Exposed Magazine August 2021

A U G UST 2 0 2 1

DIZZEE-ING HEIGHTS!

TRAMLINES HERALDS THE RETURN OF UK MUSIC FESTIVALS

INSIDE: TRAMLINES 2021: WHAT WENT OFF // YUSUF YELLOW // BORG // NEW VENUES GALORE// UPCOMING EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

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CONTENTS 27

FEATURES 27: BACK WITH A BANG

Just a few days after ‘Freedom Day’ Tramlines set Sheffield’s pulses racing once again with a three day massive music mash-up. Joe Food reflects on a party the whole city was waiting for and the eyes of the country were on.

16: A TRIBUTE TO JAMES EARDLEY

After a three year battle with cancer, Brew Foundation founder and owner of both the Ecclesall and Fulwood Ale Clubs, James Eardley passed away last month. Exposed pays tribute.

22: HERITAGE SHEFFIELD

16

22

61

In a new monthly column, Heritage Sheffield’s founder Richard Phipps picks an intriguing facet of the city’s culture and delves into the history behind it. This month, following on from the Euros fever that gripped the nation, Richard explores us the integral role the Steel City played in the formation of the beautiful game.

61: ALL AS ONE

From the ashes of The Night Kitchen rises a new nightlife destination, FewerThan One, bringing a rejuvenated look to the famed venue. Exposed nipped down to get the inside track.

REGULARS 42: FOOD & DRINK 61: NIGHTLIFE 65: COMEDY 66: MUSIC 70: FILM 73: LGBT+ 74: CULTURE

I don’t know about you lot, but I feel like the last two or three months have sped by at an alarming rate. One minute you’re lying on the settee, psyching yourself up for another needlessly long Zoom call and resisting the urge to grab more snacks from the fridge; the next you’re in a field with 40’000 other people, hugging pals you’ve not seen in ages and singing along to Mike Skinner performing ‘Dry Your Eyes’ live in Hillsborough Park.

Crackers.

Tramlines is always a busy and hectic time of the year, but for obvious reasons this one seemed to eclipse previous instalments.

It felt monumental, like the eyes of the world were trained on the Steel City, which to some extent they actually were. It was the largest festival to return in the whole of Western Europe since the pandemic started and among one of the first to join the government’s much-touted Events Research Programme, which will hopefully help to nail down systems and processes that will mean the spirit-lifting large social events we all look forward to can become a part of regular life again. You can hear me bleat about how much I loved this year’s Tramlines over at page 27.

Compounding what feels like a return to normality (sorry, I’m fed up with hearing that phrase too) is the news that a number of fresh venues are opening up in and around the city centre. We’ve got the latest on Rockingham Group’s new baby Shuffle Shack (p.40), the Heist Brewery bar opening in Kelham (p.44), Network taking over the old Plug nightclub (p.69), and an extremely exciting boost for the city’s underground music scene as the old The Night Kitchen building is revived this month under new management as Fewer Than One (p.61). Throw into the mix a load of upcoming events and parties that we’ve rounded up and it would seem that Tramlines was merely a warm-up for the summer fun and games in Sheff.

Finally, a bit of housekeeping and a belated welcome to Ash Birch, who’s joined Exposed on web editor duties. He’s already been a revelation in getting his teeth into the newsy side of things and will hopefully keep our little neighbourhood mag’s finger firmly on the pulse going forward. Got a scoop? Drop him a line on ash@exposedmagazine.co.uk.

That’s it from me. I finished my first full-weekend festival in over two years just a few days ago and I’m still shattered. Time to clock off and hibernate until we begin work on the September issue!

@JosephFood 6 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

HEADLINERS

Phil Turner (MD) phil@ exposedmagazine. co.uk Nick Hallam (Sales Director) nick@ exposedmagazine. co.uk Michael Johnson (Accounts) accounts@ exposedmagazine. co.uk

SUPPORT ARTISTS Joe Food (Editor) joe@exposedmagazine. co.uk Ash Birch (Online Editor) ash@exposedmagazine. co.uk

COMEDY TENT

Paul Stimpson (Design) paul@exposedmagazine. co.uk

HANGING BY THE BAR

Cal Reid, Eleanor Storey, Heather Paterson, Jules Gray, Alexander McCann, Lucy Anderson

THE BUSINESS STUFF

EXPOSED IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY BLIND MICE MEDIA LTD UNIT 1B RIALTO 2 KELHAM SQUARE KELHAM RIVERSIDE SHEFFIELD S3 8SD The views contained herein are not necessarily those of Blind Mice Media Ltd and while every effort is made to ensure information throughout Exposed is correct, changes prior to distribution may take place which can affect the accuracy of copy, therefore Blind Mice Media Ltd cannot take responsibility for contributors’ views or specific entertainment listings.

IMAGE: FANATIC / C FARUOLO

UP FRONT

UNDERGROUND BERLIN-STYLE BAR IN THE HEART OF CROOKESMOOR ELECTRONIC MUSIC, SPORT AND EXCELLENT GERMAN BEER 18-20 BARBER RD, SHEFFIELD S10 1ED TEL: 07727 344404 @BERLINBARSHEFFIELD

BERLINCALLINGSHEFFIELD

TRAMLINES IN NUMBERS

BACK IN ACTION Tramlines actually happened! It was touch and go for a while, but Sheffield’s biggest party went ahead as scheduled and it was an absolute banger.

40,000 revellers a day packed into the sold-out Hillsborough Park event from 23rd to 25th July as Tramlines became the largest festival to return in Western Europe, marking a landmark moment for the city and the UK live events industry.

If you were lucky enough to be in the park, you’ll know just how euphoric it felt to finally have live music back in our lives, and we’re dedicating a decent chunk of this month’s mag to revisiting that dizzee-ing weekend.

40,000

AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THE FESTIVAL EACH DAY

12th

THIS YEAR MARKED THE 12TH EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL

5

THE NUMBER OF STAGES PACKED FULL OF MUSIC, ART AND COMEDY

WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 9

UPFRONT / NEWS

UPFRONT / NEWS

TRAIL LAID BEAR

Exactly a year later than planned, the Bears of Sheffield trail has finally begun.

The charity trail, which is in support of the fundraising drive to build a new Cancer and Leukaemia ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, features the installation of 160 distinctive bears, decorated by schools as well as local, regional and national artists.

The trail comprises 60 Big Bears, standing at 2.1m tall, which are sponsored by local businesses, organisations and families, as well as 100 Little Bears which have been fundraised for and decorated by schools, nurseries and colleges.

Event Organiser Cheryl Davidson said: “We would like to place on record our thanks to everyone who has got their paws dirty working so hard behind the scenes to bring this exciting trail to the people of Sheffield.”

Visit bearsofsheffield.co.uk and start collecting the Bears to earn Paw Points and redeem special offers along the way. There is also a league table to see which Bear receives the most donations.

BACK TO THE PRESENT Experience Park Hill’s past and present with an all-new VR experience

A new VR experience allows anyone from around the world to visit Park Hill virtually and encounter it’s past and present at the same time.

Called ‘Space, Time and Streets in the Sky’ the virtual visit to Park Hill features real-life stories from people who have made the landmark Sheffield location their home over the past 60 years.

The immersive experience was commissioned by XR Stories and created by the team at Human (the first business to move into Park Hill in 2013) in collaboration with academics from the University of York. The research project explores whether it’s possible to experience the ‘personality’ of a location via the ‘spatial presence’ generated by virtual reality and the audio stories of past and present residents.

Nick Bax, Creative Director at Human, says: “Space, Time and Streets in the Sky exudes vivid

memories and stories from Park Hill’s residents, providing an intimate insight into life at the Sheffield landmark over the past 60 years.

“As you hear their testimonies, and see slices of history within the current environment, Park Hill is transformed into a time machine in which community and pride brightly shine through.”

Featured in the VR is Cllr Pat Midgley who lived in the Park Hill area all her life. Pat was commemorated by Urban Splash and Places for People on the official 60th birthday of Park Hill on 16 June by working with Sheffield City Council to rename Norwich Street at Park Hill, Pat Midgely Lane.

Pat Midgley’s family said: “We are incredibly proud mum has been remembered in this way.”

Space, Time and Streets in the Sky can be viewed here: youtu.be/ Ju6Mbz16veA

IT’S COMING HOME

Sheffield has been shortlisted for City of the Year in the annual EG awards Due to a joint entry by Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield Property Association, real estate data, intelligence and development specialists EG have announced the shortlisted candidates for their City of the Year, with Sheffield in the running alongside Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle.

The award seeks to celebrate the UK’s cities and the work they are doing to create liveable, successful places.

Sheffield’s bid focused on the city’s key strengths: its people and its liveability.

The submission took the panel on a walk around the city highlighting The University of Sheffield’s Diamond building, the Heart of the City

redevelopment scheme, Parkwood Springs for which we have just received £1.25m funding to create trails and a visitor destination, Kelham Island and Phase 2 of the city centre’s Grey to Green project.

Speaking of the shortlisting, Councillor Terry Fox, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to be shortlisted for City of the Year against other leading UK core cites, recognising Sheffield’s all-encompassing strengths, our people and our place, that make us stand out from the rest.

“Our bid highlights just how special the city is and that’s why we invited EG to come on a walk with us, to see for themselves the collective qualities of Sheffield and the many benefits of living here.”

The award is one of 21 categories, with winners announced at an award ceremony on Thursday 28 October 2021.

SEND IN THE BOYS

Well, Well, Well...

Milburn’s debut album turns 15 this year and to celebrate the milestone, the Sheffield lads have released a 1000 special edition double LPs of their seminal debut album - a record which has never before been pressed on vinyl.

To coincide with the release, the band will play three special shows in their favourite UK venues, including a now sold-out show at The Leadmill in October.

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“One of the most distinctive things about Sheffield is how those who live here fall in love with the city.”

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it can also away from the student bubble of Endcliffe, and with The Leadmill make a heart break. This is something I found to still being closed we now had to find different be true when the first lockdown of March 2020 activities to occupy our weekends. I visited Bole meant I was forced to leave Sheffield suddenly.

Hills, Crookes Valley Park, and the Peak District I remember mine and my flatmates’ naive all for the first time that week, suddenly underinsistence that we would stay together in our standing what all those student ambassadors had student halls even if a lockdown was announced, been banging on about when they’d promoted deciding that it would be better to be stuck there the ‘green space’ of Sheffield.

THE CLUBS BEING than separated and sent back to our homes As restrictions became stricter and stricter CLOSED FORCED across the country indefinitely. I really believed moving into the Christmas period, it was this US TO APPRECIATE green space that became most invaluable. Online we would, and remained stubborn even when it SHEFFIELD IN A was revealed that those who left their flats would university had my friends and I trapped in our be receiving a refund for the final months of our bedrooms most of the time, and it was the chilly NEW WAY. IT WAS (extortionate) rent. winter walks that kept us (just about) sane.

NOW THE CITY One by one, it was decided that we simply It was not the same Sheffield that I had arrived OF BOLE HILLS couldn’t justify staying in Sheffield any longer. at in September of 2019, the city of sticky shoes BBQS, PONDEROSA after a night at Corp and embarrassing photos I was devastated, and remained in denial until the very morning that my mum travelled all the taken in The Leadmill’s photo booth. But I think SUNRISES... way from our family home in Norfolk to collect the clubs being closed forced us to appreciate me. In only a few hours I crammed my life into Sheffield in a new way. It was now the city of bin bags and took in Sheffield’s views for the last time in 5 months.

Bole Hills BBQs, Ponderosa sunrises, CVP swims, and park crawls These 5 months consisted of your typical lockdown activities, (think bar crawls but with off licences). such as baking banana bread and allowing TikTok to take over my I come from a city where it’s pretty rare to take huge amounts entire existence. A weekly Zoom quiz with my flatmates was all that of pride in where you’re from, especially as a young person. Really, kept me connected to my life in Sheffield, allowing us to reminisce most people I knew at school couldn’t wait to leave Norwich. That’s on our incredibly short first year. why I think one of the most distinctive things about Sheffield is just It was only upon my eventual return that I realised that I hadn’t how truly and deeply those who live here fall in love with the city. really seen Sheffield at all. My little house in Crookes felt worlds And I can proudly say I’m one of them.

BY ELLIE STOREY

WANT TO SHARE YOUR SHEFFIELD STORY? DROP A LINE TO JOE@EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK // PHOTO: HARRISON QI

GIVE IT A GO

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME

Moving to Sheffield in November 2018, the National Videogame Museum is your one-stop shop for all things gaming. An offshoot of the British Gaming Institute, the museum focuses on educating the masses on the wonderful world of videogames and runs a range of educational programmes around games culture, research, production, skills and diversity within the sector.

The NVM is a treasure trove of both permanent and regularly changing exhibits, so there’s always something new to discover! Some of the smaller exhibits are organised into ‘Bundles’, groups of games that are placed together to explore an idea. Visit the Tough Bundle to play some of the toughest games in the world and see how long you last, or dive into the Bonus Bundle to explore some of the most notorious bonus levels of all time. Make sure to check out the Object of the Month, a chosen piece from the collection for you to explore, and the ‘Playthings’ exhibit, showing the consoles, computers and cartridges it takes to make a videogame.

