AUGUST/SEPTEMBER #8 FOR GIRLY GIRLS IN A BRUTAL WORLD REBELICIOUSMAGAZINE.COM
AMIE CONRADINE TALKS PUNK MUSIC, WHAT SHE REALLY THINKS OF THE MODELLING INDUSTRY & WHY SHE'S CLOWN OBSESSED
PLUS:
SANTA MACABRE EUSTRATIA MAXINE ASHLEIGH SPIRIT MODELS CHIVAREE UNLOVABLE LINGERIE DON BROCO SANGUINE TH CLUB ANTICHRIST'S 8 BIRTHDAY AND LOTS MORE!
REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 1
Contents
REGULARS 5 Rebel Radar 7 Editor’s Picks 62 Boy Meets World 68 Album Reviews
FASHION & BEAUTY 8 Unlovable Lingerie 10 Santa Macabre Jewellery
FEATURES
30 Amie Conradine
18 Club AntiChrist 20 Chivaree
EXPOSED 30 Amie Conradine 36 Maxine Ashleigh 46 Biomechanina 50 Iska Ithil 54 Olivia Rose
12 AltFash
24 Eustratia
VOLUME 63 Bury All Rivals 64 Don Broco 66 Sanguine
EDITORIALS 12 AltFash 24 Eustratia 40 Spirit Models 56 We're All Mad Here
40 Spirit Models
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56 We're All Mad Here
Editor’s Note...
WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF REBELICIOUS, THE MAGAZINE FOR GIRLY GIRLS IN A BRUTAL WORLD! In this issue we feature an interview with Unlovable Lingerie, an interview with Santa Macabre, our usual Editor's Picks and Rebel Radar, plus Olivia Rose, Maxine Ashleigh, Biomechanina and Iska Ithil adorn our Exposed section. Blue haired beauty Amie Conradine graces our cover girl main feature and talks all about her love of music, what it was like meeting The Misfits, her clown obsession and also gives some solid advice for any of you readers wishing to pursue a career in modelling. We also venture to Club Antichrist's awesome 8th Birthday Bash and get a warm introduction to Chivaree Circus (spoiler: contains loads of fire and lights!)
CONTRIBUTORS
MARC BURROWS Resident Comedian/Writer Marcburrows.co.uk
TORIA BRIGHTSIDE Fashion photographer and stylist toriabrightside.com
Comedian Marc Burrows is back for another round of Boy Meets World, Volume features interviews with the bands Bury All Rivals, Don Broco and Sanguine, plus we review some of the latest album releases including While She Sleeps, Slipknot and Tarja Turunen. This issue also contains an AltFash editorial, a steampunk editorial, a very girly latex filled editorial, and an Alice In Wonderland inspired editorial! So kick back, grab a cuppa, and get your Rebelicious fix right here, right now! Dominique Marshall, Rebelicious Editor/Creative Director
COVER CREDITS Model/MUA: Amie Conradine Photographer: LBR Photography AUGUST/SEPTEMBER #8 FOR GIRLY GIRLS IN A BRUTAL WORLD REBELICIOUSMAGAZINE.COM
EDITOR/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dominique Marshall
AMIE CONRADINE TALKS PUNK MUSIC, WHAT SHE REALLY THINKS OF THE MODELLING INDUSTRY & WHY SHE'S CLOWN OBSESSED
PLUS:
SANTA MACABRE EUSTRATIA MAXINE ASHLEIGH SPIRIT MODELS CHIVAREE UNLOVABLE LINGERIE DON BROCO SANGUINE CLUB ANTICHRIST'S 8TH BIRTHDAY AND LOTS MORE!
REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 1
REBELICIOUS #8 AUG/SEPT 2012
SPECIAL THANKS TO Amie Conradine, Lauren-Becki Rowlands, Alison Bateman & Roland Hyams @ Work Hard PR, Toria Brightside, Heather McDaid, Marc Burrows, Stephen Bucala @ Sourpuss Clothing, Carly Truss & Carole Hunter @ LondonEdge, Michelle Marshall, Chris Catling, David Briggs, Stacey Black, Jenni Byron, Jessica Augarde, Sapphira @ Spirit Models Management, Rick Moreno @ Sony REBELICIOUS MASCOT Curtis Allen: www.curtisallen.co.uk
HEATHER MCDAID Music Columnist www.indulge-sound.com
CONTACT: General: rebeliciousmag@gmail.com Submissions: submissions@rebeliciousmagazine.com VISIT US ONLINE: www.rebeliciousmagazine.com www.facebook.com/rebeliciousmagazine www.twitter.com/RebeliciousMag www.rebeliciousmagazine.tumblr.com Rebelicious is an independently produced non-profit magazine. All content copyright of Rebelicious Magazine unless otherwise stated. All opinions and expressed are that of the individual and not Rebelicious Magazine as a whole. All products shown may be subject to availability.
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Rebel Radar: LondonEdge EXCITING NEWS FOR THE NUMBER #1 ALTERNATIVE TRADE SHOW! From September 2nd – 4th London Olympia will once again play host to alternative trade show LondonEdge. The show has been running for 12 years and continues to offer the best in ‘niche’ fashion and accessories: this year is no different. In order to make the branding even more distinct this year will see the creation of LondonEdge Original and LondonEdge Fashion. Original will offer up what LondonEdge is best known for; its alternative, edgy, punk and vintage offerings from some of the best designers and brands on the market. It will hold over 150 exciting collections ranging from the cool and quirky to the rock and roll and generally badass. LondonEdge Fashion will house the more ‘high end’ offerings from the latest designers and recognisable brands. They have made sure that everyone will get the attention they deserve by creating a clear distinction between the two creative genres. LondonEdge is always growing and welcomes new talent every year, as well as offering a unique display opportunity to already established brands. It is the alternative trade show to end all trade shows! It attracts buyers and retailers from all over the world and continues to offer a unique platform for designers and creatives to share their work and create a name for themselves. Not only is it a great showcase of talent and a unique opportunity for buyers to get the latest in alternative and ‘niche’ fashions, LondonEdge is full of entertainment for everyone attending. This year will see not only the spectacular runway shows expected from this brilliant event, but this year also welcomes NYC punk rock bakery The Bleeding Hearts Bakery, free haircuts from Betty Bangs and Rolls at the Mister Ducktail stand and live tattoo art at Paul's Chop Shop. LondonEdge is yet again offering an event that should not be missed! 2-4th September 2012, The National Hall, Olympia, London W14 www.londonedge.com
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Rebel Radar
LONDON TATTOO CONVENTION INCOMING!
The London International Tattoo Convention is returning for the 8th year running at Tobacco Dock this September, with an impressive number of alternative entertainers, inspirational exhibitions, bands and even more world famous tattoo artists to keep you entertained throughout the weekend! There will be a delectable number of alternative shows and performances, including Lucky Hell - ‘The Sword Swallowing Painted Lady’, The Fuel Girls, The Nerdy Stripper, Les Soeurs Tribales – a Tribal Bellydance & Modern Urban Fusion dance troupe, Sabina Kelley and our last Rebelicious cover girl Elegy Ellem. Musical acts confirmed include The Neville Staples Band, Larry Miller, The Brothers Grimm, Vince Ray and The Bone Shakers and Henry’s Funeral Shoe. You will have the opportunity to stroll through special visual art exhibitions courtesy of The Amsterdam
Tattoo Museum, Vis Dearum, Anatomy Of The Art and more, plus there will be a number of tattoo contests taking place, with categories such as ‘Best Of Day’, ‘Best Back Piece’, ‘Best Back Ornament’, ‘Best Colours’, ‘Best Black And Grey’ and ‘Best Of Show’ open to visitors. With a huge mass of tattoo equipment, stalls, alternative merchandise, fetish and vintage retro markets plus food and drink dotted around the venue, you really will be missing out on what is set to be the most utterly awesome tattoo convention this year! For more info go to www.thelondontattooconvention.com. Tickets are available priced at £20 for Friday, £30 for Saturday, £25 for Sunday, or £55 for a weekend pass.
BRAM STOKER FILM FESTIVAL HOSTS ITS FIRST EVER FASHION SHOW WITH SPIRIT MODELS! The Bram Stoker International Film Festival, which celebrates the life of Bram Stoker's horror legacy, returns for its fourth year this October. The annual event is held in Whitby, North Yorkshire and it will be hosting its first ever Alternative fashion show partnered with Spirit Model Management, the UK's largest Alternative modelling agency. The show will feature some of the UK's best Gothic, neo Victorian and steam punk designers and is being held in support of the St. Catherine's Hospice. Entrance is free and open to 700 seated guests. Hostessing the show will be Eileen Daly, star of many British and International horror films and is also the lead singer of the gypsy-glam band The Courtesans. Spirit Models guest model's include Evie Wolfe, Terri Bedford and Valen Vein. Bram Stoker International and Spirit Models will also be hosting their thrilling Vampyre Queen modelling competition, which will take place during the event. Prizes up for grabs include a screen test for an upcoming horror film and a contract with Spirit Models.! For more information on how to enter head to www.bramstokerfilmfestival.com/ vampyrequeen.
COMPS AHOY!
WIN A SELECTION OF JEWELLERY FROM THE RED QUEEN BOUTIQUE & A LEOPARD PRINT HOOD BY FEROX CLOTHING BY VISITING THE 'COMPETITIONS' PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE REBELICIOUSMAGAZINE.COM
For more information on the festival's events please take a look at the website: www.bramstokerfilmfestival.com Spirit Models website: http://www.spiritmodels.co.uk
Competitions close September 7th 2012. Entries limited to one per person. Winners will be drawn at random and notified shortly after the closing date.
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Editor's Picks VELVETVOLCANO I HEART MUSIC CRYSTAL ENCRUSTED NECKLACE
SACRED STITCHES ROCKABILLY BIRD STICKER
TRIPP CLOTHING SPLIT LEG SKINNY JEANS
Liven up your living room with these satin Sourpuss anatomy pillows... Flaunt your animal instincts with this Sourpuss grey leopard Bowler Purse
PIN UP COUTURE BETTIE SHOES
ABANDON SHIP APPAREL DEATH TROOPER ASA X AONO TSHIRT
Model: Miss Cal O’Rein Photographer: Hannah KS photography
LITTLE MISS DELICIOUS GREEN ICE CREAM CARDIGAN
LADY K LOVES VERITY TOP - £35 VERITY SKIRT - £45
Rule the roost with this bat-tastic Nocturnal Tubetop REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 7
UNLOVABLE Lingerie FASHION & BEAUTY
ARTIST AND DESIGNER BEHIND UNLOVABLE LINGERIE ROSALIE WITTINGHAM IS ONLY 18 YEARS OLD, BUT ALREADY THE CREATIVE MIND BEHIND MULTIPLE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS. WE SPEAK TO ROSALIE ABOUT HER END OF YEAR SHOW, HER BRAND, AND HOW SHE BELIEVES THAT NEGATIVITY CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT… When was your brand Unlovable Lingerie started? When I was 17, my mum was pressuring me to get a job and I was like, fuck that, I don’t want to get a job! I had worked for Monsoon Accessorize for a year as a sales assistant; every weekend I had no social life, as the store was in Manchester Airport so the hours were insane. I had to get up at 5am to make it into work on time, so after that I was a little reluctant to take on another similar job. The hours weren’t great, and as someone who has always been a creative, I’m a little bit inward; people intimidate me very easily. I didn’t feel that I could be myself in my job. Were you just scared of doing something wrong? Always. When I started working for myself, I felt like I was doing something that was true to who I was. How did you start making the pieces? I found a vintage pattern online and wanted to make it for myself. Would you say that a lot of your lingerie is less for a purpose, and more for decoration? It’s definitely more for show. …Something to look pretty? Yeah! For your boyfriend!
