Issue 136

Quench

Diolch a da-bo Features · Interviews · Fashion & Beauty Travel · Culture · LGBT+ · Music Film · Video Games · Food & Drink

Issue 136 · May 6th 2013

Contents.

issue 136 · 6th May 2013

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26 16

30

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12 Features

Fashion & Beauty

21 · READING FOR PLEASURE

Depression is the most common mental illness in the UK, with one out of four people affected. One student writes about his experiences with the condition.

7 · FEEL FREE THIS SUMMER How to have fun on a budget this summer,

11 · EMBRACING EMERALD How to rock the most coveted colour this season.

12 · EDITOR’S PICK The fashion team reveal their ultimate style icons.

ON THE COVER

5 . THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Columnist

8 · ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? Rachel Moloney talks Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents.

Interviews

9 · JAWS Liam McNeilly chats to the Birmingham band the night after their sold out hometown show at the Hare & Hounds.

10 · CUT RIBBONS Quench at their Spillers Records instore.

11 · STREET STYLE

Travel

16 · WORTH THE RISK?

Music

22 · FESTIVAL PREVIEW Flirting with

danger when travelling.

17 · A WALK ALONG THE EDGE Adrenaline kicks across the Americas.

LGBT+

18 · PRIDE Gay Pride events in the UK and around the world.

Culture

Millie Flint takes a look at whether an English Literature degree can change your sentiments towards reading.

20 · SUMMER OF CULTURE: BOOKISH? Jess Rayner picks of some of the top arts festivals to get to help motivate you through the exam stress.

Summer 2013: Glastonbury, Bestival, Tomorrowland and more.

24 · ALBUM REVIEWS Tribes, Wiley and Michael Buble.

25 · LIVE MUSIC Alex Greig reviews Peace at Bristol Fleece.

25 · GET A SLICE OF THIS PIE Rockpie Promotions’ debut gig at the 200 Club in Newport, with Freeze The Atlantic, Cut Ribbons, Samoans, Fjords and more.

Film

26 · BEHIND THE SCENES Film turn the camera around to capture the artistry behind

28 · PROFILE: WES ANDERSON

Daniel Rosser takes a quick trip through the director’s primary coloured back catalogue.

29 · REVIEWS Iron Man 3, The Look of Love and Bernie.

Video Games 30 · PERSONA 4 ARENA

Michael O’Connell-Davidson reviews the next instalment in the ATLUS’ Persona Franchise. How well does the RPG hold up

31 · GROWING UP WITH GAMES Ben Curwen talks about how games have changed his life for the better.

Food & Drink

32 · THE SURVIVAL GUIDE RELOADED Foodie knowledge, peerreviewed and reloaded.

33 · THE PERKS OF BEING AN EDITOR: The media awards meal.

quench@gairrhydd.com ·@quenchmag

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Editorial

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a final word from Laura & Jo trying to bring our vision to life. And by the time we were done, we thought we’d done a pretty good job.

But the hard work, dedication and sheer creative talent of this year’s Quench team has seen the magazine reach new levels of quality, going way beyond our expectations. For that, we must say a massive thank you to all the editors, writers, photographers, illustrators and proofreaders who have made Quench better than we could ever have imagined. And we couldn’t write our last editor’s note without giving the greatest of thanks to our Creative Director, the incredible Luke Slade, who we feel is the unsung hero of student media: always humble, always there when you need him, and always creating beauty. the opportunity to give each other a well-deserved pat on the back, while feeling fancy at The Hilton and getting suitably smashed on free champagne at the same time. Congratulations to Music, winners of Best Section; Fashion, winners of Best Designer; Michael O’Connell-Davidson, winner of Best Feature; Best Critic Daniel Rosser; Best Photographer

Bethan Phillips (who has provided the gorgeous photos for the cover of this issue and the fabulous music spread); Johannes Laubmeier, voted Most Dedicated Member; and all the other deserving winners across the other sections of student media.

Fun and frivolities aside, crunch time is upon us once more: procrastination levels rocket in direct proportion to increasing academic pressures, and there’s no better distraction than making glorious plans to while away the summer months. Turn to Features for their suggestions for a summer on a budget, Culture for things to do if you’re feeling bookish, or Music for a rundown of this year’s festival season. In the meantime, Food & Drink have reviewed and reloaded their Survival Guide, giving their favourite pub, cafe, take-out and greasy spoon, to get you through So here we are, about to send our last issue to the printers, and all that’s left for us to do is wish our successor, Michael O’Connell-Davidson and deputy editor Charlotte Wace, the very best of luck with Quench next year. You guys are gonna be brilliant. hope you’ve enjoyed reading Quench as much as we’ve loved making it.

Quench : T h e T e a m Editors: Laura Evans & Jo Southerd

Columnist: Rachel Moloney

Creative Director: Fashion & Beauty: Luke Slade Sophie Chamberlain, Vicky Gadsden, Features: Jacqueline Kilikita Helen Cameron, & Olivia Reidy Johannes Laubmeier, Rebecca Newby Travel: & Charlotte Wace Heather Arnold

LGBT+: Thomas Leeming & Erin Ekins

Film: Becky Johnson, Amy Pay & Becky Wilson

Culture: Jess Rayner

Videogames: Michael O’ConnellDavidson

Music: Rosey Brown, Kit Denison & Stephen Springate

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Food & Drink: Isabel Larner

Photography Team: Nandra Galang Anissa George Fielding Katarzyna Lewandowska Sher Min Tan Bethan Phillips Oliver Richards Óliviá Walthö

Proofreading: Anne Porter Emilia Ignaciuk Sophie Lodge Sum Sze Tam

Cover Photo

Quench in just a week. A new size magazine

Bethan Phillips

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM A

s I write this, I’m speaking to a friend of mine who I’ll refer to as Ryan. A giant of a man, he attends a drama school in London and possesses all of the qualities a stage director would look for when casting one of Shakespeare’s kings. He’s intelligent, attractive, and in the right context, he displays a sense of humour that far outstrips my own. “What people don’t understand,” he says, “is that counselling, medication and coping methods aren’t a cure. They just allow you to hang on.”

Like me, he suffers from depression. It is a largely misunderstood condition. I’ve asked for my name to be left off this article because both he and I are members of an invisible minority. Depression sufferers can be your best friends, your partners, or your worst enemies. They can be the people who you walk to lectures with, the people you pass in the street, or even the people delivering lectures. In that respect, my identity doesn’t matter; sufferers can be anybody, and for all I know, they could also be you.

And there is quite a good chance of that. Mental illness afflicts one in four British citizens and depression-related conditions are the most common. Most people will experience what could be described as depression at one point or another. Several familiar people have suffered from depression at one time or another, including Stephen Fry, Winston Churchill, and Abraham Lincoln.

Despite this, the stigmatic nature of mental illness means that it is almost completely absent from public discourse. For many, it is easier to rationalise a double-dip recession or a decade long war than it is to address something so visceral. People respond to the topic of mental illness in the same way they respond to the subject of cancer; there are some threats we can only hope to defend ourselves from.

When I first began talking about depression, responses ranged from uncomfortable conversations to flat denial, and I was frequently informed that the condition “didn’t exist.” This lack of understanding comes not from a lack of medical documentation, but from how difficult depression is to define. It is not simply feeling sad, as many people assume, but a total absence of happiness.

As a condition, it can be completely debilitating and humiliating. It is closely related to anxiety, and so social situations can feel overwhelming. Its symptoms

are physically draining, and both getting to sleep and getting out of bed can be monumental tasks. Sufferers will frequently lose interest in the things they love; food will lose its taste, music will begin to sound like noise, and, sometimes, the world will lose its colour.

Characterising somebody with depression as somebody who is “just sad” is akin to describing somebody with anorexia as “just hungry.” Depression operates on a far deeper level than people realise, and is probably best described as a sense of emotional poverty. It manifests itself differently in different individuals; Ryan describes his feeling as a sense of displacement. “I live in a different dimension to everybody else, [...] I feel invisible, yet in the way.”

