Motley Magazine October 2015 by Motley Magazine

GIRL BAND

ASH

LOUISE O’NEILL

CAMPUS CONSENT

TROYE sivan DRIVING US

I S S U E N O2

OCTOBER 2015

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ISSUE No2 - OCTOBER 2015 CULTURE | NEWS | OPINIONS | FEATURES| FASHION MOTLEY.IE

SEXUAL FLUIDITY

TINDER

TROYE SIVAN

GIRL BAND

Joshua Collins questions labels and ponders the lives of the sexually fluid

In this month’s Tries, Hannah Kingston leaves her cat at home and dives into Tinder culture

Riley chats to Troye Sivan amidst the heavily publicised release of his new EP, Wild

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P. 14

P. 24

Robbie Byrne meets with Girl Band, who have recently been dubbed the most exciting band in the world

PLUS 28

33 41 44 50

I N T E R V I E W

All eyes are on Cork’s Louise O’ Neill following the publication of her latest book Asking For It. She chats to Emily Horgan about writing, rape culture and her upcoming feminist film. Topshop Winter Style: Latest arrivals for the new season at Opera Lane One brave student addresses UCC students highlighting the issue of sexual assault in Cork City Hassan Baker discusses the snowballing issues surrounding the refugee crisis Afterword with Bring Me the Horizon

R O B B I E B Y R N E TA L K S T O ‘ T H E M O S T E X C I T I N G B A N D I N T H E W O R L D R I G H T N O W ’ A B O U T C O M I N G H O M E T O D U B L I N , B AT T L I N G M E N TA L H E A LT H , A N D C R A F T I N G T H AT N O I S E - P U N K S O U N D .

I don’t think we have the image or personality that you’d associate with a band that sound like we do. 28

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

G I R L

Umbongo was the one track we just couldn’t perfect. It sounded pretty good, but we just knew a certain something was missing. Near the end of the recording sessions we had a telepathic moment. We dimmed the studio lighting and got Dara to strip off all his clothes - he laid down the vocals bollock naked.” You have never heard anything like Girl Band. Disfigured waves of heaving amplified chaos propped by nihilistic lyrical dread, Girl Band stretch once organic instrumentation into vendors of destruction. A chaos that deconstructs our preconceptions of song writing convention, and what seems possible within the Irish musical microcosm. Labeled “the most exciting band in the world right now” by a certain British music magazine, the band’s drummer, Adam Faulkner, remarks that outside pressure to record a stellar LP had little effect on the making of their debut full length, claiming that “most of the instrumental material had been written and gigged before press coverage began,” dispelling any myth of a writing crisis. Part of the fascination for an outfit as unorthodox as Girl Band is how these alien sounds come into being. But according to Faulkner, the instrumentation is born from the most standard writing techniques. “Basically, all of our songwriting is done conventionally,” he says. “The instrumental elements always come first. One of us might spearhead an idea, then I’d try out some drumbeats. After that, Alan and Daniel will work out the guitar and bass overlays. Writing for us is a generally very slow process. We’re always trying to improve the sound, making everything that little bit fresher – a little more honed.” Capping off 2014 with an international record deal with Rough Trade Records following a spotting by the label’s founder at Great Escape Festival, Girl Band refused to let a big label signing get in the way of their Dublin roots. “Despite Rough Trade, we didn’t have a tonne of cash to flash about - and recording in America is ridiculously expensive. It just didn’t make much sense for us to travel to the USA, especially as we had just returned from a coast-to-coast tour. We just needed to be back in the comfort of our own homes. “So we began recording in Bow Lane Studios just two days after we returned. The place was owned by a friend, who gave us free reign for the best part of five weeks,” Adam says; keen to highlight the DIY nature of the record. “It had this big old Harrison mixing desk, which needed some rewiring - doing something as simple as mending that old desk brought some much needed freshness back into the band.” If anything, the band’s debut album Holding Hands With Jamie is a reunion of sorts, with old Liffyside friends, estranged from their time on the road, lending a hand in the album’s creation. The efforts of one of these, Jamie Hyland, can be observed from the album’s lo-fi aesthetic to its heartening title.

B A N D

“Holding Hands With Jamie comes from an ongoing in-band rumour that there’s a romance between Dara and Jamie,” he says. “Jamie’s like our ghost member. He’s been there since our first single - a helping hand that guides us when we’re doing something wrong and stays silent when we’re on point.” Despite the cacophonous sonic palate, Girl Band remains an intensely personal proposition. Dara Kiely’s vocals, which flicker violently between FORMED TWO YEARS muffled drawl and punk-rock growl, AGO, 2015 HAS BEEN soundtrack the singer’s recent battles THE TURNING POINT with mental health. FOR GIRL BAND “It all came to a head when Dara was in the dole office with our bassist Daniel,” Adam explains. “He was going up to strangers, telling them that he worked for a PR company. He told them he could help them achieve anything they wanted. This was just after the release of our ‘Lawman’ single. Dara had just gone through what appeared to be a bad breakup, but he seemed elated. From there he just crashed.” For six months the Girl Band vocalist traded living in a tent for seeking help from his doctor, family and friends. “One moment he was assuming this God-like state, believing he could control the weather, while the next he was experiencing these unbelievable lows – convinced that nobody was there for him.” Of course, this wasn’t true, leading to Faulkner reassuring that “the spell brought Girl Band closer together that we ever were.” To aid his rehabilitation, Dara’s mother encouraged him to write a piece of poetry every day for sixty days. The lyrics penned from this time are uncomfortable accounts of image punishment in Pears For Lunch, where he sings “I look crap with my top off” and philosophical absurdity, “how many bulbs does it take to screw a light in?” amid the visceral electronic collisions of Paul. Yet, the LP has its lighter moments. Texting an Alien flaunts some airy fretwork, only to be pulled into the mire by the bass heavy production. Still, it’s Dara’s ad lib commentaries on the mundane that offer the most welcoming retreat from the surrounding darkness, be it remarking on the use of Sudocrem in Baloo, or the debacle over which spread to use in Fucking Butter. It is these little insights that reveal that even the darkest music can have four friendly, down to earth and downright funny guys behind it. And as Faulkner explains, it’s a reality that even the band’s fans have trouble accepting. “I don’t think we have the image or personality that you’d associate with a band that sound like we do. People are always surprised that the Dara you see on stage and the Dara that sells merchandise after the gig seem like two totally different people. But that’s how we are, four normal guys that like to joke around.”

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CAMPUS STYLE 31 Rachel Muckley tells us what we should really be wearing to college ON THE COVER 24 “CHART SUCCESS HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN MY GOAL” -TROYE SIVAN

GIRL BAND

ASH

LOUISE O’NEILL

CAMPUS CONSENT

Girl Band’s debut album, Holding Hands With Jamie is out now. ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

“I don’t think we have the image or personality that you’d associate with a band that sound like we do.” GIRL BAND P.28

TROYE sivan DRIVING US

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OCTOBER 2015

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

J12016 USA

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FOREWORD

EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLEN DESMOND DEPUTY EDITOR HANNAH KINGSTON

ART DIRECTOR CATHAL O’GARA

CURRENT AFFAIRS FEATURES & OPINION ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE FASHION & BEAUTY

EDITOR-AT-LARGE CLAIRE FOX

ELLEN DESMOND EDITOR

Dion Davis Rachel O’Shea Adam O’Reilly Rachel Muckley

HEAD STAFF WRITER Eoghan Scott STAFF WRITERS Hassan Baker Robert Byrne Leah Driscoll Sorcha Lanigan Adrian McCarthy Anna McCarthy Eoin McSweeney

MARKETING Alex Cregan

CONTRIBUTORS Katie Quinlan Max Farrell Brian O’ Connor Topshop ONLINE TEAM Opera Lane Colm Cahalane Nicola Meldrum Maria Hennigan Marko Ciro

onsent is a media buzzword. Yet, the reality of everyday, face-to-face conversation and culture is removed from this. Ireland shrugs off inappropriate, harassing jokes. Our culture belittles the severity of sexual assault as “lad banter.” It silences the victims of rape; it makes it too difficult to get a conviction against the perpetrator. It demands that victims measure out just how certain they are that they were violated; to think about the impact on the rapist before they make an accusation. It forces victims to consider how their family, their community and society will react to the “scandal.” It brushes it all under the mat as too messy to address and with it pushes blame upon the one person hurt most by it all. Victim blaming is a cruel and unjust outlook to have. The culture surrounding it silences people. It wrongly condemns the victims to live with a hidden trauma, while leaving the perpetrators walk free. But the real life conversation is beginning to gather momentum of late. There’s no ignoring it. Lady Gaga is singing about it. Louise O’Neill is writing about it. People everywhere are demanding a proper discussion takes place about consent and it’s reflected throughout the pages of this month’s issue. has decided to join the conversation because a girl was sexually

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT

CONSENT

M O T L E Y

E D I T

not asKinG For it

not asKinG For it not asKinG For it

not asKinG For it

consent edit E c E s t i u m a u t m a x fa r r e l l , v E r r o v i d q u E v o l l E n d i s i l m a x i m i , i d q u i d u n t u r i a t E m d o l u p ta s p E r u m v i ta E n o n s E d i c u s n E t u m q u E c o n p o r E p r o c u s . G i a d u s u t i l i ta t v E l E n t i a s i m o l u p i s t i n nimi, con rEm dEbi

assaulted in the Kane last August, just metres from our office. She spoke out, and was heard by officials. But this occurrence is unacceptable and not isolated. In response to this incident, instead of heightening security measures there should now be a call for the heightening of education on consent in UCC. Those who commit sexual assault and rape should be forced to learn that they have no entitlement to another person’s body. We should all feel safe here without having to work for our safety.

In a survey we conducted earlier in 2015, 68.84% of respondents believed UCC has a predominant lad culture, 68.31% were in favour of mandatory consent classes for all students, and 70.68% believe that there are not enough facilities and education regarding consent on campus. It’s not fair for the Students’ Union, the Feminist Society or the LGBT* Society to carry the burden of pressure and try to fill this space with advice on consent; mandatory classes and education need to come from the top ranks of the University. I urge you to join the conversation on consent because of this and because of a separate incident, which this time took place outside of the University, in Cork City centre. An incredibly brave and selfless outgoing-student has written about this experience on page 43. This individual has spoken to no one about the trauma they went through, but has put their own feelings aside to try to increase understanding. I don’t know the identity of this anonymous writer but they have my utmost respect. However, it breaks my heart that they felt the need to be silent and I truly wish I had a way to reach out to them. To this person (and to the many, many others with a similar experience) please know that there are more people who would like to help you than who would do you wrong. Thank you for sharing your words. We’ve heard you and we’re going to do our best to keep the conversation going. ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

fiction O P - E D S EPT E M B E R 1 8 T H 2 0 1 5

HI MAX,

WHILE I’M INTRIGUED BY THE IDEAS PUT FORWARD IN YOUR

MONTHLY COLUMN,

S E P T E M B E R 1 7 TH 2 0 1 5

Dear Editor, I picked up the last issue of Motley Magazine and I must say I’m outraged with the “Motley Tries” article. You let that disgraceful opinion on drug use go to print? I’d like a formal apology, Regards, A worried student. S E P T E M B E R 1 8 TH 2 0 1 5

Dear student, Thank you for your email. I’m sorry to hear that you’re concerned. May I firstly ask what exactly is causing this upset? Hannah was expressing her concern that drug reform laws aren’t have much of an impact. It’s an understandable view. Ellen S E P T E M B E R 1 8 TH 2 0 1 5

Ellen, Who do you think you are to let her dictate what is right and what is wrong? I bet that girl doesn’t know the first thing about drug culture. Please see attached an angry reaction piece below. If you don’t print this I’ll be taking it directly to The UCC Express.

I’m afraid we’re going to have to let someone else take the wheel this month. Decided to keep the readers happy and publish a reaction piece as a once off. Anything for a peaceful life, right?