How did the internet presence begin? To be honest, I was on Tumblr for quite a while after hearing about it from my ex boyfriend. At first my blog was pretty cliché; tattooed people, reblogging somebody else’s work. I dyed my hair lilac and the first photo I posted blew up. It was ridiculous; within half an hour the photo had 2,000 notes. So you have your fans and everybody who supported you on Tumblr to thank for the success of your lingerie business? Definitely. Without the people who have supported me and shared images, I wouldn’t have had as many sales and as much interest as I’ve had. I do giveaways not only to promote the brand, but also to say thank you. At the moment, you model your own collections; I know a lot of people have supported you. You are obviously a slim girl, and a lot of your audience has had fears about their own figure. Because you have put yourself out there with confidence, they now feel better about their own bodies. How does this make you feel? I had body insecurities for a long time. I was called all sorts of names, picked on for how skinny I was, and it’s nothing that I can help. I eat whatever I like, I don’t give a shit, but I’m still a size 4. My whole family is small and slim! We don’t put weight on; I guess that annoys some people. Do you believe that however you’re naturally built, you should be happy? If I gain weight, I gain weight. I’m happy with what I eat, so whatever happens happens. And how do you feel about people of different sizes when you get this support, especially with regards to the creation of your lingerie? Everybody should be proud in their bodies; I make my lingerie from 30A - 40DD. I get criticism for that sometimes. It’s all my pattern allows, and I don’t make my lingerie for support. I want to guarantee that it fits my customers well, which is why I do it in the sizes I do. It’s more for yourself, boyfriends, photoshoots, to look nice… You want to make people feel pretty? Yeah! I make my underwear for people to put on and say ‘damn, I look good!’
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And you sell prints of your artwork online as well? I never imagined going into lingerie design, I always thought it would be illustration. I did textiles for 4 years during my education. All I knew was that I always wanted to do something big. I was always the only one to create big gowns and dramatic pieces – things that were elegant, flirty and nice. It seems like it’s all coming from things that are decorative, to make people feel good? Unlovable is for people who are a bit punk, a bit alternative… be unlovable! You’re unlovable, rock it! That’s what I always felt. Even though I have learned to love my body now, in high school people called me up on wearing a bra! They would say, why are you wearing that? You’ve got no boobs! So Unlovable is a big ‘fuck you’ to them? I wasn’t popular in high school in the slightest, but I’ve made the most out of myself. What would you say to people who are feeling like that right now? Do what you love. Do what you adore, and love it. I felt like a loser - everyone else would go out, see boys and have something to do on a Friday night. I’d be drawing in my sketchbook. But it was what I loved, and it paid off.
"Unlovable is for people who are a bit punk, a bit alternative… be unlovable! You’re unlovable, rock it!" So you’d say, stay dedicated in what you love, whether it’s art, or anything else? Be yourself and don’t listen to what anyone else says. The people who say anything different are the people who aren’t going to make much of themselves, if putting others down is what they’re concentrated on doing. If you’re dedicated to what you do, you’re going to succeed. I am committed to art 100%, it’s my life and I live and breathe the subject. Where can we find your blog? www.livewithoutregretxx.tumblr.com And there are links to your work and your store? You can find links to my BigCartel which contains all my lingerie, and a link to Society6 which contains all of my artwork. What’s your next major project? There is a little project in the back of my imagination that I’m working on with one of my very best friends Camilla Liley; we are making some customised vintage clothing and some printed t-shirts with some of my illustrations that have never been seen before. It’s all based on The Illuminati. The name I think we have settled on is Lunar Clothing. When can we expect to see that? I can’t say, but hopefully winter 2012! Camilla will photograph, I’ll model. I would also ADORE for Vivi [Sterling, who she modelled alongside
earlier in the day in my shoot for Blue Rinse] to be a part if she is still in Leeds, as she’s absolutely beautiful. You have just finished a foundation course and are preparing for London College of Fashion next year, what did you exhibit for your end of year show? My final major project was about growth and decay. It has been a recurring theme throughout my art, and I have always been very attracted to the details in decay. I think it also has something to do with the human psyche, good vs. evil. Embarrassingly enough I heard this on 90210, but I loved it – ‘there are two wolves inside yourself, one good, one bad. Whichever one you feed is the one that wins.’ Do you think this inspiration and this project is a huge metaphor for you growing up? Yeah, I do think that. I have fed the good. If I saw myself now when I was 14 I wouldn’t believe it. People recognize me as being an artist. Negative influence can affect you in a negative way, or a positive way. So I guess you’re really grateful for all the support you have received, in contrast to all the crap you have received? Definitely, I take time to go through my comments and questions and am so grateful to be appreciated as a professional. All I ever aimed to do was inspire people. I couldn’t care if I
spent money or made it. If I inspire someone, that means the absolute world to me. The first time someone told me that I inspired them to draw again, I was so emotional. Because you can relate to that? I know how special it was to me to discover people who inspired me. www.livewithoutregretxx.tumblr.com WORDS: TORIA BRIGHTSIDE PHOTOGRAPHER: CAMILLA LILEY www.camillalphotography.tumblr.com/
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SANTA MACABRE
FASHION & BEAUTY
What inspired the creation of Santa Macabre? I first started making and selling jewellery, accessories and paper goods (customized journals etc) back in 2009. To be honest, I can’t remember quite how I decided to start making things to sell to people, but I do know that this idea was propelled forward by selling at the Wolverhampton Vegan Festival that year. I decided to make some items and try to sell them, donating the proceeds to Birmingham Hunt Sabs. I was shocked and thrilled to sell out almost completely that day and to be able to give the money to the hunt sabs who were there on the day. The combination of finding out people were willing to buy something I had made, and donating to a cause that means a lot to me (animal rights) was an amazing feeling, and I decided to see if I could continue to make and sell my own creations. Where/how did you begin creating this line? I have always been artistic in some way, and for many years wanted to become a tattooer, being heavily tattooed myself. However I came to realize that it wasn’t my natural calling, even though I did love to draw, and that making things came more naturally to me. From then on I started to just make jewellery and other items, and it all seemed to come together through hard work and trial and error. What inspires you as a designer? I would say that my main influences are still what might seem a little ‘gothic’ to some people! Anything from elegant vampires to real life post-mortem photography. However lately my influences are a lot vaster than they used to be. I find inspiration from pretty much anything, and I think the same can be said for most people, never mind designers. I love films and music, books and art, and I can always find elements in these things that may inspire my work. I would say
Model: Synthetic Doll Photographer: Twitch Photos
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though that I have started to look at the more subtle ‘strange’ ways of life. For example, now I am more inspired by certain colours and traditions than something because it is ‘scary’ or ‘weird’ in some way. It may just be my age creeping up on me; being nearer to 30 now, I find that all the clichéd ‘goth’ stuff makes me cringe a little. I’ve come to realize that there is a lot more inspiration to be found in daily life that may seem normal, rather than something that may well get you noticed, but not for the right reasons.
What are some of your current favourites in the fashion industry? If you mean trends in clothing etc, I am really enjoying the hippy kind of look; the dip dyed hair, tie dyed clothing, big ethnic looking jewellery. However I am usually a good few steps behind the current fashions, so the things I have just listed may well have been fashionable months ago and I’ve only just noticed! Is there a message or mission statement behind the items in your line? I would like to think that Santa Macabre is known for it’s custom options. Pretty much every piece is made to order, and no two pieces are ever exactly the same. Being handmade there will always be some slight difference with each piece of jewellery or accessory, whether it be as subtle as the colour of the chain or part of the design being changed at the customers request. I also would like to think that eventually Santa Macabre will be known for using only replica animal skulls. There has been a phenomenal increase in animal bones, fur and feathers being used for jewellery, and this does concern me. I like to think I can see it from both sides. I am an animal lover and would never wear any animal product, whether it be fur or wool. However I do like the macabre side of things, and I do
find skulls quite beautiful. I thought about it for a while, researched a little and asked questions to some of the replica skull makers. Once I had found supplier, whom I trusted when they told me that they cast from one skull that had come from a naturally deceased animal, it was just a case then of how I would feel making the step to sell designs with these skulls in them. My main worry was that it would put the message across that animals are ours to use and wear as we please, which is the total opposite to how I feel. After a lot of soul searching I decided that if anything, this could be a good way of showing that you can still fulfil macabre tastes without having to wear the real thing, just like faux fur. I would prefer people buy replica skulls simply as I don’t personally feel that we should be wearing body parts of a once living creature. I also worry that those using a large amount of animal skulls may be sourcing these (knowingly or not) from hunters or poachers. The idea of lining the pockets of these people and creating a demand for killing animals breaks my heart. Lastly I would hope that people know that if they want something unique and handcrafted, but still reasonably priced, Santa Macabre is the place to go! I have always intended to sell my designs at reasonable prices. Santa Macabre has always been my way of sticking my two fingers up at both high street stores and designers who like to charge ridiculous prices for their jewellery. I have never had much money and therefore like to keep to my roots of not expecting someone to empty their pockets just to buy something from Santa Macabre. I see some of the prices that people put on their work and it saddens me a little. Don’t get me wrong, 99% of designers put their heart and soul into their work and materials don’t come cheap. But I really do believe that there is no need to get greedy. I may earn less than some designers, but I go on the basis of “Would I pay that much for this item?” I will never attempt to sell an item for more than I would be willing to pay. My customers are my bread and butter, and their loyalty means the world to me, therefore the least I can do is not overcharge for my work. Some people like to slate designers who charge less, blaming it on poor workmanship. I totally disagree. I know my work is good, I just don’t intend to rip people off to prove it.
What can we expect from you in the near future? I find I am constantly evolving, as my influences change from day to day sometimes. That being said I am now starting to stock wigs, which I am very excited about as I am a wig devotee, and there are some very pretty wigs out there! I would like to continue meeting new people through Santa Macabre, both customers and other designers alike. Although I can’t tell you exactly what my next designs will be (as I don’t know either!), as I work pretty much every day, I can assure you I will always do my best to come up with original and unique ideas, whilst sticking to my morals and promises to my customers. Describe your line in 3 words? Handmade, macabre, charming. www.facebook.com/SantaMacabreJewellery WORDS: TERA ARALYN PHOTO CREDITS [OPPOSITE PAGE - RIGHT & THIS PAGE - LEFT] MODEL: GOLDY LOXX PHOTOGRAPHER: JAMES GARFIELD [OPPOSITE PAGE - LEFT] MODEL: NICOLETTE MORI PHOTOGRAPHER: A.J OLSON [THIS PAGE - TOP] MODEL: CHERRY ZOMBIIE PHOTOGRAPHER: FIENDERELLA
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MODELS: KERRY WHEELER, ISKA ITHIL, ALICE BIZARRE (MUA), SYNTHETIC DOLL (HAIR STYLIST), ERICA KRASICKAITE (STYLIST) PHOTOGRAPHER: LBR PHOTOGRAPHY (www.facebook.com/LBRPhoto)
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ISKA IS WEARING// EYEPATCH: DEADLY DESIRES NECKLACE: TBL (TASSELS BY LEAF) CORSET: WHAT KATIE DID (BLACK UNDERBUST MORTICIA) CAGE SKIRT: STYLISTS OWN TIGHTS: STYLISTS OWN SHOES: MODELS OWN KERRY IS WEARING// BRA AND CORSET: AM STATIK LATEX DRESS: H&M SHOES: BORDELLO (TEEZE IN BABY PINK)
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[FROM LEFT] SYNTHETIC DOLL IS WEARING// LATEX BODYSUIT AND BUSTLE: SHH COUTURE NECKLACE: GUTTERQUEEN SHEER SHIRT: STYLISTS OWN SHOES: MODELS OWN ALICE IS WEARING// FEATHER SHRUG: NEXT CORSET UNDERBUST: PLAYGIRL WHITE LABEL SKIRT: STYLISTS OWN TIGHTS: MODELS OWN SHOES: BORDELLOS TEEZE ISKA IS WEARING// CUFFS: TBL (TASSELS BY LEAF) NECKLACE AND LATEX GLOVES: STYLISTS OWN SEQUIN PLAYSUIT: ANN SUMMERS TIGHTS AND SHOES: MODELS OWN KERRY IS WEARING// NECKLACE: TBL (TASSELS BY LEAF) LATEX CORSET AND LEGGINGS: AM STATIK LATEX SHOES: MODELS OWN
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KERRY IS WEARING// LATEX HAIR PIECE: IVX LATEX COUTURE LATEX BODYSUIT: AM STATIK LATEX ALICE IS WEARING// LATEX NECKLACE AND PLAYSUIT: IVX LATEX COUTURE CORSET: PLAYGIRL GREY FEATHER SHRUG: NEXT
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REBELS NIGHT OUT
Club
Antichrist's
FAVOURITE ALTERNATIVE CLUB HAVING IT’S 8TH BIRTHDAY YOU SAY? DO WE WANNA GO? DON’T MIND IF WE DO! HERE’S A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY WE’VE BEEN TO!! First off – the venue. Although we’re not regulars or veterans of this club, it is honestly still one of the best venues around! Sound is great in every room, really easy to get around (especially with soooo many pairs of big ol’ boots stomping everywhere), easy to navigate to the bars and smoking areas. Oh, and the awesome wall of light downstairs in the Industrial room was insane! Second – the people. I still cannot get over how everyone that we’ve met here is just really nice! None of the pretentiousness that you get in other clubs, people just getting on and enjoying themselves and being themselves. There really is no other club atmosphere like it. Next – the shows. We only managed to see Satan’s Stripshow (hot hot hot hot hot... did I mention hot!!) and V2A (Hard, in your face EBM-Electro, loved it!) but both had a good crowd and I wish we got there sooner (we would have if it wasn’t for a minor catastrophe with a pair of the previously mentioned big ol’ boots...) The music – you know you have those nights out where you think ‘what the fuck are you playing!?! This is shit!!!’ Yeah, that didn’t happen. From the calming beats of the Dungeon to the mad crazy beautiful noise from PFI, the music is always eclectic, but never dull or boring. Oh, and who couldn’t love the metal room for playing not one, but TWO Coal Chamber songs?!! D-Void, we salute you! [giggles].