In my case, I berate myself for my failures, whether real or perceived. Regardless of my behaviour, failed friendships are my fault. Every social faux-pas is lacerating, and every poor impression I make is a reflection of the uglier person that I project upon myself. I started writing a novel around four years ago, and, as long term creative projects tend to become a part of their creators, it became a part of me. Over time, it became something akin to a tumour, mutating into a twisted monument to my incompetence.

Of course, my life is not without its successes - but as in the case of food and drink, depression renders you unable to appreciate things you should be able to enjoy. I feel as though I’m holding myself to an impossible standard, but to be judged on the same ground as everybody else, I have no choice.

It’s irrational, and it’s this irrationality that makes the condition so difficult for outsiders to understand. People often respond to my unhappiness by listing all the things I have to be pleased about. We live in a wealthy country with great opportunities, what right do any of us have to be unhappy? This contradiction is perhaps the most tragic aspect of depression, because sufferers are largely aware of the positive aspects of life - it is something that is impossible to reconcile with facts.

Despite how bleak I make it seem, both Ryan and I are the sort of people who you wouldn’t describe as depressive characters. I’m loud and brash in a social setting, and Ryan is an actor; we’re both confident people, and we both strive to be seen that way. However, while the condition’s symptoms are largely invisible, when put into context, its effects and its outcomes are not; it can make people irrational and

features@gairrhydd.com · @qfeatures

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emotionally fragile. Nine out of ten people serving custodial sentences suffer from some form of mental illness, and Britain has the highest rate of self harm of all countries within the EU. Studies have also shown a strong correlation between mental illness and suicide. That is not to say that every individual with a mental illness is a suicide risk, nor does it suggest that all self inflicted deaths are the result of mental illness. Suicide is spoken about even less than mental illness, and is one of the few topics that still seems to be ‘offlimits.’ People often take an overwhelmingly cynical view: that suicide is a sign of weakness, or that it’s a selfish act.

I don’t think it’s that simple. Like mental illness, suicide reminds us of an uncomfortable reality. My father went through a period where he spoke to me about wanting to end his life, and I’d be lying if I denied considering it myself in the past. Suicide is a special sort of martyrdom; it is at once both deliverance and absolution, and can hardly be considered selfish. It is the process of giving your life in the hope that people will recognise who you tried to be in spite of the flaws that you couldn’t live with.

However, the idea of suicide should not be romanticised.

Instead, it should be the most foreign of all choices - a distant reminder of our mortality, and nothing more. It may be reassuring to think of it this way, but what of the reality? Suicide is the most frequent cause of death for men under the age of 35, far outstripping the much-publicised mortalities that result from traffic accidents, crime and drug use.

My father has since recovered (he had just left a patently abusive relationship where he was the victim), and I think that both Ryan and I have too much to live for to let our lives go. I have been on the road to recovery for a long time, and I challenge Ryan’s notion that medical help does little to cushion the fall. Both the NHS and the services offered by the university are such that those who need to speak to somebody can do so. Unfortunately, I fear that what little dialogue there is on mental illness has created a poisonous atmosphere, where those in need of help are discouraged from speaking out about their problems.

This is more a problem in the United States, where public healthcare is a controversial topic. Many ascribe the recent spate of mass shootings across the country to a widespread undercurrent of mental health problems that are going unaddressed, both in terms of public discourse and availability of treatment. Author Liza Long wrote a widely re-published editorial piece following last year’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary entitled “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother.” She spoke of the parallels between her son’s problems and those experienced by the shooter, the aforementioned Adam Lanza, and the struggles experienced by families across America in dealing with these problems.

She called for a “meaningful, nation-wide conversation about mental health,” and described it as the only way the United States could “ever truly heal.” While this is definitely a more serious problem on the other side of the Atlantic - where guns are available, and there is no NHS - I would suggest that we need to have a similar sort of conversation.

Not because I’m going to open fire on a school, or because I’m planning my suicide, but because we’re ignoring the elephant in the room that causes these kinds of incidents.

The recent passing of Margaret Thatcher kind of puts this into perspective; scholars have noted that while Thatcher will always be better remembered for her economic legacy, one thing that people often ignore is how she changed society. Amy Davidson wrote about Thatcher’s passing for the New Yorker, noting that Thatcher had come to be seen as an evangelist for an ideology “disdainful [...] of those who couldn’t manage,” and it is undeniable that Britain has become a fiercely individualistic society since she was in government.

Things have not been easy over the last three years; a global recession has left even the perfectly sane doubting their own future and the security of those they care about.

An unspoken cost of society’s steady turn inwards is that those who do have difficulty managing depression no longer live in a society that no longer has any interest in their welfare. My concern is that we may be sleepwalking into a world where Britain is addled by a similar set of problems as America; one where the people we care about are victims of an unseen force that has resulted of our own negligence.

But what can we do to combat reticence? If a school shooting isn’t enough to prompt a national debate on the other side of the ocean, what will it take for us?

Q features@gairrhydd.com · @qfeatures

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Icons who struggled with depression: 1. Stephen Fry, 2. Winston Churchill 3. Ernest Hemingway 4. Abraham Lincoln, 5. Carrie Fisher (Pricess Leia in Star Wars) 6. Bruce Springsteen

FEEL FREE

THIS SUMM

D

ER

And beyond:

In Cardiff: a year now, I am yet to visit. The Castle usually costs around £9

So hotels and hostels may be out of your budget, particularly during the summer season. However, this doesn’t rule out the opportunity to spend a few nights away from the dusty city in a stunning location. There are plenty of places in the UK (some spots on Dartmoor for example) where you can pitch a tent without being stuck in a campsite streaming with small children. Borrow camping equipment from a friend if you don’t own anything yourself: with the number of students that go to festivals it is highly likely someone can help you out. Stock up on Tesco value burgers, cheap cider– and

are entitled to free entry. The castle dates back around 2000 years castles interior. If you are more interested in modern history, you can view the museum of the Welsh Soldier or explore the wartime shelters with a free-guided tour.

over the water is a lovely way to spend an evening. If you want a bit from the Bay’s Barrage Coast Path, it is a perfect excuse to pull out your old skates, which have been gathering dust in the back of your closet. The site has been designed to mimic an urban environment If it is raining (highly likely, considering we live in Wales) then why not try visiting the Norwegian Church Arts Centre? This peculiar building was formally a Church for Norwegian Sailors, but is now renowned as a cultural epicentre, displaying a range of art and photography exhibits. This was also the place where Roal Dahl was christened (and subsequently the Dahl gallery has been created).

Just around the corner is Craft in the Bay, an independent art studio, home of the Makers Guild in Wales that displays contemporary art from established and emerging artists.

Forget shelling out for festival tickets or expensive gigs. Ok, so Beyonce or The Rolling Stones may not come into the equation, but there are far better things to do than staying at home bored. Many new bands play in pubs or quiet venues that are free entry. Stick to tap water if you want a totally free night, or really push the boat out and order a house beer. Alternatively, consider somewhere like ‘The Jam Tree’ in London who put on a FREE stand-up comedy competition every Sunday. 15 acts put on a performance and are judged by the audience. You never know, you might be watching the next Russell Kane…

In this instance, it helps if you have friends that perhaps don’t study microbiology or have a keen interest in trainspotting (unless of course you enjoy that sort of thing). However, sweet-talk a friend who is a keen surfer into giving you a lesson or persuade a trainee beautician to give you a manicure. Approach colleges around near where you live, as many request volunteers to help their students gain experience. From free haircuts to free sports massages to drama workshops, you may be surprised how much is available to you.

to be a summer highlight. The festival will centre in and around the Bay and the City Centre, making it easily accessible from all music and open- air theatre; culminating in the main event The International Food and Drink Festival. I would highly recommend this event if only for the free samples! Then, not only do you get to go to a free event but you will also get the equivalent to a free meal… turns out there is such a thing as a free lunch.

features@gairrhydd.com · @qfeatures

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Columnist

Are you not entertained?

by Rachel Moloney

I

t’s about that time of year again when ‘ways to cure revision boredom’ tops our search history. During the next few

However, it seems as if some young’uns don’t mind their parents coming along for the ride after all. In What Happens in Kavos, which makes Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents look tame, 22-year old Carly was seen cavorting with her 42 yearold mother in a seedy looking club. Unsurprisingly, viewers were shocked to see such brilliant parenting skills in action and mother Malita had to defend herself on Twitter by arguing that ‘they never showed the nice side of our hol!’ Unless you read a book on the beach or did a spot of sight-seeing, I don’t think there was a nice side to your holiday. It all looked pretty horrendous.

than we could ever dream of and our rooms will either take on the appearance of a bomb-site or become an obsessively clean haven. It depends on your mentality.