-MOTLEY EDITOR, ELLEN DESMOND

‘Over the counter and around the world’ I recently read your article titled Motley Tries Drug Investigation. I need to tell you that I’m extremely disappointed in the frigid and narrow-minded view that your reporter had on drugs. I don’t believe for one second that she has never touched anything. Most students experiment with drugs and have amazing experiences with them – why didn’t you give someone honest space to share their voice? She talks about speaking with a young boy outside the shop and how it was “heart-breaking.” How patronising. What a laugh. If she doesn’t want to get her feelings hurt regarding something that doesn’t have anything to do with her, then maybe she shouldn’t go looking. I don’t do drugs all of the time but when I do, it’s for the escape. That’s what college is about. Zero responsibility, new experiences and letting go. It’s the only time we’ll ever get to do exactly what we want. Most people do drugs; most people understand where I’m coming from. My main point is that you shouldn’t write articles on things you are not well versed in. That girl knows nothing about drugs so let me enlighten her. I’ll talk about my latest experience. I was at a house-party. It was one of the lad’s 21st’s so 06

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

we wanted to really celebrate properly. We had blue ghost, bombs and a few lines. Let me tell you. It was wild. MDMA is my personal favourite. When you take a tablet; a tsunami of happiness rushes to your brain. You feel as light as a feather. It rushes to your eyes, your ears, your mouth, out to the tip of your tongue. Suddenly your body is electric and you can only see the bright side of life, nothing else. Touch is heightened, music is something new. Vibrations of sheer joy rush to the service and you can’t help but laugh, jump, shout, chase the beats within the music. Your love for people surges. Your love for life surges. It’s not like drinking. You’re alert. You’re turned on. You feel, see and hear things differently but in the best way. I’ve been taking drugs since I was sixteen and they have never caused me any harm. I doubt smoking incense is exactly life threatening. Either way, it’s not her place, or your place to judge. Think about that in the future. P.S Motley Tries is an atrocious name for a column.

O C T O B E R

F E E L I N G

A U T U M N A L

MOODBOARD

ABOVE: Solendig enimolo rehenimpor aute perum qui iducillo

AT THE LAUNCH OF CORK FASHION WEEK, WHICH BEGINS OCTOBER 7TH WITH CELEBRATION OF DESIGN AT THE GRAINSTORE

CORK FASHION WEEK 2015

DESK ACCESSORIES

EVENTS

YANKEE CANDLES

Experience the very best of local fashion with Cork Fashion Week; a collection of events which will take over the city from the 7th - 15th of October. Sponsored by MSL Mercedes Benz CFW, the week provides a truly top quality range of shows and award ceremonies to celebrate the Irish fashion industry. Go to corkfashionweek.com to see the full schedule.

COFFEE SHOPS CORK COFFEE ROASTERS Our editorial team’s coffee shop of choice is Cork Coffee Roasters. What with the dreary weather we’ve been having, there’s no better place to escape from a rainy October day than by jumping into a cosy Coffee Roasters and leaving your sodden umbrella by the door. And for the home brewers, their take away coffee beans are the highest quality too. Start with a bag of Morning Growler Blend it’s basically the only thing holding us together at this stage.

HOMEMADE RECIPES PUMPKIN PASTIES This Harry Potter themed treat is the ideal accompaniment to a night in with one of the many new season premieres that hit screens this month. Check out thegeekychef.com for quick and easy recipes.

Don’t want to walk to the library in the rain but can’t concentrate with the surrounding mess of your filthy housemates? Honey spice and red velvet Yankee Candles make studying at home much less aesthetically painful, and they smell delicious too!

COSY BOOTS AND OVERSIZED SCARVES RIVER ISLAND With newly arrived chunky knits and classy leather ankle boots, River Island on Opera Lane is the first stop for comfy campus clothes. With boots coming in at around €55 and scarves starting at €24, it’s time to pick quality over bargain hunting. Battling the elements doesn’t come cheap. Add a pop of colour with MAC’s Ruby Woo lipstick to brighten up your mood.

STUDENT DISCOUNTS OF 10% ARE AVAILABLE AT OPERA LANE STORES YEARROUND

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

C U R R E N T

A F F A I R S

What we’ll be talking about in

OCTOBER

Current Affairs editor Dion Davis has some suggestions for when you need to sound knowledgeable

APPOINTMENT

UCC New Head of Governing Body

UCC has announced the appointment of Ms. Catherine Day, outgoing Secretary General of the European Commission to be Chair of its Governing Body until January, 2019.

USI Pre-budget submission to focus on most vulnerable students The Union of Students in Ireland has launched its 2015 pre-budget submission. The submission calls for the Government to address a number of changes made to support systems including the re-introduction of postgraduate grants and an increase in the student assistance fund. Student accommodation is also a top priority.

Annual Conferings Prepare yourself for an onslaught of proud parents and complaints from students about the unsavourable “happy buzz” around campus as graduation season kicks off this month. SURVEY

Happy Visitors

LIT Wage Scandal

International students are happiest in Ireland amongst all other EU countries according to a survey undertaken by StudyPortels and published in the UK paper The Independent.

Limerick Institute of Technology has responded to claims that a number of its staff were on €72k a-year salaries with no work to do by saying those staff have now been redeployed into new positions. That’s right, they previously did nothing: for €72,000 a year.

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

Legion of Honour Former UCC Vice President for Teaching and Learning and Emeritus Professor of French, Grace Neville. Professor Neville is to be awarded France’s highest honour, the Légion d’Honneur. This was decided by the President of France because of her promoting of Franco-Irish relations between Cork and France. The French Ministry for Foreign Affairs announced this recently, which is a wonderful achievement for Professor Neville and UCC.

O C T O B E R

Kardashian APPS

SOFTWARE

Free Microsoft Office for UCC Students

The fascination with the Kardashians has only grown in recent weeks, as all of the clan have released new individual apps. Kylie Jenner’s app has already reached number one in the US App Store just days after it’s release. Is our generation too obsessed with celebrity culture? Or is it just another free app that we’ll delete by next week?

We don’t know how or why but it’s free. For all of us; yes, there’s no catch. Yes, that means you can probably invest the money back into Spotify Premium instead. Check out UCCSU’s social media for more information.

Guardian Sexism Investigation Sexism is still rampant in the workplace. A recent investigation by the Guardian has released that a vast amount of working women are discriminated against daily. With confessions such as this:“my manager told me that he wanted to move my desk by the door so that customers would have something pretty to look at when they walked in.” Is there still room for sexism in the workplace in the 21st century? The answer is no. For more information regarding these comments read Sexism at Work by The Guardian.

SPORT

Rugby World Cup Five weeks of gruelling matches, scrums and cabbage ears. After a victorious first match win for Ireland, we can only hope for more success as Joe Schmidt has the weight of a nation on his shoulders. Tune in on Sunday 11th of October to watch the boys in green battle it out as the sixth in the world against France who are ranked seventh.

Price hike on essential drug Martin Shkreli, a 32-year old hedge fund manager has purchased the rights to an essential medication used by cancer and HIV patients. His first move was to hike the cost from $13.50 per pill to $750 overnight. ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

K A F F E E K L AT S C H

THE STARBUCKS® INVASION Maria Hennigan explains why it’s not just all fun and Starbucks What the …?” my girlfriend yells as she steers us through traffic on Patrick Street. “When did this get here?” Her tone is disgusted; I prepare for the worst. She is pointing at the shop fronts but I can’t see anything out of order. “What?” I ask. “Another Starbucks!” And now I see it, but I don’t think I ever noticed any construction going on. I would have sworn that overnight the old O2 Shop just turned into a Starbucks. I guess a coffee shop is somewhat better than a carrier sales point? But my girlfriend is not happy with that answer. “How many Starbucks do we need?” How many, indeed. A few years back there was only one in Cork. It was in the airport and closed down in 2011. Except for third party operated shops like Coffee Dock in UCC, it seemed as if it didn’t work out for Starbucks here. But in recent years, Starbucks has crept its way back with stores in the City Gate (opened 2013) and Mahon Point (opened 2014). The ‘invasion’ itself didn’t start until the beginning of this year, when the first city centre store on Princes Street was announced. Followed almost immediately by the announcement of a second store on Opera Lane. While some rejoiced and others moaned, some serious concerns grew loud. Starbucks received criticism from the City Council for opening both stores without having planning permission. Citizens and councillors lamented that no one was consulted about the preservation of the historic Queen Anne House. Unfazed, Starbucks was already working on a third city centre store on Patrick Street – the one that finally broke my girlfriend. Construction of this third store was temporarily halted in August – again, because of missing planning permission. But now they’re all open, 3 shiny new coffee shops, and despite all complaints, criticism and concerns they seem to do good business. Who knew a reasonably small city like Cork has enough demand for a total of 5 Starbucks outlets? But after all, no one is crying about the 6 McDonalds, 6 Subways, 4 FourStar Pizzas and 3 Domino’s we have. Going by numbers, Starbucks is just a little over average. So, nothing to worry about? I doubt it. Hateful reactions to the new Starbucks stores are often directed at the bigger picture; the arrival of other big 10

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chains like Weatherspoons and Nandos. It’s not just Starbucks’s invasion, it is big scale economic change. While big chains thrive, beloved institutions of the city like Crowley’s music store, Loafers and the Pav have had to close their doors in the past year or so. Some of these had a happy ending – but at a price. Our independent restaurant, coffee shop and pub owners can easily be pushed out of business by these giant corporations. Frankly, these chains do not care about Cork’s heritage; its special mix of people or its reputation for artistic and culinary excellence. They are designed for the opposite; never changing sameness, whether you are in Hong Kong, New York or Cork. What they care about is fiscal growth and shareholders. The sour taste comes from when the strive for money crosses the border into blindly trampling greed. At what point does it become tasteless to litter a city with your franchise? The three city centre Starbucks locations have only about 400m distance between each of them, but Starbucks has done worse with stores right next to one another in some US cities. Tasteless is also the lack of planning permission for all three Cork locations, while making unauthorised changes to historical buildings. But it goes deeper than taste and respect. Starbucks has pricehiked their coffee, that is cheaply produced and expensively sold, fought employees’ attempts to unionise, prevented Ethiopian farmers from copywriting a coffee brand they produced, and used unfair labour practices in multiple countries. All for the sake of their syrup-y fast food coffee revenue. Again, this is something that not just concerns Starbucks. Pick any franchise and you will find evidence of some form of wrongdoing – from human rights violations and labour disputes to unsound marketing strategies. At least Starbucks sell fair-trade coffee. But it’s still also a brilliant distraction from unfair practices elsewhere. It’s that eerie feeling of someone lying to your face with the friendliest smile. That’s why Coca Cola and McDonalds are now green, and Nestlé slaps ‘30% whole wheat’ on the sugar cereal box, because that makes it healthy. All this goes through my head now when I see a Starbucks. It’s too big, it’s too fake, it’s a monotony machine. But I choke on my righteous anger because my Chai Tea Latte is too hot.

H U M O U R

Food for Thought Report:

Kyle Malone

s the echoes of Fresher’s Week celebrations slowly fade away for yet another year, students around UCC are now looking towards their budget and especially towards the cost of food on campus. The biggest debate revolves around the New Bar, whose dinner prices have increased this term. This reporter went down to the Amphitheatre to hear what students had to say. “How much has it gone up? It’s hard to say really. Some students say a euro or two, but I heard of a lad who traded his grant money for a chips curry and rice”, said Mark Roche, who identifies himself as a sort of New Bar aficionado. “And the portion sizes? Jaysus, last year you could have filled Boole 4 with the curry they gave ya but you’d be lucky to get six chips with the way it’s going now”, added Seamus Regan, who subsequently admitted studying philosophy has made his counting skills a little rusty.“What is a number anyway?” we heard him muttering as we headed towards the Main Rest. On this side of the Boole, things are a little more stable it seems, even if students were less willing to talk prices with our team. We did enquire about the status of the €4.20 student special, to which one student confirmed you can still get 420 on campus. “On any given day you might see one Common Room in UCC, which statistically isn’t that common”, he mused as he shambled about the quad. We left him to his thoughts. In Daybreak figures from the CSO (Chicken roll statistics office) show that a mere 1% of students avail of the “plain chicken” option

Students will be happy to know chicken roll prices have steadied across the board, as many would remember with dread the now infamous Main Rest market crash of 2014, where prices shot up a full twenty five cent. In Daybreak figures from the CSO (Chicken roll statistics office) show that a mere 1% of students avail of the “plain chicken” option, with as high as 3 in 5 students admitting to having placed wedges in a roll within the last quarter. Back on main campus, newer outlet Elements is enjoying a monopoly’s success in the Kane building, having successfully defeated Kampus Kitchen in the Battle of Kane Dungeon last year. All puns aside, the largest stir in the melting pot this year has been made by the Old Bar, who have used their wisdom, poor understanding of technology and grouchiness (as well as several other key stereotypes of being old) to gain a large following on Thursdays. Their deal, which is officially termed “The Last Supper,” fetches a student dinner and refreshment for a meagre five euro. We waited outside to see what patrons had to say. “Well there was none of that bread breaking or blessing of wine but myself and the disciples won’t go hungry,” said Andrew Moriarty, who told us there were no signs of that “Da Vinci Code craic” either. All eyes are now turning towards the Student Centre, widely regarded as the pantomime villain of UCC food outlets, to see how they will respond. Many have speculated they will start by changing their motto, which for years now has simply read “All views are my own, and now so is your money.” Worrying times indeed. Next time, this reporter looks at a battle we have already lost in: “IBS Surveys: Why are they here? What do they really want?” ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