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8th Birthday!
Finally – the outfits. Well, what is there to say, (nearly) anything goes! Yes, it is a strictly enforced policy (make the effort or don’t come), and there are just so many different and beautiful styles going on in one place you can get pretty dizzy. Pin-up girls, goths, cyber punks, victoriana and everything in-between, everyone just fits in, without the fake bullshit that happens in other clubs. There aren’t many places you can go to see a transvestite (with GREAT calves) talking to a Mistress and her gimp, while an Indiana Jones-esque guy in the background was cracking his whip against his lady friend standing by a railing, while a beautiful red-headed pin-up asked her if it hurt... yeah, that happened!
This is one of those clubs that has to be seen to be believed. It is not a ‘fetish’ club. There are not random people rubbing themselves up against you (well, unless you consent to it of course) and although there are near-naked boys & girls there, it’s not full on or daunting (and if you wanna get down and dirty, that’s what the Couples Darkroom is for). It really is for all types of people and because it’s not on every week it isn’t boring or stale and there really are some great characters there. And who wouldn’t like free tea, biscuits and sweets after you’ve been stomping about in boots/ heels all night! Just go, you will not regret it! http://clubantichrist.com/ WORDS: MICHELLE MARSHALL & CHRIS CATLING PHOTOS: DAVID BRIGGS REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 19
Chivaree
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"CHIVAREE // [NOUN]: A RIOT. A MEDLEY OF DISCORDANT SOUNDS". FIRE SHOWS, PYROTECHNICS, CRAZY STUNTS, STILT WALKING AND MORE MAKE UP THE WORLD OF THE CHIVAREE CIRCUS. WE HAD A CHAT WITH FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR ED GOSLING TO FIND OUT MORE... What inspired you to start up Chivaree? I started performing in 2006 when I was about 19. I travelled across the UK and Europe with another group doing shows for up to 35,000 people at a time. I guess that I had always been a bit of a misfit, more into juggling than football, so the circus really became a family for me. I was also studying at university so when I graduated I left the UK and went abroad, first to live in Paris and then Nepal as a project manager for a charity. When I came back a couple of years later – the group that I used to work for had changed and there were different people involved. I got a job working as a fiction editor, but I wasn’t suited to working in an office – I missed the lifestyle of being
in a different place every day, performing for people and the constant creativity of the circus. Chivaree had been in the back of my head for years and I’m lucky to be in a fantastic relationship with Lily Raptor (the female performer in the photographs) who inspired me to go out and do it. (She is the co-director of Chivaree). What’s your favourite act within the show and why? Well what I’m most excited about is an act that we are currently working on. We did a show at Jackson’s Lane theatre in Highgate with Dr Clive’s Circus, which is actually how we met David (the photographer). I started talking to the technical manager (Duncan Strang) at the theatre and we decided to work on a project together. We’re now building a 4 metre high puppet that can be strapped into a harness that a person can wear to move and walk around with. The whole thing has about 50 wicks inside the frame so it can be lit on fire. The idea for the show is that the puppet is Prometheus and the fire performers tell his story. The show is going to feature specially written music performed live by the fantastic ATLAS and should be a really big spectacle. What have been some of your favourite events that the group have performed at? For us, coming up with a theme and idea and realising it right through to performance is one of the most exciting aspects of circus – and we always aim to make a show a complete experience. Last week we performed as part
"If you get all of the elements right then you can really draw people into this world that you’ve created."
of the East End Film festival, at the Brickhouse on Brick Lane for an event organised by the Beattie Foundation for a talk with the guys who shot the award winning film Moon (2009). I was performing with Lily Raptor; we recreated Sam Rockwell’s costume from the film for me and the white straps that Lilu (the girl from the Fifth Element) wears at the beginning of the film, for her. We did a short show with a mixture of juggling contortionism and hulahoop. The balance of music, costume and performance all worked really well together, and I think we made something that was really special. Talking to people afterwards, they kept saying that the show was great, but what really brought it to life were the references to the two films, which made it unique. In my head, I was just thinking: “yes – we got that one right.” There seems to be more and more circus performers cropping up. How do you make sure that Chivaree stays unique? Like I said above, what we are trying to do is to give people a complete experience. There are a lot of performers out there, but because we work together creating every aspect of the show from the costumes, to the music, performance and interaction it means that everything we do for every show or event is different to what’s gone before. If you get all of the elements right then you can really draw people into this world that you’ve created. We all live together in a big warehouse in East London, so when a show comes up we can throw all of our ideas out and see what is the most exciting; it’s a really creative space and it just feels like there aren’t any limitations or rules to what we do. To me that’s what Chivaree is all about, and the more stuff we do the bigger our ideas get. What qualities do you look for when developing new acts? We have an aerial rig in our living room and we were just messing around one day and came up with the idea to have Lily Raptor dressed up in a dinosaur costume performing aerial hoop to the soundtrack of Jurassic Park – it now looks like there might be an opportunity to make that actually happen at an upcoming show. Sometimes ideas for certain acts are the result of a serious conversation, at other times they sort of just happen. The main question for us is: “is everyone excited about it?” - If so then it’s easy from there on in. There is no secret to circus; it’s just relentless obsessive training to get to a point where you can do something that you first thought was impossible – so you really need to believe in what you are doing. I’d say there is a consistency in what we do, in that we are always trying to do something aesthetically beautiful. What do you hope to achieve with Chivaree? I believe that we are in the rare position where we can make our dreams and other people’s dreams come true. This is what I want to achieve. We are performing REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 21
at twelve festivals this summer – so it’s pretty hectic right now, but in September we will all sit down together and talk about what comes next. And it’s not just performers; I’m also talking about musicians, set-designers, artists, filmmakers, photographers and chefs. We’ve got an incredible network of talented people who are really passionate about what they do; I want to create some totally immersive events that will shake things up and cause a bit of a splash. I don’t want to do things in a traditional way – it’s not “this is my vision” dictated to a bunch of people; it’s “what can we do”, “what can we make happen together” - that’s how you end up with something really exciting, when everyone is coming together to do something they believe in to push the boundaries. What do you have planned for the future? There are a lot of plans and I don’t know which ones are going to see the light soon and which ones are going to be shelved for a while till later. Obviously there are all the festivals coming up now: Secret Garden Party, Cock and Bull, Playgroup, Boomtown and Wilderness in the next month. Then afterwards we are doing a run of a theatre show with Dr Clive’s Circus because the last one was so good. But I couldn’t tell you where we will be exactly in a year or two years time. Some of the most exciting projects are a secret for now... it would spoil the surprise! www.chivaree.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID BRIGGS
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"There is no secret to circus; it’s just relentless obsessive training to get to a point where you can do something that you first thought was impossible..."
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PHOTOGRAPHER: JENNI BYRON MODEL: BIOMECHANINA CLOTHING: EUSTRATIA MUA: LAURA WILSON
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PHOTOGRAPHER: JENNI BYRON www.jenniferbyron.com MODEL: BIOMECHANINA Search 'Biomechanina' on Facebook CLOTHING: EUSTRATIA www.eustratia.co.uk MUA: LAURA WILSON
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CRAZY, LOUD AND PROUD, BLUE HAIRED VIXEN AMIE CONRADINE TALKS ABOUT MEETING THE MISFITS, HER OBSESSION WITH CLOWNS, AND ALSO GIVES SOME SOLID ADVICE TO THOSE WANTING TO PURSUE A MODELLING CAREER... 30 REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE
AMIE
CONRADINE
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DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS… Crazy, loud and proud! HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE WORLD OF MODELING? I don’t really know how it happened to be honest! I had a lot of older friends when I was younger, and a few of them were in college doing photography and they asked me to model for their projects. I’ve always had my own sense of style and I think that’s why I was asked, I looked a bit crazy haha. After I had a few pictures taken I posted them up online and got good feedback from people, so I started a fan page and it went from there. DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BECOME A MODEL WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? It wasn’t something I thought about at all, my first love is music and always will be, so my life revolved around gigging, but I did enjoy taking part in the photoshoots, so as the years went on I started doing more just for fun… I never thought I’d be where I am now with it all.
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CAN YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOUR FIRST EVER PHOTOSHOOT WAS LIKE? Yeah it was great fun, I shot with my friend Danielle Kelly, I was 14, in my usual attire: hotpants covered in band patches like Dead Kennedy’s and Exploited, bullet belt, ripped and burnt blue and black checkered tights, steel toe capped grinders, Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards top and blonde, purple and black hair with shaven head. We shot in Brentwood round the back of some building… I loved it :) HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE? All over the place, haha. My main style is pretty much punk/ thrash, but it really is unusual; I’ll go out wearing all my punk DIY gear and my boots, then rock it with pin up curled hair and makeup. I mix all of my styles together but I’m a punk rock girl at heart, so that will always stay.
"I want my pictures to create emotions when people see them, not just be a picture they see on Facebook..."