Amidst the stress to learn a whole year’s work in less than a week, another completely irrelevant thought enters our heads: let’s go on holiday. All of a sudden, procrastination reaches all new levels, as not only do we have to choose a destination, have to go on ASOS so that we can have the perfect summer wardrobe. Work? I’ve forgotten you already.

Now I’m partial to a celebratory holiday here and there, but programmes such as Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents and What Happens in Kavos really put me to shame. Whilst I interrailed in the French Riviera and strolled around Monte Carlo pretending that I was loaded, the kids in these shows rave till all hours in the morning and consume so much alcohol that they can barely remember that they’re even on holiday. Was I a poor excuse for a teenager? It would seem so.

This year has seen a whole host of programmes dedicated to showing the antics of the British youth, as they travel abroad and terrorise coastal towns across Europe. In fact nearly one million of us watched Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents, as the smug faces of holidaying teens soon disappeared once mummy and daddy emerged from behind the bar. Believing that they were actually starring in a show entitled ‘The Big Vacation’, these kids were not only gullible but way too willing to act like complete idiots in front of the camera. Did they really think that their parents were never going to watch ‘The Big Vacation’ either? They were always going to get found out.

Part of the fun/annoyance of Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents ‘oh he’d never do that at home, oh she knows not to drink that much.’ Well, duh. It’s a well-known fact that every teenager lies to their parents and claims to be the most sensible person on the planet. It doesn’t mean that they necessarily are. What’s even more staggering about this programme is that you never see any of these unwilling victims go totally ape at their parents lucky if you get to see the pictures.

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with these young holiday-makers, as I’d much rather have a nice meal by the sea than go out, fall over and end up in a dingy little hospital. Fellow Kavos ‘star’ Jenny (if that’s what you’d call her) seemed to spend most of her time in the wellused A&E unit, as her unhealthy diet of Pot Noodles and Vodka led her to do stupid things such as drunken quad-

If I spent the remainder of my student loan on a foreign holiday, I’d quite like to remember it

on those helpful PSHE lessons at school and paid the price for her misdemeanours in the form of a rather extortionate medical bill. Someone give her some orange juice and a salad.

I may just seem really boring compared to these crazy, loud and excitable teens but to be honest, I don’t really care. If I spent the remainder of my student loan on a foreign holiday, I’d quite like to remember it and not feel rubbish the next day.

However, rep Imogen from ITV2’s The Magaluf Weekender assures us that it’s not all about ‘young people getting drunk’ because ‘there’s a lot more depth to it.’ For those of us who have seen The Magaluf Weekender, we know that this is not the case and frankly we wouldn’t be tuning in if it was anything else. Why would we watch a programme about a group of friends going swimming when we could just see them get drunk and do silly things? It’s a no-brainer.

With a new series of Magaluf and Kavos already hedonistic teens is set to continue. You may not be as crazy as you prepare for your highly-deserved trip abroad. So whether you’re catching up on iPlayer or sorting out travel arrangements for Benicassim, have fun: it’s procrastination gone wild.

Interviews

JAWS

You’ve been together for over a year, were you all mates before or did JAWS bring you together?

We were all at college together, so we hung out there a lot. Connor just asked us all to jam after he’d put some tracks up on soundcloud. So we used to practice at college every Monday and that’s how things all got started.

If you were going to describe your sound to someone that hadn’t heard you, what would you say?

It’s hard to put a label on it. A lot of people have said it’s like shoegazey, dreampop, sort of… of thing.

What can people expect from a JAWS live show?

At the moment, just four guys playing their instruments. But then last night in Birmingham and beach balls. But other than that we just like to rock out and that.

You’ve been on tour all over the country now. I imagine the gig last night stood out, but how do think you’ve been received elsewhere?

Surprisingly well. It’s really weird when we

JAWS are Connor, Eddy, Alex and Jake; four friends who began practicing together at college not much more than a year ago. The boys have fast become one of the hottest prospects to emerge from the thriving Birmingham scene and have toured with the likes of Kate Nash and their Birmingham pals Swim Deep. The night after their sold out hometown show at the Hare & Hounds, Liam McNeilly chatted to drummer Eddy Geach about James Bond, the resurgence in vinyl and all things B-Town.

go away up north and down south and there’s people showing up in their JAWs t-shirts. And there’s a lot of ‘em. They’re singing the words

The EP comes out in a couple of weeks, what’s planned for you after that?

Deep really helped with that too.

to carry on doing our thing. We’re doing some more shows, we’re going to Italy next week for a couple of shows, and then we’re going to hit up some festivals this summer. We’re doing Bestival, Kneedeep, Beacons. It should be a good laugh.

What is it about Birmingham that’s producing so many good bands at the minute?

Peace and Swim Deep have both been signed to major labels which is great for them and I think there’s been a bit of a chain reaction as a result. bands to get together in Birmingham and get in to it and start gigging. It’s worked I think and there’s a lot of good bands starting up and Waves, Caves and Dumb.

What do you make of the comparisons between the current Birmingham scene and Madchester?

I don’t really know about that. Madchester was Madchester but Birmingham is certainly in the spotlight at the moment. I suppose you could say that we’ve been put on the map. With regards to the sort of bands that have come out and unique.

You’re putting the EP out on vinyl as well as digitally. Why do you think there’s been a big resurgence in vinyl sales?

It’s a bit of a case of looping round, I think people like a bit of reminiscence. People are getting reminded of how good vinyl feels and how good it sounds. It’s so good to have a physical piece of music in your hands that you can buy and carry it home. I think people warm to that and it’s bringing in people who have never really bought vinyl before. I know Connor collects a lot of vinyl, I personally don’t have

What’s been the highlight of your time as a band so far?

I think last night was a highlight for all of us.

I think all of us felt in a bit of a daze after last night because it was a headline shows and we weren’t expecting to sell out so when we found out it had we all had a bit of a moment where we had to sit down and take it in. Then there was this massive gig with Peace and Swim Deep and a load of other Birmingham bands at this Warehouse in Birmingham around Christmas

thought would happen, we’d all get a tattoo of a shark. I think we need to get about eight tattoos now.

James Bond character. If he was in the

in the sound. It’s a lot warmer and it feels like it’s more true. I don’t really know what it is but there’s something magical about a vinyl when you put the needle down and start playing the song. It feels like you’ve earned it in a way.

I think he’s a drummer. I think if he came in to the band I’d be out of a job. I reckon he’s got the girth… he’s got that fucking angry looking, head banging drummer look about him I think.

Q nine

Interviews

CUT RIBBONS Quench caught up with Aled, Anna and Chris from Llanelli’s Cut Ribbons at their recent instore in Spillers Records.

you? You’ve been up and down the country over the last two weeks, all the way from Glasgow to Falmouth. Any particular tour highlights?

Aled: It was… eventful (laughs) Anna: The reception on the whole was really good, we got treated really well at all the venues we played at. And we were lucky enough to be co-headlining the tour with a band called Holland, they were Chris: They were dudes.

Anna: Yeah, they were dudes!

