night of pure 80's tunes that will bnng tears to your eyes and a sw1ng to your pants. £4 / £3 on the door Hallelujah Allnlghter: October 13 The Waterfront Hard house and trance in the mam auditorium . And in the cafe bar there's trip hop and big beat which, no disrespect guys, sounds like a playschool game .

But , I'm sure it 's good and 1t'll have to be because 1t goes on all night long. £11/£9 advance

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Saturdays Satisfaction: October 7/ 14 Hy 's DJ Rob Mac returns for some house and swing to kee p you going until you pass out from ex hausti on and wake up to see Dermot O'Leary grinning at you before the Ho/lyoaks rerun begins. £4 before 23.00 1 £5 after Meltdown: October 7/ 14 The Waterfront Always popular with student types th1s club night, despite playing exactly the same indie music every weekend , IS bound to pass the time in a not altogether unpleasant way. it beats watching the damp spread precariously close to your electrical sockets. £3 (NUS)

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Saturday Rewind: October 7/ 14 MO] OS Chart, dance and garage night in the atmospheric underground caverns of MOJOS.Definitely worth a visit if you want something a little different from the rest of the city. Make sure you go to Dogfish first though.

Beats Pharmacy: October 7 LC R Dance baby dance, in the mother of all surroundings .... the LCR!I!!!! And new talent from .. .. .. . Norwich!!!!!!! My God do they spoil us or what????? Can 't.. .. stop .. .. excla1mmg!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!

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Eventhorizon: lubs/ Sundays Sunday Service: October 8/ 15 Manhattans A religious ceremony where everyone dances a lot and drinks vodka. A bit like going to Norwich cathedral really, except without the hymns. And it beats sitting around a dining room table with your fam ily eating overcooked roast beef and pretending that you all like

each other

Mondays

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Flockln ' Sheep: October 9/ 16 Ikon Cheesy pop and current hits get played until 2 in the morning. Dust off your Kappa tracksuits and Ellesse tra iners ... you 'll need them . lt real ly is that good . £2 before 23.00 Funky Jam Carwash: October 9/ 16 Liquid Whether you choose to enter into the spirit of the whole thing, or you choose to be pikey and dress in your YSL shirt and Burtons shoes. rather than your flares and second hand T-Shirt, you wi ll still , more than likely, have a great time at Liquid's best club night.

Underground bands: October 9/ 16 Mojos Low-fi indie night until 2am, so a bloody good way of forgetting how badly today went , and how lectures real ly aren 't that important in the grand scheme of things. And besides .. . it's so dark you might final ly pull.

Play: October 9/ 16 Po Na Na's Did you know that your liver doesn't stop forming until you are 25? Well the kind ly woman at the Un ion Bar told me th is one hungover morn ... which surely defeats the purpose of her job ... and what do the lovely people at the souk bar give us? Another bloody fantastic student night.

Tuesdays Funk Friction: October 10/ 17 Owen's Cafe Bar This is a cooler than cool venue and a nig ht that brings a li tt le bit of funk into our lives.

Slinky: October 10/ 17 Hy 's The omnipresent DJ Rob Mac (a bit like God but without the bitter sense of humour) returns to sample some of the latest dance tunes.

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Gigs The Pecadlloes + Bulk Powder Division: October 4 Fat Pau ly's A fantastic band, well worth seeing.

God knows what they 're like, though.

Entry £3

heatre

and heady beat guaranteed to bring you to your feet. The sweet brass and enticing drum beats are a unique m~>si­ ca l fusion that has won the group accolades around the world. Led by Gary Crosby on bass. Jazz Jamaica draws players from the legendary Jazz Warriors such as Crosby himself, Brian Edwards on alto sax, Michael Bamm ie Rose on tenor sax and flute , and Alan Weekes on gu itar. £12/ £10 concessions Electric Stew: October 8 Peasants & Poets Cafe/ Bar, Dereham Road 4pm-10.30pm Free Jazz to Disco with Stuart (Shears) on the dec ks plus guests

Camel: October 5 The Waterfront King Street 7.30pm £11.00 adv Classic rock Sonarsonlcs: October 6, 8pm Playhouse Bar St Georges Street Free Debut gig by electro-noiseniks with the new rhythm method .

The band are made up of ex Pelt;Yoghu rt Bell y /Neutrinos members. Not to be missed .