T R A V E L

GoCambio

A new way to travel An accommodation alternative investigated by Hannah Kingston and Rachel O’ Shea ne of the biggest burdens of travelling for students is often accomodation costs. We’ve happened across what is a potential way to counteract this. A site called GoCambio, which is a service that offers a new way to travel, with the perks of possibly developing or lending a skill. The process seems to follow a relatively simple concept. Users sign up to either be a host or a guest. It’s free and mutually beneficial as everyone has something worth sharing. The host provides the spare room and the guest shares their skill for two hours a day in return. So it’s basically like a bartering system and at the moment focuses a lot on sharing language skills. The idea of GoCambio came to Irish sibling duo Ian O’Sullivan and Deirdre Bounds last June. Deirdre and Ian were out on a cliff walk in Ardmore, Co. Waterford and Deirdre mentioned how she was having trouble getting a native Spanish speaker to help her son before he say his SATs. They then questioned why people paid so much for language lessons and why people paid so much to travel. And it was from there they decided that they wanted to experiment with this platform. Teresa Lenane of GoCambio, tells us that reviews so far, have been vastly positive. “Guests love the service as it provides them with cheap accommodation, a unique travel experience and the fact they get to live like a local. Knowing that you are giving something of value to your host is a nice feeling too – your skill is your currency! Hosts appreciate that they can improve their language for a lot less, and in a more natural way and meet people from other cultures without even leaving their home!” Something we were immediately concerned about was safety online and ‘catfishing’ but Lenane says GoCambio takes its security seriously. The website offers you the ability to check out your potential hosts 12

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and guests. Firstly, the website has a verification system so you can see if the person has gone through that. You can check their references and reviews on the site once you’ve signed up. The location choices seem to be fairly diverse. There are hosts in apartments in New York, beach houses on the French Riveria and everything in between. Cambio-ing can also definitely fit those looking for a party holiday. Cambioers list their interests on their profiles, so if taking the plunge and using this method of travel, it’s suggested you find someone to work with who has similar interests to you. A good idea could be to use GoCambio every now and again while inter-railing or on a J1. With inter-railing, you could travel Europe by train and cambio-ing could be your accommodation or part of your accommodation; staying with a host for a couple of days in whatever cities you pick along the way. The only fear we’d have with that is it could possibly be less sociable than the much coveted EuroGOCAMBIO CONNECTS pean hostel scene but you could potentially PEOPLE WHO get lucky with hosts on GoCambio too. WANT TO There’s also the possibility that using GoIMPROVE A LANGUAGE OR SKILL Cambio could allow you to see more of the WITH PEOPLE world while on a J1 than you would otherIN SEARCH OF A UNIQUE TRAVEL wise and the money you are saving from acEXPERIENCE commodation can be put towards travel tickets. On your weekends off work, it could be a way to gain cheap accommodation in other parts of America. Lenane tells us there will soon be more focus on “wider skills,” rather than just language practise as was the previous focus. Everything from surfing to cooking is said to become available as potential skills and there will also be many other new developments to look forward to. For more details check out GoCambio.com

S E X U A L

F L U I D I T Y

A Kaleidoscope of Colours Joshua Collins questions labels and ponders the lives of the sexually fluid

he concept of “sexual fluidity” isn’t new by any means. It has been brought out of the shadows with the recent movements surrounding gender and sexuality within society. In essence, the debate in sexuality all falls down to whether sexual orientation is fixed or whether it can change and move throughout our lives. I am a firm believer that sexuality isn’t a choice but rather some people do not fit into societal binary code. Personally, I find that while on the one hand it’s quite liberating to have such a vast sexual pallet, on the other hand it can be like being imprisoned in a cell of uncertainty and doubt. There’s nothing simple about gender or sexuality. While many people will paint the two in black and white, it’s a kaleidoscope of colour and complexity. I envy those who were born with a sure identity; people who can gaze into the universe and find themselves and exactly what it means to be an individual. There are, however, others like myself who aren’t as fortunate. A group of wandering souls riding the open roads of life, desperately trying to find home within themselves. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t invented an app that sends you notifications every morning telling you what identity you’re going to be wearing today. All I want is some higher power like Steve Jobs to tell me whether I’m going to be straight, gay, bisexual or transgender for the rest of the week so I can work my sexuality around my calendar. Of course, I can only speak from a personal insight but it’s almost like having multiple personality disorder when it comes to sex. I like sex of course who doesn’t? The problem with sexual fluidity is that the menu is one hundred times the size of your average cisgender heterosexual and so it’s more complicated. Ever click the horror section on Netflix and instead of settling on a movie you spend hours scrolling through endless amounts of slashers and possession flicks until you just end up falling asleep? Well, it’s that kind of frustration that comes handin-hand with sexuality for me. RIGT: RUBY ROSE, GENDER FLUIDITY ADVOCATE

It’s 2015 and people are so insecure that we find the need to label everything, in particular gender and sexuality. How long will it take us to evolve? How long until we can take someone like Caitlyn Jenner ABOVE RIGHT: MILEY for who she is? If she says she idenCYRUS ON THE COVER OF tifies herself as a female, can’t we PAPER MAGAZINE just embrace and celebrate that? In an ideal world there would be no such thing as straight or gay and the only label with any importance would be “human.” Don’t take my word for it though, who the Hell am I? A-Listers like Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart also identify themselves as sexually fluid, which would excuse Bella’s less than impressive acting in Twilight; maybe she was like me and just wasn’t really that into Edward that day. Jokes aside, Miley did have some pretty insightful things to say about sexual fluidity. Stating in Paper Magazine that she doesn’t “relate to being boy or girl, and I don’t have to have my partner relate to boy or girl.” In my experiences, dating is a no-go. Well, it’s not like anyone in Ireland goes on dates anyway, it’s more of a “wanna meet up” or if you’re lucky enough to find some deviant who proposes the dreaded “Netflix and chill?” All of which we can do without. There’s no guidebook to self-discovery and while it can be a lonely journey there is so much to gain from sexual exploration no matter what you identify as. If you just open your eyes and your mind you would see that there is a revolution going on and the world as we know it could be on the brink of change. It’s hard not to long for a utopia, a world of unconditional love and acceptance. Could it be on the horizon or is this just the dream of a wanderer? ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

M O T L E Y

Disclaimer:

Tr i e s T i n d e r w i l l m a k e y o u c r i n g e

Tries Tinder decided September was going to be the month of dating. It was time to really put myself out there; Tinder. The dating app hit our smart-phones in 2012 and was met with roaring success. Swipe right for Mr. Right. Like most, I downloaded it “just to have a look.” My first impression was that is was, quite frankly, sleazy and a bit grim. I got rid of it almost immediately. This summer, however, I once again became interested in the app. We spend so much of our lives staring blankly at screens. People have purchased things from shoes to cars online. We have applied for jobs, researched for college work and have stayed in contact with friends abroad. Was it possible to find someone that you could have genuine fun with online? Once the screens are removed, can you have a spark or is it all as artificial as the light on your phone? Let me give you some background. I am the only singleton within my wolf pack. Don’t ask me why. I’m fabulous. If you consider an irrational, emotional female with frizzy hair and a disposition for gin followed by drunken chips, even out of the bin after a night out fabulous, then I’m fabulous. I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands. No more hiding behind phones, no more time to perfect a witty response, no filters. It was time to go old school - thanks to the new school. I uploaded my least crazy cat lady looking photos and waited in hope. I started matching with people almost immediately and was delighted with myself. That was until the Mr. Wrongs of the world started conversations with the likes of “DTF?” “Where do you live?” and the one that will make me look at my name differently forever: “You can spell your name the same way backwards, there are other things I’d like to do to you backwards.” The filth goes on. It’s disheartening, it’s slimy, but it’s also Tinder. A multitude of users presume that it’s specifically for hooking up. We all have our dirty little secrets but an online sex date was not something I’d like to hang up in my closet. My most notable opener from a guy consisted of a three paragraph plea to stay at my house “because he was unable to find a B&B.” As a misunderstood and lowly traveler, he thought that we could have fun and “explore” one-another. Bye Felicia. I swiped and I swiped, I frequently blocked and 14

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I was often left feeling deflated and a bit dirty. I suppose the best and worst thing about Tinder is that you are putting yourself out there. But we need to ask ourselves, what are we putting ourselves out there to? Sexual predators, sex hungry douche bags and people that start conversations but have the entertainment value of a cream cracker? Sigh. Where was the nice guy? Was I forever destined to live a life of Queen Elizabeth the First? While all the other queens were spooning their man-friends, I was spooning my hot water bottle, my cat and/or my broken dreams. Eventually a nice person did pop up. Same year in college, good-looking, funny, but going on a J1 for the summer. Eugh. I mention this individual, because I want to tell you all to never judge a book by its cover. During Freshers’ Week, I came across this person and boy was it weird. We were talking for about three seconds before he lunged at me and ABOVE: tried to take off my top in front of the DJ HANNAH booth. Good-bye. KINGSTON Swipe, swipe, swipe. Sleaze, yuck, no. This PUTS ON HER BEST TINDER wasn’t going to happen, I was losing hope. GAME FACE Even the normal people on the app didn’t get my sense of humor. I began to believe that surely you couldn’t spark off someone when you started on a screen. I pretty much gave up. That was, until a close friend made me see it as a social experiment and not an endurance test. She made me organize a date. I spent the day terrified that they were going to be a catfish. Coffee. A simple coffee, then I could run away back to spinster city. I went into the café and was amazed by the fact that they were as hot as their picture. I then became paranoid that maybe said male would think I was the catfish. Then I got excitable and couldn’t stop talking. By this I mean mentioning my subscription to Pony magazine when I was twelve. I’m alluding to the fact that I may have discussed my clothes drying on the line. I shook his hands twice and ran away. He seemed bewildered and amused at the same time. I wanted to bury a grave under my drying clothes and end it all. I liked him and thought I had destroyed weeks of chit-chat. That was it, I was done, or at least that’s what I thought. But since that first psycho coffee experience, we have now gone for juices, smoothies, more coffees, gin and tonics... I’m clearly not as scary as I think. Yes, I recommend what I formerly thought was a sleaze fest. Motley Tries Tinder has been a success thus far. You can find the real life spark - if you look hard enough. BY

Hannah Kingston

BEFORE WE BEGIn MAKING NOISE SINCE 1978, THE CORK GUINNESS JAZZ FESTIVAL IS IRELAND’S OLDEST AND BOLDEST JAZZ EVENT.

THE WIDE VARIETY OF ACTS ON DISPLAY IN THE CITY WILL STRETCH ACROSS MORE THAN NINETY VENUES

SUCCESS In recent times Cork City as increasingly come to life with music activity, but the Guinness Jazz Festival is one that has been a success in te city for decades. Running from the 22nd-26th of October, highlights of the weekend all seem to be happening at Cork Opera House. The Opera House line-up includes the legends that are BoomTown Rats; it’s definitely a weekend worth investing for music lovers of all genres.

MIDNIGHT SHOW Booka Brass Band will play a midnight show at Cork Opera House on Saturday Oct 24th as part of Cork Guinness Jazz Festival

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C U LT U R E

EDITED BY RILEY @Riley_Reilly

Kanye West The infamous Yeezus; a man who claimed to be the second coming. Imma let you finish Kanye, but clearly Kris Humphries was the second cumming. In all of the artist’s brilliant arrogance, West came to the conclusion that the world was lacking a certain style and so came forth the new clothes line ‘Yeezus.’

Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz “Now back to...this bitch that had a lot to say about me in the press the other day, Miley what’s good?”

Unsurprisingly, the line is bizarre to say the least. The women’s line is intimidating with garments including nude body tights which requires the wearer to be almost naked, whereas the men’s line is much more subtle offering baggy jumpers and a feminine grunge aesthetic. The entire Yeezus line definitely offers a post-apocalyptic dystopian subtext similar to what we imagine America will be become after Kanye is elected president. We can just about get over his attitude to enjoy his music but I don’t think we have the tolerance to wear his clothes.

American Horror Story: HOTEL There are few words to describe the excitement surrounding the upcoming AHS: Hotel season, but obviously I’ll find some words or I’m out of the job. Hotel Cortez is due to open its doors this week and it’s going to be bloody glamorous, literally. The 13-episode installment has fans checking in on the 7th of October.