Aled: We had loads of fun just hanging out, it’s nice when you get with a band like that because it makes everything so much easier!

And obviously it makes the parties after you play so much better as well. Mind you, I think,

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on the road! But it’s always nice to be invited to a legendary place like this to do an acoustic set in front of a load of people, some we know, some we don’t, so that was really nice.

You played quite a few new tracks today, how have they been going down on tour?

Aled: Yeah one of them especially is brand new, Anna gets behind the drum kit with Caio and smashes a cymbal. The new song will be in two parts, it’s just that we haven’t written the Chris: The prequel!

Aled: We’re in the process of writing it.

But Luna is the new single: tell me about the music video for it?

Aled: We managed to get Dylan Thomas’ boathouse to do a lot of the scenes, that was incredible. Being big fans of his work, it was

obviously a massive deal for us. Mind you, it did come about on probably the coldest day that’s ever been in existence; it was actually snowing most of the time, so trying to play outside the boathouse, my hands and Chris’s hands were absolutely blue! But the video came out great, it looks aesthetically beautiful Chris: Yeah they did a really good job, Toby and On Par Productions.

Anna: And we had tea and welsh cakes, didn’t we? Welsh cakes shaped as hearts! That was quite nice, that warmed us up a little bit.

So have you got many plans lined up for Summer?

Aled: We’ve got a load of festivals coming up, we’re looking forward to getting back in the studio, and we’re in the process of sorting out some European dates. It’ll be nice to visit some countries that we haven’t been to, musically, before.

Lastly, then, would you recommend a new band, artist or DJ for the Quench readers?

Anna: Wildcat Strike! They supported us on one of the dates on the tour and they’re

from Brighton.

Aled: My pick is Holland, the band we toured with. They’re incredible guys, incredible musicians and now good friends of ours.

Chris: I’ll go with Trwbadour, I think people are calling it folk-tronic or something? They’re from Camarthen, they’re brilliant, we’ve played with them a few times. They’re a really really good band.

Cut Ribbons’ new single Luna is out now on the Kissability label; check out cutribbons.co.uk for more info.

JS

Street Style Words and Photos: Charlie Mock

J

osh wears a Supreme tee with Acne jeans

Quarter (Womanby Street), which is where she bought the coat pictured. Her shoes are from Vagabond and her dress (not shown) is from Rokit Vintage (www.rokit.co.uk).

which can be bought online. The item that Josh is willing to splash out on is trainers; here he wears Asics, which can be found in Size.

L

uke’s t-shirt is from Manna, he also wears Topman jeans and River Island shoes.

Luke is a fan of independent clothing labels like Bukki. He buys a lot of his clothes online, in particular from ASOS Marketplace.

tassels.

G

eorge mixes vintage with street wearing a second hand Elle blouse and Reebok Freestyle hightops. Her coat is also vintage bought. George’s favourite things to wear are blouses, in particular those from H&M.

Words: Kirtey Verma “Lively. Radiant. Lush…A colour of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony” - Pantone this year’s colour to be Emerald Green. An elegant colour by itself, it’s easy to compare it to last year’s contrasting colour, Tangerine Tango. However, forget about the past, this dark jewel tone is making an appearance in all the shops at the moment and introducing it into your wardrobe should prove to be more than easy! With this gem colour, there is only one choice: go bold! Make sure you stand out by adapting your regular makewardrobe and there’ll be an instant uplift to your appearance!

Everyone else will be green with envy…

Why not try…

A-Line Sleeveless Dress: Zara, £35.99 Blouse: H&M, £12.99 Nails Inc Shaftesbury Avenue Star Magnetic: www.nailsinc.com, £13 Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner Emerald Green: Superdrug, £3.99

fashion@gairrhydd.com · @quenchfashion

Q eleven

Olivia Reidy

River Island £55

Accessorize £19

BRUSH UP ON YOUR BEAUTY: NAILSOMETHING.TUMBLR.COM Getting your nails done and need some

AMODELRECOMMENDS.COM Straight from the frontline of backstage beauty, regular fashion week walker Ruth

YOUTUBE.COM/MICHELLEPHAN The most-watched beauty blogger on YouTube, with over three-million

Make it Mac’s new Mineralize Moisture SPF15 Foundation,

Victoria Gadsden

ASOS 拢38

Blake Lively

also achieving a casual, elegant day time look with blazers, boots and oversized

路 @quenchfashion

Q thirteen

Jacqueline Kilikita She’s one of music’s most bold and talented artists and it’s fair to say that RITA ORA should also be crowned most stylish. From her colour pop lips to tailored suits, she ticks all the boxes and always gets it right. So, take a leaf out of her book and go for fashion gold. I dare you…

GET THE LOOK

£40, River Island

£39, Topshop

£29, Shoeaholics

River Island £40

River Island £75

New Look £15

Sophie Chamberlain

This Made in Chelsea She combines casual trainers, bobble hats, jersey tops and denim shorts with embellished quilted jackets, cowboy boots and peplum shirts. The 23 year old make-up artist keeps a style diary blog which teams designer with high-street brands. Get inspiration by watching the E4 television show Made in Chelsea, follow millsmackintosh on Twitter or take a look at her style diary at www.millie-mackintosh.com/stylediary. Or look no further, the Fashion and Beauty team have found you some high-street equivalents.

Topshop £36

Topshop £40

River Island £28

fashion@gairrhydd.com · @quenchfashion

Q

When travelling we often try to stay safe and avoid those threatening areas we’ve been warned about. Sometimes, however, these ‘dangerous’ places can be worth the risk.

SOUTH AMERICA

South America has traditionally had a bad reputation for being a dangerous and precarious place to visit and has been viewed in past years as a place to avoid travelling to.

Ideas of drugs smuggling, murderous gangs and violent kidnapping have attached a treacherous stigma to South America, which has diverted people from travelling to this wonderfully diverse continent. However, in the past ten years, destinations like Brazil have become much more popular with tourists and it’s not just because of the luxury resorts. As STA Travel reported, in 2008, Brazil was its fastest growing destination for student travellers.

Unfortunately, countries like Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are still highly stigmatized and tourists of all ages are still conscious of visiting these countries. This is perhaps partly be due to that fact that The Foreign and

recent online reports of American students kidnapped in Peru. However, what isn’t mentioned is how these events are extremely rare, and if you are sensible, go to the safe destinations and plan your trip well. There’s no reason not to visit these amazing places.

So what is there to do in South America? Peru boasts one of the most amazing archaeological sites in the world, Machu Picchu, the ancient Incan ruins nestled amongst the clouds. If history isn’t your thing, take a trip to the part of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador, where you can view some of the most spectacular wildlife on the planet from canopy lodges which double up as your bed for the night.

If a city break is your idea of a perfect getaway, the capital city of Bogotá in Colombia has a cool café culture by day and a thriving atmosphere by night.

Kathryn Lewis

travel to various parts of Colombia. They have also reported high violent street crime in Ecuador and there are

CHINA EGYPT Visiting China is relatively safe for the average traveller, who only needs to be aware that pick pocketing is common in the crowded cities. It is a diverse country, claiming to be the fourth most popular destination in the world. Although cities such as Shanghai are becoming westernised, they still retain their Chinese roots.

People doze on benches in crowded cities, chop sticks are uses in all the restaurants and techno music blasting from speakers is a common form of advertising.

Beijing contains The Forbidden City which can be explored in Tiananmen Square and The Great Wall is a short train ride away. Lanterns are seen hanging along the streets outside restaurants, which light up when night falls. Yet, behind the beauty and intrigue of China, there is religious and political repression.

Communist China is one of the 16 nations that still persecute Christians. Being part of an underground house church in China is illegal and if caught, members may be imprisoned and tortured. Foreign visitors who are Christians can be in danger of imprisonment or deportation, but only if they publically evangelise.

The lack of freedom in China is a real concern and awareness about the persecution that is still directed at minority groups around the world needs to be raised. I travelled to China last year as a Christian from England, volunteering in orphanages and teaching English to children in Shanghai and Beijing.