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WHAT OUTFITS DO YOU ENJOY MODELING THE MOST? Mental ones. I do love latex a lot but I get sick of seeing it always featured, so I like to mix it up a bit. I recently shot a steampunk set that will be getting released out to the world very soon. WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE PHOTOSHOOTS SO FAR? Oh god, there are so many for so many reasons. The most unusual have been, octopus on my head and standing on the wing of a jumbo jet plane in 20 mph winds and 5inch heels. Every shoot I’ve had has been so special in its own ways, so I wouldn’t like to just pinpoint a few. ARE THERE ANY PHOTOSHOOT CONCEPTS THAT YOU HAVEN’T TRIED YET THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO TRY IN
THE FUTURE? I want to travel more and do more darker themes shoots; in the past year I’ve been typecasted for one certain look which is my pin-up glamour look, made most recognisable by my Bizarre Covergirl Winner shoot, and as much as I do enjoy doing the smiley sexy cheeky shoots, and that is part of my personality, I wanna bring out the other side of me which is very dark, weird and sometimes scary. I want my pictures to create emotions when people see them, not just be a picture they see on Facebook… that means a great deal to me. IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD FOR A SHOOT, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY? I’d actually love to shoot with some high fashion photographers. I’m currently trying to break through the barriers of
"Clowns make me feel at home with myself...
the different industries in modelling and slowly getting closer to it. I think its time to see short and tattooed models on the runways of high fashion. I of course understand the reasoning behind the height issue because of the garments sizing, but I think it’s a least time to give us all a chance. FOR THOSE THAT FOLLOW YOUR WORK, THEY WILL KNOW YOU HAVE A MAJOR OBSESSION WITH ALL THINGS CLOWN RELATED. WHEN/HOW DID YOUR LOVE OF CLOWNS START? When I was very young I watched the series adaptation of Stephen King’s IT (and I’ve just finished reading the book). I was hooked by Tim Curry’s performance and my obsession started right there. There’s something so innocent, evil and sexy about clowns and I love that. I have a tattoo on my right arm done by Gavin Rodriquez which is of me as a clown looking at my own reflection in the mirror with an evil Amie clown staring back, blood dripping from her mouth… this is a representation of my own battle with my own demons… I’ve always struggled with myself and I used to self-harm for years (luckily all my scars apart from a few little ones are now covered up in tattoos). Clowns make me feel at home with myself; it probably doesn’t make sense to anyone else but it’s just how I feel. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE CLOWN? Tim Curry as Pennywise, Captain Spaulding, and Heath Ledger as The Joker.
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YOU’RE ALSO WELL-KNOWN FOR BEING A PART OF ATTITUDE CLOTHING, AND HAVE ALREADY HAD QUITE A FEW ADVENTURES FOR THEM INCLUDING MODELING FOR THEIR LATEST SUMMER LOOKBOOK AND INTERVIEWING JERRY FROM THE MISFITS. HOW DID YOUR COLLABORATIONS WITH ATTITUDE BEGIN, AND WHAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE FOR YOU? I was asked to shoot with them for some new products and I did. They did a video interview with me and they liked how I worked on camera, so they decided they would like me to do more video work for them and I agreed! The experiences have been so crazy and unbelievable haha, especially interviewing Jerry… that was like a total “WTF JUST HAPPENED”
moment! The first thing he said to me was, ‘So who’s interviewing me then?’ I raised my hand and smiled and he just goes ‘…and she’ssss HAWT!’ Haha! After the interview I was invited to hang out with him and the band in their dressing room. I ended up chatting with them all day and night right up to when they went on stage. Jerry signed loads of merch for me and tore his shirt off onstage and threw it up to me (unfortunately it got caught on the lights rigging and I couldn’t get it). He also dedicated my favourite song to me on stage, “THIS ONE IS FOR AMIE!” Pointed up at me and then started singing ‘Saturday Night’. I even got a few texts off him the following few days saying that I had a friend in him. Such a strange experience but amazing! If my 13 year old self knew that I’d be hanging out with The Misfits, I think I would of had a heart attack haha. WITH SO MANY OTHERS TRYING THEIR HAND AT BECOMING A MODEL, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE GROWING POPULARITY OF THE INDUSTRY? Baaaa baaa baaa sheep. Sorry, but it seems every alternative girl out there is trying to be a model these days. It’s great if it’s something you really want to do, but I believe a lot of these girls feel that because of the lack of job opportunities out there, they think it will be an easy option just to get their kit off and get paid. But of course a lot of these girls are finding that it’s not the case at all and it’s tougher then getting a ‘normal’ job sometimes. Being a model is not easy whatsoever in many ways, and if you’re not a strong enough willed person or got your head on straight, you’ll crack under the pressure or worse and get seriously hurt. There are so many scams out there now and they aren’t always as easy to notice. I’ll just say to anyone who really wants this, be careful, believe in yourself and work hard!
ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE WANTING TO BECOME A MODEL LIKE YOURSELF? Believe in yourself, work harder then you have ever worked before behind the scenes and on set, be smart don’t be fooled, don’t get involved in other models drama’s, be thick skinned, know who you are before you go into it, and most of all be yourself and stick to your guns. If you only wanna get your side boob out that’s fine and if you wanna do nudes but no open legs that’s fine too… what I’m trying to say is don’t let anyone pressure you into doing something your not sure about or happy with, and good luck girls and boys! OBVIOUSLY MODELING INVOLVES A LOT OF MOTIVATION, HARD WORK AND CONFIDENCE. IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU LIKE TO DO IN ORDER TO STAY IN SHAPE? I’ve recently turned into a bit of a fitness freak! I try to work out at home everyday stretching and weights, and I’ve gone to a few K1 kickboxing and circuit training sessions recently with the help of my good friend Matt, who’s been amazing with helping me tone up again. I don’t think I’ll be doing the kickboxing again though as Matt left serious black bruises and bumps on my legs for over three weeks and I can’t be bruised at photoshoots haha. I did enjoy it a lot though. IF YOU WEREN’T A MODEL, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING? The same thing I’m still doing alongside the modelling, MUSIC! People forget and sometimes don’t even know that I am a musician before I am a model; I’m a singer and a drummer, and I’ve recently started up my old band Pirate Skunk and The Jokers with me as the frontwoman, and I can’t wait to start gigging again. What’s to come for Miss Amie over the next few months? Many many publications, new photos, new projects, music and gigging myself again, meet up events, and mine and my fiancé Jon’s 5 year anniversary and my 20th Birthday! :D www.amieconradine.co.uk REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 35 35 REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE
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MAXINE ASHLEIGH
"In a fantasy world, my ultimate collaboration would involve Bordelle and Jeffrey Campbell. What? A girl can dream!"
MUA: JOSEPHINE BIRKETT PHOTOGRAPHER: WICKED HEART PHOTOGRAPHY TOP: A IS FOR ARSENIC LEGGINGS: BLACK MILK CLOTHING
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What inspired you to step in front of the camera and become a model? I first started modelling when I began to develop my own sense of style around the age of 16. I realised how much I loved putting different creative looks together, but some outfits I wanted to wear weren’t really suited for day to day wear, and modelling provided me the perfect outlet for that. I had never even thought about it until a photographer approached me on a social networking site, and after my first shoot I was hooked. I was also painfully shy growing up, so I saw modelling as a way to combat that; it forces you to put on a more confident front and talk to new people, which for me is one of my favourite aspects as I’ve now met a lot of my close friends through the modelling world! For those that have read previous issues, they will know that the last time we featured you, it was with your awesome jewellery company Little Miss Delicious. How is that going for you at the moment? It’s going amazingly! I’ve been doing it full time for a year now, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m currently busy working on the Halloween and Christmas designs (thinking about Christmas in August will never stop feeling odd!), as well as a limited edition tattoo inspired collection, ready to launch when I exhibit at the London Tattoo Convention in September. Between that, modelling and running Ladies in Business for Ourselves (a networking group for self employed women in the North East), my schedule is definitely pretty hectic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! How would you describe your own personal style? Are there any makeup/beauty products that you can’t live without? I used to have two very distinct styles – my Little Miss Delicious wardrobe, which was all about candy colours and sugar and spice, and what I wore in my own time, which was a lot darker. Now these two styles have begun to merge, and most days I look like a trashy rainbow! I’ve also always been really into fashion from the 50s, with high-waisted clothing and vintage hairstyles having a big inspiration on my everyday style. I couldn’t live without red lipstick and hair spray. I currently use Rockalily lipstick, but now they’re discontinued I have no idea what I’m going to do when I run out!
MUA: JOSEPHINE BIRKETT PHOTOGRAPHER: WICKED HEART PHOTOGRAPHY DRESS: JANE DOE LATEX
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EXPOSED MUA: JOSEPHINE BIRKETT PHOTOGRAPHER: WICKED HEART PHOTOGRAPHY DRESS: MAJA STINA
I’m also completely addicted to all of the Aussie hair products – not only do they help keep my turquoise locks nice and soft, they also smell so yummy. It seems like everyone wants to become a model lately. With the modeling industry growing constantly, what’s your personal view on the scene as we know it? I think it’s great that the alternative modelling world means that anybody, no matter what their background, can try their hand at modelling or photography. I don’t think it has any great effect on the scene, as most people don’t want to go beyond being small time internet models that model as a hobby on the side. There are new models cropping up all the time, but it seems in the alternative scene everyone knows who each other are, and it creates a kind of community feel. When one of us has a problem, there is a huge support network to fall back on, and even though I only see certain models a few times a year, I know they are always there for me and vice versa. I also don’t think this will have a great effect on the modelling industry as a whole, as very few models ever reach the level of fame or success associated with the big time mainstream models. What would you say is your favourite thing about modeling? As I said, I love being able to meet likeminded creative people, and it’s great to have a creative outlet separate from Little Miss Delicious, even if it does mean I never have a day off these days!