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The trailblazing anthology series is due to return this month to FX and it’s bringing a power-ensemble cast with it for its fifth season. The creepy hotel is set in Los Angeles and is run by newcomer Lady Gaga. Viewers can expect to see some familiar faces taking up residence in Hotel Cortez including; Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Matt Bomer, Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters to name a few. There’s also a few new additions to the AHS franchise namely; Naomi Campbell, Max Greenfield and Cheyenne Jackson.

Creator Ryan Murphy talked a lot this year about how the seasons were all connected in some bizarre way and confirmed that some character favourites from previous seasons will also be spending the night and we can’t wait. A point of controversy facing AHS: HOTEL is the absence of leading lady Jessica Lange; the one true Supreme. Murphy stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that “I’m trying to deal with her play schedule. She wants to come back, we just have to come up with something” so

let’s not panic just yet, guys. Despite a few skeptics questioning Gaga’s ability to add something new to the show, I think she’s going to kill it. She’s called Mother Monster for a reason.

IMAGE COURTESY OF KANYE WEST

This heated exchange between Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus at the VMAs gave life to the entire planet and blew weaves clean off people’s heads on every continent. This single moment was undeniably the best thing to happen in popular culture in 2015. Even though we’re all so thirsty for the shade Nicki has thrown, we must commend Miley on handling the situation like a champ on live television. Cyrus grabbed back the spotlight when she announced a new album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz which was to be made available to stream online free for all. The album was met with an extremely mixed critical reception and was branded with the assumption that the album was more of a dope induced artistic project. The album has some stellar ballads like Karen Don’t Be Sad and is unmissable, trippy experience. Miley delves deep into her own identity and sexuality; it’s exciting and refreshing.

O F F

T H E

R E C O R D

Keith Richards Crosseyed Heart

Glen Hansard Didn’t He Ramble

Lana del Rey Honeymoon

Review: Eoghan Scott

Review: Riley

Keith Richards is easily one of the greatest guitarists of all time, and the list of classic songs he has written and co-written could literally go on for days (well, not literally). Even so, it was hard to be all that excited for his recent solo album (his third, in fact), Crosseyed Heart. The Rolling Stone’s output has been, to put it kindly, rather lackluster as of late. With the notable exception of the truly impressive single Doom and Gloom from their 215th ‘Best of’ compilation GRRR! released back in 2012, The Rolling Stones have recorded little of note in the past 34 years, not since 1981’s Tattoo You. On that basis, one might be forgiven so for not holding much hope for this album. One, however, would be wrong. An album devoid of disappointment, Crosseyed Heart opens with its bluesy title track, and over the course of 15 tracks proceeds to find the 71year old guitarist/rock-god on top form throughout. Proving that he hasn’t forgotten how to write a killer riff, standout tracks include early highlight Heartstopper, the vicious, rolling Amnesia, and lead single Trouble. A genuine pleasure from start to finish, it almost makes one wonder… It’s been over 50 years, perhaps it’s time Keith ditched the rest of those old Stones and just went solo altogether?

Glen Hansard has nothing left to prove at this point. After 8 albums with The Frames, Didn’t He Ramble (his second solo album) has confirmed him to be one of Ireland’s finest songwriters, without a doubt. Didn’t He Ramble, his sophomore solo LP, serves simply as yet another reminder of his immense talent. The album is a folksy yet rocking collection of songs that’s highlighted by Lonely Deserter, possibly his best single since the Oscar-winning Falling Slowly. As well as being a worthy lead single for the album, Lonely Deserter also serves as a well-deserved showcase for the talents of the up-and-coming Booka Brass Band, who also feature on the track. A worthy entry into an already sparkling discography; if nothing else, Didn’t He Ramble proves that Glen Hansard has come a long way from his days being known as that guy from The Commitments.

Honeymoon is the third full-length studio album from American dreamgirl, Lana Del Rey. The record has been highly acclaimed from critics around the board as displaying her versatility as an artist. It is evident from the new record just how fluid the Siren of Soul can be in regards to her music, infusing R&B tracks such as High By The Beach with songs such as The Blackest Day, emulating the golden age of jazz music. Honeymoon has more depth and lyrical beauty than any other record released this autumn. The Blues Queen indulges the idea of losing yourself on the road to the American dream and ending up in living the American nightmare. Lana takes some of the darker aspects of society; alcohol, drugs, sex and creates a beautiful dystopian world within the tracks. Honeymoon may just be the best investment you make this year.

Lady Gaga Till It Happens to You

Review: Riley

Gaga’s latest song is a powerful track albeit a heart-breaking one. It contains a powerful message highlighting campus sexual assault. The music video tells three individual stories of sexual assault with graphic detail, it is accompanied with a disclaimer warning the viewers that the video is “emotionally unsettling” and the scenes “reflect the reality of what is happening daily on college campuses.” The single, which is being used to fundraise money for charity, is unlike anything Mother Monster has done before; it’s a haunting melody that sends out a massive F U to rape culture. The vocals are extremely raw and the accompanying lyrics are so thought-provoking you just have to learn something. If you watch anything today, let it be the Til’ It Happens To You music video.

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C U LT U R E

The Many Problems of

Meghan Trainor Le a h D r i s c o l l lays out the reasons to take the mic off M eghan T rainor

wasn’t always aware of how much I disliked Meghan Trainor. Until recently, she was just a slightly larger-sized version of most female artists, who was responsible for irritating but catchy music. Sure, I had heard about the whole skinny-shaming controversy regarding All About that Bass, where she calls thinner girls “skinny bitches.” People were not happy with the fact that instead of creating truly body positive messages by encouraging an acceptance of all body types, she instead marginalized a different group of people while glorifying those who are overweight. I certainly didn’t condone what she was doing, but it didn’t really bother me at the same time. That same year, Nicki Minaj released a song that literally yells “fuck you skinny bitches,” and so, if anything, talking about a bit of bass was pretty PG. The newest pop princess created a mere blip on my radar of moral wrongdoings. What made Trainor become my newest celebrity voodoo doll were the lyrics of her second single Dear Future Husband. For those of you who have not yet examined this piece of rhyming idiocy, it lists the attributes of the singer’s perfect man. This seems like a fair, somewhat overdone topic for a song: the Spice Girls said you gotta get with their friends, and poor Destiny’s Child just wanted you to say their name. On the other hand, Meghan Trainor’s list of demands is offensive and worryingly petty. Let’s look at some of the lowlights of the song, shall we? After every fight | Just apologize |And maybe then I’ll let you try and rock my body right | Even if I was wrong | You know I’m never wrong | Why disagree?” | “‘Cause if you’ll treat me right| I’ll be the perfect wife | Buying groceries | Buy-buying what you need”

Perhaps most inexplicably, Trainor produces this whopper of a line: “And know we’ll never see your family more than mine” Have I quoted enough to disgust you? If not, feel free to read all of the lyrics yourself, I’m sure you’ll find something in there that sets every fibre of your being ablaze with anger. In one short song, Meghan Trainor has achieved the rare feat of being sexist towards both men and women at the same time. She wants her man to hold doors open for her, to always agree with everything she says and bizarrely, to almost sever ties with his family. She will repay him in sexual favours, do the shopping and take care of the housework. 18

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Her video reinforces this notion: in one shot, she flails about on a wet kitchen floor, attempting to scrub the tiles in a supposedly sexy manner. Trainor generalizes and underestimates both men and women, implying that being a gentleman and passively agreeing with a woman is the key to finding love and a pathetic dependence on male approval is what will bring women happiness. You might be asking yourself what the big deal is here. It’s just a song, right? Yeah, it is just a song, but it’s a song that kids are singing along to and some adorable three year old is inevitably going to tap dance to on some reality talent show in the near future. ABOVE: MEGHAN Even then, maybe they won’t listen to TRAINOR, WHO IS the message of her music. However, they CURRENTLY IN VOICE certainly will pay attention to their new THERAPY AFTER HAVING SURGERY ON HER favourite singer’s interviews and unfortuVOCAL CORDS nately, what she says outside of a catchy rhyming scheme is even more insensitive. When asked about being curvy on Entertainment Tonight, she responded: “I wasn’t strong enough to have an eating disorder…I tried to go anorexic for a good three hours. I ate ice and celery, but that’s not even anorexic. And I quit. I was like, ‘Ma, can you make me a sandwich? Like, immediately” While All About that Bass was somewhat offensive to slimmer girls and women, her attitude towards eating disorders shows a complete ignorance and lack of respect for those who have had a first-hand experience with anorexia. What’s more is that the interviewer she was speaking to in this quote had just informed Trainor of her own struggles with eating disorders. Trainor’s words came as an unintentional but direct slap in the face to the very woman she was speaking to. If the singer can’t understand the impact of her words in a face-to-face situation, how can she possibly present herself to the masses as a supposedly positive role model? Meghan Trainor promotes a “positive body image” based on male validation. Her message screams that it doesn’t matter if you’re fat, as long as guys think it looks good. Trainor doesn’t consider herself a feminist, and that is entirely accurate, because nothing about her promotes the idea of equality between the sexes. Trainors latest single Title shows no change in attitude. “You gotta treat me like a trophy / Put me on the shelf.” If this is how she plans to continue her career, I would rather put her in a soundproof room.

B O O K S H E L F

Long Gaze Back BY

Sinead Gleeson

Re v i e w : E l e a n o r Re i d

Described by The Irish Times as “a feast of female voices,” Long Gaze Back is a comprehensive collection of short stories written by Irish women throughout the ages. Compiled by Sinead Gleeson, the publication of this anthology comes at a time where the Irish short story scene is arguably at a peak, and it begins in the modern era before tumbling back in time throughout a strong history of Irish penmanship. Interesting in this compilation is the obvious themes and topics that are consistent between female writers of old and female writers of new: perhaps even more interesting is the very obvious differences between decades and generations of writers.

not enough? Only Ever Yours, By Louise o’neill

In summary:

It’s about time someone compiled Long Gaze Back; Irish women writers deserve an anthology of this calibre.

Why Not Me? BY

Following the resounding success of her debut autobiography Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?, the writer and star of The Mindy Project recently released her second book titled Why Not Me? Having previously discussed her growing up experiences, Why Not Me? covers her more recent adventures of the past two years. Much to our delight, the only effect that fame has had on Kaling is that she now has more important people to embarrass herself in front of. However, it is not the topic of the book that matters so much as the way Kaling writes. Reading her book feels like a conversation with your best friend: unapologetically honest and often hilarious. Her self-deprecating humour and sprinkle of irrationality are guaranteed to make you laugh.

MINDY KALING

MINDY WHO?

Pick up Kaling’s hilarious and astute autobiography Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?

In summary:

Once again, Kaling has killed it- if you enjoyed her first book, you’ll love this one just as much.

Re v i e w : Le a h D r i s c o l l ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

NOT ASKING FOR IT

Author Louise Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill speaks with Emily Horgan to discuss her second book, Asking For It, which has the likes of Marian Keyes gushing praise and has sparked a national discussion on rape culture and consent. 20

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ur culture often couples ‘rape’ with the idea of ‘blurred lines.’ Questions about alcohol intake, clothing, and past promiscuity pad out these perceived ‘grey areas,’ focusing more responsibility on the victim to explain why it was that he or she was assaulted than on the perpetrator themselves. As with many things in Irish culture, discussions around sensitive topics such as victim blaming, consent, or lack thereof, have been what can only be described as sparsely addressed. Which makes it refreshing and important to discuss Cork born author Louise O’ Neill’s latest novel, Asking For It, which challenges the way society treats rape. It seems the only ‘grey area’ in Asking For It is between what is truth and what is fiction - every incident throughout is uncomfortably mirrored with real life cases; young characters that could easily be our peers and emotions that are so sharply portrayed that they could be plucked from any teens’ subconscious. O’ Neill explains that it was an “accumulation of events” that urged her to write the novel. “When I was finishing writing Only Ever Yours [O’ Neill’s first novel, whose rights have just been signed to Killer Content, an American TV/Film agency], I remembered Todd Akin, a politician from the US, was running for Senate at the time. He had been asked whether he thought abortion was acceptable in any circumstance. The person interviewing him asked him ‘What if a woman is raped?’, and he said ‘If it’s a legitimate rape, then the body has ways of shutting that down.” This idea of there being two streams of rape is a controversial yet popular one in modern culture, with the likes of actress Whoopi Goldberg referring to the Roman Polanski case as “not rape-rape.” Another source that inspired Asking For It were the Steubenville and Maryland cases. “The similarities between the two were so uncanny. Small tightly knit community in which the local football team were heroes. There was a party, too much to drink, a girl passed out and was gang raped by members of the football team and the photos were circulated on social media afterwards.” It wasn’t this particular aspect of the cases that interested her the most, but the community’s blatant disregard for the victim and also the utter lack of comprehension that the men involved in these cases had around the crimes they committed. “They seemed to have this sense of immortality and it was really indicative of that culture, that male entitlement to the female body that manifested itself.” And while these cases seem to be a million miles away from our fair isle, O’Neill was quick to rectify any doubt that Ireland is any different in our approach to rape culture.