3 Guitarists Jazz: October 6, 8pm The Assemb ly Rooms Theatre Street Norwich Acoustic Showcase: October 7, 1pm Norwich Arts Centre cafe bar Free, feat uring some of the best female acoustic guitarists in Norwich including young, but very accompl ished singer Claire Yaxley accompanied by her brother. Sarah OBrian and friends pl aying songs from the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen . Newcomer to the Norwich acoustic scene, Emma Kunzte.

Vio lin & gui t ar duo, M ary Jane and Kate. Heather Wells, featuring Karen Webb and talented singer songwriter Celeste Lovick.

Jazz Jamaica: October 7 Norwich Arts Centre 8.30 pm The self-professed world's leading skazz band, Jazz Jamaica combines ska, jazz , reggae and mento in a l1eavy

DJ2001 competition: October 9 The Hive 7pm The East Angl ian heat of the Dai ly Telegraph/ Juice/ Vestax sponsored competition comes to the Fringe in association w ith the UEA. Slam-style DJ competi tion to win a place at the regional heat in London later in the year. Not to be missed! £2

Courtney Pine: October 10 The Waterfront King Street Legendary jazz chap. Plays the sax aphone a lot . Very good at it - and according to Jazzy B of soul 2 sou l, he "blows" . Now that's entertainment for you. You haven't got the faintest idea what I'm on about, have you?

7.30 - £10.00 adv Jacqui Mcshee's Pentangle: October 10 Norwich Arts Centre 8 .00 pm When Pentangle first st art ed in the 1960s, it presented a fus ion of j azz and folk music. The group' s latest incarnation , led by orig inal singer Jacqui

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Essential Gig: Roni Size and Reprazent Reprazent is a Bristol based collective consisting of Roni Size , Krust. DJ Die , Suv, MC Dynamite and vocalist Onal lee , all brought together by a shared obsession with music. The debut Reprazent album 'New Forms ' was rel eased in June 1997 on Ta lkin Loud Records, claimed the Mercury Music Prize on August 28th and achieved Gold status in the week commencing 13th October 1997 . Not bad for 16 - 1 outsiders.

Ran i 's inspiration to DJ came from checking a pirate copy of 'Wildsty le' , the now legendary hip-hop movie featuring the old school rap heroes as well as th e dancers and graffiti artists who together created the hip-hop movement in the early Eight ies.

This award win ing co llect ive is now on it 's way here! On page 3 the re is a competion where you can win Roni Size stuff.

Salsa: October 10/ 17 Po Na Na's On entering with your £3 (NUS- don 't forget it) you wi ll rece ive Salsa dance lessons, a totally unique experience that no other c lub in Norwich has to offer. lt sounds a lot of fun and I'm sure we' ll all look sexy doing it !

Lessons start at 19.00 for beginners and end at 21 .00.

Life: October 10/ 17 Time In case you haven' t yet found this club (possibly a long shot) its the big one by the river. People go there and get drunk and some of the kiss each other, but some of them throw up and don't remember how they get home . £1 (NUS)

Student Night: October 10/ 17 Liquid You can do all the above here too!

Except only students are allowed in here tonight so no getting slobbered over by rabid tow nies. £1 b4 llpm

McShee, returns to that jazz based sound. Jacqu i's voice is as haunt ing and clear as ever and is perfect ly complemented by Spencer Cozens on keyboards, saxophonist Jerry Underwood and Alan Thomson on bass and guitar Sponsored by Simnick Supplies & Wol f Brewery £9.50 1 £8 concessions Roni Size and Reprazent ( Plus MJ Cole): October 10 University of East Anglia 7.30pm No introduct ion should be necessary here . Big Ron is, quite simply, the MAN of men. See Essential Gig for the full details. £13.50 The Jeff Healey Band: October 11 University of East Anglia Blind chap who plays guitar on his lap.

Also has a tendency to get up and walk about a lot , whicll scares everyone because he hasn 't the fogg iest where he's going and could fa ll off the stage at any moment. Rock 'n'roll!

7.30pm £13.00 The Mike Coppoci Quartet Jazz: October 11 The Assembly Rooms, Theatre Street 8pm Ensemble Jazz with Mike Coppoci, Kate Williams, M ike Harris and Neil Kanc .

Don't know who the hell they are either, but I'm told they are pretty damned cracking. Go see for yourself! £5.00 1 £3.50 cones Lloyd Cole Acoustic: October 11 The Waterfront King Street Acoustic strummery from the master himself. £9.50 Whispering Bob + Support: October 11 Fat Pauly's He 's a bit quiet , this one. Bet t er get there early so yo u ca n get near the front . then.