The Chinese people are very peaceful, caring people. The Communist regime ironically makes them more receptive and open to Western travellers because of the lack of freedom they live under. China is a vibrant country to visit and needs to be explored, so that one of the most powerful countries in the world can truly be understood. As Westerners, we are lucky to have political and religious freedom and we need to remember those in the world who remain oppressed.

Emma Forbes

What do you think when someone says Egypt?

Danger, unrest, war? Ever since the country’s revolution in 2011, when someone tells you that they’re travelling to Egypt, eyebrows are raised. After all the political unrest, extensive protests and riots, it’s no surprise that a lot of people avoid Egypt as a place to travel. Not helped by the US’s and FCO’s condemnation of travelling anywhere in the country; the reputation of a once glorious destination has been tainted.

But Egypt is a country full of wonders of a bygone era, a classical civilisation and a country of diverse culture. Despite most peoples resignations, you can’t forget that the Middle Eastern nation is the home to one of the 8 wonders of the world; The Great concaving tombs, which encase the bodies of Pharaoh Kings.

Aside from the stereotypical draw of Egypt’s classical culture, the Middle East’s biggest city Cairo is also an essential part of any traveller’s trip.

Contrasting the country’s historical roots, the vibrant city holds numerous opportunities to sample to current culture of a country post revolution.

Ever tried Koshary, Kebab and Kofta, Sambousak, Molokheya and Rice Pudding? Their place of origin is Egypt is the perfect place to sample some of our favorite treats.

And lastly you can’t miss the Nile; a natural wonder which no violence or danger can change the form of. Despite Egypt’s reputation and the near current events the country is a place of wonder, myth and opportunity, one not to missed.

Jade Attwood

Travel

A walk along the edge

Adrenaline kicks across the Americas northern counterpart. Instead of rapid descent, it’s possible many forms, but there is one we can all relate to – it’s that sense of adventure, of excitement, of the unknown. From sights to sounds to touches and tastes, our senses are blown by the beauty of life. If there was any travel industry that wished to channel these thrills into something a little more craving for exploration, danger, and passion. Excluding the terrifying insurance premiums and possible broken bones, the temptation calls out to us, and I think sometimes we’d all like to go for a little ride… get your blood pumping, from north to south to east to west – and that’s only the few that I’ve even attempted. Canada plays host to some gorgeous snowboarding / skiing terrain, especially up in the mountainous backcountry of British Columbia, where days hurtle by as you whistle down the

gazing into the molten abyss at its core. Be prepared to wield In South America’s warmer quarters, the thrills continue, though they tend to revolve far more around dust, dirt, sand and sweat. Combined with various modes of transport – dune buggies – the hillsides and deserts become your wild little playground. Perhaps the most notorious route on the

of La Huacachina on in western Peru – where they’ll propel that snakes from the heights of La Paz deep into the Yungas of western Bolivia. Although I in no way mean to disrespect the many that have perished on the road, which is still a very real threat, the descent was like no other bike track I’ve ever encountered. To the right the cloudforest climbs high above you, whilst to the left it falls away into the depths of the valley, towards Coroico. Through clouds of dust above an ocean of

At the other end of the continent, edging down towards the Chile is home to a string of bubbling volcanoes, one of which – Volcán Villarica – acts as a converse challenge to its

We got our kicks in northern Chile, in the Atacama, and on the Peruvian coast, where for a small price you can rent out battered old snowboards or similar contraptions and ride the waves of sand. Although in Chile the dunes were bigger, this meant further to walk, and realistically you can’t pick up any decent speed on the boards due to too much

phenomenal rush – bones may shudder, faces may blacken, but the adrenaline will leave you with one beautiful blur of a memory.

sweat and strife and supplying far more fun along the way. taking out your own personal quad bike, and tear across the landscape at your leisure.

Sure, getting your kicks whilst travelling doesn’t always when combined with the myriad of other adventures and experiences available, a little jolt of adrenaline here and there can do wonders to make you feel truly alive. Take the plunge, take the leap, step out of your comfort zone once in a while and walk along the edge – how else will you ever know it’s

travel@gairrhydd.com · @quench_travel

Q seventeen

LGBT+

PRI Belfast

a man and a woman and their three children holding a banner

Jenny Watson

Andy Love

London

Andy Love

Brighton

Andy Love

eighteen Q lgbt@gairrhydd.com

DE

LGBT+

EVENTS IN THE UK & AROUND THE WORLD.

they are there to be heard.

Erin Ekins In Moscow

Sao Paulo

mammal.

Thomas Leeming Andy Love

ReykjavĂ­k

Uganda

Erin Ekins

lgbt@gairrhydd.com

Q nineteen

Culture

S

u

m

m

o

e r

Diffusion, Cardiff International Festival of Photography, 1st-31rd May 2013

f

C

u l

r u t

e

BOOKISH? It’s that time of year again when the only thing getting you through the mountain of work is thinking ahead to summer. Personally the only thing that gets me through my exams is starting to make plans for the summer months of freedom. If you want to do something different this summer how about something creative? There are hundreds of exciting arts based events on offer for those looking to experience something to inspire – so here is my pick of some of the top arts festivals to get to started and help motivate you through all the exam stress.

The Hay Festival 2013, 23rd May – 2nd June 2013

ar

‘

The Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition 2013, 10th June- 18th August

Jess Rayner

twenty Q culture@gairrhydd.com · @quenchculture

Reading for pleasure

Cat

I don’t think studying English Literature has particularly changed the way I read other books. It’s made me more aware of the various things whilst reading and introduced me to new texts which I perhaps would never have thought of reading before. If anything it’s made me want to read more outside of my course.

Amy

It’s probably been 3 years since I’ve read a book of my own choice without feeling a sense of guilt. Whilst I’ve enjoyed reading some books on the course which I wouldn’t have ever approached before, I can’t wait

Anna

No, I don’t believe studying an English Literature degree takes away reading for pleasure, nothing can take that away... it just gives you experience of nonpleasurable reading too!

To Live, To Love, To Be

read a book without needing to think how this could be relevant for an assessed essay!

The Review Corner

The Great Gatsby

Elouise Hobbs Sum Sze Tam

culture@gairrhydd.com · @quenchculture

Q twenty-one

Bestival Isle of Wight With last year’s headliners including the likes of Stevie Wonder, The XX

for a venture into the unknown, with some weird, wonderful and downright wacky attractions to accompany the music; with pop-up restaurants, a cinema and even a movie-making tent to keep you entertained between your favourite acts.

Becky Johnson

Field Day

Reading & Leeds

London

If there’s one thing I knew I’d be doing this summer it was Reading festival.

Regardless of line up, the duo of festivals hosted over the August bank holiday always promise to be a messy three nights of pure debauchery and above all brilliant music. This year promises to be no different. In some eyes, this year’s line-up may seem controversially eclectic, with a mirage of dance and hip-hop acts taking to the stage, including Saturday’s headliner Eminem. The NME stage has also been bombarded with electronic acts this year, especially on the Friday with Skrillex taking the headline spot in competition with last years surprise act Green Day. Reading and Leeds’ rock roots, however, have not been forgotten by the event

It’s that time of year again when you frantically consult your bank balance to see how many festivals your budget can stretch to this summer. The bigger festivals such as Latitude and Glastonbury have a huge scope of acts across numerous stages meaning tickets are like gold dust. Although festivals such as Glastonbury are guaranteed to deliver an amazing weekend of music, in my eyes it’s the smaller festivals that are always worth a look as you get some amazing line-ups, for a fraction of the price.

stage, closing the festival and placing indie favourites Alt-J to headline the NME stage.

Finding a great new band at a festival always improves the experience and there are a great many on offer this year. Grammy Award-winning The Lumineers, up-and-coming duo AlunaGeorge and the incredible vocalist Lucy Rose (who

a one-day only festival, Field Day has a line-up that provides a balance between bigger and up-and-coming acts. The stand out newer acts on the

acts to get excited about.