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What have been some of your favourite photoshoots so far? It’s hard to choose because so many have had a huge effect on me. Every time I work with Wicked Heart Photography it’s just an amazing experience, I’ve been working with them since we both first started out in the industry and they’ve kind of become like second parents for me! I also had a great time shooting while in America, especially on a roof in L.A, something I never thought would happen. My all time favourite has to be the last shoot I did though – I got to model on a farm with an amazing custom made hot rod with the lovely Angelfish Photographic, and afterwards we spent a little time looking around the farm and playing with the stable full of rabbits! So much fun. Are there any designers/photographers/ other models that you would love to collaborate with one day? I feel honoured to have worked with everyone I have so far! However, I would love to collaborate with more latex designers, I’m a huge fan of latex but don’t get to wear it nearly as often as I’d like to! I especially love Lady Lucie Latex and Naucler Design. In a fantasy world, my ultimate collaboration would involve Bordelle and Jeffrey Campbell. What? A girl can dream ;) In terms of photographers, there are so many talented people I’d love to work with, including Julian Kilsby, Viva Van Story, Allan Amato and F.ALT Photographics. There are so many amazing models out there, but my favourites have to be Elegy Ellem, Jade Vixen
and Tina Tokyo. I’d also absolutely love to have the opportunity to shoot with Rick Genest, his body art looks amazing. Where do you hope to be in 5 years? In 5 years I’d like to still be doing what I’m doing now – splitting my time between running Little Miss Delicious and modelling, but hopefully doing both on a larger scale! It would also be great to be able to travel more, promoting Little Miss Delicious and doing shoots wherever I go. Hopefully in 5 years my sleeves will finally be finished too! What advice would you give to anyone that may be thinking about becoming a professional model? Go for it! Sign up to websites like Model Mayhem and Pure Storm and try and get a few TFP shoots under your belt so you can get an idea of what modelling entails, whilst also providing you with a starter portfolio. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to have a solid portfolio, which means only working with those that will help produce images that best show your talent. It may also be hugely beneficial to pay an amazing photographer to give your portfolio that initial boost. You learn as you go on, and becoming comfortable in front of a camera is something that develops over time, so expect your images to get better with the more experience you get too. But most importantly, have fun! www.facebook.com/maxineashleighofficial
MUA: JOSEPHINE BIRKETT PHOTOGRAPHER: WICKED HEART PHOTOGRAPHY HAIR BOW: EUSTRATIA
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Steampunk Spirit Models
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DRESSES AND ACCESSORIES: PHAZE CLOTHING WWW.PHAZECLOTHING.COM MASKS: MASQUE BOUTIQUE (PRICES VARY FROM £25-£60) WWW.MASQUEBOUTIQUE.COM PHOTOGRAPHER: SALLEH SPARROW SALLEHSPARROWPHOTOGRAPHY.TUMBLR.COM SPIRIT MODELS: PANDORA, VIOLET RAVEN, ELLE J DIVINE WWW.SPIRITMODELS.CO.UK
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Mercy sl/less dress £75.00 Mercy f/less lace gloves £10.00 Mercy choker £6.50 Mercy Parasol £20.00
Bitter Beauty Velvet/satin dress £95.00
Golden Steam Gypsy Dress £50.00
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Golden Steam Eye ribbon dress £50.00
Bitter Beauty Canvas/Net Dress £40.00
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Bitter Beauty Velvet/satin dress £95.00
Amara Velvet Bodice £35.00
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Steampunk Spirit Models DRESSES AND ACCESSORIES: PHAZE CLOTHING WWW.PHAZECLOTHING.COM MASKS: MASQUE BOUTIQUE (PRICES VARY FROM £25-£60) WWW.MASQUEBOUTIQUE.COM PHOTOGRAPHER: SALLEH SPARROW SALLEHSPARROWPHOTOGRAPHY.TUMBLR.COM SPIRIT MODELS: PANDORA, VIOLET RAVEN, ELLE J DIVINE WWW.SPIRITMODELS.CO.UK
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What inspired you to start modeling? Images have always been a source of great inspiration for me. I enjoy looking at creative imagery and I guess my love of modelling started from looking at pictures and seeing a theme that I wanted to interpret, or a story I wanted to tell. Styling also plays a big part for me. A lot of my shoots are mostly about an outfit I wanted to put together and the setting I thought it should be worn in. I like creating characters in my pictures. I think people are crystals with many facets, and it’s interesting to see how they can be transformed through images with the air of art and fashion. What have been some of your favourite photoshoots so far? I love many of the shoots I’ve been involved in, but the ones that stand out most for me are not the ones that turned out the most attractive pictures of me, but the ones where I felt a whole new environment was created, or a certain feel was communicated through the picture as a whole. I like a bit of fantasy in my images, even if the subject is something as simple as sitting on a bed. Some examples of shoots that have really fulfilled these are: Firstly, the wonderland shoot I did for my label Eustratia with Toria Brightside, modelling alongside my friend Sapphire Black. I knew everyone involved personally, so they indulged my crazy idea of driving to the woods and carrying furniture down a long, nettle ridden path so we could arrange it around this specific tree that I had discovered a week earlier. I love the images because I really get the feel that we live under a tree and wear latex every day. Secondly, the shoots I did with Jennifer Byron in my house. My house if not very big or glamorous and wouldn’t normally be suitable for photoshoots, but I think we made it work. The first set we did was in the living room and I covered the floor with leaves and twigs to create an inside-outside kind of feel, and the second one was in my bedroom, just as it was but using some interesting angles. What I like the most about the images is that they have a certain every-day quality, as well as something a bit different that makes them special. This is how I want to think of my every day life. Lastly, I think the white medical suspension shoot I did for Valentinafetishdoll.com is worth a mention. I was covered head to toe in white latex and wearing ballet shoes, the room was also all white with a medical look and I was suspended from the ceiling by chains attached to cuffs. There was a toy-like, surreal quality to it that came across in the pictures. It was like I was a doll in my little environment, light and able to pose in positions that normally wouldn’t be possible. As well as modelling, you also run your own latex company Eustratia. How did that begin? I’ve wanted to be a fashion designer since I was 8 and have my own company since I was 18. I originally thought I would finish university and get a job for a while first, but while I was there I realized I could only have the job that I wanted if I created it for myself. Latex clothing had always intrigued me since I didn’t know how to make it and after trying out a few samples, I decided to make half of my final collection in latex. I used parts of that to form my ‘Dyad’ collection, the first collection I released under Eustratia. REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 47
"I think people are crystals with many facets, and it’s interesting to see how they can be transformed through images..."
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What are your thoughts on the evergrowing popularity of latex clothing? I like the fact that latex is becoming more popular and more people are being introduced to it; it would be nice to see it free of taboos and being worn in all sorts of places. I did feel it was more special before though. I keep seeing new latex designers popping up without noticing much diversity in the type or style of products available. This fact, along with the visible imperfections on some of the garments I’ve seen online, leads me to believe that a lot of them haven’t put much thought into starting a business. I’d like to urge anyone new to latex fashion to do research of their own before purchasing an item. How would you describe your own personal style? Are there any makeup/ beauty products that you can’t live without? I would describe my style as quirky and fashion-aware with dark undertones. I change my style slightly every couple of months, depending on what new elements of fashion I’m experimenting with. At the moment my top accessories are headbands and statement earrings and I can’t live without my Babyliss Wave Envy Styler, Tarte mineral face powder, NARS highlighter and Rimmel waterproof gel eyeliner. With the modelling industry growing constantly, what’s your personal view on the ‘alternative modelling’ scene as we know it? I feel the alt modelling scene has changed a lot in the last 10 years. Alternative models in general are a lot more popular now and almost every photographer is happy to have some sort of alt work in their portfolio. This is great because there is a lot more high quality work around and alt models can get the publicity and recognition they deserve. It has also caused more of a crossover between alternative and fashion photography, which is probably my favourite thing about it. I have also noticed a rise in new models complaining about designers not lending them items for photoshoots, or not replying quickly enough though, and would like to add that a few years ago someone who wanted to start modelling had to buy their own wardrobe. This plethora of young designers that are happy to lend their items to anyone who fits their vision in exchange for photos is a new thing. I think collaborations are great and it’s nice to see everyone working together and
reaping the rewards, but it’s important for everyone to respect each other so it can keep on happening. Are there any designers/photographers/ other models that you would love to collaborate with one day? There are so many talented people around it would be impossible to list them all, but some people who I would love to collaborate with one day (and who’s work you should check out) are: Tim Walker, Eugenio Recuenco, Kirsty Mitchell, Rachel Freire, Rik Owens, Junko Mizuno, Stuntkid, Bitching and Junkfood, Audrey Kitching, Charlotte Free and Adrej Pejic. Where do you hope to be in 5 years? In 5 years I expect to have stopped modelling and be focusing mainly on my fashion label. I have plans to expand and offer a variety of different products. I would normally say that I hope to have a store of my own, but in the current economic climate I don’t know if that’s a bit overconfident. As a sideline, I might concentrate more on my illustrations or take up photography as well as continuing to work on my blog, aestheticcontradiction.com. What advice would you give to anyone that may be thinking about becoming a professional model? Being a professional model is hard and living exclusively off modelling is even harder. Most models I know have a different job at least 2 days a week. You should get into modelling because you love it, not because you expect to make money. Like all creative professions it requires a lot of extra work and sacrifices. It helps to know a bit about trends in photography and fashion so you can help produce something current. Have a look at what other people are producing but don’t get caught up in it. Look after your skin and body, I’m not saying you need to be stick thin, especially in the alternative industry, but a toned body always photographs better. Study and memorize poses. A lot of new models don’t have variety in their poses. I understand feeling self-conscious when you try out something new, but no photographer likes looking through hundreds of pictures of you pulling virtually the same pose/expression. You either have to take a lot of chances, or try things out in the mirror and remember what looked good. Taking inspiration from others is also helpful but remember, different people suit different things!
Just because “Mosh” looks good doing something, it doesn’t mean you do. Keep a look out for wardrobe items that you could use in a shoot, even if you usually work with a stylist. Learn how to do basic hair and make up; there may not always be an MUAH available. Make sure you have good shoes. No one ever mentions this when they give model tips, but shoes can make or break a photo. It isn’t that expensive to buy nice shoes nowadays, so make sure you have a few statement pairs that go with all the usual styles you shoot, and try and keep them as clean as possible if you also wear them out. Attitude wise, it’s good to be professional and polite, but don’t take it overboard by being too serious or quiet. Everyone I’ve ever shot with enjoyed having a chat and some fun while shooting, regardless of the level they were at. I would say it’s good to know what you want from a shoot and have your own ideas that you can suggest, but don’t be too precious about them. Ask people if they’d like to collaborate but don’t expect all of them to reply. Hassling people for replies or not replying quickly enough will never work in your favour. Don’t be afraid of rejection. The fact that you’re not right for a specific project/brand does not mean that you’re not beautiful/a good model. Being good at self-promotion is always a bonus. Let’s face it, the more people know about your work, the more work you’re going to get. There are lots of debates about the right way/amount for models to promote themselves, but I’m just going to say do what you feel comfortable with and try not to compare yourself to others. MODEL/MUAH: BIOMECHANINA
Search 'Biomechanina' on Facebook PHOTOGRAPHER: BEVERLY ANN PHOTOGRAPHY LEGGINGS: LENA QUIST INVERTED CROSS NECKLACE AND HEAD CHAIN: EUSTRATIA CHAINMAIL ACCESSORIES: RICHARD ARYES www.richardayres.co.uk
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Iska Ithil
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SINCE HER FIRST SHOOT IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, FEARLESS ARTIST ISKA ITHIL HAS SHOT TO FAME IN THE WORLD OF ALTERNATIVE FASHION. KNOWN FOR HER UNIQUE BEAUTY AND INNOVATIVE USE OF MAKEUP, ISKA HAS CREATED A NEVER SEEN BEFORE LOOK FOR REBELICIOUS. FOLLOWING HER LATEST MAKEUP TUTORIAL (COMING SOON EXCLUSIVELY TO REBELICIOUSMAGAZINE.COM) TORIA SHOT WITH ISKA IN SOHO, AND CAUGHT UP WITH HER AFTER A WHIRLWIND OF EXPERIENCES.
We can find you on the books of Dark Arts and Ugly Models, how did that all start? When I was around 15 I looked up alternative modelling to find out what it was all about. I found Dark Arts online as it’s quite a big thing in the alternative world, especially in London. I read what I had to do to apply; it had to be professional photos, no webcam shots or anything, and they recommended modelmayhem.com. It’s free, but you have to understand that it is essentially strangers on the internet. But you’ve never had a bad experience? Yeah, I have never had a bad experience with any photographers I have worked with actually. If you go in with the right mindset, you can’t have a bad time. You can just work around any problems; you can learn from it and it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I created an account on Model Mayhem when I was living in Worcester. I lived there for 10 years of my life. From the age of about 16 onwards I feel I became more interesting to look at... modifying myself beyond my hair. I just wasn’t allowed to get piercings before I was 16, it had to be my own choice. My mum said she didn’t want to be involved in it; she wanted to wait until I was old enough to do things without her consent. So she waited until you knew yourself? Yeah, the age limits are there for a reason. I took pictures of myself with these new looks and uploaded them, then when I moved back
to London I was able to search for and get in touch with more photographers. It’s easier here than in Worcester! And that’s when you started to build everything up? When I moved here in September, that’s when it all started off. I had my first shoot with Ryan Harris via Model Mayhem; we made a date to go to Brick Lane. I have had a few weird messages on model mayhem, but I never reply to them – it’s very obvious to me and I know that I have to be careful. Don’t get your hopes up, and wait for the right shoot with the right person. I check out their past work and the comments that people they have worked with have left, and wait until I’m certain. Once you started to work with the right people, did you approach the agencies? I came across Stacey of Eustratia running a modelling competition on Facebook with two prizes, for the picture with the most likes and a personal favourite. I remember this! You were her personal favourite! I just can’t believe that. Obviously I wasn’t going to win on likes because huge amounts of professional models with fan pages entered. I’d never done anything like that before; it was so alien to me. I thought... I have a photo, I’ll just use it. Asha of Dark Arts then saw the picture through the competition and contacted me suggesting that I should apply. She was very accommodating about the lack of images as there was some variety in the shoot – I was on location wearing a few different outfits.
I then met you when you came to model the Eustratia line at Vau Vau Fashion Show when we first worked together. But since, you have been signed to Ugly... how did that come about? I’ve known about the agency from a very young age. It has been around for a long time. They have a lot of amazing people on their books; pre-internet people who are famous. Guinness World record holders for being the most modified, the most alternative. Everybody who did it without the internet – I can’t imagine how difficult it would have been to get into. I went to an audition with a recommendation from Asha, and got signed 2 months later. It turns out Asha heard from her friend at Ugly that he wanted to sign me straight away; she knew the whole time and didn’t tell me! It’s so nice to know that people are interested in what I do, with regards to talking to each other. People are telling other people about me, and all the "have you seen this" is what I have to thank. It’s why this has happened. You’re quite special in that you’re only 4ft 11, do you find that it holds you back or that it makes you more unique? It’s a double edged sword – if that’s the right expression! It does at first, it’s impossible to get paid jobs when you’re under 5ft 6 because it’s not high fashion, and there is no money in it. It’s not funded. High fashion models are almost the top, top artists – they make a lot of money.