Entry £3

Blade, Mark B and Plus One: October 12 Fat Pauly 's Edwards Street, Norwich The Turntablists cont inue to go from strength to strength , turning up another crack in ' night for your very own pleasure. Mark B and Blade rece ntly signed to Wordplay with a storming UK hip hop debut featuring guests such as Prime Cuts, AI -Tariq, Lewis Parker and even Tim Westwood . Blade returns to Norwich for a third time, this time round the UK legend brings DMC DJ (Runner-Up) Plus One who blessed us with his skillz last year at the Norwich Art School. DJ's for the night include Chrome (DefTex), Just One (Tomorrow People) and support from D.P .F . and Ransom. A Fringe/ Turntablists Societ y/Big Gig presentat ion. £5/£6 Peter Lockett & Steffan Hannigan: October 12 (seated) Norw ich Arts Centre 8 pm . £8 / £6.50 Concessions lndo Celtic percussion duo with Irish pipes, whist les, subt le eletronics and real time live sampling.

Peter Lockett is a percussionist whose extensive influences include Japanese .

North & South Indian, Arabic, African, Latin , Eastern European and Western rhythmic styles. Steffan Hannigan is one of the busiest and most eclectic folk musicians around , working with the Afro-Celt Sound System as well as his own Sin project. Sponsored by Simnick Supplies & Wolf Brewery Nick Drake Tribute Evening: October 12 Playhouse Bar

Wednesday, September 20, 2000

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St George's Street Norwich 8pm - Free Whether you want to participate or watch th is wi ll be a great evening to enjoy the sounds of one of England's great est songwriters.

Burach: October 13 Norwich Arts Centre 8.30 pm £8 1 £6 concessio ns Burach is composed of some of Scotland's finest traditiona l and modern musicians to provide an enjoyable folk driven night . Ali Cherry 's beautiful sing ing soars above the powerhouse rhyt hm section of Doug Anderson , Eoghain Anderson and Roy Waterston, wh il e the trad itional element is provided by top folk players Sandy Brechin on accordion and Greg Borland (also the Kathryn Tickell Band) on fiddle. In assoc iat ion w it h The Fringe Sponsored by lnana' s Festival , Royal Arcade, Norw ich and Simnick Supplies & Wolf Brewery The Bootleg Beatles: October 13 Theat re Royal, Norw ich I've met this lot. and they don't look much like the Beatles at all. But they do do a rather good impression of them onstage, with the full early daysthrough-psyc hedelia costume changes.

7.30pm - £3.50 - £15.00 Ministry Masterclass featuring Artful Dodger: October 13 University of East Anglia 7 .30pm Bo selecta! Step it up! £9.00 Barbara Thompson & Jon Hiseman: October 13 Thompson's Tangos & Other Soft Dances (Seated) Norwich Art s Centre 8 .00 p.m Barabara Thompson - saxophones 1 flute Jon Hiseman - drums 1 percussion Peter Lemer - keyboards Billy Thompson- violin Dave Ball - bass guitar . This show by Norwich Arts centre patrons Barbara Thompson and Jon Hiseman's band . Paraphernalia, features music from their latest album, Thonpson's Tangos And Other Soft Dances. Barbara became entranced by the rhythmic and harmonic scope of the Tango after seeing Sally Potter's film , The Tango Lesson. .£12 I £10 concessions The Blackmarket Clash {Clash Tribute band): October 14 Fat Pauly's Some up-and-coming punk band, apparently. Never get anywhere , mark my words.

David Gray: October 15 University of East Anglia 7 .30pm SOLD OUT Every thirtysomething·s favourite bard comes to UEA to do his Dylany thing.

The album is surprisingly good, by the way

Theatre Sweet Bobabola: October 4 Norwich Arts Centre- 8pm Apparent ly ·a very unordinary comedy '.

This show is about t wo alien bakers that threaten to take over the world with their irresistable cakes. An orig inal brand of comedy that is fresh, exciting and visual ly dynamic. £8/ £6.50 concessions

The Diary of Anne Frank: October 4/ 5/ 6/ 7 Theatre Royal - 2.30pmj7 .30pm New dramatic adaptaion of the famous inspirational diary that remains a testament to t he power of the human spirit in the face of oppression. Well worth seeing . £3.50-£15.00

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Event Horizon: Theatre/Mise

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An Inspector Calls: October 9/ 10/ ll./ 12/ 13/ 14 Theatre Royal - 7 .30pm Rula Lenska and Paul Shelly star in this multi award-winning production. If you haven 't seen it then you're missing one of the best thrillers in literature . £3.50-£18.50

Attack Decay Sustain Release September 29 to October 14 Norwich Arts Centre - 10.00 to 17.00 (Closed Sunday) An exhibition charting the visual history of the conception of The Helical Scan Project. A forward thinking display using the latest technologies incorporating a blend of theatrical and cinematic arts.