Opening Times Thurs: 1pm – 4pm Fri: 1pm – 4pm Sat: 10.30am – 1pm, 2.30pm – 5pm Sun: 10.30am – 1pm, 2.30pm – 5pm THE NATIONAL VIDEOGAME MUSEUM CASTLE HOUSE ANGEL STREET II S3 8LN THENVM.ORG

OBITUARY

JAMES EARDLEY 2 OCTOBER 1982 TO 19 JULY 2021

James Eardley was the owner of local brewery Brew Foundation as well as the Ecclesall and Fulwood Ale Clubs. He passed away last month after a three-year battle with cancer. As a former member of our team at Exposed, we knew him well, and here, magazine owner Phil Turner pays tribute. Pictures: Marc Barker.

“How are you?”

It’s a question most of ask each other countless times a day. More often than not we likely don’t even listen to the response.

And that’s fine. We’re not really asking the question are we? Just a conversation starter before we can get onto the bits we actually want to talk about.

But that’s how I started a conversation with James, the last time I spoke to him, less than a week before he died. Only it’s different when the person you’re asking has got cancer; it’s a question you have to ask even though you’re shit scared what they might tell you.

I’d asked him it plenty of times before of course, on the occasions we’d had a drink at one of his bars or bumped into each other at Sharrow Vale Market. And because James is one of life’s eternal optimists, you always got a positive answer. He may have been knee deep in chemo at the time but James would assure you that all was good and he was making the most out of life.

This time though, it was a different story.

hole in the place. He was such a powerful positive energy, you see. One of those people that genuinely brought joy, laughter (lots of it ridiculously near the knuckle) and warmth to those who met him.

And I know all the guys who worked with him at that time felt the same. James was one of the good guys, spreading a little light around as he went.

Even in the face of the worst possible news, he’d stuck two fingers up to the prospect of letting it get on top of him. That was James. The things that knocked lesser men emboldened him. He made light of the situation and took life by the balls, marrying Sam in Vegas and opening his second pub whilst undergoing treatment. He raised money for Weston Park where he could. This wasn’t a man who would let life go on hold while he fought this huge fucker of a disease.

I’d actually rung on the pretence of something work-related which seemed so trivial it was almost embarrassing, especially when James tried to move the conversation onto that topic. But he wasn’t ringing me back to talk shop, he was ringing me, like I imagine he’d done with countless others, to tell them he’d most likely never talk to them again.

“Not good actually,” came the reply and I knew instantly that this was going to be the conversation I had dreaded since he was diagnosed with cancer three years or so before. He’d be given ‘weeks’ to live by his doctor just two weeks before, he told me, so this call was effectively about saying goodbye.

Yet despite that, as we chatted under the cloud of the most devastating news anyone could ever hear, he tried to sound upbeat and take the positives out of it. He’d got the chance to spend time with his wife Sam as well as his mum and dad, who were looking after him in those final weeks. He was genuinely thankful for that.

James had worked for me for a number of years before starting the brewery and setting up the bars and if I’m honest, his departure had left a pretty big

Yes, he sounded weaker than I’d heard him sound before, and yes, he said he was constantly drifting in and out of sleep but they were sharing moments

together and he was with the people he most loved in the world.

In the end, he lasted another six days.

Days, that I’m sure during, he and those closest to him cried a lot. But I also know, because James was James, they’ll have laughed a lot too.

So from a purely selfish point of view, I am glad I made that call that day, and that James took the time out to ring me back, even if it was over some poxy work-related issue.

I’m glad because it gave me the chance to tell him what I and all the people who had worked with him here at Exposed thought about him.

I got the chance to tell him that we loved him and we’d miss him. We both cried a little on the phone. I cried a lot once I’d put it down. But I’d got my chance to say goodbye, for which I am thankful.

So the next time you ask someone how they are, make sure you take the time to listen to their answer. And the next time you get the chance, make sure you tell the people that matter most to you just exactly how you feel about them.

And most importantly I guess, make sure that every time, you, like James, spread a little light wherever you go.

Rest in Peace mate.

A WORD FROM SALES DIRECTOR NICK HALLAM When I came to Exposed as Sales Director 10 years ago, James was one of the first people I met in our old dark and dingy office on Milton Street. Looking at him with all the piercings, tattoos and nu-metal get-up, he cut a bit of an intimidating figure. I couldn’t have been more wrong. James was one of nicest lads you could ever meet. Warm, generous and a great laugh, but driven, creative and never let the side down.

A great salesperson and you could see his entrepreneurial spirit a mile off.

With a similar (pretty controversial) sense of humour and love of a drink, we became good mates. We went to loads of gigs and had a fair few nights feeling very old in Corporation. He fitted in more than me though!

When he left I was gutted, but we still kept in touch. I knew he would make the Ale Club brand and Brew Foundation a great success and he did. It’s a fantastic legacy.

When he found out about his illness, even to the bitter end he never let it get him down and still joked around and took the piss. I’ll always remember how brave he was and use it as an inspiration, as should everyone.

James, I’ll miss you mate, there’ll be a huge hole in your adopted city without you.

God Bless.

Nx

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Yorkshiremen in the squad representing God’s Own County: Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips.

IT (NEARLY) CAME HOME! Photography: Ben Hargreaves (deep_nxrth)

29.85 million

witness Southgate’s lions progression to the final, where they narrowly missed out on glory after losing to Italy on penalties. As if you needed reminding of that.

However, despite the all-too-familiar story of penalty shootout heartbreak, the lads did the country proud. South Yorkshire was well-represented with local lads Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire and John Stones forming a solid partnership at the back. A big shoutout, too, for Leeds lad Kalvin Phillips adding more Yorkshire grit into the mix.

Best thing about it? We’ll be doing it all again next year for the World Cup!

UK viewers tuned in to watch the final across public service broadcaster the BBC and commercial network ITV, peaking at a mammoth 31 million viewers during extra time

Photography: Marx Bardell

“Good times never seemed so good,” crooned Neil Diamond in his 1969 hit ‘Sweet Caroline’, a song that 50 years would serve a fitting anthem for the England football team’s inspiring Euros campaign.

Following a bleak 18 months for the country, it took a group of young footballers to lift spirits across the nation and restore a bit of pride in what become a very confused, divided island to live on in recent years.

Sheffield, the home of football, naturally turned out in force for the tournament. Beer gardens were packed out across the city at venues like Sidney & Matilda (pictured) to

55

Years since England last reached a major tournament final – the famous World Cup-winning victory over West Germany in 1966.

THE HOME OF FOOTBALL

HERITAGE SHEFFIELD In a new monthly column, Heritage Sheffield’s founder Richard Phipps picks an intriguing facet of the city’s culture and delves into the history behind it. This month, following on from the Euros fever that gripped the nation, Richard explores us the integral role the Steel City played in the formation of the beautiful game.

Kick-Off: Sheffield’s Football Story Despite the euphoria of beating Germany and reaching a major final for the first time in 55 years, the England football team stumbled at the last hurdle despite a valiant effort. We may have listened to Baddiel & Skinner for the last time in 2021, but here in the Steel City football really is coming home as Sheffield FC have announced plans to move back within the city boundary into a purpose-built stadium. One of the sites considered for this exciting development is a few hundred yards from East Bank, the location of their first ever games all those years ago.

It’s well publicised that Sheffield FC are the world’s oldest club, but the football trail in the Steel City is rich pickings for the footy fan. Perhaps the best place to kick off a tour would be at Heeley Parish Church, which is the resting place of Nathaniel Creswick, a cutler and the co-founder of Sheffield FC. The club, established in 1857, had formed the Sheffield Rules a year later, detailing the laws by which the game was to be played. This predated the Football Association rules by five years but provided a base by which the modern game is played. Heeley FC were also founded here in 1862, making them the first club in the world to be formed from a church!

Another footballing accolade that the city boasts is the world’s oldest football stadium. Sandygate has been hosting Hallam FC games since 1860 and on Boxing Day of that year they hosted Sheffield FC, a game known as the world’s first derby fixture. Hallam were formed by John Charles Shaw, a breakaway player from Sheffield, who would later become club and Sheffield FA president. Hallam also won the oldest ever football trophy, the Youdan Cup, named after local theatre proprietor and competi22 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

“

SANDYGATE HAS BEEN HOSTING HALLAM FC GAMES SINCE 1860 AND ON BOXING DAY OF THAT YEAR THEY HOSTED SHEFFIELD FC, A GAME KNOWN AS THE WORLD’S FIRST DERBY FIXTURE.

”

tion sponsor Thomas Youdan. In front of 3,000 fans at Bramall Lane, Hallam triumphed 2-0 over Norfolk FC of the Park District.

Now we’ve discovered the grandfathers of the game we should head to Tudor Square and The Crucible.

We aren’t here for the snooker, but rather for the birth of our professional clubs. On this site sat the Adelphi Hotel, a public house that hosted two meetings with lasting legacies. The construction of Bramall Lane Cricket Ground was agreed upon here, as was the formation of Wednesday FC in 1867 – the original

Credit: Steel City Drone Pilot

name of Sheffield Wednesday and a club that’s currently the world’s third oldest ‘league’ club. Just around the corner from the Adelphi was another inn of footballing fame known as The Garrick Tavern, from which emerged Garrick FC, the world’s oldest pub team. They competed in the maiden final of the second oldest footballing contest, the Cromwell Cup, and another trophy named after a city theatre icon, losing 1-0 to Wednesday. Just a stone’s throw from here is one of Sheffield’s best preserved Georgian streets and the office where the city’s other main professional club, the Blades, was born. 10 Norfolk Row hosted a meeting in 1889 between the Sheffield FA and the Sheffield United Cricket Club, whereupon it was agreed to form a football team the following season. The Blades would become the first football club to be known as ‘United’, something that would become a popular team suffix in the UK. From their inception they played matches at Bramall Lane, making it the oldest professional footballing stadium on the planet to still be hosting games.

Sheffield’s footballing institutions may not always boast the world’s best players or clubs playing at the highest level, but its spot in the sport’s history is unsurpassed. The Euro trophy may not be heading to England this time around – but hasn’t football always been at home in the Steel City?

Credit: Steel City Drone Pilot

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LET’S PUSH THINGS FORWARD After a two-year absence, Sheffield’s biggest and most famous party made its triumphant return to Hillsborough Park, becoming one of the first large-scale music festivals to take place since the pandemic started. Joseph Food reflects on how Tramlines Festival fared with the eyes of the world upon it.

IMAGE: FANATIC / C FARUOLO

TRAMLINES OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, TIMM CLEASBY: “After 18 months of strangeness, it was unbelievable to be back in the park again. There have been so many hurdles we’ve had to jump to get here and honestly, it’s been quite a rollercoaster. It’s been great to see so many happy smiling faces from crew getting back to the thing they love to revellers having the time of their lives watching the bands they love. Hearing the first band ring out over the festival was an emotional moment.

“I'd really like to thank everyone for playing their part with the NHS COVID Pass system. It ran very smoothly and by being part of the Events Research Programme, together we're helping to pave the way for festivals and live events to get back to normal.

“I’m full of gratitude for everyone; our amazing crew and suppliers, the support from the DCMS, Public Health Sheffield, Sheffield Council, and of course our fans. Thank you all for helping us do this, we love you all and we can’t wait to see you all next year.”

IMAGES: PEDALO PHOTOGRAPHY / ROB NICHOLSON

Over the past 18 months, there have been more than a few significant events that have forced the question ‘Is this actually happening?’ to enter our collective consciousness It was certainly being uttered out loud by many of us in early March 2020, when news began filtering through that the country would soon be heading into a national lockdown to protect ourselves from a novel coronavirus strain, followed weeks later by the UK government imposing a stay-at-home order closing businesses, schools and banning any form of non-essential gatherings. A recurring sense of disbelief and need for nationwide arm pinching sadly continued through botched lockdown liftings fraught with complications, some utterly ridiculous failings from those who were meant to be safeguarding the nation, plus an incredibly bleak winter which at one point saw the country reach an average of 1,000+ deaths per day.

Things have, broadly speaking, felt much more positive since the arrival of the game-changing vaccines. The tide and mood slowly began to turn; life began to feel less like a dystopian horror as beacons of hope flickered at the end of tunnels that once seemed very long and dark prospects indeed. People returned to work; hospitality and non-essential retail became a part of life once more; we were permitted to socialise with friends and family in increasingly greater numbers; and the welcome news that a full-capacity Tramlines Festival – Sheffield’s biggest party and esteemed hometown festival of 12 years – would be returning as part of the government’s Event’s Research Programme was probably the biggest indication to date that normality was returning to the Steel City.

Fast-forward to Sunday 25th July, circa 6:45pm, on Nulty’s Main Stage in Hillsborough Park: 40,000 revellers bouncing en-masse to the drop of Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Bonkers’ while the E3 MC conducted proceedings with an infectious sense of glee. Looking around, you could literally feel the catharsis as families and friends, young and old, lifelong locals and thrill-seeking tourists, all jumped in joyful unison to a bassline so heavy it felt like a deep crack might at any moment rip across the park and onto Penistone Road disturbing passing traffic. Around this point I, and I’m sure many others present, took a brief second to again ask ourselves, ‘Is this actually happening?’; but this time we weren’t asking out of worry or exasperation, but because, starved of communal joy and live music for so long, it all just felt too damn good to be true. Dizzee was utterly superb that evening, a true festival veteran expertly lurching from early grime classics to sun-kissed pop anthems that inspired some of the most incredible crowd scenes ever witnessed at a Tramlines event (seek out the clips on the festival’s social media pages for confirmation).