“In Ireland in 2009, 50 people, including a local priest, lined up outside a court to shake the hand of a man who had just been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman, right in front of the victim. Back in 2003, another Kerry footballer went home with a girl and he said if a girl brings him home to her house and into her bed, that’s enough indication for him. She had bruising to her eyes, ears, stomach, pelvis; her front tooth was loose. The court put it down to ‘rough sex’ and he wasn’t prosecuted.” And thus, O’Neill put pen to paper and wrote Asking For It, which, according to Marian Keyes’ recent article in The Irish Times is: “the most relevant, most exciting book about Ireland in a very long time”. Emma, the protagonist, is a just turned 18 year old girl from a small fictional town in Cork. She is popular, intelligent, bitchy and promiscuous. After a night of drinking and drugs, she ABOVE: CORK BORN is raped by members of the local GAA team. O’NEILL ON HOME O’ Neill explains that Emma’s drinking and TURF drug taking is a crucial factor of the story. “We’ve been brought up in a culture that encourages us to hold women to higher moral standards. We’ve been brought up in a culture that encourages us to believe that victims of sexual violence should have taken measures to ensure it never happened to them. 41% of Irish people [according to a study done by the Irish Examiner] believe that a woman is partially or fully responsible for her rape if she was drinking or taking drugs. So my intention was that while the reader is reading this, they nearly become complicit because the fact that some of her behaviour isn’t exactly sympathetic. Because she behaves in that way, the reader is almost complicit in blaming her.” The morning after the night before, compromising images of Emma and the boys involved appear on social medias and being commented on and “liked” by peers. Frightening, dark and upsetting, Emma struggles to understand exactly what happened that night and how to handle the aftermath. O’Neill’s novel tackles the most sensitive of topics in an intelligent and informed manner that gives justice to all of the cases the novel was inspired by. It is down to her writing voice, which has a way of carrying the reader through Emma’s darkest thoughts to the point of sheer immersion, that make the book so truly unsettling, unnerving and utterly important for readers of all ages. “This is for people of all ages and people of both genders. Its an important issue that needs to be addressed in both young men and women because at the cusp of the book is the issue of consent. And that’s something that we need to be educating not just young women but young men, and men and women in general.” ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

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DRIVING US

F r esh o u t o f M TV s t u d i o s , v i r a l me g a s ta r T ro y e S ivan s a t d o w n t o c h at w i t h R iley

The first noticeable thing when chatting to the Happy Little Pill singer was his trademark melodic Australian accent, it’s verging on hypnotic and for all I knew he could have been spitting Nicki Minaj lyrics because I was completely under his spell; one that millions of teens around the world have fallen under. It’s impossible to give this young star an exact title because his talents are so diverse. Troye Sivan’s career has seen him dabble in an acting, become a much loved internetpersonality and, most recently, a singer-songwriter. The Aussie heartthrob released his debut EP entitled TRXYE on the 15th of August 2014. This saw him riding a wave of success as it shot to number one on the iTunes chart in fifty five countries around the world; acting as a trailblazer for all online personalities looking to pursue a dream in music. A lot of artists today in the music industry often judge their own success on the charts and performers like Katy Perry or Beyoncé and other mainstream acts strive to get as many top ten singles as possible but for someone with a cult following like Sivan, the objective is a bit different. “Chart success has never necessarily been my goal,” says the humble Sivan, who is evidentially not too anxious about replicating his previous accomplishments.

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I N T E R V I E W

He claimed that writing for the charts shouldn’t play a big part in artistry. “Chart success doesn’t define an artist’s worth, a lot of the people I listen to have never had a chart hit, so it’s not really that important. I just want people to really enjoy it”. With last year’s massive EP TRXYE behind him, he began work on his next musical endeavour and had fans thirsty for more. On September 4th of this year, Sivan released his second music project: WILD. The mini-album stormed the charts and blew the minds of anticipating fans all around the world. Music moguls such as Taylor Swift even reached out to Sivan, congratulating him on the success of the new record tweeting: “GO @troyesivan WILD IS STUNNING AND AWESOME. (YES CAPS LOCK IS NECESSARY HERE.) #EPgoals.” For any artist, releasing an album is a long drawn-out process which can be quite frustrating and for Sivan it was no different. When we spoke to the star he was incredibly excited to get the fresh new release out after a long time working in the studio, not to mention massive promotional campaigns: “we’ve been doing this huge rollout and watching it all unfold has been just insane for me.” As with his previous EP, the artwork of WILD is rather unusual. Both releases featured the chiselled face of Sivan and both had his eyes covered. On WILD it’s yellow petals hiding the singer’s eyes and with TRXYE it’s the EP name. According to Sivan this ongoing hidden message “originally started as I was just feeling uncomfortable just whacking my face on the cover, it seemed a little cheesey to me.” Even more interesting, he also elaborated that covering his face was a way of speaking out about censorship and adds. “I also like the way it’s mysterious and leads to a couple of questions which I’ll hopefully answer in the music.” WILD is accompanied by three music videos, which follow the story of two young boys who are childhood friends and struggle to understand the romantic feelings they have towards each other. Sivan tells a narrative through these music videos, all under the common name Blue Neighbourhood for the trilogy. The WILD (Blue Neighbourhood Part 1/3) music video debut on Youtube/VEVO on September 3rd and has raked in a massive 4.3 million views to date. On September 25th, Sivan released the second video instalment of the trilogy; an emotional video and an instant fan favourite. As mysterious as the album is, upon further inspection it becomes very clear that Sivan was heavily influenced by discoveries of 24

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his sexuality; he famously came out to his parents and fans via a YouTube video when he was only fifteen years old. The album in essence is a very personal recalling of some intimate memories and the tone of nostalgia carries throughout the record from start to finish. While the album touches on love and heartbreak, ‘Bite’ is one of the more sexual melodies and got us thinking that maybe he had someone important in mind. “Each song is a very specific experience for me and it takes me back to those memories and the people in my life, it’s accessible to a lot of people and that was what was important to me; to take my life experiences and stories and let people interpret it and connect it to their own lives.” above: siven for ysl at paris fashion week Sivan admitted that WILD is definitely the most pop-infused below: artwork from track he has ever written but ease video stated that it wasn’t intentional or an attempt to mainstream his music. “The music production was so genuine and organic so now is the time to try and appeal to people.” While the record definitely drives on pop vibes, Sivan noted that he prefers to consider his music “dark alternative pop.” Though he’s new to the music scene, he was willing to talk about working with other people in the industry. Earlier in the year when the album was in the early processes of production Sivan tweeted his delight in recording his album in the same studio as Lana Del Rey which he admitted “was an awesome and inspiring experience.” Working nearby or collaborating with other artists isn’t anything new for Sivan who has previously worked with Zedd and band Broods on his new EP. In the future he says he’d love to work with Ollie from Years and Years. Troye also discussed Taylor Swift and her views on streaming music. “I’m only just joining the music industry and it’s such a time of unrest and no one really knows what’s going on anymore and besides you don’t really make money from music sales these days. Artists make their money in other places.” He also spoke passionately about other smaller artists who have yet to break into the mainstream claiming; “it’s a lot harder these days for the artist who doesn’t sell out stadiums or have only a few thousand followers.” That’s not a problem Sivan is going to face anytime soon though. With massive celebrity backing, not to mention the support and respect from the international LGBTQ* community, things for Troye Sivan are undoubtedly about to get WILD.

TOUR SIVAN’S UPCOMING AMERICAN TOUR all shows all ages completly sold out in just 30 minutes: “Don’t stress, i’m going to be playing loads more soon.”

Chart success doesn’t

define

an artist’s

worth

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I N T E R V I E W

The Return of ASH C lair e F o x ta l ks t o A S H f r o n t m a n T i m Whee l e r a b o u t r e l i v i n g f o r me r g l o r i es a n d h o w t he a l b u m i s n ’ t de a d a f t e r a l l

years ago the world watched in awe as teenage trailblazers the Arctic Monkeys earned cult status with debut single I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, while even now the success of Cavan teens, The Strypes has many speechless. Should we really be surprised by the success of teen bands though when Northern Irish rockers ASH earned their cult-following in their teenage years and as a result are the soundtrack to numerous Reeling in the Years episodes of the mid-nineties? With platinum albums, Ivor Novella accolades and soldout concerts in the bag, lead singer and key songwriter of ASH, Tim Wheeler, can only dream of reliving such glories with new album, Kablammo! “It’s always nice to dream about it, you know those Top 40 singles or Top 20 singles would be nice to have again, sure we’ll see. The main thing is that we love playing and have a great fan base” Although Kablammo! may not have emulated the chart victories of 1977 or Free All Angels, the positive critical reception has received is what makes Wheeler most satisfied with the band’s latest record. “It’s been really well critically received and fans are loving it too” says Wheeler, in his still devastatingly beautiful Downpatrick accent. “The thing I’m most happy about is that it makes a great live set.” Combining the vibrancy of the punk pop trio’s early years with

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We were trying to get back to some elements of things we had in the beginningthe simplicity and short energetic songs. a new maturity and added songwriting prowess, Kablammo! is a fantastic follow-up to 2007’s underwhelming, Twilights of Innocence, a fact which Wheeler is acutely aware of. “Yeah I think you kind of get the best of everything. We were trying to get back to some elements of things we had in the beginning- the simplicity and short energetic songs. We’ve also learned to play a lot better and you can hear that in this record too.” While 20 years ago Tim wrote about his futile attempts at love and fumbling teenage romances, his songwriting process has progressed a lot since his adolescent years. “I’ve gotten better in some elements of writing lyrics and my music has improved. I take a little bit more time with it now. The same ideas are still there- strong melodies and good choruses that we like- but as you mature different things take shape like grief and losing my father.”

A S H

The loss of his father to Dementia contributed to the 38 year old releasing his first solo album Lost Domain in 2014. With the majority of the tracks on the record dedicated to his late father, it was interesting to hear what the experience was like for him. “Making the record was quite a painful thing, but actually getting it out there in the world and releasing it that’s when I felt that I completed the process in a way .You know it’s become a more important subject and there’s more and more people with Alzheimer’s in this aging population. I still get a lot of nice messages, so in a way it has definitely been cathartic.”

ALONG WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THEIR IRISH TOUR DATES, ASH HAVE ALSO RELEASED THEIR FREE-TO-DOWNLOAD ACOUSTIC EP, KABLAMMO!

Stating in 2007 that the “album was dead” due to the onset of downloads and with the release of their iconic A-Z series, a collection of 26 singles, one released each month between 2009 and 2010, it had seemed unlikely another studio album was on the horizon. Miracles do happen however and Wheeler’s Ash did a U-turn finding faith in the album once more. “We released 26 singles in a year in 2010, so I think that burned us out for a while. It took up so much work, but you know we just started writing songs again and listening to music again and after a while it just started to connect for us.” “So we realised then that the album wasn’t dead and decided to do another one. And it had to live up to our best ones, so there was a lot of pressure,” laughs Wheeler. “The album didn’t die away like I thought it would because at the time downloads were really taking over and single tracks were bigger. But now we’ve got this era of streaming and vinyl albums as well” While downloading may have been the order of the day ten years ago, now streaming is the service of choice music lover’s use to access their favourite tracks. Admitting that he would of course prefer if people paid for his music, Wheeler is happy if his music is being heard. “It’s definitely a better alternative to piracy. The only trouble is that there’s not much money coming in from it at

all, but it’s a step in the right direction.” Revealing that friendship has been the key to the longevity of ASH and with the band going from strength, when probed on what Wheeler hopes is in store for the next 20 years of ASH, the frontman pauses for a moment. “Having gone back and made an album, there’s pressure to make another one. It’s strange to have gone back and made one when we said we’d never make another one. The next one will be even more relaxed, so I don’t really have a plan or like having a plan. You just keep winging it and hope for the best.” ASH play Cork’s Cyrprus Avenue December 18th.

49/50 North Main Street, Cork. Tel. 021 427 3464

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I N T E R V I E W

R o b b i e B y rn e ta l ks t o ‘ t he m o s t e x c i t i n g b a n d i n t he w o r l d r i g h t n o w ’ a b o u t c o m i n g h o me t o D u b l i n , b at t l i n g me n ta l he a lt h , a n d c r a f t i n g t h at n o i se - p u n k s o u n d .