For more information on the HSP see the Neutrinos blurb in the gig guide.

Free to all

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1p

The Scottish Connection: September 29 to November 12 Lecture Theatre Foyer, John lnnes Centre A selection of works from a cross section of some of Scotland's most prolific living artists of the 20th Century.

Free to all.

or if you can't make it come into the office uptairs in Union House any time. We don't bite unless you want us to ...

Human and Divine: 2000 Years of Indian culpture: September 30 to December 10 Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, UEA he exhibition ex plains the origins of Indian -cul pture and how t his important cultural and spiritual feat ure has developed over the past two thousand years. And, lo and behold, it 's right, slap bang on you r door step so no complaining you lazy bastards. £2 (concessions £1 off) Graham Swift: October 4 UEA · 7pm The sec ond authour to visit the humble lecture theatre in UEA 's International Literary Festival .

Graham Swift wrote Waterland and Last Orders. £4/£2.50 for students Late Night Verse: October 5 Norwich Arts centre - 10.15pm A delicious evening of poetry for those of us who are in to that sort of thing, and best of all. .. ... FREE ENTRY Primal Screen: October 10 Norwich Arts Centre - 8.00pm An opportunity for local film makers to showcase their work. You can even show one yourself if you 've got one you prepared earlier! £3( £2 concessions

Stewart Lee: October 5/ 6 Norwich Arts Centre - 8.30pm If you like Harry Hill then you 'll love this guy who is his script writer. This stand up is visiting Norwich with his unique brand of sardonic humour and brilliantly observed takes on modern life . £9(£7.50 concessions Harry Cory Wrlght: October 4-15 Norwich Playhouse- all day An exhibition of stunning photographs of the Norfolk coastline. For more information contact the Norwich Playhouse - the number's in our union handbook.

Free Arthur Miller: October 15

UEA Wow, another fa mous person on our land and t h1s time its the author of The Crucible, which many of whom wi ll remember from the1r GCSE 's (not that I'm trying to put you off!) All aut hors t hat

23

SDirectory

Concrete contributor's meeting!

Mise

Defining Features: Scientific and Medical Portraits from 1660 to 2000: September 30 to December 10 Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, UEA his fascinating exhibition touring from he National Portrait Gal lery charts the development of one of t he most impressive areas of modern life; the rise of modrn science and those peopl e w ho were respon sible for it.

2 (concessions £ 1 off)

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621155 Hy's 623559 The Loft 629060 Manhattans 621541 Ikon 611113 Liquid 632717 The Waterfront 622533 Mojos 619961 Po Na Na's 630760 Zoom 767671 Concept 660288 Rick's Place 627478 Canary Cue Club 624677 ABC Cinema 622047 Cinema City 621903 Odeon 0870 0102030 UCI Ster Century 221900 620917 Maddermarket 660352 Norwich Arts Centre 766466 Norwich Playhouse Theatre Royal 630000 592272 UEA Studio Norwich Puppet Theatre 629921 766129 King Of Hearts UEA Union Ents 508050 Norwich Castle Museum 223624 0800192192 Scoot Talking Pages 0800 600900

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visit UEA give signings at the end of the talk, so don't forget to bring along your book. £4/£ 2.50 for students.

If you have a gig, club night, play, reading or sock darning event you'd like to tell the lovely folk of UEA about , just put the details on a piece of paper and drop them into the Concrete office so that we can include them in this very listings section.

List ings written and compil ed by Adam Chapman, Katherine Everett, Dunc an Gates, Gareth Morgan and St eve Collins. All detail s correct at time of going t o press

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24HR BOX OFFICE 0~603 22~900 www.stercentury.com

Wednesday, September 20, 2000

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'£3 Ed Byme ~ comedy ~ £7 .50 ~ - Beats Pharmacy - CLub £6 ~ DJ Slam! '£l Roni Stze+Reprazent £1 3 50 Jeff Healy Band £13 Ministry Masterclass £1 ,._..feat. Artful Dodger Sat 14th Miss Moneypenny's £8 £11 Sun 15th David Gray Toploader £9.50 Tue 17th £13.50 Fri 20th Dreamtheater Retro-Active £5 Sat 21st feat. Booze Bros £13 Mon 23rd Placebo £9 Wed 25th ldlewild NOW 90s £3 Fri 27th Faith Halloween Club £7.95 Sat 28th Embrace £1 1.50 Sun 29th Simon Day - Comedy £10 Tue 31st