As you can imagine, it wasn’t a straightforward task to put on an event this size – the largest festival to take place in Western Europe since the pandemic began – but the NHS Covid

IMAGE: FANATIC / C FARUOLO

TRAMLINES

NEW BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH MENU

comingi soon!

277-279 Ecclesall Road S11 8NX

Pass system ensured a process where ticketholders would be able to show at the gates they were either double-vaccinated or had recently received a negative lateral flow test. Huge props here to the festival ambassadors and ticket office staff who, from what I saw and experienced over the weekend, were extraordinarily patient and helpful in helping people through any hiccoughs.

Back to the music. Recent tradition has dictated that the Friday evening of Tramlines is reserved largely for guitar bands, and that held true with performances from The Blinders, The Pigeon Detectives, Circa Waves, and The Kooks leading us right up to the main act. However, the inaugural evening headline slot was given a decidedly more urban flavour with Mike Skinner of The Streets prowling the main stage, popping a bottle of champers and getting the party started via the group’s untouchable back-catalogue of iconic garage-tinged UK classics. Cult-classics not best-sellers, that is.

Right across the weekend, the smaller stages consistently punched above their weight. Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the T’Other Stage delighted a boogie-seeking crowd with a set of certified disco bangers, throwing in well-received covers of Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ and ‘Sing It Back’ by Sheff ’s-own Moloko, just for those extra party vibes. Whereas over at the new and hugely enjoyable Open Arms stage – basically the most entertaining boozer you’ve ever visited – Shaun Williamson (remember Barry from Eastenders?) brought his popular ‘Barrioke’ singalong to town, while on Sunday

GREG PELL, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH SHEFFIELD: “I’ve been impressed by the efforts of Tramlines in terms of Covid testing. It was a mammoth task which was carefully planned for and has been implemented really well. The feedback from attendees has been great, the Covid checks at the gates have worked, with attendees more than happy to show proof of a negative test or double vaccination. This has led to a well-received test event. Thanks to all involved for making Covid testing a priority, whilst allowing people to enjoy one of Sheffield’s biggest and most loved events.”

afternoon The Mariachis (remember the Doritos advert guys?) enticed in a vast, very giddy crowd for their Mexican-inspired takes on classic pop tunes, including a particularly vociferous version of Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’.

For me though, the highlight away from Nulty’s Main Stage this year had to go to Little Simz, the potential-soaked British rapper who made her Tramlines debut in trailblazing fashion. The 24-yearold, already with two award-winning albums in the bag, staked an incontestable claim for a future main stage slot during a lively set combining a myriad of hip-hop, jazz and RnB beats. “Someone pinch me,” she said mid-performance to a band member. “I’m just making sure this is real.” It was a mood very much reciprocated by an appreciative audience who the artist held in the palm of her hand for an enthralling hour of live performance.

Those were just a few key musical highlights from a truly special weekend, but for once Tramlines Festival meant so much more than the music. For one weekend last month the Steel City was at the forefront of a new beginning for festivals of all denominations, those events where we can unite with our loved ones in celebration of the best bits of life and a privilege that has forbidden for a depressingly long time. At long last, Tramlines Festival and the people of Sheffield were reunited – and, good god, it felt reyt good.

Tickets for Tramlines 2022 are now available online at tramlines. org.uk. Only Tier 3 and Tier 3 VIP tickets currently remain at £120 (+bf) and £170 (+bf) respectively.

IMAGE:PEDALO PHOTOGRAPHY / ROB NICHOLSON

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IMAGE: PEDALO PHOTOGRAPHY / ROB NICHOLSON

TRAMLINES

EVENTS + PARTIES PIC: WILL ROBERTS

THE PARTY DON’T STOP! Sheffield Reggae Festival This perfect summer bash as the UK’s biggest reggae festival comes to Sheff on Sunday 29th August, featuring a monumental lineup including General Levy, Mad Professor, Mungos Hifi, Solo Banton, Sheffield’s-own Sinai Sound, and the Marley Revival group. Throughout the day there’ll be carnival dancers and steel drum performers, as well as traditional Caribbean food stalls and pop-up rum stands.

Tickets are currently in their second release, priced at £15 plus booking fee and available from fatsoma.co.uk.

Get Together Festival Debuting at Sheffield University Student’s Union on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th August, Get Together promises to bring some of the best names in UK music right to your doorstep. With the motto of ‘only good vibes, let’s look forward’, Black Honey, Self Esteem, Dream Wife, The Orielles, and Ibibio Sound Machine are among an eclectic line-up heading to the Steel City this month. Tickets priced from £27.50 (day) to £44 (weekend) and available at somewherepresents.com .

Bassfest The bass-heavy summer festival week-

ender returns to Don Valley Bowl from Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th August with their biggest lineup today. The return of one of the biggest rave festivals in the area will bring the likes of Ben Nicky, Chase and Status, Shy FX and Gorgon City to South Yorks, and their promise of ‘more everything’ means both increased number of genres represented and improved food and drink facilities in anticipation of more ravers then ever before. Tickets range from £39.50 (day) to £64.50 (weekend) at bassfest.co.uk.

Tribal Open Air Rave ft East End Dubs @ Hope Works In one of their first gigs back since ‘Freedom Day’ gave the go-ahead to live music, East End Dubs (and support Jaden Thompson) take on iconic clubbing institution Hope Works with their deep and driving grooves. Expect steady and weighty basslines, plenty of driving beats and some old school raver vibes throughout.

This 10-hour open air rave starts at 6pm on Saturday 28th August and tickets cost £21.40 from skiddle.com.

Triple Cooked: Sheffield Bank Holiday Party @ Peddler Located in the much-loved Peddler Market, Triple Cooked returns to 92 Burton Road with a guaranteed sell-out bank holiday party. Since 2015, Triple Cooked, a collective of artists, musicians and creatives, have been travelling the country in search of the quirkiest event spaces to party together with open minds and huge smiles – and they’ve certainly come to the right place. With the warehouse hosting a Disco/ House/Techno pallooza, as well as the mysterious ‘Weird and Wonderful Mainstage’, there’ll be plenty to get your dancing shoes on for. The Courtyard, as always, will be home to various food traders and cocktail sellers, meaning you can be fuelled and party all night long. Starting

at 2pm on Sunday 29th August through to 11pm.

Make sure to grab your ticket (£10 first release) at fatsoma.com.

Gin & Juice Day Festival Just imagine the scene: the sun is shining, you’re partying with pals, knocking back a couple of chilled drinks, while from the speakers emanates a curated selection of pure old-school hip-hop bangers. Pure bliss or what? Thousands of revellers are expected to descend on Milton Street Charity Car Park’s vast outdoor space to celebrate Gin & Juice day in style with live DJs sets, state-of-the-art soundsystems and a big ol’ BBQ. Sound like a vibe?

First release tickets are currently only £10 from fatsoma.com.

Hunie pres. Crazy P DJ Set /Steel City Groove - groove assassin Fast becoming a Sheffield underground institution, Neepsend venue Dryad Works is teaming up with homegrown Steel City Groove to put on a night full of disco and grooving’ to make your bank holiday a pure vibe. Featuring true Sheffield legend Nik Moss GA, AKA Groove Assassin, Room 1 will have Sunny Side Up DJs kicking off the event, followed

by NY Sushi legend Solid State and electronic disco outfit Crazy P. Completing the event will be Dino and Iain Newton B2B. Tickets online from skiddle. com at £14.55.

Art in the Gardens

Wentworth Music Festival Saturday 18th September sees the return of music and comedy fun for all the family at Wentworth Woodhouse. Set in the grounds of the beautiful historical stately home, music headliners include The Feeling, Space and Bang Bang Romeo, while the comedy stage sees Steve Royal, Justin Moorhouse, Jack Carroll and many more return to provide the laughs. With over 40 acts across the 10-hour day, there’s plenty to go at, plus an afternoon disco, funfair rides for the kids, and plenty of food and drink on offer. Book your tickets (£10 for children, £45 for adult) now at sheffieldarena.co.uk.

Oil sketch of Art in the Gardens by Richard Towers

Tramlines got you in the mood for merriment, eh?

Here’s a roundup of some of the best bashes heading your way over the next couple of months so you can begin making up for lost time.

Words: Joe Food

Image: Eddy Maynard

An annual event held 4–5th September in the stunning Botanical Gardens, Art in the Gardens is one of the largest outdoor art exhibitions in the North of England, with artists and makers coming from across the UK to showcase their work. From artists in the pavilions and marquees, sculptures on the lawns and an Open Art Competition, the weekend is a perfect opportunity to shop and support local businesses, meet the talented artists and enjoy some homegrown food and drink. Buy your ticket asap to avoid disappointment at artinthegardens2021.eventbrite.co.uk.

Image: Eddy Maynard

No Bounds Festival After delivering a fully hybrid festival in 2020 under the social distancing measures of the time, No Bounds festival returns to full-capacity for peak rave perfection at the Kelham Island Museum and Hope Works this October (15th-17th). With immersive sound and visual experiences from artists such as 96 Back and Hyperdub Showcase, this return to the dancefloor promises to be bigger and better than ever.

A range of tickets are on sale at noboundsfestival.co.uk

GREG FELL

NHS

GRAB A JAB

KEEPING SHEFFIELD SAFE As clubs re-open and gigs are back on the agenda, we’re all enjoying getting lairy and have a bit of a boogie with our pals once again, but Sheffield’s director of public health Greg Fell has reiterated an important message about the need for continued caution now that the final Covid restrictions have been lifted.

While Greg supports the fourth and final stage of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, he said it doesn’t mean that people should let their guard down completely. He plans to continue wearing a mask once the legal requirement to do so is scrapped and he has now called on Sheffield to keep taking sensible precautions to keep the virus at bay.

He said: “We’ve lived with this pandemic now for over 18 months, following guidelines and showing huge resilience and determination to overcome Covid. The restrictions came to an end on 19 July, and I am supportive of Stage 4 of the roadmap.

“We do know, however, that this won’t mean the end of Covid.

Learning to live with Covid cannot mean simply allowing infections to spread unchecked. The impact is clear – many suffering the symptoms of long COVID, inequalities exacerbated, pupils missing school, staff shortages in the NHS and social care as well as in businesses.

“Across the country, more people have been vaccinated which means more people are protected from getting seriously ill if they were to catch the virus. This is vital in overcoming Covid and seeing Sheffield get back to normal as much as is practically possible.

“Long Covid is still a concern, many people are suffering, and we are

still learning about the effects of long Covid and the impact it has on people’s lives. You can still be poorly if you are double vaccinated and there are still plenty of people out there who are yet to be vaccinated.

“It’s why I want to stress the importance of keeping hygiene levels up.

Let’s all continue to wash our hands on a regular basis, get a test if you have symptoms and self-isolate. This will stop the sprea d even more and is an added bonus to the vaccine.

“Vaccines are part of the answer but don’t eradicate Covid, we will learn to live with it as safely as possible. However, we know the measures we have taken have worked so far; masks have made a huge impact and there is overwhelming evidence to support this. We would have a lot less freedom if it wasn’t for the impact wearing a mask in closed spaces has had on transmission rates.”

“I’m confident Sheffield will recover well, and we’ll see fewer hospital admissions. Covid rates may rise initially, but importantly a decrease in hospital admissions and as a result, fewer deaths, is a huge step in the right direction. A careful exit is necessary, not only for us as individuals, but for reassurances for businesses too, knowing they won’t be in a situation where they have to close again is vital for them.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on future guidance to make sure we are as prepared as possible, protecting Sheffield residents and moving forward towards a better future.”

For the latest guidance on restrictions and the fourth stage of the Governement’s roadmap out of lockdown head to gov.uk/guidance/

Although most legal restrictions have now been lifted, it’s just as important to remember that covid-19 is still a part of our lives.

Cases are now as high as they were in January and continue to rise in Sheffield. We all need to do our bit to keep each other safe. At the end of the day, these vaccines are designed to prevent people from getting seriously ill or even death.

It’s the small jabs that could make the difference between seeing your mates or getting seriously ill. The MHRA, the official UK regulator, has said the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines are safe and highly effective. As with any medicine, vaccines are highly regulated products. There are checks at every stage in the development and manufacturing process, and continued monitoring once it has been authorised and is being used in the wider population.

It’s been properly researched and developed by top professionals. For the sake of some minor side effects, like a sore arm or tiredness – which feels like a bad hangover – you’re doing your part in the fight against coronavirus.

For some people, covid-19 can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is called long covid. Around 10,000 people in Sheffield have long covid, including plenty of young uns’. Long covid can cause fatigue, anxiety, and impotence, affecting healthy people of all ages. There are over 200 symptoms of long covid,and the best way to not get long covid is to not get covid. The best way to not get covid is to get vaccinated.