I don’t think we have the image or personality that you’d associate with a band that sound like we do. 28

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G I R L

B A N D

F A S H I O N

THE GOLDEN AGE OF

N icole C linton e x plores fashion ’ s preoccupation with the past HESE DAYS IT SEEMS ALMOST impossible to walk into a clothes shop and pick out a trend that the modern world has never seen before. Between the designers who showcase looks that are heavily influenced by styles from previous decades and the recent popularisation of the ordinary person’s acquiring of genuine ‘vintage’ attire, it appears that fashion’s past has meandered into its present. But why is the current generation so infatuated with vintage? We live in an information age, one which indoctrinates technological advancement as the only worthwhile objective for humanity. The high rates of connectivity that infiltrate our lives mean that we are constantly bombarded with reality, which can be either dreadfully bleak or tragically boring. Thus, it is no doubt that the values that modern society exude fail to satisfy the romantic amongst us. Vintage style allows us to act on our nostalgic feelings and performs as a sort of time-machine that rescues us from the banality of our ground-hog days. We are drawn to vintage or retro as they are a means by which we can live out a fantasy. It’s like reading a book or watching a film set in the past: we are captivated by the alternative culture because in an age that we claim to know and have everything, it gives us a glimpse of a world that we do not know and can never have. We do not have to deal with the negative side of a given age because vintage fashion offers us aesthetics only. It is the mildest form of fancy-dress and makes us feel like we do not belong here but rather to an era that we glorify or idealise as superior to our own. Or, maybe the most obvious reason for our vintage obsession is simply that everything else has already been done. The industry is built on an illusion that each ‘season’ brings us something unique from the other. However, these days, designers generally give us a revised version of a look from prior seasons, years or even decades. For example, the 1970s trend made the transition from Spring/Summer 2015 to Autumn/Winter 2015 and is obviously constructed around the style that was originally exhibited 40 years ago. This indicates that the popular belief (perhaps so clichéd now that it is used for comedic effect) that a trend can be “so last season” is in fact a myth. But we should not criticise fashion for the delusion that it founds itself on, because anything that revolves around aesthetics has to involve illusion, otherwise it would not be art and it would not incite passion in anyone. 30

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aBOVE: CONTEMPORARY AND INSPIRATIONAL VINTAGE FASHIONS

The intriguing paradox surrounding the vintage fixation is that the utilisation of the style of previous eras is one of the only new trends that have infiltrated the post-millennium fashion portfolio. And it is the lack of distinction between trends that inspires this vintage borrowing as we yearn to return to a world when fashion still possessed the possibility of generating something fresh and exciting because all the options had not yet been exhausted. Nevertheless, this does not mean we should lose faith in the creativity of the industry as designers are not just rehashing the old looks, they are revitalising them and making good fashion available to generations that were not fortunate enough to experience it firsthand. However, while this seems like a plausible, rational excuse, sometimes the most obvious answer is not the real one. As mentioned, designers rely on the past for inspiration all the time, giving us the perfect opportunity to seamlessly blend a legitimately vintage piece into our look. For example, in addition to the strong 1970s nuances provided by Chloe amongst others, the A/W 2015 catwalks saw Alexander Wang and Julian McDonald channel Victorian Gothic darkness and JW Anderson’s collection was infused with 1980s New Wave vibes. It is true that perhaps they return to vintage styles because they have nowhere else to go. On the other hand, maybe it is the manifestation of a disappointment with reality similar to that of the public. Let us not forget that those who produce fashion are acutely creative artists just like painters, writers, filmmakers and scientists. It is often a sign of the cultured person that they do not see value in their own age. Their sense of disillusionment stimulates them to reflect on the past or envision the future. But it is out of this melancholy that something marvellous, ingenious, is born.

C A M P U S

S T Y L E

Abandoning the

Campus Style Rulebook R achel M uckle y tells you what you should ( really ) wear to college

In 2015, most students, as has always been the case, wear what is on trend according to majority rules. Interestingly, this emphasis on style has developed some sort of theoretical handbook on what can and cannot be worn to college. Styling yourself in the latter may result in sideways glances or blatant staring. All very primitive and pessimistic stuff. For girls, the issue at hand is founded on a hesitation to rekindle past loves of fashion days gone by. For a lot of guys, it is the opposite, with many finding themselves stuck in a tried and tested zip-up and jeans combo and nervous about moving away from that. , we are more inclined to believe Here at that people should be free to wear whatever they want, regardless if it fits the ‘student’ dress code. Below are a few stylish items that will make you reconsider what you thought you couldn’t wear to college.

In the trenches

Maxi dresses belong to the summer. And summer belongs to them. But what should you do with it come September? Lock it up? Leave it all alone and shivering in the dark? Oh no, people! Maxis, in particular the ones made with heavier material and block colours, can be worn all year round. Pair them with a denim or leather jacket and you’re good to go.

Hair accessories

Burberry, €6,890

Top: Burberry Trench 2015

It has come to our attention that there are far too few trench coats floating around campus. Far too few! In particular, it’s the guys who tend to fear it the most, instead taking the safer route of the zip-up sports jacket. We say, liberate your torment over winter coats. Live free, live confident, live hypothetically in the trench.

Maxi that dress

The whole theory behind 2015 style is perfected minimalism with some geometric use of black. Hair styles follow suit with the effortless, soft waves look remaining the most desirable. Therefore hair accessories are definitely on the down-low but we’re not too sure why. Headbands, scarves and chains may just prove to be the perfect accessory to your college outfit.

Jagger Shirts Snow White Phoenix Snapback €24.90

Snap back to the cap Snapbacks are all the rage these days. So much so, we’d nearly forgotten about our beloved 90s baseball cap. Guys, girls, babies, my granny…. they look cute on everyone. Wear backwards with acid-washed jeans for extra urban street credit. NIKE SNAPBACK €22 (basketo.co.uk)

Think sequence, think flamingo print, think outrageous and fabulous.

Marc Jacobs, Scarf €160

Moschino Scarf €80

Manhattan Skirt in Blue-Green A flattering mini-skirt in a subtle geometrical jacquard that creates a stunning feminine silhouette The Fold London, €143

Manhattan (below the knee) skirts The mini skirt is a well-earned classic at this stage but, it has to be said, longer skirts (the fitted and Blake Lively-esque ones) look just as stylish. With winter truly on the way, we need one asap. ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

B E AU T Y

T R E N D S

LIPS

Beauty Trends Autumn 2015

Jennifer Shanahan compiles a guide of this season ’ s new makeup looks

Autumn. Eyes. L'oreal Voluminous Superstar Liner in '202 Black'. $9.99

EYES

Autumn. Eyes. L'oreal Colour Riche Duel Effects in '240 Treasured Bronze' $9.99

Not too many surprises in this year’s autumn go-to eye makeup. One thing to note is an increased use of blending when using eye-shadows. Thorough blending has always been an important part of eye-shadow application. This technique is being used in overdrive these days, with anything applied along or above the crease being blended out until it’s just a subtle, smoked out hint of colour. Typical shades seen this season are rich browns along with anything with a warmer tone, such as rust or copper shades. Metallic eye-shadows are also popular; gold being a must-have. Bold eyeliner has made its long awaited comeback. Black, winged liner adds plenty of drama that looks really beautiful in contrast to the blended out eye-shadow. For precision, I like to use a felt-tip liner, but they can sometimes dry out quickly, or not give a true-opaque black intensity. Alternatively, gel liner can be used, which involves application with a brush, allowing for accuracy, but at the cost of the brush becoming dry and useless over time. The best option if you want opacity of colour is liquid liner, but it takes some practice to master this method of application.

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Whether you’re greatly interested in cosmetics or not, many will associate autumn/winter makeup with darker shades, often reds and browns, along with plum and berry tones. This is an obvious departure to the more natural colours we often gravitate towards in the spring and summer months. The seasonal transition is often most clearly seen in the changing trends in lip colour, and this year is no exception. This autumn, makeup artists are favouring intensely dark shades with some even testing the marketing waters with various shades of black. Many highstreet brands have released lipstick shades in line with this trend, with subtly blue toned plums, and quite bright purples taking the top position as AW’s iconic, must-have lip colour. Maybelline is an example of such, taking the opportunity to invest in an entire range of colours under the classification of “plums” with their Colour Sensational line (available in Boots, as well as other makeup stockists, for €9.99). When using a dark lipstick, gloss or liquid lipstick, it is always advisable to precede it with a similar coloured lip liner, as any mistakes made with a darker shade will be more obvious as well as often being difficult to remove neatly. It must be said, dark lipsticks are not for everyone. Some simply don’t feel comfortable making such a bold statement with their makeup. In any case, it can be difficult to find one that applies evenly and with opacity. But never fear, a classic or dark red lip colour will also look great this time of year, and can look great with brown or golden hued eye looks.

FACE

Autumn’s response to the summer’s much (perhaps over)-loved trends of contouring and “strobing” is pretty much to scrap the whole lot. Blusher has taken over, with barely-there pink and peachy shades being used to create a natural, wintery, just-in-from-thecold look. While many of us are not quite ready to let go of the magic that is contouring and highlighting, we’ll definitely be adding a touch of peach blusher to our morning routine. My go-to brand for blush is Bourjois (available in Boots, with all blush products costing around €10), who make excellent powder and cream blushes, which are really wonderful in giving that natural look. Their

Autumn. Face. Bourjois blusher in amber rose. €9.99

shade 74 Rose Amber is a beautiful matte peach shade that will look amazing with this autumn’s other trends. Blush application is slightly differently this season, with it being applied up along the cheekbone for a really natural look. If you’re a diehard fan of highlighting, my suggestion would be to choose a blush that has a sheen to it, such as Bourjois’ shade 95 Jasper Rose, a lovely soft pink that has a gorgeous glow to it.

WINT E R TOPSHOP

S T L E

All clothes available at Opera Lane

Models: Nicola Meldrum and Marko Ciro of Lockdown Models MUA: Laurence Keating

Photography: Anna McCarthy Creative Director: Rachel Muckley

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

DUNGAREES (€65.00) JUMPER (€52.00) COAT (€90.00)

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

POLO NECK (€24.00) JEANS (€75.00) CAMEL COAT (€125.00)

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

COAT (€125.00) JEANS (£40.00) T-SHIRT (€20.00) TOP (€44.00)

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POLO NECK (€34.00) JACKET (€52.00) SKIRT (€55.00)

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SEXUAL CONSENT S TA R T T H E

C O N V E R S AT I O N

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

E D I T

NOT ASKING FOR IT

NOT ASKING FOR IT NOT ASKING FOR IT

NOT ASKING FOR IT

consent edit CLOTHING DOESN’T CAUSE RAPE. RAPISTS CAUSE RAPE

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S E X U A L

C O N S E N T

A Note from the UCCSU Welfare Officer Words:

Katie Quinlan

efore I even begin to introduce the letter which I received to my office last week, I want to make sure to warn you all that the content is one of a very serious nature. The letter contains information about sexual assault which may be triggering. I never get post; I always complain about the fact that I don’t get post, so last week when I found this A4 envelope in my post box I was very curious. When I ran for this role with the Students’ Union, I made sure people knew that sexual assault and consent were two issues that I was extremely passionate about addressing. Since taking office I’ve been doing lots of work surrounding the issue. As I opened up this letter I saw the first line which states it is an open letter to incoming and returning students, I thought to myself: “please don’t be a resident complaining about Freshers.” The letter, in fact, came from someone who was sexually assaulted last year while out in Cork City. They lost their friends while chatting to some people and woke up the next morning without their underwear or any recollection of the night before. This person never told anyone, they never spoke up and even went as far to assume that they couldn’t disclose what happened due to their inability to remember everything. I’m not sure I can put into words how much admiration I have for the person who was courageous enough to share their struggle with me, in order to help others. I can guarantee you that what happened this person is not an isolated incident and is happening across the country. There’s a very bittersweet nature to this letter. It’s admirable that this person wants to share this terrible thing they suffered to help

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

others but it’s deeply upsetting to realise that this outgoing student has yet to receive any real help and support. Please listen to their message and speak up if you need to. This year, I have been doing lots of work surrounding sexual assault and consent. I currently sit on a task force within the university and we are investigating policy and support surrounding victims of rape and sexual assault. We are about to roll out SMART consent workshops which are based on research that was conducted on UCC students around consent and sexual assault. We also made sure that all 4000 Freshers’ bags contained a Know Offence leaflet which details the processes of reporting sexual assault. We are doing all we can to prevent this from happening to other students, to support those that have already fallen victim to this crime, but the responsibility also still lies in the hands of the student body. As always, if you need support or help, contact me in the Welfare Officer, go directly to Student Counselling or to the Gardaí. If you have been affected, these are some places you can get help and care: Katie Quinlan: welfare@uccsu.ie Sexual Violence Centre Cork: 1800 496 496 (Freephone) UCC Student Counselling and Development: Call: +353 (0)21 490 3565 Text: 087 215 25 05 (Please include your name if contacting by text) counselling@ucc.ie

S E X U A L

C O N S E N T

T his is an open letter to incoming and returning students , 2 0 1 5 .