OCTOBER 3 70s pop disco

11pm

Free

OCTOBER 4 7.30pm £3 Chill 'Em Out Jazz Cafe • Performance poetry and live jazz featuring rap/hip hop poetry from the USA OCTOBER 9 7.30pm £2 DJ Slam • Who's the best DJ? • Entry forms from the Box Office OCTOBER 18 7.30pm £3 Chill 'Em Out Jazz Cafe • Performance poetry and live jazz • Qualifier for UUEAS Creative Writing Slam Team • Prizes for the tnur winners!

REE uff-

139 • 141 King Street Norwi ch Tel 01603 632717

GIGS 'THU 5 OCT CAMEL £11 TUE 10 OCT COURTNEY PJNE £10 WED 11 OCT LLOYD COLE t9.50 THU 19 CT 'THE ALMIGHTY £6 FRI 20 OCT RELAX .. 80s TRIBUTE £4 WED 25 OCT BADLY DRAWN BOY £9 THU 26 OCT LESS THAN JAKE £7 WED 1 NOV DOVES £8.50 SUN 5 NOV LA DOORS £7.50 WED 8 NOV MISTY IN ROOTS £8 WED 15 NOV OYSTERBAND £9 THU 16 NOV HEFNER £6 SUN 19 NOV JTQ - ACID JAZZ £9 SUN 10 DEC TERRORVISION £10 WED 13 DEC KILLER QUEEN £5

CLUBS THE THATCHER YEARS

FRI 6 OCT 80s NOSTALGIA WITHOUT SHAME • JIMMY'S DISCO: 60s & 70s HITS £3

NOVE BER Wed 1st Fri 3rd Sat 4th Sun 5th Sat 11th Tue 14th Wed 15th Sat 18th Sat 25th Tue 28th

£12.50 Reef Retro-Active £5 feat. Faith James £17.50 Oz Pink Floyd £9.50 Pam's House £7 Craig Charles - Comedy £6 Roachford £12.50 Club Retro £3 Jools Holland £11 Levellers £12

DECEMBER Mon 4th Tue 5th Fri 8th Sat 9th

£10 Bjorn Again Supergirly - Comedy £7.50 Or Feelgood - RnB £12.50 £3.50 Club Retro

MELTDOWN

ap!'l Taboo Comedy Tour nuee comics live on stage - Free shots of Taboo

NOVEMBER 8 7.30pm £3 Chill 'Em Out Jazz Cafe • Performance poetry and live jazz Slam final: see the UUEAS Creative Writing Society take on teams from London and Norwich NOVEMBER 14 Karaoke

HALLELUJAH ALLNIGHTER FRI13 OCT HARD HOUSE AND TRANCE WITH STEVE THOMAS (TRADE AND TRIPOLI TRAX) • FUNKY WITH PHUNKY PAM'S (PAM 'S HOUSE) • TRIP HOP AND BIG BEAT WITH THE AUDIO HOOVER AND GUESTS • 1OPM TO 6AM £9

11pm

MELTDOWN

NOIJEMB'"R 21 9pm Cabaret li!.;ill wrth Ke;ti'l

EVERY THURSDAY THE LEGENDARY

SAT 7 OCT INDIE, NEWPOP AND ALTERNATIVE DANCE · PLUS IN THE BAG: LOOSE FITTING BAGGY HITS FROM MANCHESTER £3

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SAT 14 OCT INDIE, NEWPOP AND ALTERNATIVE DANCE· PLUS RAWKUS: ROCK, NU METAL, GRUNGE, POST GRUNGE, SKATE·CORE WITH DJs JIMMY JAMES, JEZEBEL AND DGENERB £3

ABSOLUTION

FRI20 OCT ATTITUDE FREE CLUB NIGHT: HARDHOUSE, TRANCE AND FULL·ON CLUB TUNES WITH DJs ANALOGUE, BUMP, DR TONIC AND LOTUSEATER · GLOBAL BEATS AND LAID-BACK GROOVES £4

TICKETS FROM UNION HOUSE BOX OFFICE 1 OAM-5PM MONDAY-FRIDAY

REDIT CAR

1603 50 050

All prices are advance only. include student discounts, and may be subject to a booking fee

For the latest details, v'sit us on the web at www,.

ea gac.uk/eve ts