We all want to return to some sort of normality after the world was turned upside down by the pandemic. Sheffield is our home, and we need to look after ourselves and the people in it. It’s never been simpler to get vaccinated with your first and second dose, only 8 weeks apart. Walk-in to one of Sheffield’s many pop-up clinics to have the jab on the same day – even if you’re not registered with a GP. Find out where the latest walk-in clinics are on the Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group website – sheffieldccg.nhs.uk.

Or if you’d rather, you can book an appointment via nhs. uk/covid-vaccination or by calling the national booking centre via 119. Thank you, Sheffield, for getting your covid vaccine. Over 60% of us are now double vaccinated, so let’s keep it going, and get your jab today to keep the Steel City moving. sheffieldccg.nhs.uk.

It’s been a rough year or so. We’ve all had to make sacrifices to keep each other safe, but there’s now some light at the end of the Woodhead tunnel.

We’ve been desperate to get back to our favourite nightclubs, enjoy some of the city’s best artists live and tackle all the other social opportunities this unreal city has to offer. The Prime Minister has announced that as of September you’ll need to be double vaccinated to go to clubs. To get back to doing the things we love most about Sheffield, we need to grab a jab and get vaccinated.

OUR BODIES, OUR STREETS

BRUNCH SIN FONDO!

We are now open at lunchtimes at La Mama from 12 noon offering bottomless brunch plus the normal menu.

Brunch Sin Fondo (Bottomless Brunch) is only available for the whole table with guests receiving 1 hour and 30 minutes of bottomless fun. Each guest may order one dish from the brunch menu and receive unlimited drinks within 90 minutes. *There is an additional charge for side dishes, desserts, ice creams, liquors and coffees. Please only order one drink per person at a time.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS @LAMAMATAPASBAR 238 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1FL Tel: 0114 327 9597 www.lamamalatin.co.uk

OUR BODIES, OUR STREETS With the lifting of lockdown and the reopening of clubs finally upon us, the issue of safety on Sheffield’s streets is something playing on the minds of many who are enjoying a long-awaited night out.

Most people are familiar with the dreaded walk home from a bar or club, with a set of keys gripped tightly between sweaty fingers just in case self-defence is required.

Conversations surrounding safety from harassment are so often focussed on the different ways in which the individual ought to prevent and defend themselves against harassment, rather than what can be done to make these spaces less dangerous.

Sheffield-based organisation ‘Our Bodies Our Streets’ is an initiative raising awareness and campaigning for safer public spaces free from sexual harassment. The organisation has seen a lot of growth over the past year, using their platform to campaign on both local and national levels.

“Our Bodies Our Streets’ started out as a campaign for women and non-binary people to be able to exercise on Sheffield’s streets during lockdown without the threat of harrassment and catcalling. The initiative has since expanded to address public sexual harassment and safety generally, recently successfully passing a motion at Sheffield City Council to ‘Make Sheffield even safer for all.”

Since the announcement of a third round of the government’s Safer Streets Fund, with ‘a particular emphasis on improving the safety of public spaces for women and girls’, the group have prioritised making

sure that women and people of marginalised genders in Sheffield have a say in how this money will be spent. Their research has resulted in four suggestions, which have been presented to representatives from the council and the PCC. The first of these suggestions is participatory mapping, which will allow women and people of marginalised genders to map their experiences of harassment in Sheffield. The data from this research may then be used to inform planning, policy and design that responds directly to people’s needs and visualises a clear image of where changes are most needed.

The second is creative lighting interventions, informed by research that has shown that traditional methods of lighting (e.g. bright, white flood lights) don’t correlate with or enforce women’s feelings of safety.

The third is that women and marginalised gender groups must lead the implementation of these changes. A women-led design commission should be established in the case that Sheffield is successful in its funding application, and should consist of residents of the City (with diverse representation), community groups and organisations, female built environment professionals, and academics/industry professionals who specialise in inclusive design and planning/ gender mainstreaming.

The final is community pilot projects,

which are fairly cheap interventions that can be carried out quickly in order to assess whether specific concepts are effective and thus ensure that the funding is spent in a beneficial way.

Emma Beaumont, a member of the group, described why ‘Our Bodies, Our Streets’ and their work is so important in the current climate.

“A silver lining of the pandemic is that it has opened many people’s eyes to the importance of accessible public open spaces, for both our physical and mental well-being.

However, it has also brought to light the vast intersectional inequalities in accessing such spaces...there is much evidence to show that women, people of BAME communities and the LGBTQ+ community face significantly more barriers to accessing green spaces than white men. We believe equal access to public spaces, without fear of harassment, is a fundamental human right and we are striving to make our city safer for all its inhabitants.”

Anyone who wants to help advance the group’s aims is encouraged to get involved and become a registered supporter online, which will allow you to discuss your ideas and experiences at meetings, vote on group decisions and committee elections, and get involved in creative and political actions.

The group can be found on Instagram: @ ourbodiesourstreets.

FOOD + DRINK / SHUFFLE SHACK IMAGES: PEDALO PHOTOGRAPHY / ROB NICHOLSON

FOOD + DRINK / SHUFFLE SHACK

Everyday we’re...

shuffling The all-new Shuffle Shack, which is set to open this August, boasts four full-size shuffleboard ‘decks’, a bar serving old school classic cocktails (think Sex on the Beach and Miami Vices – holiday vibes), as well as a range of American beers, arcade machines, a fussball table and amazing artwork splashed across the walls courtesy of local artistic geometrist, Rob Lee. Some of you at this point might be thinking, ‘Yeah, sounds great, but what’s shuffleboard?’. Well, allow us to enlighten you as we talked tang and biscuits with Picture House Social owner and Sheffield’s premiere shuffleboard expert (not an official title, he just knows more than we do!), James O’Hara.

The first thing we learn is that ‘deck shuffleboard’ is basically ‘curling without ice’, according to James.

Two players, or teams, take it in turns to push a small puck called a biscuit down the deck using a cue called a tang. The aim is to land the biscuit within a triangular target to score points.

However, jeopardy awaits, as if you push too hard and the tang shoots off the end of the deck, you stand to lose ten of your hard-earned points. Something, we’re told, is quite easy to do thanks to small silicon ‘speed beads’ on the surface of the deck, although we wonder if this is more of an excuse for deficiencies in James’ shuffleboard game!

Once you’ve all shuffled down the deck, you pop down the other end, tot up your points, and shuffle

back down the way you came. First to 75 points wins. Got it?… Good.

While they’ve loved putting on live music in the space, changing its use has long been an ambition for the Rockingham Group, who also own citycentre bars Public and Gatsby.

“One of the things we’ve always wanted to do with the big room in Picture House was to do something like a big game,” explains James. “Obviously, we’ve always used the room for live music, but when we took it over, we actually got it measured up for ten pin bowling. Turned out it was just too small and so it got put on the back burner.”

“When lockdown began, it gave us a chance to take a step back and look at the different businesses in more of a measured way, and it reminded us why we’d created the businesses in the first place.”

“With Picture House, we decided to follow through with what we’d originally wanted to do and make something exciting, and something that’s just really good fun. Something not pretentious, that families can come and do, and that’s inclusive and a laugh.

We found shuffleboard, played it, got hooked, and it’s all we ever do now when we’re meant to be coming to work!”

Once the idea was in place, they assembled their crack team of local bar creators to bring the concept to life. Rocket Design, Newphase LED and DP House Decorating set about taking it in turns, tag team style due to social distancing, to →

IMAGE: ROB LEE

Picture House Social’s epic gig room has undergone a mighty transformation over the course of lockdown and is looking unrecognisably resplendent in its new guise as the city’s first ever dedicated shuffleboard bar.

make somewhere special for the city. Local artists Oli Frape and Rob Lee then added the striking finishing touches with the logo (Frape) and trippy murals (Lee).

“We kind of had a laugh going through our influences for it, which is why it’s very much got a Studio 54 and disco vibe,” admits James, “The playlists are all disco. It’s essentially just a big, daft, fun place to have a laugh.”

The venue has been more or less finished for a while now, but they have held off the opening until restrictions are fully lifted to allow people to enjoy the full experience.

With that date now in sight, the doors finally open at the beginning of August and shufflers(?) will be able to hire out lanes for the same price whether it’s a group of two or eight, so best to start getting your teams together now!

SHUFFLE SHACK

PICTURE HOUSE SOCIAL 383 ABBEYDALE RD, NETHER EDGE, SHEFFIELD S7 1FS

instagram.com/shuffleshackshef

FOOD + DRINK / NEWS

FOOD + DRINK / NEWS

GETTING TUK’D IN Tuk Tuk Thai Street Food has opened its doors on Ecclesall Road Tuk Tuk Thai Street Food is bringing the heat to Ecclesall Road this summer as they take over the former home of Mexican fast food chain Taco Bell.

As the name suggests, the restaurant will specialise in Thai street food favourites and, in an effort to help transport you to South-East Asia, will even feature authentic Tuk Tuk’s delivered direct from Thailand.

Owner Paul Hague told Exposed: “We plan to transport you to the streets of Thailand, the aromas and tastes (some of the chaos) and the sights.

All the dishes will be prepared daily on site with the focus on delivering authentic Thai street food.”

“Street food is served in a very informal atmosphere, and we want to bring that sense of a relaxed setting to Sheffield

whilst serving high quality food and drinks.”

On the menu will be Thai staples including Green, Red, Pa-Nang and Massaman curries and Paul recommends his favourite Jungle curry, Pad Prik Gang Dang, and Kapow if you want a little extra spice.

Paul and his team have been serving Thai food for almost 10 years at their Rotherhambased Thai restaurants and they are now looking forward to bringing their street food concept to their latest venture.

“We are tremendously excited about Tuk Tuk and are working hard to get everything in place for the launch,” says Paul, “we hope we can see you all once the doors open and we can bring Bangkok to Sheffield.”

The new restaurant opens from 11.30am – 9.30pm most days. facebook.com/Tuk-Tuk-ThaiStreet-Food

JUST LYKKE DREAM A new Scandi-inspired cafe is coming to New Era Square

A Scandi-inspired café Hygge is set to open a second venue in the city centre, in the £70million New Era Square scheme.

The new venue, named Lykke, will be one of the first eateries to open in New Era Square, and the fit out, which includes a large outdoor space, is now under way with opening slated for the beginning of this month.

Owner Alex Moore said: “New Era Square is a fantastic new pedestrianised space, and I am excited to bring Lykke and our Danish concept, of a relaxed multi-function work, meeting, eating and drinking space to it in August.

“It has been very well done by the landlord and is comparable to similar schemes in London and Manchester.

I am confident New Era Square will become the new go-to eating and drinking destination in Sheffield.”

Once open Lykke, which translates as ‘happiness’ from Danish, will offer full table service despite the recent easing of restrictions. Alex explained: “Although restrictions on hospitality businesses are set to be lifted, we will continue to offer full table service as the emphasis at both businesses is on relaxation.”

Lykke will be joined by several other new eateries later this year.

“We want people to enjoy the space we have created and spend time in it, whether that is to work during the day or meet friends for cocktails and food in the evening.” facebook.com/lykkesheffield

MONEY IN THE BANK The Dark Horse micropub opens on Eccy Road this summer A new micropub is set to open in a former bank on Ecclesall Road, complete with a vault and named with a nod to the former tenants.

The former Lloyds in Banner Cross has been taken on

by Sheffield resident Andy Grice, who now has planning permission for the site and has applied for an alcohol licence.

Andy, who is also opening another new bar on Charles Street later this year, aims to open The Dark Horse micropub this month, whose name is a nod to Lloyds’ famous black horse logo.

Andy said: “The Dark Horse name is a play on, ‘you’re a bit of a dark horse’, and the building itself is a former Lloyds bank.”

As well as some outdoor seating on the busy Ecclesall Road the bar will offer an atmospheric and cosy environment, as well

as food from an as yet unnamed local independent street food company, adds Andy.

The building is currently under renovation by the brilliant Rocket Design, but the opportunity has led to some intriguing finds, including a fully-functioning vault.

Despite the ‘fascinating’ vault, the bar will not be bank-themed, but it will offer something different in an area that has had several new openings over the past year.

Andy said: “Marmadukes has set up in the old Post Office, which is a new edition, and The Wildcard Bar are now open too. So there’s a bit of a transformation occurring.”

The Dark Horse will open later this month. facebook.com/ thedarkhorsesheffield

TOP OF THE POP-UPS New Vietnamese street food specialist pops up in Union Street

Over the course of July, Union Street has welcomed an all-new Vietnamese Street food pop-up to its city-centre co working hub.

Mong-Ta, which already boasts a successful business in London, catering on music video productions for the likes of Liam Gallagher, brought the streets of Ho Chi Minh to Sheffield with a soft launch on Friday 2 July.

Their menu, which includes Vietnamese staples such as coconut chicken curry, vegan sweet potato curry and Bun noodle boxes, uses family recipes passed down from owner Eric Wan’s grandma, which is where the name ‘Mong Ta’ comes from.

The family-run business was started in East London by Eric, who’s grandmother lived in Saigon (better

known today as Ho Chi Minh) during times of war and poverty, before seeking refuge in the UK. Eric said: “Growing up, I was lucky enough to eat the food she cooked, and it only makes sense to share that experience with the world.