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High fashion models are often made to look similar, or adapt, whereas alternative girls are known to create their own looks. You do your own makeup tutorials, which we can see on youtube; I was wondering what your favourite brands or items are with regards to makeup, to create the bold, different looks that we know you for. For colours, you definitely should try Sugarpill. It’s a nice small company who are doing really well for themselves, and it’s nice to fund that. They make really honest products – they do what they say they do, they are that nice, that pigmented, that soft... they haven’t cut corners with any of their products. I also wear Illamasqua for my foundation as well as owning a few bits and pieces. Does your makeup get influenced by what you wear, or the other way around? Or Neither? I think they’re married. I think they both just bounce off each other, help each other a lot. I don’t really know how it started, they just came together. From around the age of 11 I started changing, I wore nothing but black and dyed my hair red. I will send you a photo of what I looked like when I was 11 years old! There is a photo of me and all my friends at a party; you can’t even imagine how much I was the weird kid. Did you ever think you’d get into modelling? NO!!!!! No way, though something was always in the back of my head niggling at me. I knew I liked changing my appearance, and wished I could do something that involved that. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if my appearance was part of my lifestyle... and now it is.
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What would Iska then say to Iska now? I think I’d admire myself for doing it... things were different back then, tattoos weren’t ‘in.’ You hardly saw anyone alternative in that era. Every girl has a tragus piercing nowadays which is so weird. It started booming when I was at the end of school, people started feeling more comfortable about piercings. The tattoos on your neck are gills, and they symbolise evolution? Yes!
"You have to make leaps, keep on changing." Can you tell me why they’re so relevant to you, so much that you would get them tattooed? Yeah, they are relevant to my thoughts I guess. It really quickly and simply sums up some of my feelings about the world. First of all, I am pro evolution. I like to be reminded that we came from the sea, that we came from animals. We have changed, and we should carry on changing. There are no great thinkers of our time like there were; we have suddenly stopped thinking because we have been told to stop worrying about things that we don’t have to worry about, and we buy things that we don’t have to buy. Now, we have stopped thinking in the way that we used to as the human species. I hate to say that and I don’t want it to be true, but that’s the way it’s going – we’re not philosophers like we were, and it’s crazy. So it’s there to remind you to carry on thinking? Yes. We need to carry on. That’s why. Do you have any others? I have ‘time lost’ on my knuckles. Are you planning any more? It’s difficult – tattoos are really hard to fund, and my priority for modelling has to be buying clothes. I can’t just wear the same thing for every shoot, I have to wear something innovative for every shoot. I guess if I don’t, I can’t progress quickly enough. But tattoos are forming more and more in my mind; I want to save up and plan something SO well, get something big. A big idea. I want to have one big thing done in dotwork – no more black ink, just colour. I want to see how that disperses, as coloured ink tends to disperse. Like an art piece on yourself? An unpredictable tattoo... Yeah, I haven’t seen any other dotwork in any colour but red. I have tried to search, and I may have missed them, but I haven’t seen dotwork without any black. I want it to fit my body, built for me.
Like an accentuation; something complimentary. Yeah definitely. I tried to make these (points to neck) part of an accentuation, rather than just being stuck on. You have done a makeup tutorial for us too. How would you describe the look that you’ve made today that we can see in the photographs? I was just around Oxford Street the other week, and I was going around high street fashion shops. I went into Zara and places like that, who are keeping up with fashion. The higher end of fashion on the high street. I realized there was a mint revolution over night. Everyone just fucking loved mint! What’s that colour you’re wearing? It’s a little bit minty. It’s a little bit minty! It’s a minty jacket! Maybe this is a little bit minty! (Strokes wig) and I bought the mint Jeffrey Campbells. They’re pretty mint. I had been using bits of it in my makeup, so it started from there. I had my eye on the wig for ages and used our shoot as a great excuse to get it – it was something that people hadn’t really seen before as well. I wanted to do something that used similar techniques, but try it out with a new palette. I didn’t want to be stuck in a rut – it’s easy to do that if you almost perfect one look, you know you can do it. You have to make leaps, keep on changing. WORDS & PHOTOS: TORIA BRIGHTSIDE www.iska-ithil.tumblr.com www.facebook.com/iska.ithil www.toriabrightside.tumblr.com www.facebook.com/ toriabrightsidephotography
"People are telling other people about me, and all the "have you seen this?" is what I have to thank. It’s why this has happened."
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EXPOSED
Olivia Rose
Introduce yourself and tell us what sparked your interest in illustration…Hey! My name’s Olivia Rose and I am a freelance illustrator. I think the thing that really set off my interest in illustration is my mother. She studied fashion design at Central St Martins and I remember watching her do some really cool things as a kid. That’s where it all started. How long does it roughly take for you to complete an illustration? It really depends on what kind of thing I am drawing. It can take anywhere between 4 and 15 hours for me to complete something. If I’m really into the piece I usually finish it a lot faster.
Is being creative something you’ve always enjoyed? Since I can remember I’ve always loved being creative. I always have and still do enjoy watching cartoons and reading comic books! This definitely pushed me creatively in its own little way. Do you have any formal design training? I started drawing seriously when I was about 15 so I didn’t have any formal training as such then, but now I’m a bit older I am studying illustration and animation at university. Are there any pieces you’ve done that stand out as personal favourites? I have a couple of drawings I’ve done that I really like, its always hard for me to pick a favourite haha! What and who inspires you and your work? I always find it really hard to say who and what inspires me. Things that happen in my everyday life always inspire my work. I have a couple of artists that I really admire too that I’m pretty sure must have inspired me at some point. My favourite artist is H.R Giger… I just think his vision is amazing. If you could create a commissioned piece for anyone in the world, who would it be and why? Haha this one was really difficult. I’m trying to think of people I admire and would like to work for. I think I’d love to do a commission for Gareth Pugh or maybe Giger. I’d love to see what either of them would want me to draw in my style! Both of them have great visions so I’d be super intrigued to see what they would want! Do you have any goals that you hope to accomplish by the end of this year? I would really love to have my own art book or maybe even a makeup range of some kind! I have so many things I’d like to do in the future, but I’ll just have to see how it goes! Wish me luck!! www.lahlahlou.com
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PHOTOGRAPHER: JESSICA AUGARDE PHOTOGRAPHY www.facebook.com/jessicaaugardephotography HAIR: POPPY AUGARDE MAKEUP ARTIST: ALINE KALOUDI HAIR & MAKEUP ARTIST: FRANCINE OWENS ALICE DRESS AND RED QUEEN CROWN: MISS KITTY FANTASTICO MODELS ALICE: NYMPHET THE MAD HATTER: POPPY AUGARDE THE WHITE RABBIT: JENIVIEVE THE CATERPILLAR: LILY PICKLES THE QUEEN OF HEARTS: EON THE WHITE QUEEN: NATALEE LUNA MAY TWEEDLE DUM: CHARLOTTE LOUISE BAKER TWEEDLE DEE: DEBORAH SARAH BAKER THE CHESHIRE CAT: PARIS STAFFORD
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BOY MEETS WORLD Comedian Marc Burrows is a bewildered boy in a girly girls world. In his latest adventures, he talks clubbing, Benicassim and...meeting Bin Laden?
You can tell I’m getting old because I only have 2 settings in a nightclub; either frozen bafflement at music I don’t understand, or bouncing like a maniac shouting “TUNE! TUNE!”. There’s no middle ground- the difference seems to be whether the song came out before 2004 or not. You see, and this is really hard to admit, I’m 31. I have been for a few months now. Fortunately I still look about 12 and still get ID’d buying 15 DVD’s in Sainsburys (most recently the musical ‘Cabaret’), but still... It’s not like I feel grown up - when my Dad was 31 he had 3 kids, a mortgage and a proper job. I’ve got 2
Secondly I was invited to do stand up at the Festival Internacional De Benicassim, (or just ‘Benicassim’) in Spain, alongside fellow comedians Luke Benson, Joey Page and Sion James. It’s sort of V2012-on-sea. Almost everyone is British and most people are under 25. Sometimes it’s worryingly like a festival version of the Inbetweeners movie (the “Indietweeners”?), stuffed full of kids cutting loose after their A-levels. I found myself watching venerable indie godfathers the Stone Roses and feeling utterly out of place, when I noticed a weird thing happening - those sexy kids didn’t care that this band was as old as time. They got drunk, turned to each other, arms
Benicassim
"I’ve got 2 cats, a remote control Dalek and tell jokes, play bass guitar to people in silly hats and write nonsense about music. None of these are proper jobs..." cats, a remote control Dalek and tell jokes, play bass guitar to people in silly hats and write nonsense about music. None of these are proper jobs. If they were, I’d abandon them straight away and find something even sillier to do. There are people holding dogs on string outside Argos with a more reliable income than me, and I kind of like that, thank you very much. Anyway, 2 things have happened in the last month that made me feel my age for the first time. First of all I went out for an 18th Birthday party. I found myself on a night out in Soho with a large group of 18-21 year old girls, and it was nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. For a start, why do they cry so much? I’m sure I don’t remember that much crying. They all got tanked up on Vodka and Orange on the bus, strapping on shoes none of them could actually walk in, and by the time we got to the club 4 of them had been in a fight, all of them had cried and one had pee’d in a churchyard. I felt like ‘the grown up’. It was awful. 62 REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE
in the air, responded to the beat (The Roses being basically the Acid House Led Zeppelin) and danced their little hearts out. This time we all threw our hands in the air, I hugged a man dressed as Osama Bin Laden, bounced like a maniac and shouted “TUNE! TUNE!” and realised I’m just as clueless and immature as I’ve ever been. Long may that continue.
Marc and...Bin Laden?
Marc will be appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe 4-25th August, daily at 3.40pm at Chiquitos: details marcburrows.co.uk or twitter.com/20thcenturymarc Words: Marc Burrows Twitter: @20thCenturyMarc Marcburrows.co.uk
Marc and joey page
VOLUME: Bury All Rivals Machine Head or Killswitch Engage? Tony: Machine Head Mannix: Machine Head Martin: Killswitch Engage…he doesn’t have to say (pointing at Paul) Rebelicious: (to Paul who is zipping up his hoodie) what are you wearing? Paul: MACHINE HEAD! Dogs or cats? Tony: dogs! Mannix: Dags (him & Tony giggle) Martin: dogs Paul: depends how drunk I am…(all laugh) R: care to elaborate? Paul: I mean cats are tighter…dogs are… R: right next question! Playstation or xbox? Tony: Playstation! Mannix, Paul, Martin: Playstation Martin: PC Mannix: secret option – PC! Martin: Macintosh! Book or movie? Mannix/Tony: Movie Martin: Who? Mannix: Book or movie? Martin: Movie Paul: Book! I’m gonna be intellectual (laughs) Martin: you have to say book… Paul: Why? Martin: because you’re the writer? Paul: I don’t write, it’s just natural…I mean I don’t read (laughs) That was off the record… Martin: no it’s not!
Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone? Paul: Stallone! Tony: Schwatzy... Paul: no! Rocky! (laughs) Martin: Keanu Reeves! Download or CD? Tony: download Mannix: CD Paul: are we talking free or paid for? (all laugh) R: either or… Martin: download… Mannix: as long as they listen to us I don’t care! Pepsi or coke? Tony: pepsi Mannix: cokaheena! Paul: coke Martin: jack daniels DC or Marvel? Mannix: marvel Martin: marvel Tony: what the fuck? Martin: The DC universe versus the people from Marvel Paul: Batman’s DC right? Mannix: yeah Paul: Batman... just because of the last three films (laughs) Mannix: but it’s also got superman… Paul: nah, see superman’s a bit… Mannix: gay! Paul: gay… yeah... Mannix: yeah exactly, and Marvel they did The Avengers and that was fucking awesome.