Having spent most of the summer in (a very quiet) UCC, it is great to see the campus coming back to life with students beginning and continuing their studies. As an outgoing student, I feel as though I have a responsibility to help ensure your time here will be as positive as possible. I will share my own experience in the hope that it helps someone, in any way at all. In my third year of study, on a night out in Cork City with friends, I was sexually assaulted. I separated from my friends while chatting to other people I knew. I did not see the danger in doing so as I’ve always lived here and felt relatively safe. Buying my third drink at the bar is the last thing I remember, to this day. I do not know where it happened, how it happened, who it was, or how I got home. I am, however, certain that it happened. I woke up the following morning with everything that I went out with the night before (phone, purse, keys), except for my underwear. I had multiple scrapes and bruises, mostly in places that could be easily hidden. Having no memory of what had happened I felt like I couldn’t report it. I left my friends, I was drinking, I was wearing very little on a cold November night. I now realize that the only thing that I did wrong was keeping it to myself. Afterwards it was impossible to concentrate. My results were the first to suffer, my assignments were always late. I couldn’t manage the work-load and chose to defer a module (which I paid for in full and was capped at 40%). I no longer enjoyed going out with friends and kept very much to myself. I am extremely uncomfortable speaking in public. I regularly get flashbacks, usually at night, nothing providing any clarity, mostly just panicked, uncomfortable feelings. When I hear someone describe me as “quiet” or “shy” it takes a while for me to realize that they mean me, as it’s so different to who I was before. I spent this year working really hard to make myself more comfortable with things like presentations and group projects. Telling someone is a step I have yet to take myself, so it may seem odd that I’m advising others to do so. It does not get easier the longer you put it off. There are so many support services available at UCC (and beyond), but you need to make the first move. You need to reach out and ask for help. This applies to any problem you may have. I have seen other students and classmates approach lecturers and staff members they feel comfortable with and receive whatever help they may need. I convinced myself I didn’t need help, that I could handle it alone. I thought I had done quite well until recently when I felt extremely guilty at the thought of the other students being vulnerable as a result of my inaction. This letter is not intended to take away from any of the much deserved fun that is to be had over the coming years. I hope that it serves only to add to that fun by making you all aware of the dangers. Things that do happen here and can happen to you. I sincerely hope that none of you ever find yourselves in my situation. If any of you do, please speak up. Tell someone, anyone. Make your situation known to those who may be in a position to help you. Look out for the signs in others. Mind yourselves, mind each other, and ever leave a drink unattended. I also wish to add that it is not my intention to give a negative impression of UCC. These dangers are present everywhere you go. Being a student at UCC has aided my recovery immeasurably. I was lucky enough to spend my days surrounded by people who are kind, knowledgeable, open-minded, fair, hard-working and endlessly inspiring.

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P O L I T I C S

The Rise of

Corbyn A s L abour M P J eremy C orbyn settles into his role as newly elected leader of the L abour P arty , B r i a n O ’ C o n n o r gives his take on this rise to power .

May 2015 is a month in British Political history that will not be looked upon with much grace by supporters of the UK Labour Party. On May 8th 2015 Ed Miliband went on stage at Labour HQ prior to announce his resignation in the aftermath of one of Labour’s worst defeats in history. Four months after such a massive defeat, we see the Labour Party trying to renew its identity, as what some would proclaim to be a true left wing party for the first time since the inception of Blairism, 1994. Like many, I had never heard of Jeremy Corbyn prior to this summer but his rise in prominence during recent times is something that historians will undoubtedly be looking at in years to come. To see such a once peripheral and dissident member of the Labour Party suddenly become the leader of the opposition is simply extraordinary. So, why and how did this happen? In the midst of such a recent major development it is difficult to speculate without hard evidence how such a peripheral figure such as Corbyn turned into one of the UK’s most prominent political figures. Being the perpetual political nerd that I am, here is my opinion on the rise of Corbyn and the evolution of the Labour party.

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The Labour party’s bashing at the ballot box in May was the catalyst for change in Labour. Ed Miliband could have struggled to keep his hands on the wheel of the party but he knew that his days were numbered. So he did what he saw was the dignified thing to do and resigned. This was almost 21 years after Tony Blair became party leader and even to the casual observer one could argue that Blair’s push to the center right was still in the party. I would argue that they were perceived as being the party that proclaimed itself as left but still had a history of being almost Red Tories. This lack of credibility was most certainly shown in Scotland -where the Labour party was virtually wiped out by the left wing Scottish National Party. As the leadership candidates announced their intention to run for leader in the weeks after, one could argue that many of them were just the same old Labour. Miliband’s resignation as leader began the change that would take four months to run its course. While British Politics went back to business as usual in the aftermath, it is safe to say that the public and media were jaded from too much political coverage. Leaving the inevitable maiden speeches, campaign wrap-ups and press conferences aside; there was not much coverage of ongoing proceedings in Parliament after such a dense month of politicking. As such, there was a wind down of coverage. Imagine being a member of the Labour party. The party has been demolished by its rivals and more importantly the electorate for not having a true left wing identity. Then you see the opposite happening in Greece with the rise of the Oxi movement. This may not have been the silver bullet for a peripheral candidate at the time such as Corbyn but it definitely gave him something to build upon as left wing politics was coming to the fore. Not only this, the celebrity status of the likes of Yanis Varoufakis may have also showed Corbyn that he can use the media’s fascination with personality to his advantage. In my view these two events, domestic and international had an effect on Corbyn. Being a man who sat in Parliament for so many years as a far left and dissenting member of a party that he stayed loyal to, he was sick and tired of seeing the same old Politicking occur. So he jumped and ran for leadership; the rest is history. That said, being a Member of Parliament for 32 years does not come without its fair share of political baggage and Corbyn definitely has some. As people realised that there was the prospect of Corbyn being elected, photos of him meeting Gerry Adams were produced on social media which went quickly viral, both in 2015 and the run up to the peace process. An open claim of support of a united Ireland is something that

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is toxic in UK Politics. This sign of support for a United Ireland is definitely augmented by his refusal to condemn the IRA and his Shadow Chancellor’s 2003 claim that some members should be honoured. The Labour party has always been seen as being more sympathetic to the Irish Nationalist cause than the Tories but never to an extent such as this. This will be interesting to say the least. The right wing press has torn into Corbyn for this, but they have also torn into him for not singing God Save the Queen at a recent World War commemoration this week. While the Labour party has subsequently said that he will sing the anthem at future commemorations, his silence shall not only enrage Unionists but also ABOVE: CORBYN, LEADER OF THE potentially give more ammunition LABOUR PARTY to the right wing press. For the first time in British history, a political portfolio dealing with Mental Health has been established. Corbyn’s decision to appoint a Spokesperson for this portfolio is certainly welcome given the fact that it is such a major issue in the UK’s society. If it won’t be a priority in a potential Corbyn government post 2020, it will hopefully compel Cameron to address the issue head on. Many of Corbyn’s supporters have strong views on his new tenure as leader Ieuan Care from Liverpool is no exception. “What I hope for is ultimately a labour win in 2020, but over the next 2 years I want Corbyn to create the political space in public life for voices who dissent from the accepted line on the role and responsibilities of the state as the primary provider of public services...I want Corbyn to establish a new style and baseline of conduct for future leaders, whoever leads us into the next general election.” That said, Corbyn is not without his criticisms either such as what Marcus Buist from Perth has to say. “I fundamentally disagree with Corbyn’s model for society which concentrates power in faded institutions of state planning. Industrial democracy is by no means a bad idea, but attempts to achieve that through coercion are anti-liberal. In any case, a policy of picking winners and favouring one industry over another seriously undermines any claim that Corbyn’s socialism is of the “trust the people” variety. I can’t see how any committee for economic management can reduce and hold the vital information held by the network for free individuals when they plan for themselves.” Regardless of what one thinks of Corbyn, he is certainly a radical change for Politics in Britain. After a long summer of finding its feet, the Labour party has a new leader and will face new challenges. It is a fascinating time to be interested in Politics and Jeremy Corbyn can be either the last nail in the coffin for the Labour party or its savior. Only time will tell.

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

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I n 1 9 8 3 , the 8 th amendment of the I rish constitution placed a ban on abortion in I reland . L ast week , the 4 th annual M arch for C hoice took place .

Fiona Larkin argues that protecting the life of the unborn is of prime importance

People often assume that those who are pro-life are guided by their religion. As a practicing Catholic, I feel it is a factor but not a determinant. 46

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It seems that today we’re living in a society that demands choice. In many ways, it’s a day and age where we’re being heard and respected. Ireland’s repeal of the eighth amendment means so many things to different people. For the majority, it’s a triumph. For others, it’s a shame. I’m a twenty one year-old student studying film and media. As a disclaimer I would like to make it clear that I do not wish to judge others. I just want to express my views. To me, abortion is the ending of a life. I wouldn’t call it murder because I don’t think that’s fair, obviously the people that are terminating the pregnancy don’t think of it in that way. At the same time, it is a life, you’re deciding to end it; it’s yours and you’re ending it. I believe my upbringing could have been a factor in determining my beliefs; however, I didn’t actually discuss abortion with my parents until talks of the eighth amendment began. Pregnancy for many students would mean that their lives would be ending as they would be forced to give up their dreams. For me, it would just be the beginning. When someone comes up to me and tells me they’re pregnant, I immediately light up. My hands rush to their stomach. It’s amazing; I think, wow, there’s a new person on the way. She’s going to a mom. I think if the very idea of a new baby can have that effect on you; it’s enough. It’s alive and therefore deserves protection. People often assume that those who are pro-life are guided by their religion. As a practicing Catholic, I feel it is a factor but not a determinant. I mean, obviously the church is anti-abortion. The church believes in protecting life, whether it’s new or old. However, I come from a human point of view. It’s how I feel about the innocence and vulnerability of the baby. Ireland is moving from one of the most restricting countries to one of the most

liberating. My greatest issue is terminating a pregnancy so late into the process. If I murdered a newborn baby outside of the womb, there would be uproar. However, it’s okay to kill him or her in the womb? That doesn’t make sense to me. In terms of allowing exceptions under certain circumstances; I do think that’s a tricky one because if you say yes to one thing, what’s to stop it from snowballing? At the same time, I think if a baby and mother aren’t going to survive, the option should exist. Greater effort should be made to protect both parties but it should not be an automatic decision to get rid of the baby. In terms of the Savita Halappanavar debate, I think it should be pointed out that it’s not that the baby’s life was more important than hers but that at the same time, is it fair in saying that the mother’s life is of greater importance? How do we determine the value of someone’s life? It’s a living thing, not an object. I know a lot of people who would terminate, in a heartbeat, without question. If someone came to me, pregnant and unsure as to what they should do, I would try to convince them to keep it and give the baby up for adoption. There are families out there that would die for a kid. If I was pregnant, even though it would be so hard to go through the pregnancy for 9 months and then to give up my child: it would be my only option. It would be hard, I understand that. For me, I would be thinking ; okay, I’m going to go through hell, but at the end I’m going to be giving at least three people a lifetime of happiness, that’s worth it, isn’t it? Sometimes you have to put others ahead of yourself. I think we’re losing that in society. It’s become all about self indulgence and the “me” mentality. It’s time for change.

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W e posed the q uestion to two students : should I reland repeal the 8 th amendment ? E oghan S cott and F iona L arkin go head to head in the debate .