“Simplicity is our ethos. We combine fresh ingredients with family recipes to provide you with authentic flavours from the humble streets of Vietnam.”

Following their success in the Big Smoke they are excited to be bringing their ethos back to their hometown of Sheffield. Mong Ta’s Kerre Chen added: “We are super stoked to bring this family passion project to life in our hometown of Sheffield.” facebook.com/mongtavietnamese

FOOD + DRINK

HEIST, HEIST BABY...

After over a year’s delay, Heist Brew Co’s brand-new brewery tap, on Neepsend Lane, is finally set to open

After well over a year’s delay, thanks in part to the various lockdowns and some well documented roof issues, Heist Brew Co’s brand-new brewery tap, on Neepsend Lane, is finally set to open its doors this summer – and it sounds incredible.

Ahead of opening this month, owners Adam France and Dan Hunt have revealed exciting plans for their new ‘alternative hangout’ including shuffleboard tables, an arcade complete with 2p machines and grabbers, TV screens showing alternative sports and a projector on which you’ll be able to play Tony Hawks on PlayStation.

If that wasn’t enough, top burger joint Slap and Pickle are making the venue their new permanent home and plans for the bar include a massive 30 different lines of beer, giving them the most lines and biggest selection of draught beer in Sheffield.

Adam explains: “We just wanted to create somewhere a bit more unique than anywhere that’s in Sheffield at the minute. We’re trying to bring something from each of our experiences, as well as our experiences together in Europe and the US. “We want it to be an alternative hangout where you can go sit in one room and have a

quiet conversation with people, or you can come and hang out in another area and it’s a bit more of a lively vibe, full of fun stuff.”

Dan, who has to this point been the head brewer for Heist Brew after teaching himself to brew, adds: “In terms of the beers, loads of places are doing the same stuff from the same providers, but we’ve got enough lines to champion everybody, and we want to offer something that nobody else is offering.

“We’ve sourced Mad Scientist direct from Hungary. We’ve asked Emperor’s brewery if he wants a permanent line, which is hard to come by, so we wanted to make sure we got first dibs on it.”

The space will be split into three areas; a selfcontained brewery, an events space where they will hold a range of events including Meet the Brewer and Homebrew nights as well as private hire events, and the main bar area, which will be home to the arcade and kitchen.

Given the various trials and tribulations over the last year, Adam and Danny are cautiously optimistic as their vision for the venue begins to come together.

“Other than the last two or three months, since last March we’ve basically been thinking, what are we doing?” says Adam, “Things just kept coming up one after the other and it wasn’t a good time to be honest.”

Dan adds: “It felt like it was never going to happen, and then all of a sudden it all hit us like a train, really. We had every contractor start at the same time and ever since then it’s felt like we don’t have enough weeks left!’

107 Neepsend Lane // heistbrewco.com

ASHOKA

REVIEW

Sheffield’s most famous Indian delivers...

Delighting Sheffielders with their incomparable brand of ‘reyt good curreh’ since 1967, it’s safe to say that Ashoka cemented its place in the Steel City foodie hall of fame some time ago. However, if you’re wondering whether this may leave opportunity for complacency on the famous restaurant’s part then think again: they’re still at the top of their game when it comes to the quality, service and quirks that have made them a household name.

A winning ability to blend the modern with the traditional is reflected both on their menu and in their intimate, stylish restaurant space inspired by the Irani cafes of Mumbai. Taking our seats one bustling evening – it always seems to have the right level of atmosphere, by the way: lively enough to set a spirited tone, but never over-boisterous – myself and my partner were instantly attended to with drinks, two crisp Cobras, and served with a pickle tray, as we ordered starters of the Hender-

son’s House Puri and onion bhajis while browsing the mains.

I needn’t have looked. Due to lockdown and a brief move away, it had been over two years since I’d tried the hal-lowed Taxi Driver Curry, named after a local cabby who kept coming back. It’s no surprise he couldn’t get enough – it remains an incredibly satisfying dish of minced lamb and smoky chicken tikka with a rewarding hit of garlic and chilli. My partner went for the Makhan-Wallah, a velvety, cashew nut-laden curry sand swiftly pronounced sumptuous. As ever, we over-indulged on the gorgeous mains, not a morsel spared from naan or rice either, so we could barely finish off our final round of Cobras and the traditional Indian biscuits (again, those little quirks) would be saved for the next day.

50+ years of reyt good curreh, then, and absolutely no sign of slowing down. We all deserve a post-lockdown treat and Sheffield’s finest Indian won’t disappoint.

#ReytGoodCurreh www.ashoka1967.com Eat In - Takeout - Delivery 307 Ecclesall Rd - Sheffield

Photo - Dom Hill. Model - Montana Yao at the Korean Friendship Bell for Girls Tour

FOOD + DRINK

WHAT’S COOKING?

Ever wondered where Sheffield’s top chefs go to get their snap? … No? Well, we’re gonna tell you anyway… For this month’s issue, Exposed Magazine caught up with True Loves head chef Robert Lattanzio to get his top tips for the Steel City food and drink scene.

Cheeky Takeaway: Yoki @ Kommune It’s not just a takeaway, but whenever we are busy working and want something delivered nothing hits the spot quite like their boneless thigh pieces. They do amazing spicy wings as well and the fries are some of the best in town. There’s so much great stuff happening in the Castlegate area at the moment and Kommune is a big part of that.

Date Night: Pina This is such a special venue that the people of Sheffield should be extremely grateful for. You can tell so much thought has gone into every detail of their offering and the quality really shines through. The menu is perfect for dates because you can get a bit of everything and share. The fact they make their own corn tacos in house is just crazy cool and all of the fillings are banging.

Top Value: Chakra Lounge Another brilliant spot in the Castlegate area. The transformation of Fitzalan square has been really encouraging to see and Chakra Lounge is the absolute jewel in its crown. There’s loads of amazing vegan and veggie options and you’re always satisfied without breaking the bank. The samosa chaat and channa chaat are my go-tos and that’s usually enough for two hungry chefs at lunch for an amazing price.

Underrated Gem: Apna Style I was taken to this little spot just off Abbeydale road recently for a quick lunch.

I ordered the Tawa sharing platter for two and was blown away by the quality and portion size. The meat was cooked perfectly and seasoned to perfection.

There is a really lively community vibe to the place as well. More people really need to check them out!

Out for Lunch: Albie’s Another very cool little spot right on our doorstep. These guys’ passion for coffee and hospitality shines through everything they do. The venue itself is so beautifully finished and you can tell they have worked so hard getting every detail spot on. The bagels are cracking too!

Bookings for True Loves’ lovely waterside restaurant/bar at Victoria Quays are available at true-loves. co.uk Arches 18 & 19 Victoria Quays, Sheffield S2 5SY @truelovesheffield

GRAND OLD DUKE Sorting the wheat from the chafe at Marms 3

A couple of years ago, popular Norfolk Row café Marmadukes took the bold step to open not one, but two new Sheffield venues.

The first opened just before the pandemic hit and is now finding its feet as the Heart of The City II regeneration’s flagship café in the city centre, while the second finally opened its doors in June this year, in the former sorting office on Ecclesall Road.

Delays to the Eccy Road project, which were thanks in part to the various lockdowns as well as owners Tim and Clare’s desire to make things absolutely perfect, have meant that the road to getting Marms #3 open has been far from straight forward.

“Embarrassingly, I’d been saying we’ll be open next month for over a year, and I genuinely believed it, but I wasn’t the one doing the work.” Explains owner Tim Nye, “It’s been such a relief to get open and the fact that we’ve had people queuing out of the door for the first few weeks has made it feel like all the stress was worth it. This site is just fantastic.”

Tim’s right. The place is fantastic. The open plan kitchens and bakery add a bit of theatre to the café setting and the wonderful interior design, created by Clare with the help of Sheffield design agency 93ft, has been poured over with meticulous detail.

From the bubbles that hang from the ceiling,

which are meant to make you feel like you’ve walked into a loaf of sourdough bread, to the rainbow lights in the gender neutral toilets, every element has been carefully thought through in order to make the environment just as enticing as the food and drink.

The finished venue is really quite remarkable when you consider that they never envisaged a third café. Before taking the plunge on the third site they were looking for a bakery space to serve what was at the time about to become two cafes. However, once they saw the muchloved sorting office building was available, they jumped at the chance to create a café, sourdough bakery and patisserie capable of servicing all three sites.

The offering on Ecclesall Road is similar to that of Norfolk Row, with added extras like freshly made focaccia (Tim recommends the nduja version), as well as new salads and gorgeous French toast.

Tim added: “We’re doing our own bread now, which is something we’ve always wanted to do but haven’t been able to until now.

“The bakery is so close to the customers and people can watch the bread being made fresh.

Our strapline, that 93ft wonderfully came up with, is ‘best made’, and that’s because it is all best made here, on site, rather than being shipped in.

“We’re pitching ourselves at that higher end.

FOOD + DRINK / MARMADUKES

Photography by Brad Matthews for 93ft.com

FOOD + DRINK / MARMAUKES

Even though we only open in the day, so we don’t charge evening prices, the quality is as good as any restaurant.”

Another important aspect of the restaurant’s ethos is sustainability and they are aiming to become the first venue in the city to be awarded the Michelin Green Star, which is an annual award that highlights restaurants at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices.

One of the ways in which they are attempting to achieve their goal is through the bread itself, and their partnership with Wildfarmed is at the forefront of their sustainability efforts.

Wildfarmed, which was founded in an astonishing career shift by Groove Armada producer and DJ Andy Cato, is a farm that produces flour using a special grain grown in a way that respects the environment by using simple regenerative farming practices to cultivate high-quality grains without chemicals.

Tim tells us that by using a special longstemmed grain from France they can harvest the crop without turning the soil. This means that the ecological damage attributed to ploughing and using pesticides isn’t seen and the crop can be harvested whilst leaving the greenery.

“What that means, in terms of the quality of the flour, is that all the nutrients in the soil soak into the product, so you’ve got the most high quality bread ultimately that you can get.” adds Tim, “The difficulty is it’s extremely sensitive to work with, but the taste and the quality is second to none.”

“It’s a work in progress and I’m not saying we’ve cracked it yet, because we haven’t, but in terms of the quality of the bread and the ethics of it as well, you can’t beat it.”

We can’t imagine how good it’s going to be when they have ‘cracked it’ and we reckon you already can’t beat this latest addition to the Marmadukes family.

MARMADUKES THE SORTING OFFICE, 846 ECCLESALL ROAD, SHEFFIELD, S11 8TP MARMADUKES.CO

BEER DOG premium craft ale bottle shop

Taps from Crosspool Ale Makers Largest German beer selection within 100 miles

108 CHARLOTTE RD, HIGHFIELD, SHEFFIELD S1 4TL TEL: 07727 344404 @BEERDOGSHEFFIELD

SUN-THURS 7AM-12AM FRI-SAT 7AM-1AM

BEER REVERE

It was with a heavy heart that I had to reschedule the Indie Beer Feast summer edition this August...

It’s been a tough old 16 months all round and the ability to host live music and in-person events has been non-existent. Adding into this it being a hugely stressful and anxious time for self-employed event organisers, musicians, artists, performers, and everyone behind and in front of the sectors making up the cultural industry. Thankfully, there has been some aid through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Culture Recovery Fund for venues, launched to provide much-needed investment for many cultural organisations around the UK during the pandemic. It was extremely pleasing to see that venues like the Abbeydale Picture House successfully accessed this support, and with the 1920s cinema celebrating its 100th anniversary during the midst of the pandemic, I’m hopeful there will another century of joy hosted at the community-led venture. The venue is home to the beer festival I run, Indie Beer Feast, which launched in 2018 as Sheffield’s first craft beer focused festival. It’s a wonderful space to host a beer festival and adds a real uniqueness and sense of character to the event. It’s also great to see the venue continue to evolve and uncover, improve and bring back to life its magnificent historical features and update its facilities.

It was with a heavy heart that I had to re-schedule the Indie Beer Feast summer edition this August, after March 2021 had already been written off. But after feedback from the breweries and cideries involved, and in addition to the unsure situation we’re still very much in nationally with the pandemic, especially in terms of the next steps such as booster jabs, easing of restrictions, continued vaccination roll-out and more, moving cautiously felt like the right decision. Everyone’s safety and wellbeing are my utmost priority.

With the intimacy of the venue, an event of that size couldn’t have operated under restrictions such as face masks, social distancing or table service. So, with the uncertainty back in July of what would be required, I had to move for a rescheduling of the festival date.

I’m very much hopeful that means next year, in March 2022, I can run the festival as everyone would love it to be. In addition, it does mean it can coincide with a full beery calendar of fun during Sheffield Beer Week.

As beer businesses and pubs have been substantially negatively impacted over this period, and I know that rescheduling the festival was a disappointment for many, which may mean of that there’ll be plenty of you lovely folks at a loss what to do that weekend, so how about you take a look at the Indie Beer Feast Festival Trail taking place August weekend instead?