With a killer line up, an unbeatable atmosphere and predictably a whole lot of mud, Reading and Leeds promises to give an unforgettable end to summer 2013.

Disclosure. Field Day prides itself on producing a consistently strong line-

Jade Attwood

May with an unfailingly great line up as usual.

as a result of their accessible elctro-pop sound that got them on this

festival season.

Jess Rayner

ArcTanGent

Tomorrowland

Bristol, England

Boom, Belgium

dance Festival Tomorrowland is set to be one of the front-running electronic festivals for some time. This year it sold out in a record thirty minutes, so it’s no wonder that Tomorrowland has become a pilgrimage for dance music fans around the globe. A killer line-up featuring dance giants, such as David Guetta, Avicci, Knife Party and many more for £180 is a bargain that no electro heads are ignoring.

Five days of partying in this fairytale land of bass is going to be a dream. The organisers make an extensive effort to decorate the event and turn it into a magical world of its own. Fireworks synced

So if you’re looking for a completely new festival experience and tickets.

Mary Bulgin

line-up is impossibly strong, with a top-end featuring the cream of the UK scene’s alternative crop, backed up by a cherry-picked selection of

Venturing further down the line-up, the organisers proudly boast

ATG is a hotbed of undiscovered talent, and you could do far worse than spending a weekend perusing the smaller stages, chock full of potential future headliners.

With the Glastonburys and Readings of the summer hosting a selection of success stories under their £200+ price tag, ArcTanGent’s entirely different side of the music industry – free of façade and bigbudget production, now is the time to catch these artists, before they make the move to the big leagues.

Tom Connick

twenty-two Q

music@gairrhydd.com · @quenchmusic

P

Green Man Brecon Beacons, Wales Set among the Welsh Mountains, Green Man is an atmospheric, misty, and Alt-J pack out the smaller Far Out stage… who will be the stars of 2013?

more drinks, groove, and feel good atmosphere. Just lovely.

Rosey Brown

Festival No. 6 Portmeirion, Wales Unless you’ve been there before, it’s very hard to describe how captivating the surreal landscape of Portmeirion is. Designed by the appearance in cult 60s programme The Prisoner, the site is a mock

V Festival Chelmsford & South Staffordshire, England Mud soaked clothes, designer wellies, short shorts, sun blazing down and live music of all the artists we know and love, what could be better than that? I am a V festival veteran, having been two years running and this year I am gearing up to make it a hat-trick. I love the laid back easy going vibe of this festival.

with a bizarre range of curiosities and set in breathtakingly beautiful surroundings. Only in its second year, the festival has already created Festival at the UK Festival Awards.

As to be expected from such a surreal setting, the festival site is full

words that we could hear shouted over the hustle and bustle of the crowds. topping Rihanna perform. I had to ignore the urges when my bladder started to feel more and more heavy; this was not easy when the rain began to fall, but it

extensive woodland around the site.You can expect to see a wide mix ft Nile Rogers, Frankie Knuckles and Islet, and a diverse mix of arts and standard disease ridden burger van either, think more champagne and oyster bars, real ales, organic street food stalls and the award winning Welsh Kitchen. More of an experience than a festival, this is something not to be missed.

Stephen Springate

fun fuelled weekend spent with friends living out a tent. I think V festival is an excellent choice of festival for those looking for mainstream music and an exciting ambiance. It’s a great choice for those festival virgins, who want to There’s always next year.

Josie May Copson

Glastonbury Somerset, England This needs no introduction.

Pili Pala Swansea, Wales If you’re on a budget, don’t want to travel far from home this summer Pala takes place in a number of venues across Swansea and features a host of up and coming Welsh talent including performances from

The music-lovers’ pilgrimage has

lifespan, and this years’ line-up is typically expansive, with over 100 stages playing host to Worthy Farm’s genre spanning weekend guests. and Peace, via a rare UK performance from U.S. hip-hop hero Nas -

appearances by a wide range of Welsh writers.

lies outside the arena, and it’s through an exploration of the weird and wonderful corners of the site that the Glastonbury experience is

want to go elsewhere however; the festival is advertised as a drug and

With the ID-only ticketing system in place to combat touts, and all unclaimed tickets now sold off in the April resale, if you don’t have one by now you’re going to have to resign yourself to a weekend on over an hour - an indication of the fevered excitement that surrounds Glastonbury’s mystique and marking 2013 as a triumphant return for

Stephen Springate

highlight of any attendee’s summer.

Tom Connick

music@gairrhydd.com · @quenchmusic

Q twenty-three

REVIEWS TRIBES WISH TO SCREAM ISLAND RECORDS | 20.05.13

MICHAEL BUBLÉ TO BE LOVED WARNER BROTHERS | 23.04.13

It’s tricky when bands release their sophomore albums so soon after their debuts. They could end up like The Drums, whose Portamento (nope, me neither) was released just

Bublé is back, but maybe not with so much of a bang as a smooth whisper. To Be Loved, Michael’s 6th studio album has been highly anticipated by his devoted fans following the It’s A Beautiful Day. Recorded between his home nation Canada and LA, the album seems to be made as a comfort for the Canadian crooner.

Including four original tracks, the cheerier tunes are inevitably highly reminiscent of perhaps his greatest hit Just Haven’t Met You Yet. The remaining ten tracks consist of covers, spanning across the decades but predictably all singing about love and togetherness. The only surprise of the whole album is his unusual collaboration with Legally Blonde actress Reese Witherspoon covering Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s Something Stupid.

Proclaiming that the album is about “love, happiness and yummy things”, Buble has certainly summed up the record

outing. Wish to Scream, is curiously somewhere in between.

Tribes have never made any claims of total originality. Indeed, fact, Bruce Springsteen seems to be the main point of reference throughout most of Wish to Scream, from the gospel choirfeaturing Need Some Healing to the saxophone solo in Wrapped up in a Carpet. However this is not necessarily a bad move, and although Tribes’ love for American heartland rock is clear throughout, they still retain the same memorable indie rock sound on songs like How the Other Half Live.

The most annoying part is the constant reliance on keyboardbased intros on every single song and the incomprehensible drowning on It Never Ends. Their constant call backs to 90s Britpop and pretentious references to ‘Shangri-La’ gets a little grating at times and makes them sound like Viva Brother (remember them?), but that feeling doesn’t really last. Maybe day of Glastonbury, but for now Wish to Scream

6

You’ve got to be in the mood for this sort of music, a mood for pure cheese. Perhaps it’s one to give to your Mum to keep in the car, and a cheeky Ipod

3

Jade Atwood

10

their place on this summer’s festival scene.

Matthew Jones

MISE EN SCENE HEY VELVET PIPE & HAT | 29.04.13

Having both come from and met due to artistic backgrounds, and naming their music project after an artistic expression, one can tell that Mise En Scene’s music is bound to be classy and full of heart. From the Hey Velvet, they spark memories and you can appreciate what the twosome, Stefanie the opening song, which is reminiscent of The Clash, which was probably a purposeful move by the artistic couple.

As the E.P. moves on to the second and third tracks, you realise that the release is comprised of the exact kind of varied and uplifting anthems that would provide a great soundtrack to summer.

The pleasant, soothing vocals and instrumental tones, combined with the infectious rhythms, provide the exact kind of atmosphere and vibe that

8

The release itself is merely an appetiser; whilst you may be left hungry for more, what you’ve already indulged in must be appreciated. The 3 tracks on the E.P. prove to be very easy listening, catchy, and overall very enjoyable. A great achievement from only two musicians, even as talented as they clearly are.

Samuel Lloyd

10

10

Albums

WILEY THE ASCENT WARNER BROTHERS | 01.04.13 has gone from strength to strength. After 2008’s quite brilliant Wearing My Rolex and collaborating with Emeli number 1 single Heatwave, and a new album, proving that the grime-pop crossover is still craved by the UK’s music buyers. However, this demand doesn’t stop ‘The Godfather The Ascent from becoming a substandard Dizzee Rascal album. When even Bassline Junkie is better than every song on the album, you have to wonder where Wiley went wrong here.