Tony: right, whatever Batman comes under then… Paul: ah bullocks, just say Marvel! Band merch or streetwear? Mannix: band merch Tony: band merch Mannix: as long as it’s Bury All Rivals (laughs) Paul: I’m trying to think of that brand name… Tony: what, Bury All Rivals? Paul: No, err... Burberry! Tony: Burberry?! Paul: Yeah, innit blood! Last question: Skinny or baggy jeans? Mannix: Oh my god, seriously you wanted to include that?! R: yep! Tony: Have you ever seen me in skinny jeans?! They look like tights, and I’ve got quite muscly legs… Martin: we’re men, are we talking about ourselves or on women? Paul: Women? Tight. Men? Tony: ¾ lengths! Martin: Erm, tight! Paul: Gay! (all laugh) Tony: I’ve got a pair of bright red skinny jeans... they’re pretty scene. Paul: Depends what girls are though; if they’re emo girls then they’ve gotta wear tight… Tony: Yeah…tight like a tiger. www.facebook.com/buryallrivalsuk
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VOLUME: Don Broco
REAL HOME-GROWN TALENT HAS GRADUALLY BEEN INFILTRATING THE MASSES, AND IT SEEMS THAT ANOTHER NAME IS READY TO STEP UP TO THE RANKS OF THEIR BRITISH ROCK CONTEMPORARIES. COURTESY OF RELENTLESS TOURING AND THEIR EVER-GROWING FANBASE, DON BROCO HAVE BEEN TEETERING ON THE BRINK OF MUCH GREATER THINGS FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, YET THE WAIT FOR THEIR DESCENT INTO REAL RECOGNITION SEEMS OVER. THE SECRET WEAPON? THEIR NEW ALBUM ‘PRIORITIES’.
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But what is it about this record that makes it so damn special? Well, it seems their recipe for success was a combination of writing whatever they wanted to and then taking the time to really explore each little aspect. “We didn’t write with any kind of agenda,” notes guitarist Simon Delaney. “We just wanted to write songs that we thought sounded cool. We went in with a really open mind, so we’d take a look at every idea we had and we’d start to refine and work on those that came together.” “I’d say on this album, one thing that I’ve found is that with many of the songs we were given time to chill out,” adds Rob Damiani (vocals).
The notable development in their approach to writing is what he considers the singular factor of this process he is proudest of. “With our early demos and some of the songs on the EP, we rushed through everything. We had an idea, we’d give it a few seconds and then move onto the next idea we liked. With these, if there was something we really liked, we gave it its own moment to shine and let it build naturally within the song. Some of the songs have got a really cool, chilled vibe where we really opened it up and completely changed where the song was going, but in a natural way. I feel we were a bit more open in that sense; we’ve just given ourselves more time to concentrate on the bits we really like.”
I write lyrics, literally anything that I find interesting is included, whether it’s looking at how people react around each other or things that have gone on in my mates’ lives. “For one of the songs, I was on a night out; I saw some guys chatting up some girls and some of the lines they were coming out with were just ridiculous! I remember writing it down in my phone and saving it in my draft messages and piecing a song together afterwards about how ridiculous it was. There’s other ones that are a bit more personal, some about how I was feeling at a particular time about being in a band and grafting away. Literally anything I could think of, I crammed in.”
“When I write lyrics, literally anything that I find interesting is included..." Rob Damiani
“We’d written most of the basics in the van,” he adds. “We were actually on tour last year in May and we’d been wanting to get some songs down and get some ideas going. With other albums and stuff, we would've just practiced in the practice room, gone into the studio and just recorded it. But this one we did with our mate, so we actually had a bit of time to actually get in the studio and try out ideas, demo them a little bit, add stuff as we were recording. It was a really nice way to do it.” “The response from everyone has been overwhelmingly positive,” continues Simon. “We’ve been excited for everyone else to hear it, we really wanted to get it out there because we’d been living with it now for quite a few months and doing loads of interviews talking about the album, but obviously no one had actually heard it yet!” “Unfortunately everything takes quite a lot of time,” concludes Rob. “You’ve got to get all your stuff together, all your artwork, all your singles, all your videos in place and everything like that before you can really drop it. We’ve pushed it so this is the earliest we could possibly get it out and we’re just happy to get it going!” To the finer details of this album: what does it deal with lyrically? “It’s a whole range of stuff, really,” explains Rob. “I don’t like writing about one particular thing because I get quite bored. When
“I think [the title track] ‘Priorities’ a really good starting point,” he says, referring to the album’s overall sound. “In that song, it’s definitely got everything we’re about. It’s got the big, heavy guitar hooks - we just love our big riffs. It starts off with a bang, but it’s also got the melodic side to us; obviously the chorus is just all about melody. I would say, delving deeper into the album, there is a lot more to us. We’ve gone for some softer tracks here and there, we’ve gone for some different arrangements on some of the tracks. It’s definitely a varied album.” As for where this stands compared to their previous work, Simon suggests, “I think it’s like if you took our previous work, like our recent mini-album last year ‘Big Fat Smile’, it’s got still the same elements. Yeah, it’s still got riffs, it’s got hooks - but the riffs are bigger, the hooks are catchier and the songs are a bit more refined and better structured. We hope it’s seems like a natural progression but also a massive step up in terms of the quality of the different content!” Those who have heard the record so far can vouch for all that they have said. There’s something simply huge about this - a mammoth leap forward for the band, but all the while retaining their real essence. The hooks are massive, the choruses are addictive and there seems no sense in waiting around to listen to the record, because it’s simply a belter. Don Broco have been sitting on this release for quite some time now, but from here on in, it’s a fair assumption that this record could catapult them to the forefront of the current UK scene. www.facebook.com/donbroco WORDS: HEATHER MCDAID
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VOLUME: Sanguine
"Understanding the music industry is like trying to unstick a jam sandwich, it’s impossible, you just do
your best and hope that what you do gets through!"
For anyone that may not have heard about Sanguine before, introduce yourselves and your sound… Tarin: Sanguine is a female fronted alt metal/rock band. We’re a four piece with Nick Magee on vocals and guitars, Matt Feld on drums, Tom Sherwood on bass and myself (Tarin Kerrey) on vocals. Nick: We’re not a typical female fronted act as we like to keep our sound as eclectic as possible - we don’t think the female voice has been explored in rock and metal as much as it could have been. Many of the female fronted bands look and sound the same to me - opera goth with the odd sleaze punk band thrown in.....bit predictable. How did the band first start out? Tarin: I originally put together the band when I moved to Exeter to attend university. I already knew Nick from my college days so I recruited his talents straight away. Matt and Tom I found during my second year at uni. We were originally planning to be a prog-rock band, I was really into Tool at the time, but as our sound developed we just got heavier and heavier until we made the unique sound Sanguine is today. Nick: We just end up complimenting each other’s sound and none of us knew what Sanguine would turn out like - none of us knew we’d ever end up sounding like we do! Where do you get your inspiration from and what’s your musical background? Nick: I’ve been playing guitar all my life; I started on classical/Spanish, but all I ever wanted to be was a rock star! Both myself and Tarin are massive Faith No More fans, so a lot of our influences came from that era of music. Tarin: Me and Nick write the songs. We love the mixture of riffs, screams, melody and sometimes a sprinkle of strings and piano. We just love writing 'songs', we don’t write a song and then think "yeah let’s write 11 more songs that sound exactly like that" - that’s just boring for us 66 REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE
and the listener! Each song we write is individual, it’s a purging process; we get inspired by something and that takes over, that’s why we’re so eclectic in sound. If you were to recommend a track to a new listener, which would you pick and why? Tarin: Mmm that’s a hard one, being eclectic I would recommend that a new listener listens to at least three of our songs to show what we mean by the word 'eclectic'. Nick: I would recommend 'For Love' to show Tarin’s screaming and sung vocals, followed by 'Contagious' to show our quirky male/female side. Tarin: Actually...any new listeners can go to our website sanguineband. com and download our new FREE EP! There you can download a mixture of our songs for free - including our loveable track 'Bangkok Nights', which is about the sex industry in Thailand! Tell us an interesting/random fact about Sanguine? Tarin: Nick used to be female. Nick: Yeah I’m just a really hairy female! Tarin: No seriously - growing up was pretty ugly for me - my mum left when I was 9 then my father rejected me and my sisters when he remarried. At points my early life I’ve been homeless, unemployed without a penny to my name. Now look at me! I’ve worked with some major names like Adrian Smith, Mikee Goodman and Jesper Strombland - who would have ever thought it! It just goes to show that with drive and ambition you can achieve what’s in your heart, never stop dreaming and never grow up...growing up is a lie, everyone is just a big kid at heart. For anyone that hasn’t seen you perform yet, what should they expect from one of your shows? Nick: Blood, sweat and tears.