Hosted across 6 venues, featuring 15 breweries, 2 cideries and taking place over 3 days. BOOM. Venues include Hop Hideout, The Crow, Bar Stewards, Shakespeares, Kelham Island Tavern and Saint Mars of the Desert. Look out for breweries such as Liverpool’s Neptune hosting an event at Shakespeares, Scotland’s Fyne Ales appearing on the taps at the Kelham Island Tavern, Norfolk’s Duration down at The Crow, Sheffield’s Lost Industry showcased at the Bar Stewards, Saint Mars of the Desert running brewery tours on the Saturday, and you can even join the Mikkeller Running Club Sheffield Chapter’s 5km fun run from Hop Hideout! There’ll be plenty more going on, so head to the Indie Beer Feast socials to keep up with the beer lists and events. See you there!

Insta/Twitter: @IndieBeerFeast Facebook: indiebeerfeast

BY JULES GRAY

ALL HAIL THE BEER TRAIL!

RANMOOR CASTLE Vast range of beers, wines, ciders & spirits Mon-Weds 4pm-7pm / Thus 3pm-8pm Fri 2pm-8pm / Sat 12pm-9pm Sun 12pm-6pm

Taps from Crosspool Ale Makers Largest German beer selection within 100 miles

SUN-THURS 7AM-12AM FRI-SAT 7AM-1AM

392 Fulwood Rd, Sheffield S10 3GD @theranmoorcastle

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SPOTLIGHT ON

BIG

BREAK The former home of Riley’s Snooker Club, just off Sharrowvale Road, has been given a much-needed facelift since it closed last summer, transforming the tired old snooker hall into a modern sports bar and restaurant.

The all-new Peaks Sports Bar, which takes its name from the three peaks in its roof and the city’s close links to the Peak District, is set to open later this month and is hoping to bring a completely different atmosphere to the space.

No need to panic though; if you still fancy a few frames, the snooker and pool tables have been kept in place, but with the addition of new big screens to watch the sport, a row of dartboards for a quick game of arrows and a brandnew kitchen smashing out freshly cooked local produce with a Tex Mex vibe (think wings, nachos and tacos).

There will also be a bar serving cocktails alongside beers and lagers, as well as a spruced-up outdoor terrace for brunching, and chilled-out downstairs bar area.

Peaks co-owner Mamad Salamat has owned the building for the past 10 years or so and throughout that period the it has always been used by tenants as

a snooker hall, but when Riley’s made the decision to close permanently in the middle of the pandemic, the owners took the decision to take on the project themselves.

Mamad explains: “When Riley’s went into administration, we took over and decided we wanted to create a sports bar, rather than a snooker hall. Somewhere that’s good fun, has good food and drinks, and where you can watch the sport if you want to.

“Before it was just a snooker club, and a snooker club is usually male-orientated, and we’re trying to get away from that.

Peaks is for anybody and everybody.

We want families to be able to come and enjoy the good food. People to come in and enjoy a cocktail.”

“We’ve revamped it to a higher standard. We put in a brand-new roof, new lighting so it isn’t so dark, and we’ve created this new dining area.”

Mamad is feeling confident ahead of opening and he believes there is a space in the Sharrow area for this kind of venue. He said: “I think if you manage to create something good for the people, they will come. If we can look after the local community, then I think we should be fine. We’re just excited to open now!” www.peakssnooker.com WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 53

We stock lots of amazing brands including:

AWARD-WINNING REPO VINTAGE STOCKIST! 07596 637895 // www.misssamanthasvintage.co.uk // misssamanthasvintage@gmail.com @misssamanthasvintage @misssamanthasvintage

358 South Road, Walkley, Sheffield, S6 3TE

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FASHION

FASHION

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Photography: Emily Burkett Photography

Rose to the Occasion

What happens when you combine Louisa Froggatt of Freshmans Vintage, Sam Parsonage of Miss Samantha’s Vintage and Niamh Kavanagh of Gyspy Rose Salon?

Answer: a formidable alliance and some of the most ridiculously cool retro stylings you’re likely to find up north, pal.

The trio have long been seen as local trailblazers in the vintage fashion department, being recognised as such by the Exposed Readership who voted to help them bag Best Hair Stylist (Niamh), Best Women’s Fashion Retailer (Miss Sam’s) and Best Independent Retailer (Freshmans) at the most recent Exposed Awards in 2019.

They’ve decided to call their collaboration ‘The Fresh Vintage Rose’, which last month took shape in the form of a photoshoot inside Orchis Floral Design at Hagglers Corner, with clothing from Freshmans/Miss Samantha’s and hair styling by Gypsy Rose.

Bringing together a wider community of talented female creatives, Lou White and Emily Burkett provided photography and Laura Jessica provided makeup.

The three will continue to support each other as a collective by working together on further projects moving forward, and in the next issue of Exposed we’ll be shining a closer light on The Fresh Vintage Rose and their plans for the future.

In the meantime, sling ‘em a follow on their socials below. @freshmansvintagestore @missamanthasvintage @gypsyrosehair @fresh_as_a_vintage_rose

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NIGHTLIFE / FEWER THAN ONE

Sheffield Distillery is the inspiration of five keen spirit lovers from Sheffield who wanted to make spirits properly, by hand, using smell, taste, sight, intuition, knowledge and passion. All our bottles are hand labelled, corked and wax dipped to create an authentic craft finish to the product. We are Made In Sheffield!

The Commercial Inn, 107 - 109 Station Rd, Sheffield S35 2XF Tel: 01142469066 60 | WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK

SheffieldAssay

sheffield.distillery

ALL AS ONE

From the ashes of The Night Kitchen rises a new nightlife destination, Fewer Than One, bringing a rejuvenated look to the famed venue along with a diverse events programme to provide a safe, welcoming space for all.

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NIGHTLIFE / FEWER THAN ONE

In 2017, the news that iconic underground clubbing destination The Night Kitchen would be closing its doors for good was met with widespread dismay from the city’s arts and nightlife community.

Originally operating under the name Dirty Little Secret (DLS), the venue, situated at a former cutlery works in Shalesmoor, became synonymous with the Steel City’s most legendary nights and regularly hosted some of the hottest names in electronic music behind the decks.

The venture served as a joint-project between DLS and CADS (Creative Arts Development Space), which saw on-site studios rented out to a vibrant mix of artists and musicians, developing and nurturing the building’s potential as a hub of local innovation while continuing to host some of the country’s best warehouse parties.

DLS was replaced by The Night Kitchen in 2014, and for the following five years continued to welcome thousands of partygoers through its doors, establishing itself in its final years as a firm favourite with the city’s student population before a pre-existing landlord agreement saw TNK brought to the end of an era, hosting a final hurrah on NYE 2019.

It then seemed like that was that for the historic Smithfield site; its labyrinthine corridors, multiple rooms and studio spaces which held so many memories looked set for some bland redevelopment while the Sheffield nightlife scene reeled from a hefty blow.

But, as it turns out, there’s life in the old dog yet and an exciting new lease of life is very much underway at the venue. Dirty Little Secret event manager Stevie Day has taken it over under new management as Fewer Than One (<1) and following a gruelling but impressive refurbishment, the regenerated space will be opening with an August bank holiday bash running from 4pm-5am on Saturday 28th August.

“We’ll be showcasing a range of styles across the building to create a festivaltype atmosphere; the daytime stuff will feature live music, laidback 4x4, hip-hop and street food before the night-time goes into drum & bass in

Room 1, then all things chunky and acid in Room 2.”

Take a stroll through the refurbed venue and you’ll see a significant transformation. The main courtyard has been cleared out, replaced with upcycled seating, plants, and a new mural decorating the far wall with the words ‘FAIL WE SAY SAIL WE MUST’ – a tribute to Stevie’s musical hero, the late DJ, musician and producer Andy Weatherall. The bottom courtyard looks particularly resplendent, decorated with hanging baskets and blooming flowers, and is shared space with The Gut Collective – a DIY event space and collective focusing on music and club culture who give a platform to underrepresented groups in the industry.

“It’s been a real effort getting things back up to scratch,” says Stevie, “but we’ve really started to see the progress now. The studios have filled up nicely and you can hear and see all the different artists, bands and producers milling around; the community vibe has returned and it’s great to see.”

Just a few of the occupants currently residing among the 30 studio spaces include diverse audio/visual platform Mondo Radio, Afro-psychedelia group ONIPA, recording studio Neighbourhood Studios, bassline artist K:Dot, hip-hop artist Franz Von, and digital production agency Madbox Creative. It’s all part of the vision to turn Fewer Than One into a multi-purpose venue, or, as Stevie puts it, “nurture a place for a wide range of clientele, one where as many people as possible can come in and make something out of the space.”

Feeding into this philosophy, <1 have made a commitment to promoting wider representation with their events. This means moving away from the largely white, male-dominated lineups all too often associated with electronic music, working with the resident artists and local promoters in favour of promoting a wider range of genres, hosting a diverse programme of events, and fundamentally creating a venue where people of all ages and groups can feel safe and represented.

Definitely watch this space, Sheffield.

Fewer Than One host their inaugural event August bank holiday weekend on Saturday 28th August, 4pm-5am.

Pictures: Matt Crowder

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P U D N STA Y D E COM EVERY FRIDA Y & SATURDA Y WITH YOUR HOST HARRI ET DYER & 3 TO P PRO COMEDIANS

Devo n s h i re St Sh ef f ield

b u l C y d e m o C FL

RO

2 1 £ T S U J S T E TICK

roflcomedy.com

COMEDY

LET’S HAVE A LAUGH

Exposed meets Harriet Dyer, awardwinning stand up and ROFL’s new MC Pre-pandemic, ROFL’s comedy clubs were responsible for plenty of mirth across the North. But after a year which has been characterised by every comedian’s nightmare, silence (and not even the awkward kind, punctuated by crickets), it might seem there isn’t much worth laughing about. The arrival of their newest venue in Sheffield, then, is ready to change that.

Sheffield has quite the reputation when it comes to producing worldclass performers. So how is it that in a city chock-full of legendary venues, theatres, and galleries, a purpose built comedy club is only just about to open? Exposed got in touch with Harriet Dyer – awardwinning stand-up and ROFL Sheffield’s incoming MC – to find out more about the new venue, and why we could all really use a good laugh at the minute.

Tell us about ROFL – what’s the crack? What sets their stand-up apart from the riff-raff?

Well, first off, the acts are just fantastic. No matter what your taste in comedy might be, I’d say there will always be someone at a ROFL night for you. It’s a great club because there’s not only a great calibre of comedians, there’s also always a diversity to the line-up.

In pretty much all our bills you’ll see some acts who’ve been on ‘Live at the Apollo’ or have a similar TV credit. We also pride ourselves on the fact that there’s not just a headliner. Every single act is headline standard here, whereas at usual gigs you’d have to wait for them to get better as the night went along. But not with us!

You’ve been a stand-up for nearly a decade – how does that inform you as an MC? What I like about being an MC is it’s a lot freer than doing a set. As a comedian, I guess some people would class me as a bit alternative.

When I first started and would gig in London I’d be introduced as a character act. I’m not a character act, I’m just myself!

I think because of lockdown and the fact that we haven’t been able to talk to anyone in person, it’s just a joy to be able to properly interact and delve into people’s lives to try and find comedy. I’m here to encourage a wonderful hilarious time, of course, but there’s never any nastiness or meanness in the stuff I do. You’re so lucky as a comedian that this is a job where literally the more fun you have, the better it is for everyone.

Coming over from ROFL in Derby, what’s your impression of Sheffield’s comedy scene?

I have a fair bit of experience in the city. There’s this thing called Square Hole Comedy at the Red Deer, which was one of my favourite clubs in the whole country, and I always used to perform there. So I have gigged in Sheffield and love it dearly.

In terms of audiences, we’ve had some lovely people come in regularly in Derby, so I hope that happens in Sheffield. I’m looking forward to building the new venue up because it’s a big student city.

I say that – the other day I was chatting with a girl on her 21st and she didn’t know who Justin Timberlake was! The references are moving quicker than ever and keeping up with your audience’s culture is all part of being able to share a laugh.

Speaking of sharing a laugh, you’ve founded a comedy night, and performed your own material, around mental health matters – why do you think being able to laugh about mental health is helpful?

In the past, people thought about mental health in comedy as a way to take the piss, or that certain things shouldn’t be spoken about. My parent’s generation definitely did that. Nowadays, I think it’s liberating for some people to be able to talk so openly about it. It’s very cathartic to be able to say something and have people in the audience who have been through similar things. It’s about knowing, from the laughter in the room, that other people have been through that. It’s not laughing at them, it’s the acknowledgement that they feel the same. It hasn’t really been done before today.

So given we’re emerging from such an unstable period for so many people, do you think there’s something live comedy can do for our mental wellbeing?

Many people who are regular comedy goers have been keeping in touch anyway with all the Zoom gigs. But I haven’t known one person who’d say that they’ve have preferred to watch them online rather than coming to see them live. I one-hundred percent think it’s good for people. It’s like going to the theatre – it’s cathartic – but it’s just so much more freeing.

When the guy who’s ROFL’s big in-charge person headed to Sheffield because there wasn’t a purpose built comedy club, he thought it was a great place – and I of course said “Well yes, it’s a very good place! The people of Sheffield deserve a laugh. We are here to deliver!”