Sadly, Wiley becomes outshined by the myriad of guest stars he has on The Ascent. My Heart featuring (yes, you guessed it) Emeli Sandé sees Wiley drown in Sandé’s powerful voice. Say what you like about her, but our Emeli knows how to belt out a chorus. In fact, this turns out to be the highlight of the album. Singles Heatwave and Can You Hear Me? (Ayayaya) haven’t aged well at all. Maybe that’s because as I am writing rising up around me so I don’t really ‘wanmaybe this sort of so-called ‘crap rap’ really doesn’t appeal to me. In a world where we already have Dizzee Rascal representing the grime-pop crossover in the charts reasonably well, do we really need Wiley?

Matthew Jones

3

10

RICHARD HAWLEY The Noble Thiefs, who describe their sound as ‘rock n soul’, have a nostalgic 50’s American DON’T STARE AT THE SUN rock n roll vibe that you can’t help but like, even THE NOBLE THIEFS | 25.02.13 if you feel a little bit guilty for it. Their single PARLOPHONE When You’re In Love is reminiscent of the GOT IT MADE/WHEN popular sound Alabama Shakes have produced, YOU’RE IN LOVE and despite the lead singer being male, he’s got that powerful, drawling, slightly husky PIPE & HAT | 06.05.13 voice that can make any lyric sound incredible.

Despite their sound having a great, old school vibe, When You’re In Love is at risk of sounding like it has all been done before, a bit clichéd, and even a bit on the crooner side. This is a shame, because with the mixture of brilliant vocals and instrumentals, a really unique sound could be created. Instead, The Noble Thiefs’ have produced a single that could be a carbon copy for any other American sounding band singing a love song in a blues bar.

I really want to like the single, but I think it lacks the originality it needs to make it truly great.

SINGLES

5

5

Beth Gregory

10

10

Music

LIVEMUSIC

PEACE | THE FLEECE, BRISTOL | 22.04.13 The last time I saw Peace they were opening for Palma Violets, Miles Kane and Django Django at the NME Awards Tour, giving arguably the most accomplished performance of the night. Since then, their impressive debut album has received consistently high praise and they are fast becoming one of the most talked about bands in the country. They arrived at a packed out Bristol Fleece half way through a nationwide headline tour, which concluded last week with a four night, sold out residency at London’s Birthdays.

After their B-Town pals Superfood had whet the appetite of an expectant crowd with an impressive set, Peace make their way on stage with lead singer this certainly aren’t there to gloss over any shortcomings in their musicianship; it’s immediately clear just how tight these boys are as a band.

The Fleece erupts as the metallic rattling of set opener Delicious kicks in, setting the tone for the rest of the evening with a rapturous crowd. This is followed by the grungier new single Follow Baby before Harry attaches a camera phone to the neck of his guitar for the shamelessly pop Lovesick. The recent disgruntlement from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs about camera phones didn’t seem to apply when it was locked on to the frontman’s guitar.

Float Forever which duly prompts a few in the surprisingly mixed audience (in terms of age) to pull for their cigarette lighters. It would be utterly wrong to accuse Peace of being one dimensional, but the combination of this track and the audience demographic is proof of the depth and appeal of this band.

With the set drawing to a close, Harry teased by asking if anyone had heard the bands debut EP Delicious, which was met with anticipant shouts of Bloodshake from sections of the crowd. However, in a slightly surprising

by Binary Finary and B-Side of EP Delicious decision which turns out to be the highlight of the set and a special moment for all in attendance. band and the incredible time that they are experiencing at the moment.

During the hazy California Daze, Harry and fellow guitarist Doug share a peck on the lips, and as crowd favourite Bloodshake brings proceedings to an end, Harry and Sam exhibit some of the campest dance moves the Fleece has ever witnessed.

Fleece gigs are on show above the bar. These include the likes of Radiohead, Oasis, Pulp and Bloc Party and if tonight’s performance is any indicator, it would be no surprise if Peace were also on their way to these sorts of heights.

Liam McNeilly

Get A Slice Of This Pie...

Rockpie Promotions are a brand new promotion company formed by Tom Bradbury based in South Wales. Their

Headlining are Freeze the Atlantic with support from Cut Ribbons, Samoans, Fjords and In The Firing Line. The support on their own make it worth the trip to Newport (and it takes a lot to make something worth a trip to Newport), so come down and show support for an exciting new enterprise which really deserves to succeed. ahead of their UK tour earlier this year, First Day Promotions have already more than proved their worth as a solid with Winchester based folk band This Is The Kit headlining and support to be announced soon. With plenty of festival slots this summer, catch these guys before they get big.

Stephen Springate

In other news, Quench Music won ‘Best Section’ at the Media Awards this year. To celebrate, here is a picture of some cats.

music@gairrhydd.com · @quenchmusic

Q

Film Saving Private Ryan

Life of Pi

Atonement

Saving Private Ryan

Atonement Avatar Hugo Life Of Pi The reasons Life Of Pi 3D Saving Private Ryan

Life Of Pi

Sam Lloyd

Pi Pi

Oli Richards

Becky Wilson

This is England

The Dark Knight

Jess Rayner

Les Misérables

Becky Johnson

Back To The Future

Les Misérables

and hover…

Amy Pay Matt Harding

twenty-six Q

·

Film

s e n e c S e Th d n i h Be ctors

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the cord d e r o t e ound acclaim r a a y er all e cam ind critic h t n tur try beh artis

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Q twenty-seven

Film

PROFILE:

WES ANDERSON

-Wes Anderson

T

he Look of Love

W 24 Hour Party People The Trip The Look of Love

NEWS IN FILM

Daniel Rosser

twenty-eight Q

路

IRON MAN 3

Director: Shane Black Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce

Director: Malcolm D. Lee F Starring: Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan Avengers Assemble Iron Man

Iron Man Avengers Assemble Iron Man 3

Jade Attwood

THE LOOK OF LOVE

BERNIE

Director: Richard Linklater Starring: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey

Director: Michael Winterbottom Starring: Steve Coogan, Anna Friel The Look of Love School of Rock.

Me and Orson Welles Bernie

The Look of Love

Daniel Rosser Becky Wilson

路

Q twenty-nine

PERSONA 4 ARENA PLATFORM: PS3, X360 REVIEWED ON: X360 DEVELOPED BY: ATLUS / ARK SYSTEM WORKS PUBLISHED BY: PQUBE / ZEN VISION OUT MAY 10

9/10 Michael O’Connell-Davidson reviews the next instalment in the ATLUS’ Persona Franchise. How

P

ersona 4 is a limitlessly eccentric game. Its plot can be summarized as being a little bit like Scooby Doo, except that its characters have special powers instead of a talking dog. Borrowing tropes from both murder mysteries and soap operas, Persona 4 was akin to a brightly coloured Twin Peaks, and remains a very highly regarded RPG.