According to the Irish Family Planning Association, between January 1980 and December 2014 at least 163,514 women and girls have travelled from the Republic of Ireland to access safe abortion services in another country. These records in themselves are underestimations: they exclude the number of women who have declined to provide their Irish addresses for reasons of confidentiality, and the number of illegal abortions that are possibly carried out in the country. The facts are right there in front of us, there is no skirting around the issue; abortion is something that happens, and it is never going to not happen. Laws have never stopped abortions occurring, but only made it unsafe for women. For instance, it is surely an undeniable fact that buying abortion pills online is dangerous and could likely have serious health consequences for women. For those who cannot afford roughly €1000 to seek an abortion abroad, many resort to purchasing abortion pills online at a fraction of the cost, despite the obvious risks. Should a woman be so desperate to terminate her unwanted pregnancy that she is willing to risk her own health to do so and in spite of the many well-documented dangers that accompany it, what is the alternative in this country at this point in time? The issue of abortion in Ireland goes back as far as the 19th Century, with the introduction of the 1861 Offences Against the Persons Act which sought to criminalise women who “procure a miscarriage,” made punishable by penal servitude for life. Obviously, in the years since we’ve moved on quite a bit from that - or so we would at least like to think; but in truth, the 1992 X Case is the first time in Ireland that any real turnaround occurred in regards to Ireland’s abortion laws. Resulting in the Supreme Court ruling that “if it is established that there is a real and substantial risk to the life, as distinct from the health,

of the mother, which can only be avoided by the termination of her pregnancy, such termination is permissible.” But this does not take into account the trauma and time pressures that it takes for a pregnant woman to prove her case worthy of an abortion. For a long time now, the grounds for legal abortion in Ireland have been a highly contentious issue, with recent tragic cases such as the death of Savita Halappanavar still lingering fresh in the mind, not to mention the case in which a medically dead woman was forced to complete a full term pregnancy. The 8th amendment puts the rights of the women aside and this law sees them as a vessel; secondary to the importance of bringing a baby into the world whether they wish to do so or not. Ireland’s draconian stance on abortion would be laughable if it weren’t such a disgrace. Consider this, that medical staff in Ireland could potentially be fined up to €4000 for referring a woman for, or even just offering information about, abortion, even if it’s medically necessary or the fetus is unlikely to survive. It’s hard to believe, and yet this is exactly why 4000 women leave Ireland each year to have an abortion in another country. Personally I wouldn’t consider myself “proabortion”, and I can’t speak for women but I don’t know if anybody does consider themselves so. Regardless, it’s not, nor will it ever be, my choice anyhow. The point is, I believe each woman should have the right to choose and neither I nor any other man or woman should have control in making a decision for somebody else’s body. It’s depressing that in the year 2015 we should even be having this argument, and likely will be for years to come. The fight isn’t pro-abortion: the fight is pro-choice. Fundamentally, it is imperative that Ireland promptly revise its legislation on abortion, to be more open, less stigmatised and ultimately safer. It is crucial that women have the freedom to make their own choices, whatever that choice may be.

A mnest y V olunteer Eoghan Scott sa y s its her bod y and her right to choice

The facts are right there in front of us, there is no skirting around the issue; abortion is something that happens, and it is never going to not happen. ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

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An AK-47 Assault Rifle (over 1000 of which were donated by Gaddafi to the IRA in the 1980s

Peter Robinson’s Resignation: Are the Troubles truly over? D y l a n O ’ C o n n e l l investigates an issue we all thought had been left behind . . . n the 28th of May 1974, following five months of the proposed Sunningdale Experiment, Northern Ireland’s first Minister Brian Faulkner resigned his seat; collapsing the power sharing government and condemning Northern Ireland to twenty four years of direct rule from Westminster. Fast forward to September 2015 and amidst all the proclamations of the “peace process,” and the growing relations between both communities, First Minister Peter Robinson has resigned his seat due to the ongoing activities of dissident republicans. With the general assembly weltering and more allegations and feuds coming to the surface; can we honestly say that the dark and drab days of the Troubles are truly behind us? In 2015, the dark and violent days that spilled blood across Northern Ireland’s cobbled streets are supposed to be a bad memory. The Stormont General Assembly is fully operational; with both communities represented fairly, the once feared and dominating paramilitary organizations of the IRA and the UFV have been decommissioned and dissolved. At the grassroots of all the divisions; new schools catering for both Catholic and Protestants ; such as Enniskillen Integrated Primary School - are promising to build bridges for the future. On paper it is a new day for Northern Ireland and the peace process; something which would be welcomed both sides of the peace lines. However, when you stare through the looking glass and into the harsh realities facing the North today, what we get is a very different picture. On the 12th of August 2015, father of nine Kevin McGuigan was gunned down outside his home as a supposed revenge attack for the murder of IRA Commander Gerard “Jock” Davison in May 2015. Almost immediately questions were raised in Stormont; are the IRA still active? Could there be active republican cells still plotting in Northern Ireland today? This question burned through the minds of the assembly; splitting opinions and viewpoints, with Robinson claiming that: “The failure of the SDLP and Sinn Féin to implement the Stormont House agreement, together with the assessment of the chief constable of the involvement 48

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of the IRA in murder, the continued existence of IRA structures, and the arrests that followed, has pushed devolution to the brink.” In his place, fellow DUP member and finance minister Arlene Foster has been appointed in his place, a move which Robinson hopes will stop any of his political rivals making “irrational financial decisions.” Sitting in Northern Ireland’s hotseat, Foster now has the imperious task of having to save the power sharing crisis, help get to the bottom of the supposed re-emergence of the IRA, help sort out the Welfare Reforms and set a budget out which will satisfy both community’s needs. The similarities to the 1974 Stormont collapse are rather striking. During the heart of the Troubles, economic growth, prosperity and employment in Northern Ireland were at an all-time low with 2% economic increases coming from government subsidies and record levels of unemployment. Today, unemployment remains relatively high at 6.1%, with parties locked on welfare reforms and payments, with Sinn Féin firmly against austerity cuts. Even in education which was once described as “benign form of apartheid which is fundamentally damaging to our society” by Peter Robinson, the divides remain evident with 93% of Northern Ireland’s children attending schools that are wholly or predominantly Catholic or Protestant. Unfortunately, violence is something which continues to plague Belfast and beyond. Whenever you are talking about parades or peaceful family dinners, images and thoughts of rioting and bloodshed are soon to follow. In July 2013, in response to the restrictions of parade routes for the annual July 12th parades, the Unionists communities took to the streets, clashing with riot squads and PSNI officers. Paramilitary violence is still very much alive and well, which was very much evident with the murders of Kevin McGuigan and Gerard “Jock” Davison. It may not be 1974 with the whole country in bed by nine, shrieking with fear that they could be next. When you look at the facts and figures of 21st Century Northern Ireland and the resignation of Peter Robinson, the Troubles may be over, but what remains is a bad taste which evidently isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

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Syrians Are People Too

PHOTOGRAPHY: ASSOCIATED PRESS

A s the footsteps of displaced asylum seekers continue to fall , H assan B aker discusses the spreading of hate and latent racism that surrounds finding a solution to the ongoing refugee crisis . he current Syrian refugee crisis is clear evidence that the Middle East needs to change. The entire region seems to present threat to the outside, as well as itself. It is a junkie region, destructive in every sense. There is no time to rejoice, one dictator falls as a successor takes up the mantle. The Gulf is polluted with money, Iraq is caught up in sectarianism and neotribalism. Iran is tucked away in its own corner of paranoia, Syria is left to beg. Terrorists are exponentially increasing rodents in a devastating game of whack-a-mole. This is why many choose to leave, especially Syrians. There is much controversy surrounding the Syrian crisis. For the most part, people are open to the idea of taking the helpless civilians in. However, there seems to also be a great number fighting it and their reasons are absolutely ridiculous. We have all seen the Facebook posts about how we should give aid to the homeless in Ireland rather than to Syrian refugees; implying aid-worthiness is a competition. The people making these statements might not understand what is happening in Syria, and view the refugees as ‘free-loaders,’ that is understandable, but also terribly ignorant. It’s the kind of behaviour that will lead to troubles. It seems that a mass of people are waiting for refugees to slip up so they can loop it on T.V, and repost/retweet it throughout the internet. Such as the picture of Muslims in Germany protesting, while one man was carrying an ISIS flag recently started circling the social media sites, claiming that the people in the photo are Syrian refugees. It was then found to be a picture from 2012, and the people in the picture were not Syrian refugees. Being quick to make assumptions like these is what can lead to racism, hate and discrimination. That is the biggest problem for any country taking in refugees and a huge part of the ongoing search for a solution. Has it really been so long that we’ve forgotten our primary schools’ favourite book, Under the Hawthorn Tree? A better comparison would be the sequel Wildflower Girl, in which an Irish girl gambles her life on a rickety boat, full of disease to cross the ocean for a chance of a better life. A major concern is the fact that a majority of the refugees are male adults. This statistic has been thought of as a threat, but it is not new. Whenever a family, or a group of people are looking to migrate, they usually send the able

bodied male to go through the hardships of immigration, legal or nonlegal. It is up to them to find a home and raise money to bring the rest of their families to the promise land. However, this is not the only reason that adult males are leaving Syria at higher rates than any other demographic. If you are an adult man in Syria, you will most likely be recruited by the militia occupying your state, whether it’s the Syrian army, a rebel militia, or ISIS. You will have to give your A Syrian refugee allegiance to one. What makes it worse runs after entering is that ISIS have occupied the cities with Hungary from Serbia through a barbed wire water and electricity sources, and are using fence, on the border them as tools for recruiting. In theory, near Roszke. ISIS gives you a choice, you can choose to ignore ISIS and not fight for them. Even if you live in an area occupied by them, which just means you won’t be allowed to avail of the many resources they have held captive. To the countries that are complaining about taking in refugees, Lebanon is taking in more than 1 million Syrians, that is a quarter of the Lebanese population. Iraq, which is currently fighting against ISIS, is also taking Syrians in. However, the Gulf Countries avoid helping refugees at all costs. Of course unless it means cheap, borderline slave workers; then they will take some in. It is remarkable that Angela Merkel is willing to persuade Europe into taking in the refugees, but she hasn’t said anything about the Gulf Countries, who are closer to Syria; those A girl holding who have the resources. This is the same Angela a doll arrives with others Merkel who twisted Greece’s hand into accepting migrants at the bail out. The Gulf Countries have gone from the refugee center in being utterly stupid, to sickening, to pretty much the town of sociopathic. Saudi Arabia’s addressing of the Presevo after walking from refugee crisis is by planning to build 200 mosques Macedonia to - in Germany. Serbia. We’ve seen many countries boasting about how many refugees they are willing to take in, but they seem to be very vague about it. Ireland in particular has stated that will take in 4,000 more Syrian refugees, but they have not specifically said when they will do so. Of course, the Syrian crisis is not as handy to politicians, as say, the homelessness crisis. Homelessness registers with the public more because we see it every day. We’ve got a general election coming up, and it’s all about votes after all, isn’t it? ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

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AFTERWORD

MATT KEAN (BRING ME THE HORIZON) Interview: Claire Fox

You recorded your latest album That’s The Spirit in Greece, do you feel the setting influenced the sound of the record? We had it all demoed before we went out there, so it didn’t really affect the writing but yeah the setting was really good for us in terms of recording it because it gave us time to chill and it was a really nice place to hang out. It made the process a whole lot easier because we get distracted pretty quickly. We generally prefer the quieter settings because they help us focus, which is something we have to force ourselves to do as a group. Some of the lyrics in the album are quite inspirational, such as in ‘Throne’ where you sing ‘Every wound will shape me, every scar will build my throne”, is this something you set out to do with this album? Yeah, as you become older you become more philosophical and more mature. There’s some life lessons in there. We are more sure of ourselves, we’ve been playing together for like 11 years now and we’ve playing together for so long so the music is getting better, so that’s where the lyrics sprung from really.

Your performances in the early days were heavily fuelled by alcohol abuse and treacherous stage antics, why do you think you were like this as a band? We were like 17 and 18 years old when we started and we also had people who didn’t like us as well. We were at this teenage, rebellious stage, so everything kind of snowballed and snowballed, but it helped us get to where we are now and we can look back on it and realise how much we’ve grown. Your new album is undoubtedly more mainstream than previous works, was this a conscious decision for you to appeal to a wider audience? Not really. Whenever we write an album we just go write and see what comes out, it’s all very mellow. We’ve always been influenced by a lot of things. There’s a lot of musical genres that we refer to. We are just better at making the changes a bit more obvious now than we used to be. When I was growing up my dad listened to a lot of David Bowie. It wasn’t a conscious decision for us. At the end of the day it’s just the music we’ve always been influenced by and it changes a lot.

What are your ambitions as a group and what do you hope to achieve with That’s The Spirit? We just go from day to day we don’t really have ambitions as a band. We don’t expect certain things to happen so we are never disappointed. If anything we just get surprised when certain things happen, like the first time we got a booking agent. We think that’s the best approach that’s worked for us in the past and continue to go by it. Like when we played Wembley we never believed it would happen so it was crazy for us. As you said you’ve been together for over 11 years has friendship played a part in your success as a band? Yeah definitely. At the moment we are in the best place we’ve ever been in as a band. We are lucky we get on and are stronger than ever. Sometimes I hear of bands who tour and don’t even talk to each other outside of the shows which is something I just don’t understand. We love touring. Wembley was awesome for us and we’d love to play there again. It’s our 13th time touring in the US as well which is just crazy and hope to get back to Ireland soon too because it’s been over two years since we came.

> MATT KEAN

ISSUE No2 OCTOBER 2015

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