SEE WHAT’S ON THIS MONTH AND BOOK YOUR COMEDY NIGHT TICKETS AT ROFLCOMEDY.COM WWW.EXPOSEDMAGAZINE.CO.UK | 65

MUSIC

A JOLLY GOOD YELLOW Last month, Exposed caught up with rising Leeds-based hip-hop artist and poet Yusuf Yellow to talk Tramlines Fest, lockdown creativity and flying the flag for the arts on upcoming EP What Do You See?.

You made your Tramlines debut on the Leadmill Stage earlier this month. I imagine that was a massive vibe for you?

Ah mate, literally one of the best moments of my life so far. Like, it was unreal and such an unbelievable opportunity. Thankfully, I’d spent a lot of time rehearsing to get it as good as it could be and it went down so well. It was great to see so many people come down to the tent and enjoy the set.

It was good to see that on the lineup there was a decent number of young poets and MCs included – yourself, Otis Mensah, Warda Yassin, to name a few, and all very much involved in the Sheffield arts and music scene.

Yeah, definitely. It was great to be at the same festival as artists that I really respect. Otis was a real mentor for me while I was in Sheffield for a few years. It was so lovely to be back in Sheff in general and to see people that I hadn’t seen for so long. It was just a great overall experience for me.

Any particular highlights in terms of performances over the weekend?

I really enjoyed August Charles, Heju and Otis – all artists who I know personally, so it was special seeing them live at the same event. Also Little Simz – man, she was unreal, honestly, just so inspiring to watch.

It’s been a while since Exposed caught up with you, about two years at least, and you could say quite a lot has happened in that time. How did you get on with lockdown and the last 18 months on a personal and creative level?

Mmm. I guess on a personal level I’ve had a lot of time for reflection; that really goes hand in hand with creating for me. My music is really just reflecting on my life, telling stories about my own self-awareness and different personal scenarios. So, yeah, I have to be honest and say that period was really productive for me, but it was obviously difficult at points too. I like to get out with friends and take inspiration from being outside, or sitting down to write in a coffee shop, so at times it was definitely challenging. However, there’s an EP and album already finished, so that’s definitely a good thing to come out of it.

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That leads us nicely into talking about your upcoming EP, What Do You See?, which launches on 6th September. Tell us a bit about the themes and inspirations running through the record.

The idea behind the project is me asking both myself and the audience to look a little bit deeper and ask why you do what you do, what do you love, and what defines you. For me, it’s music – art and music has given me so many opportunities in life. I want to promote how art can do so much and hopefully help encourage anyone thinking of taking the first step to do it. I’ve worked with local artists on videos where they speak about what art means to them, so we’re just trying to promote that message as much as possible.

It’s a very important message too, especially after the recent funding cuts to arts subjects at universities.

The argument needs to be heard for the arts now more than ever.

Yeah, absolutely. Art offers such a good outlet to deal with the internal struggle, especially if you haven’t got someone to talk to; there are ways of dealing with things through art. What Do You See? kind of shows the deeper meaning what I do, what it means to me. We’ve got a single dropping at the end of July, ‘Blind Man See’, featuring one of my favourite rappers of all time and produced by Zilch, who I met in my first year of being in Sheff.

It’s about seeing the world in a different way to the mainstream and staying to true to what you believe in.

And what does Yusuf Yellow believe in? What’s the artistic ethos?

Well, for me it’s about expressing my real life and what I believe in an honest way through music, not talking about things that’d make more likely to get on radio or whatever, but just putting out music that’s talking about my life and what’s around me. I see that as my responsibility as an artist. @yusurfyellow What Do You See? by Yusuf Yellow is out on 6th September.

MUSIC

21 ROTATING CRAFT KEG LINES WINES, SPRITS & NON ALCOHOLIC BEERS

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PLUGGING THE GAP The Plug nightclub building is set for a new lease of life as a ‘fully independent’ live music venue.

The former home of Plug nightclub, which has lain dormant since before the pandemic, is about to be reborn as an all-new live music venue and nightclub.

Owners of popular city-centre record shop Record Junkee have revealed they are set to revive their short-lived Network venue in the city-centre space.

The Matilda Street venue, which is opposite the record shop, will become the new home of the nightclub that was formerly part of the DINA venue, before its recent move to Fitzalan Square, after making way for the Heart of the City II development.

The new space plans to open in October, accommodating 80 – 1500 capacity gigs in the fully independent venue.

Announcing the news, founders said: “Record Junkee is delighted to announce the rebirth of its Network venue at its new location, the former Plug venue

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and nightclub on Matilda Street, Sheffield, located directly opposite Record Junkee.

“We are building a fully independent live music quarter across our two venues.

“We will be operating four rooms as event spaces, live music stages and club nights with capacities ranging from 80 – 1500.”

Prior to its closure, Plug suffered

PLUG MEMORIES

numerous setbacks and gained a reputation for a less than stellar sound system. Network have already taken steps to rectify this, realing: “Network will offer a fully rigged venue for touring and in house productions, with a freshly installed speaker system and lighting rig in each room.”

More details are set to be revealed in the coming weeks and for updates, head over to Network’s socials. facebook.com/networksheffield

2017 Primal Scream review, by Leo Burrell

NETWORK 14 -16 MATILDA ST, SHEFFIELD, S1 4QD

“An atmosphere of disbelief buzzed through Plug on December 10, as Bobby Gillespie prepared to wow Sheffield in one of its biggest venues, which suddenly seemed miniscule, being packed to the rafters with fans of the Scream.The overwhelming presence of Gillespie towered over the crowd, glitzy blazer silhouetted against an impressive array of strip lights. The magic of 1991 album Screamadelica comes first through the subtle ‘Higher than the Sun’. The gig closed out in spectacular fashion, the techno of ‘Swastika Eyes’ firing up the crowd, before five hits worthy of a Glastonbury headline slot tore the roof clean off.”

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FILM

(REEL) STEEL YOURSELF! SUPERMAN (1978)

BLACK WIDOW After numerous delays due to the COVD19 outbreak, Scarlett Johansson’s solo adventure has finally made it to the big screen. Anyone familiar with the events in the MCU will be aware of her fate in Endgame.

The character has grown in quality since her highly sexualised and paper-thin portrayal in Iron Man 2, and her death in Endgame was an emotional moment. Had her character been given a solo adventure in the first phase, it would probably have gone down as one of the worst instalments in the franchise as her character didn’t begin to truly develop until Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The character’s solo adventure has come at the right time from a writing standpoint at least. With her fate in mind, however, it does beg the question for both moviegoers and hardcore MCU fans: why should we care?

I feel as though the filmmakers have done their best to justify the film’s existence, making effective use of the character’s past as a driving force for the narrative. Unfortunately, it falls short of becoming emotionally engaging, and this is due to multiple issues.

Firstly, however, the good stuff. Scarlett Johansson is given plenty of interesting things to do beyond kicking and punching, and there is no sexualisation of her at all. Granted, this was never a huge issue because that is a fundamental characteristic of her espionage tactics in the comics, but we’ve seen it enough in previous films, so it’s nice that the script gives Natasha Romanoff better things to do.

Florence Pugh’s Yelena offers well-delivered dry humour, and the relationship between her character and Romanoff are the best parts of the film.

At 2 hours and 14 minutes, it is way too long, and I’d argue the opening sequence that proceeds the titles is thoroughly unnecessary. The film has a Bourne-like plot which is padded with lots of family nonsense featuring David Harbour and Rachel Weiz who, frankly, add nothing to the story however innocuous their presence may be.

The biggest issue with Black Widow, as with many other MCU films, are the villains. Ray Winston trampolines between ’60s Mission: Impossible baddie and The Sweeney, often in the same sentence.

His character is ultimately superfluous. The greatest comic book casualty in the film is Taskmaster. As a casual fan of comics in general, I am aware of the character’s fundamentals, and that’s about it.

Several people who know the finer details of the supervillain have complained at length over this big-screen incarnation. Even speaking as a more objective viewer, it is very disappointing. With only the basic knowledge I had, the cinematic potential was clear, both in terms of spectacle and meaty character conflict. The twist with Taskmaster might make sense on paper, but it feels utterly weightless because no time has been spent justifying its significance. It also relegates the character to a mindless tool rather than a mastermind assassin.

Is Black Widow terrible? No, but it is extremely conventional and occasionally boring. Marvel is pumping out real quality on Disney Plus, so their big-screen products really need to offer more than this. It’s passable, but only by the skin of its teeth.

2.5/5 Get more news and reviews from the Exposed film writer’s podcast ‘Reid’s Reel’ – available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

With the passing of director Richard Donner, the Odeon in Sheffield screened his most celebrated film, the original superhero blockbuster Superman. Now I must confess, I have never been enamoured with it although I do recognise its significance. I wanted to see it on the big screen to gain new perspective on the film as I often find myself the only person not in love with Superman.

Controversially, I find Man of Steel a more intriguing exploration of the character. The 1978 film was made at a time when Superman was a very limited character. It wasn’t until 1986 when DC comics revamped his origins and made him less godlike and more vulnerable. The better stories such as The Death of Superman followed soon after.

So, how was it watching the film on the big screen? A real delight. Has my opinion on the film changed? Not massively: I still find everything up until Glenn Ford’s death and subsequent funeral the best parts of the film.

The wonderfully designed sequences on Krypton, the panoramic cinematography of Smallville, the emotional John Williams score – all make the film’s first hour or so a beautiful experience. Christopher Reeve is the quintessential Superman, both as Clark Kent and Kal-El, and his romantic interactions with Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane are heart-warming, particularly during the terrace interview and the night-time flight.

The film does then begin to derail in the second half, especially with the introduction of Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor and his two dimwits who have no reason to be there.

The humour with Luthor seems out of place with the rest of the film and has aged very poorly. It attempts with the best of intentions to capture every aspect of the comic books, but this does create tonal inconsistencies. If one compares the opening trial where Brando’s Jor-El sentences Zod and his fellow conspirators to the Phantom Zone with that of the missile reprogramming sequences, it’s like looking at two completely different films. The ending I still find staggeringly frustrating and is one of the biggest cop-outs in the movies. It also doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.

Superman does keep you smiling all the way through, and there is still enough brilliant stuff despite the Luthor nonsense and daft ending. It must be commended as well for laying many of the guidelines which superhero films up to this day are still following. A good-natured classic which still stands as a triumph, albeit an occasionally dated one.

3/5

NowBank Holiday Sunday August 29th will see a double-bill of classic horror at Sheffield’s Abbeydale Picture House, featuring Night of the Living Dead (1968) back-toback with Demons (1985).

Night of the Living Dead from horror master George A. Romero is recognised as being the first modern zombie movie, the midnight hit that went on to become one of the most influential films of all time.

The film follows the tale of a group of strangers trapped in a farmhouse, who find themselves having to defend against a hoard of zombies.

Shot on a tiny budget, Romero’s masterpiece managed to set the template for the zombie genre as we know it, establishing both key characteristics for the undead and proving that social commentary

does have a place in the horror genre.

The second feature, Demons, follows another group of unsuspecting strangers in one of the best horror films of the 1980s. During a midnight film screening, audience members find that the horror onscreen begins to mirror reality when a demonic curse turns members of the audience into undead monsters. Co-written and produced by Dario Argento (Suspiria), this film offers overthe-top 80s excess and a kickass soundtrack.

Hosted by screening event group Reel Steel, the return of these classic titles to the big screen will be treated with appropriate grandeur through its placement in the Grade II listed 1920s Picture Palace Cinema.

Tickets are £9 (strictly 18+ only) and available from events. ticketsforgood.co.uk

LGBT+

BACK...IN DRAG!

Wow. It’s been a long, long year and a half, especially when it comes to socialising, but events have finally returned to the Steel City. If you have been longing for a summer filled with drag queens and dancing, then your prayers have been well and truly answered.

This month we have the long-awaited rescheduled dates for the latest of RuPauls Drag Race alumni to take to the stage at Leadmill with both Adore Delano’s new album tour (Tue 3 Aug) and Miz Crackers Comedy Funhouse (Tue 24 Aug), featuring Thorgy Thor, Rock M Sakura, Lawrence Chaney, Mutha Tucka and Yshee Black.

Local queen Ivy Alexxander presents the follow up to her 2019 smash hit show ‘God Shave the Queens’ at Yellow Arch Studios (Sun 29 Aug), featuring live vocals, camp cabaret and a whole load of knee-slapping comedy!

If you have been missing the dancefloor, LGBT Sheffield return with their LGBT+ Women’s Disco with DJ Gail on the decks at their new home Spirit of Sheffield (Fri 6 Aug) – just around the corner from Dempseys and Queer Junction, which are both back open until 6am for those wanting to keep dancing until the sun comes up.

CuckooBox are back with CuckooBox Carnival at Sidney & Matilda (Sat 7 Aug) – an event that promotes social inclusion and freedom of expression, bringing back the fun element mixed with audiovisual naughtiness. Music policy will be straight-up house music, with all sub-genres covered: Funky, Vocal, Disco, Uplifting, Tech, Dirty, Deep.