Tarin: Tears of sheer joy! Nick: We’re pretty energetic so bring your dancing shoes and clean pants. Tarin: But there will always be a chance to get your lighters out...I’ll sing you a love song at some point! Back in June you had the opportunity to support the mighty Megadeth, and play at Download Festival within the same week…not many bands can cross those two things off a to-do list! What were those experiences like? Nick: A-MA-ZING! yeah didn’t see that coming! Tarin: Download was awesome - it was nice to play on the Sunday. The sun finally came out, the rain stopped and joy was in the air! It blows my mind every time I think about it. It’s one of those experiences on retrospect that you keep going “did we do that?” whilst pinching yourself! Nick: Megadeth was an experience; Tarin got ill and had to sing with a perforated eardrum and serious throat infection, which is no mean feat, but we still nailed it....you just have to deal with these things. Tarin: Yeah and the fans of Megadeth are hardcore, they were lining up around the block hours before the venue opened - the crazy b*****ds! Do you have any pre-gig rituals/warm ups? Tarin: I try to find a quiet space half an hour before to warm up and focus, then just before we start we all give each other 'the look', like...”oh yeah - you ready?!” Nick: Yeah we’re like boxers psyching each other out just before we play! How did you approach the recording of your EP ‘Sanguine Live’? Nick: The live EP is just a few songs we had recorded at various venue’s and studio’s over the years. They’re not perfect but that’s sort of the idea...it's just raw us! We thought it’d be good for the fans to hear some of the songs like that. Just felt right. Tarin: Yeah we had no budget, these songs are raw, but it gives you an idea of what Sanguine is about. What are your favourite songs to perform? Tarin: Mmm it has to be 'Bangkok Nights' for me as it’s such a bizarre song. One minute I’m whispering sweet sexy nothings and next minute we’re on a hardcore breakdown. I love the song and the concept is just so damn strange. It was written after overhearing a man at a bar bang on about going to Thailand
to shag whores - well if you ever need inspiration...eavesdrop! Nick: 'Contagious' is pretty catchy (no pun intended!) and most of the fans go mental for it live. It’s basically a metal song with loads of laughs in it. Again the concept is strange - it’s all about shitty disco. Tarin: Yeah Nick always did a rant about the Bee Gees before we played 'Contagious' but we had to stop doing that back in May as Nick went on a massive rant about fucking the Bee Gees and then Robin Gibbs died the next day... we felt pretty bad so we’ve stopped asking the audience to fuck the Bee Gees out of respect! Nick: Ooops...my bad! What’s your wildest ambition for the band? Tarin: That we make a living from being musicians for the rest of our lives. We met Pat McManus (Mamas Boys) out in Ibiza this year and to be honest he has left a huge mark on me. He was still so consumed with the music and playing live, the joy that radiated off him, it was beautiful...I only hope that music will still inspire me like it does for Pat for the rest of my life, that would be amazing. Nick: Speak for yourself! If I don’t get my harem of women I’m quitting! What have you found to be the hardest thing about being a part of the current music industry? Tarin: Being a girl is pretty tough in a band as your expected to give up all your normal life things. Yep that means marriage, kids, holidays, nice clothes and hair do's! If you’re a girly-girl stick with being a solo artist...they get better treatment! In a rock/metal band your expected to work hard, lift heavy amps, drive lots and share your car with sweaty farting boys. Oh and every time you turn up to play at a venue expect to be mistaken for a 'groupie'! But as
much as it’s hard work...I LOVE IT - I love my boys - we have such a laugh, I love our band and the music we create. More importantly, I’ve managed to become immune to bad smells! Nick: Quite seriously the music industry has been bumping it’s butt along the ground since downloading started, hence you’ve seen a massive resurgence in old bands suddenly being back on tour as their old royalty cheques stopped arriving in the post! The industry went into a state of flux in the past decade as it no longer could charge people £15 for an album and no one was buying singles. So for a new band there is little revenue to be made from your actual product - the music. Bands at our level often lose money at gigs due to tour costs. But like all industries it will adapt and evolve, it has to! Understanding the music industry is like trying to unstick a jam sandwich, it’s impossible, you just do your best and hope that what you do gets through! I don’t think people realise quite how broke bands are because they see your life in an edited state via music video’s etc......the reality is much harder, but as a musician you can’t expect people to just understand that. We just do it because we love it. Plans for the future? Tarin: We’re planning to record our first full length album at the end of this year...it’s going to be epic we’ve got some amazing tracks and some awesome ideas so we can’t wait to get starting and show the world what we’re really capable of! Nick: It’s going to be exciting we’re just confirming it all now so we might be off to Europe to start recording soon. Then we’ll be back next year armed with a new album and some exciting tours...So watch this space. www.sanguineband.com
REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 67
WORDS: HEATHER MCDAID
ALBUM REVIEWS
WHILE SHE SLEEPS -
THIS IS THE SIX
SLIPKNOT - ANTENNAS TO HELL Across the board, ‘Greatest Hits’ compilations aren’t too exciting. Often released through a desire to bulk out their discography or spin a little extra money, they prove enjoyable through familiarity and little else. However, for Slipknot’s ‘Antenna’s To Hell’, this is not the case. What this compilation holds is simple: history. A chronological tour through one of metal’s greatest success stories, Slipknot have encapsulated their entire career to date in a simple 19 track disc. Plucking songs from their first duo of releases - their eponymous debut and celebrated ‘Iowa’ - the listener is lured through the earliest evolutions of one of the genre’s iconic bands. Before moving onto the latter duo of releases, two live recordings are offered up: ‘The Heretic Anthem’ and ‘Purity’. Those who have seen Slipknot can testify that they are a force to be reckoned with in a live capacity, so it seems fitting to include this ferocity into their story. The latter half displays tracks from both ‘Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)’ and ‘All Hope Is Gone’ including ‘Pulse of the Maggots and acclaimed ‘Psychosocial’. Most pertinently, the album concludes with fitting number: ‘Snuff’. A sincere way to end this guided tour of their career; they have signalled the end of one chapter, yet the potential for something new grinds ahead. Slipknot have faced their share of issues throughout their career, from battling addiction to the loss of their best friends, yet ‘Antennas To Hell’ pays testament to the resilience and strength that has brought them to where they are today. This celebrates the journey they’ve taken and the troubles they’ve survived, all the while showcasing a career most would envy. 68 REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE
Sheffield’s own While She Sleeps are a band who have earned their successes through dedication and hard graft, so it’s unsurprising their full-length debut ‘This Is The Six’ proves highly anticipated. With the band themselves citing that this really pushes their musical boundaries, the follow up to 2010’s mini-album ‘The North Stands For Nothing’ has a high bar set by all involved. Opener ‘Dead Behind The Eyes’ reaffirms that they’ve mastered the metalcore sound, as if laying the basic groundwork they then build upon. ‘False Freedom’ follows with a gruelling assault on the senses, layering melodic guitar work and roaring vocals over a rapid drumbeat - two tracks in is enough to confirm that this album is something mammoth. The musical attack continues throughout the record, but with a twist; ‘Satisfied in Suffering’ has a real bounce to its riffs, while the title-track continues the brash quality, before throwing in crowd pleaser chant “This is the six”, one sure to be screamed back passionately in a live capacity. ‘Love At War’ relies on an elegant piano introduction to lure the listener, in turn proving to be one of the stand out tracks. Typifying the diversity they are capable of by seamlessly transitioning between anthemic elegance and more brutal musicality, there’s something there to be admired. ‘This Is The Six’ is a stunning debut from a band fearless in their style. Rather than continuously force the heavier factors, they’re comfortable to let the melodic and anthemic moments take the forefront when suitable. It’s this unpredictability that makes this release so interesting, and it’s lived up to expectations. While She Sleeps have produced something absolutely colossal.
BURY TOMORROW THE UNION OF CROWNS Thriving is one way to described the current metalcore scene, oversaturated is another. Like most genres, it possesses key characteristics in the music, yet many artists lack that certain flavour to set themselves apart from the rest. Despite a long gap following 2009’s acclaimed debut ‘Portraits’, Britain’s own Bury Tomorrow is ready to drop the anticipated follow-up and, thankfully, ‘The Union of Crowns’ seems to have that little something different. Contrast is vital in this release, from the harsh beats and aggressive roars to the soaring vocals and smooth melodics. Opener ‘Redeemer’ instantly demonstrates this with a heavy undertone, layered with an eerie, lighter guitar. Cranking up the pace, clean vocals lure the listener through the first bulk of verse before the track takes a brutal twist, with a purely anarchic tempo rise and serious growls. Flitting between the two contrasting ideas seamlessly proves a key success. ‘Knight Life’ typifies this, with violent roars entwined with light harmonics; the chorus holds clean vocals and catchy undertones, while the verse drops the big riffs and roars. ‘1603’ elegantly lures the listener in with its piano intro, before the electrics kick in and the song takes an anthemic turn. The seamless transition between this and successor ‘Sceptres’ proves a surprise as they couldn’t be much more different if they tried. From light piano to harsh breakdowns, the band have nailed seamless transitions in the most diverse of aspects. ‘The Union of Crowns’ isn’t particularly groundbreaking, nor a huge departure from their past work, but they’ve honed their style while pushing the core ideas in new directions. A neat successor to ‘Portraits’, this feels like a great natural progression for Bury Tomorrow.
ALBUM REVIEWS
WORDS: HEATHER MCDAID
THE KING BLUES LONG LIVE THE STRUGGLE Usually albums are a new chapter in a band’s story, or the start of something new, but the sad reality of The King Blues’ fourth album ‘Long Live The Struggle’ is that this signals the end of a modern political force for music. Unafraid to air their qualms with the world and its ways, The King Blues spoke for the underdogs, for the disgruntled, for the youth of today and this is their final foray as such. And what a send off this is. Producing some of the most diverse work to date, there’s such a stark contrast across the board. ‘We Are What We Own’ encompasses the band’s class acoustics and angry vocals teamed with a more optimistic, soaring sing along. The opener contrasts this with a dubstep-infused, dance track that meshes Itch’s rapped vocals on the system with an addictive chorus that declares “We are the future!”, though ‘Modern Life Has Let Me Down’ possesses the biggest, catchiest chorus on the entire release. ‘Keep The Faith’ is a brooding number that concludes proceedings with a bit of hope for the future - “I believe that I ain’t gonna fall...”. ‘Long Live The Struggle’ is different and it’s exciting. On a first listen it can catch you off guard, but that doesn’t take away from some of the quality being created. The King Blues have retained many of the elements they’re synonymous with but continued to tread new ground at the same time. Their departure comes with a quality album, but it also leaves a gaping hole in music where a strong political voice for youth used to be.
TARJA - ACT I Live audio recordings should possess an essence, an atmosphere that is simply lacking on a regular album. Ex-Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen is keen to mark a new chapter in her solo career by capturing her work following her split from the band in this raw, live form and at moments, it does work. Here, she is stripped back and restrained; yet the simpler musical surroundings do allow her sublime vocal capabilities to take centre stage. However, this is meticulously arranged and, excluding the raucous audience screams doused throughout, the live quality seems to have been overpowered - something has disappeared between performance and production. Don’t be fooled though, there are moments of real quality on there, from the anthemic and soaring ‘Never Enough’ to her sinisterly haunting rendition of ‘Phantom of the Opera’. What’s more is she combines “Where Were You Last Night”, “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” and Bon Jovi classic “Livin’ On A Prayer” into a quirky medley that proves a stand out over the entire two-disc release. Tarja is supremely talented - that much is not in question but, for a live release, something has gone amiss. A few listens in and you still feel like her live capabilities are being somewhat downplayed by this CD. ‘Act 1’’s issues are not in the songs themselves, but the way in which many have translated from stage to disc, and that’s a real shame. Fans will undoubtedly love this because it displays the talent and vocal prowess Tarja possesses, but hopefully future live discs will retain a crisper quality to her live talents.
LINKIN PARK - LIVING THINGS When a band holds an iconic back catalogue and definitive sound, heading down the more experimental route can prove a little risky. Dividing the crowd with their most recent offerings, Linkin Park sparked further worry of abandoning their roots entirely as the likes of leaked ‘Lies Greed Misery’ seemed a dubstep track tailored strictly for radio play. Overall, they’ve acknowledged calls for their older sound, yet stuck to their guns with their new direction and attempted to find a happy medium between the two. Steeped in dubstep and electronic nuances, it feels tamer than most modern counterparts; the tight production causes the electronic elements to overpower all else, yet it still somehow feels underwhelming. First track ‘Lost In The Echo’ embodies this subdued electronic sound over a rockier undertone, as Chester’s soaring vocals render the track almost anthemic. Its successors all follow a similar suit - there are harder undertones, subdued electronic workings and a soaring chorus. There’s a strict formula across the board and despite the lack of excitement created musically, the likes of ‘Burn It Down’ find themselves infiltrating your head after a few listens. ‘Victimized’ is short yet explosive, with Chester screeching across the chorus and Mike’s rapping guiding the listener through the verse; though it’s not lyrically exciting, this is one of the few really unpredictable tracks. There’s something lacking. ‘Living Things’ is enjoyable because it’s okay, and that’s the issue: it’s just okay. Nothing stands out, nothing seems new and in a scenario where Linkin Park are supposed to be paving the way in their new sound, they seem left behind by their chart contemporaries.
ROB ZOMBIE - MONDO SEX HEAD Rob Zombie has never been fearful of the unconventional. Though an icon of horror, he’s happily handed some of his career’s most iconic works over to a string of DJs, let them have their wicked way with it and released the collective results for fans. Like most remix albums, the enjoyment taken from ‘Mondo Sex Head’ relies heavily on personal preference. Though some DJs have retained the songs original essence and added their own little flavour to it, others have completely deconstructed the classics in hope of building something entirely new and innovative. JDevil - Korn’s Jonathan Davis - understands the skill of remixing something a little monstrous, as proven by his band’s latest effort ‘The Path of Totality’. Taking White Zombie’s ‘Thunder Kiss ‘65’ as his base, he added an electronic quirk to the number while still preserving much its original feel. In stark contrast, Photek’s ‘Living Dead Girl’ is seven minutes of subdued trance, to the point it feels lacklustre and becomes background music. The number has totally lost its punch in this form. The likes of ‘Dragula’ retains Zombie’s grungy beats yet entwines itself with a trance sound, finding the right balance of new and old, something applicable to many others - ‘Superbeast’ and ‘Mars Needs Women’ to name but two. If you can stomach Zombie being remixed, this is enjoyable. Individual preferences heavily dictate what works and what doesn’t. Personally, an essence of the original is a selling point, and in turn the ‘Living Dead Girl’ remix isn’t up to par with the majority of the album. Not all Rob Zombie fans are likely to enjoy his work in this form, but alternatively many could find themselves surprised at how enjoyable this record can be. REBELICIOUS MAGAZINE 69