Arena’s extensive story mode takes place two months after the events of Persona 4. It does a great deal to preserve the whimsical atmosphere of you, then Arena is certainly worth purchasing. Conversely, if you don’t have Arena’s storyline is likely to be alienating at best.

behemoths Ark System Works (the creators of Guilty Gear and Blazblue), Arena plays well on the strengths of both parties. how well you do, these can decide the direction of the story. Those who are only interested in playing the game for its story shouldn’t fret, however, as

As opposed to the somewhat brooding Street Fighter series, Arena and its

your preferred ending. It can be a bit awkward playing through the campaign as characters unfamiliar to you as a player, but after attaining a relative level genre, however, and I would encourage those uncomfortable with these sorts of games to consider trying it; it plays well on a controller, and while it doesn’t do away with long combos and the execution barrier that comes with most

As is standard for ATLUS, Arena is very well presented, maintaining the original title’s level of polish. The game’s character and sound design is excellent, and the user interfaces are clean and well designed. Ark System Works’ sprites are as well drawn as ever, meeting (and sometimes exceeding)

project, and, as stated, really plays on the strengths of both studios. limitlessly competitive; the largest tournament on the planet, the Evolution Championship Series, typically draws a few thousand attendees each year from across the world. Their longevity is rooted in how well supported they are by the wider community of players, so there’s a certain tragedy to Arena’s late release. The European community has been hamstrung by the delayed This isn’t necessarily true, because Arena’s online play is smooth, even across great distances, as with spiritual predecessor BlazBlue. It’s also worth noting that the localization team clearly went to great lengths to make sure as many attacks as possible, as their damage is boosted with each hit that to stack the odds in their favor. It’s an interesting title, and characters are well balanced; there’s a niche for everybody here irrespective of how you play the game.

thirty Q videogames@gairrhydd.com · @mikeocd

There’s a niche for everybody here.

Despite the problems surrounding the game’s release, however, Arena is which has inspired a very loyal following. Certainly, it’s a departure from the game players and anime fans alike. At the very least, it’ll satiate you until Persona 5 comes out.

GROWING UP WITH GAMES V

ideo games will forever be a tricky subject to write about; it seems to be a medium that either elicits interest or complete boredom from an audience with little, or even no, middle ground. Which is strange, as the former party will know this story and might be bored perhaps at a stretch, interesting. I’m stepping away from the usual gaming literature and forgoing a game review for a review of a gamers and gaming. My name is Ben Curwen, I’m 21 years old and I have been playing video games since I was 7.

It makes me feel old to realise that fact and I can’t help but pause for a moment and consider all the games I’ve played with a couple of games, a great, clunky, strangely shaped black box with huge game cartridges- the Nintendo 64. The earliest experience of gaming was playing Goldeneye 007 on it and I will forever hold it dear to my heart as the game that gave me the urge to play until late at night, early in the morning and, sometimes, the whole night through from an action so simple as walking around a corner, waiting for the auto-aim and shooting an unsuspecting soldier in the back of the head. I understand that to an outsider looking in that this is extremely peculiar, if not downright insane, but give me a moment to explain why.

Of course, there are all the usual arguments that a person can make when the topic of video games comes up- ‘Why don’t you go outside?’ ‘Video games make people violent!’ ‘It’s not healthy staring at a screen like that!’ The list goes on, but it is always startling when you realise that the people who make these arguments have never played video games in their lives. It’s

personal favourite, Irrational employees consumed more than 3, 750 gallons (more than 40,000 cans) of soda during creation.

With this dedication to one game that has been in production since early 2010 and will be overshadowed by another release next year or maybe even next month, combined with the size and value of the gaming industry, it’s easy to see why the competitive

community; pre-pubescent kids who swear too much, pale, fat kids with spots and no social skills and middle aged men who are still virgins and make harsh judgements. Yes, they exist, that’s true; denying it would be a folly but they do not represent everybody. The same way that football has dedicated fans that

to an art form. With famous actors being brought in for voice acting roles such as Liam Neeson in Fallout 3, Patrick Stewart

everybody who wishes to make a judgement or a point in an argument picks the easiest target. The friends that I game with are a collection of hilarious, polite, well-meaning individuals happily go out to the pub for a drink and a good conversation poorer.

While I’m writing this I can’t help but notice that they are

awards including and so on, but don’t let me drop names and awards to convince you. Take a popular game like Skyrim, Farcry 3 and Crysis and look at some of the trailers for the game release and wait for a view of the scenery, ignore the voice acting, the violence and just look at the environment that has been created and you would have to be truly emotionless not to admit that they are breathtakingly beautiful. There has been more than one time where I’ve been sat gaming and I’ve had to stop, look around and go, ‘Wow. Someone put every ounce of creativity they had into this.’

is video games. We like to go outside and do things other than gaming, we don’t get violent towards people (in truth, we save that for gaming) and as far as staring at the TV goes, gaming Of Duty is the most common example) as it makes the brain and better teamwork skills and while I can’t really observe these things, gaming has taught me a lot about morality, compassion and honesty. Of course, the scientist inside me shrieks that I am biased and while this is true there is plenty of evidence that Now, I’m not just going to make empty claims and defend myself for my hobby, because it’s also worth considering the video game industry itself. Going back to the Nintendo 64 and Goldeneye 007, the characters were made of a collection of

Those little characters on an odd shaped console with an even weirder shaped controller led me into a hobby that has introduced me to some incredible experiences, people and events. I have done things in games that are literally impossible for me to do during a normal day: saved the princess/town/country/world/galaxy/ universe, toppled kingdoms, travelled faster than the speed of light, travelled through time, been Batman, cured a plague and killed a person by summoning a land shark. The list goes on and I can’t help but include my favourite- which is that I’ve played a game in grown up with and that has grown up with me. If it were a person, it would be a childhood friend. Now, I can imagine that some of you are thinking that perhaps I’m being over-dramatic, but that was the only association that I could drawn upon.

drawn on and it was a 3D revolution that leapt video games into an age that, 14 years later, they are still in. All that has changed are the processors and the graphics cards and the number of people working in the industry. It means that a lot of people spend a lot of time and put a lot of passion into just one game, into the story, into the visuals, the mechanics and the gameplay

Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever stop gaming but even if I do, I will never look back on it as time wasted. To me, gaming is a huge, multifaceted medium that spans a dozen genres and each and every experience point, every life lost and every game won stands testament to a hobby that has brought me an immense amount of happiness, through both video gaming itself and through the people I’ve met and communities that I have become a part of because of it. But, please, don’t just take my word for

Irrational Games released some statistics about its creation, that stated the game has 20,000 more words in the script than

surprised. There’s more to gaming than Call of Duty and Fifa and there’s more to gamers than acne and energy drinks. I’ll say what I always say to those who aren’t sure. You don’t have to be good, you just have to play.

of code, that in creating it Irrational employees used enough kilowatt hours to burn through 8.8 million lightbulbs and, my

Ben Curwen

videogames@gairrhydd.com · @mikeocd

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Food&Drink

The Perks(?) of Being An Editor: The Media Awards Meal W

hen you (believe it or not) slave over a magazine for an entire academic year, the results are their own reward. But there’s nothing wrong with a big communal pat on the back as well, which is essentially what the Media Awards are. It’s a great night, with lots of people getting the recognition they deserve (least of all from a merry host staring at their assets while they everyone in good cheer and feeling, really, like a big family. We get a meal, which is always a bonus, and what kind of Food and Drink Editors would we be if we didn’t scrutinise every course?

Starter – Leek Soup We haven’t got a photo of this, mainly because we couldn’t bear to have anyone open these pages to a photo of what looks like a bowl of sick. That opinion of one of us; the other insists her soup is way better.

Main – Chicken, vegetables and potato cake with jus Hmm. Well, the potato cake was excellent - buttery and decadent without being heavy. The chicken was pretty average, with a pretty watery jus of some chicken- y/bacon-y description. The carrots were cooked well, though it only highlighted that the rawer texture of the courgette and beans was probably not intentional.

Dessert – Milk and white chocolate mousse, orange sauce and a strawberry garnish Sometimes, Quench Food and Drink are like night and day; one of us liked the milk chocolate, the other, white. Thankfully, the preferences weren’t enough to fall out over. We both agreed that our favourite part was the strawberry.

In short, the food was not the highlight of the evening. But then, really we all know that the meal was a posh stomach-liner and something to enjoy our company over until the awards began. We only wrote this review to justify including the meta-pictures we took of the food...

Our entries for our new favourite website, Pictures of Hipsters Taking Pictures of Food (http://pohtpof.tumblr.com). Because we want you to remember us as walking foodie stereotypes.

- Izzy and Laura Enjoying the media awards

The real perks of being an editor: Pizza Hut for

food@gairrhydd.com · @quench_food

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