And last but by no means least we have the latest new night, Pssy Culture’s Launch Party at Yellow Arch Studios (Fri 6 Aug) – a femme and queer collective creating a safe and creative space. The launch night will be PSSY Culture’s first introduction to Sheffield and an opportunity for likeminded people to come together and celebrate themselves in a safe, fun environment. With a showcase of artists up north, it’s the big femme/queer party we’ve always dreamed of and deserve! Acts will include The Wine Fund, The Red Stains, Edited People , Queen Cult and Girli (DJ set).

That’s your lot for this month! New and rescheduled events are being announced by the day as we open back up, so keep an eye on facebook.com/sheffieldlgbtevents for updates on the latest LGBT+ events and news.

Until next time,Love and rainbows...

LGBT+ LISTINGS TUE 3 AUG: Adore Delano – New Album Tour Leadmill leadmill.co.uk FRI 6 AUG: Pssy Culture Launch Party Yellow Arch Studios instagram.com/pssy_culture SAT 7 AUG: CuckooBox Carnival Sidney & Matilda facebook.com/CuckooBoxUK SAT 14 AUG: LGBT+ Women’s Disco Spirit of Sheffield facebook.com/LGBTSheffield TUE 24 AUG – Miz Crackers

Comedy Funhouse Leadmill leadmill.co.uk

SUN 29 AUG – God Shave The Queens Yellow Arch Studios yellowarch.com

CULTURE / THEATRES

CULTURE / THEATRES

Photos by Alastair Muir

LOOKING GOOD DEAD

Adapted by critically acclaimed writer Shaun McKenna, the world premiere stage production of Peter James’ novel Looking Good Dead heads to the Lyceum this month. The story follows Tom Bryce (Adam Woodyatt) who inadvertently becomes a witness to a vicious murder. Reporting the crime to the police has disastrous consequences, placing him and his family in grave danger…

We caught up with the award-winning actor and Eastenders icon to hear more about this thrilling piece of theatre, tipped to have audiences on the edges of their seats all the way through.

You’re a national treasure as Ian Beale, what is it that you love about being part of a television icon such as EastEnders?

That is a very nice thing to say, but I have never seen myself as a legendary character or anything like that. I have always seen myself as just someone doing a job. It is how everyone else has perceived the character that has given Ian that kind of status. I’ve just been a guy going to work for 36 years and I have been lucky that my work is at a TV studio!

On the flipside of that, what appeals

to you about theatre, and specifically playing the lead in the world premiere of Peter James’ Looking Good Dead?

What has really appealed to me about being part of Looking Good Dead is getting that live reaction. EastEnders has had massive responses when we have done live episodes.

Especially in 2015 for me. I loved it. I loved that feeling of immediacy and knowing that what happens in this moment is what the audience will see there and then. I love that buzz.

I’ve done pantomimes over the years which are always a favourite thing for me to do, so the prospect of being able to go out and do a theatre tour is really exciting. I spoke to the producers a couple of years ago about being part of something and I’m so glad that Looking Good Dead has worked out timing wise. I just can’t wait to have a live audience and I am really looking forward to it.

Have you read the novel on which the play is based?

I have read Looking Good Dead and really enjoyed it. Like the previous plays have done, I’m hoping that the show will appeal to both fans of Peter James’ novels and many more people, who perhaps, like me, are not massive readers. When I read the book, I was kept guessing the entire time, and I hope we can bring that excitement to audiences in the theatre.

Peter has sold millions of books, which have been Number One on the Bestseller List 17 times, but why do you think the adaptation of his books to stage has been so successful?

The adaptations are always faithful to the book, but with a twist or two a subtle change so that even someone who knows the book incredibly well isn’t one hundred percent certain what is going to happen on stage, which adds a brilliant element of surprise and anticipation. I think there’s a lot to look forward to in Looking Good Dead.

It’s been a while since you performed a drama on stage, but you started your career in theatre – tell us a little about that.

It’s definitely more than just a few years since I’ve done a drama on stage. I started my career in Oliver! in the West End in the 1980s. So, the first thing I did was a musical where I played one of the kids and I also got to play a posh boy – just because I fitted the costume! I was eleven or twelve at the time.

The first straight play I did was On The Razzle at the National Theatre with a brief tour in 1981 I think. So it’s been a while!

Any nerves?

At the moment it’s just excitement but maybe ask me again right before I go on stage, and I will probably be feeling some fear!

People have really missed going to their local theatre. How important do you think it will it be for audiences to be able to see a live show again in 2021.

I’ve missed going to the theatre as well. I think theatre is important on so many levels. Not only is it a place to entertain and share stories with audiences, it’s also people’s jobs and livelihoods. The entertainment industry is one of the biggest industries in the country, in all its various guises, theatre being one element of it. It is not just the people on the stage it is everyone working behind the scenes, building the sets and costumes, the people designing and printing the programmes, the food and drinks businesses around the theatre. One theatre can spark so many other industries around it. It is vital that theatre comes back.

Theatre is a place that people can hopefully escape to. I remember the first time I went to the theatre; I saw Frankie Howerd in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Palladium and that was what sparked my love of pantomime and my love of acting and theatre came from that.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given as an actor?

Speak clearly and mind the furniture!

Looking Good Dead is at the Lyceum Theatre 23–28 August . Tickets and more info available from sheffieldtheatres.co.yj

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CULTURE / ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

BORG Exposed caught up with Sheffieldbased illustrator Borg (real name Daniel Waters) to talk about drawing, existential peril and the ASMR of certain pens!

Can you tell us about your background and how you got into creating art?

When I was 13, realised I probably wouldn’t make it as a professional footballer so I picked up the guitar. At university I made a bit of a go at playing gigs as a singer/songwriter. I buzzed off the performances, but I came to realise that professionally, my personality was much more suited to drawing. When I moved to Sheffield six years ago, I started making art in earnest.

For me, drawing is a mindful process. I can sit and practice while at the same time the ideas and narratives emerge in my head and on the page. The length of time it takes to do a pencil drawing allows for a proper maturation on the idea. Then I’m ready to make the pen and ink drawing.

Tell us about the significance of your alter ego Borg - Why did you choose to use a pseudonym?

I have a few different things that I do as well as visual art. I still make music and write creatively too. It suits me that the visual outlet should have its own name. It’s a very natural way for me to think about my practice. And the name itself is part of the creative expression.

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CULTURE / ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

CULTURE / REVIEWS

When someone buys a screen-print, or a t-shirt, or sees my work in person I want them to feel like they’re sharing something that they have ownership of too. It feels right that that should have its own name, separate from me as a person.

The meaning of the name itself? I just think it sounds cool. Mythical, nondescript but not at all sunshiny.

A lot of your work is in black and white, what attracts you to working in monochrome?

There’s nothing more binary than life and death and the aesthetic of black and white is so visually appealing to me. I also get a bit paralysed with too much choice so the thought of using colour is a bit of a mindfuck.

When I first started, I had some black fine liners and Bristol board. Anyone who’s ever used this medium will understand just how ASMR it is to make a stroke with that pen, on that paper.

As my practice developed, I fell in love with monochrome for all kinds of other reasons but that simple pleasure is still there.

Your work often depicts quite macabre imagery, is this the kind of subject matter you’ve always been drawn too?

Absolutely. I use macabre imagery to show human nature in a way that’s hopefully striking and memorable. For example, a lot of my work has environmental overtones. Showing human skulls and skeletons underground while animals and plants thrive above is one way of showing the existential peril we face as a species. I also want to portray the even bigger problem of human-caused habitat destruction and animal extinction.

For me the imagery of death doesn’t have to be a negative though. I’ve always found the cycle of life and death fascinating. Dead things nourish living things. For that reason, there is inherent meaning to corpses and skulls and stuff like that.

Funnily enough, some people have been surprised when they meet me that I’m generally an upbeat and happy person. I think they think because my work can be dark and moody, I’d be that way too. That always makes me smile.

Who inspires you and your work?

When a friend sent me the Album “Frames” by Oceansize I lost my shit, threw myself around the kitchen. Sometimes it’s Fionn Regan that does it. Or reading Brian Bilston. Anything with a bit of something to it, that makes you feel or learn something.

These peak experiences are great, and they’re necessary but in truth, I have no idea where inspiration comes from. Sometimes you have it, most of the time you don’t.

One thing that always gets me is seeing people being good people. I’m a sucker for wholesomeness. Careworkers, nurses, good neighbours. That gives me a lump in my throat.

Those people are inspiring.

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TOP PICKS

Photo by Chris Saunders

TALENT @ CRUCIBLE THEATRE

“There’s nothing more binary than life and death and the aesthetic of black and white is so visually appealing to me. I also get a bit paralysed with too much choice so the thought of using colour is a bit of a mindfuck.”

How do you find being a creative in Sheffield?

Motivating. A few months back I was in the city centre and saw an image of Edward Carpenter on the front of the museum. Later on, I walked past a Phlegm mural. Great people and great work. It keeps you honest.

Is there anything coming up for Borg that we should be looking out for?

Print and craft fairs around Sheffield and further afield throughout autumn and winter. Look out for me, come and say hi.

I’m always working on new drawings, screenprints, and T-shirts. All of which are available on my website.

If you would like to see more of Borg’s work or would like a quote for commissions, head to his website artofborg.com and follow him on instagram @___borg

Ah! The return of live theatre to Sheffield’s hallowed Crucible stage – a delight that not so long ago seemed nothing more than a pipe dream. In fact, I actually had to pinch myself upon taking a seat in the famous auditorium, just to check I hadn’t nodded off during a lockdown snooze at home.

And speaking of pipe dreams, in Paul Foster’s production of Talent, a play written in 1978 by the late Victoria Wood, such fanciful notions are seen to dominate the mind of lead character Julie Stephens, a 24-year-old office worker who has entered a talent night at Bunters nightclub in the hope of kickstarting a career in showbiz.

It’s in a grotty backstage room on the eve of the event that all the action unfolds. That said, genuine action is very much at a premium here; instead, Wood uses witty dialogue and catchy numbers to tell a story in the intimate and deliberately suffocating confines of the club’s green room.

From Julie (played by Lucy Shorthouse), her wry observations and takes on life tend to veer from the hopeful and cheery to the downright dejected and gloomy. As the narrative unravels and her situation becomes clearer, you begin to see how underneath the bubbly veneer of a confident, saucy, babychamsupping persona is a palpable sense of anxiety about entrapment in an unfulfilling life of rank mediocrity.

Much of the play focuses on the relationship between Julie and Maureen (Lucie Shorthouse), a naive but genuinely warm friend who has come along to offer moral support ahead of the performance. The duo are stark opposites in every way: while Julie is at times vain, Maureen is charmingly modest; Julie is experienced in sex and

relationships, Maureen is a self-confessed novice; one is enamoured by dreams of glitz and glamour, the other is content at home with her parents and a good meal.

Other characters passing through the room add texture to your typically smoky, sleazy 1970s club environment. Julie’s ex-boyfriend and resident organist Mel (Jonathon Ojinnaka) shows up, years after ending their relationship upon discovering she was pregnant, bringing into focus the heartbreak suffered by underage girls once older men have had their fun and promptly exit the scene. Turning up the chauvinistic values to the gigawatts, though, is the evening’s compere (Daniel Crossley), who is so consistently disgusting that it leads the main character to question whether climbing the fame ladder is worth it if you meet such creeps on every other rung.

Elsewhere, a good chunk of comedic relief is provided by old-timer Lancastrian duo, George (James Quinn) and Arthur (Richard Cant), who’ve been peddling their fairly underwhelming goods on the cabaret circuit for donkeys’ years and whose folksy, laidback approach to the evening clashes with Julie’s impatient desires to be noticed.

Talent is not a scintillating story, nor is it exhaustingly funny, but it does successfully manage to combine a nice dollop of humour and wit with sobering observations of the social stigmas faced by working class women in an industry which promises glam but more often delivers sham. It’s far from the pinnacle of Wood’s achievements, but a solid starting point for what she would go on to accomplish in a wide-ranging and illustrious career.

JF 3/5

TALENT Crucible // Wed 30 Jun – Sat 24 Jul // From £15 It’s 1978. Bunters club is hosting its Friday Talent Night – the acts on the bill hope that it’s a steppingstone to New Faces or Opportunity Knocks. 24-year-old Julie dreams of stardom, es-cape from her dead-end job and the chance to leave the drudgery of living at home with her mother. Her less worldly-wise friend Maureen has come along to offer support. Full of Victoria Wood’s unmatched wit and observation, Talent is a play with music about friend-ship, ambition and the lower rungs of the showbiz ladder. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk HAIRSPRAY Lyceum Theatre // Mon 16 – Sat 21 Aug // From £15 The international musical phenomenon Hairspray returns! After breaking box office records and delighting audiences in the West-End, on Broadway and on the big screen since 1988, this smash hit musical-comedy has quite the legacy, and is now heading back out on tour around the UK and Ireland.

Featuring some of musical theatre’s biggest and best hit songs, includ-ing Welcome To The 60s, You Can’t Stop The Beat, Good Morning Baltimore and so many more, Hairspray is the hilarious, joyous, and uplifting musical that everyone needs right now! sheffieldtheatres.co.uk ABSOLUTELY DRAGULOUS Crookes Social Club // Friday 2 Jul // From £5 Marilyn and Amanda are bringing Absolutely Dragulous to Sheffield for the first time in 2021. The all-new show will make you laugh, forget all your troubles for

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