Nerve Magazine Vol. 1 #5

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MARCH 13

WHO’S ON BOARD? Editor Toby Gray editor@nervemedia.org.uk

Features Editor Victoria Richards Kath Mathews (sub) Noora Salonen (sub) LaTeesha Osborne (sub) features@nervemedia.org.uk

Fashion Editor Natalie Glaze Grace Williams (sub) Holly Welsh (sub) fashion@nervemedia.org.uk

Sport Editor Dan Welling Oscar Tollast (sub) Craig Rodhouse (sub) sport@nervemedia.org.uk

Entertainment Editor Joshua Iredale Tara May Cox (sub) ents@nervemedia.org.uk

Comment Editor Natalie Taylor

Got it COVERED P39

Check what we’ve got for you this month...

HIDDEN GEMS This month, we caught up with some of the most exciting musical talents out there, all set out for massive 2013’s.The line up includes Peace, Blitz Kids, Sam Gray and Local Natives. See it as an iPod reboot.

comment@nervemedia.org.uk

Online Editor Maddie Feltham Lucy Hitchcock online@nervemedia.org.uk

Photo Editor Rachael Sanders photo@nervemedia.org.uk

Subbing Rachael Reynolds Anushka Naidoo Hellie Vegas Media Coordinator Joe Tattersall

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SHOELACE EXPRESS A 7000 mile trek around the entire coast of Great Britain, with just a backpack, a blog and a hell of a lot of blister cream. We catch up with explorer extraordinaire Tommy Brabham.

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THE ENEMY The Coventry based indie-rock trio are back for a UK tour after somewhat of a music hiatus. We catch up with the lads on what they’ve got planned.

sunerve@bournemouth.ac.uk 01202 961681

Wanna Join?

For opportunities to get involved, whether it be writing, design, illustration, photography or even a spot of photobombing, email editor@nervemedia.org.uk for details.

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BOURNEMOUTH MISTAKES We’ve all made them. and probably more times than we’d like to admit. But for future reference, this definitive list of stupid stuff to avoid will guide you along the correct and proper path.

Maybe.

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COURTNEY TULLOCH

This 17 year old gymnast has emerged as one of brightest talents at Team GB’s disposal. We chat to the man, ahead of what is set to be a glittering career.

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Contributors

Writers John Gusman James Hibberd Abi Payne-Humphries Bryony Diplock Charlotte Gay Jozef Kulik Sophie Turner Adam Trimby Ben Fisher Jonny Monsour Alex Hocking Anushka Naidoo Jack Dyson Drew Sleep Tom Beasley Ben Tyrer Designers Joanna Poulton Lauren Debono-Elliot Will Oxford Rachel Burke Hollie Brotherton Illustrators Grant Corlett Nathan Hackett Becky Hill Sam Mattacott Alice Kirkham

Word From Your Editor

Whilst it may not be barbecue season just yet, or even ‘under five layers’season, that’s no reason not to throw off the shackles of university life, settle down, and read Issue #5. And what a stormer we’ve got for you too.

The Enemy start off the issue, as they talk to us about their return to music after a two year hiatus.

Plus, to appreciate the wealth of talent out there, but which doesn’t necessarily hit the charts, we’ve decided to go ahead and talk to some of the artists you need to be listening to this year. First up, we chat to indie rock sensations Peace and Blitzkids, followed by singer/songwriter Sam Gray and LA four-piece; Local Natives.

Keep Up facebook.com/nervemagazine twitter.com/nervemagazine www.nervemedia.org.uk

Important Stuff Here at SUBU, we print on 100% recycled paper using vegetable -based inks by Indigo Press Limited, achieving ISO14001 and FSC accreditations.

Nerve Magazine is produced

by SUBU (the Students Union @ Bournemouth University).

Information correct at time of going to press (February 2013).

The views expressed are not necessarily those of Nerve Media, SUBU or the Editor.

Nerve Magazine is printed on 250 gsm silk cover and 115gsm body provided by Indigo printing Press.

To reassure you that student life, with all its assignment worries, isn’t all that bad, we chat to Tom Brabham of Shoelace Express, an explorer trekking around the entire coast of Great Britain for charity. We take a look at the biggest mistakes to avoid in Bournemouth, allbeit we’ve probably all made most of them already. We also talk with one of the biggest propects in British gymnastics; Courtney Tulloch.

Alongside all the regular AFCB and varsity coverage, where we take a look at Marc Pugh and netball respectively, and finish it all of with the regular features, fashion and entertainment, to make the transition to spring a joyful wonder.

Toby Gray

The Full Line Up

REGULARS

FASHION

07 Mix Tape

14 Street Style

08 Heads Up!

15 Rihanna and River Island

09 Winners/Losers

16 Fashion event calendar

30 Photo of the month

17 A digital makeover

34 Reviewed

FEATURES

54 Milk!

OPINION

13 BU bucket list 21 Unveil prevail

18 BMI: mind over platter?

24 Bournemouth mistakes

28 The British Bulldog and the EU

27 Alexander Jarvis

57 Dropping the bomb

32 Shoelace Express

on British war reporting

59 Top 5: treats we miss

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORT

10 The Enemy

22 Courtney Tulloch

36 One night in Bournemouth

46 Driving thrill

40 Peace

48 AFCB: Marc Pugh

42 Blitz Kids

50 Varsity: Netball

43 Sam Gray

52 Lance Armstrong

44 Local Natives

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Essential TRACKS we’ve been listening to this MONTH

BASTILLE POMPEII We’re yet to work out whether this is Indie or mainstream. It’s currently on Radio One’s playlist, but do you know what?

We don’t care. We’ve been unable to stop listening to this song. It features on Bastille’s debut album - Bad Blood - out early March. The music video features two strikingly alike blokes, a lot of overdilated pupils, and a wind farm: standard.

LAURA MVULA CAN"T LIVE WITH THE WORLD

YOUNG GALAXY PRETTY BOY Taken from the synth-pop outfits upcoming album, this upbeat track with a quickening electro harp pulse is a foot tapper from start to finish. The soothing, crisp vocals over a hand patted drum beat display a band clearly having fun with their music, as the retro 80s feel reinvents itself once again.

This song comes from the rising star Laura Mvula’s debut album, which is being released on the 4th of March. This peaceful track includes harps and horns to accompany Laura’s sublime vocals.

She’s tipped for stardom in 2013, and the track is perfect for a chilled, laid back days listening.

KURT VILE WAKIN’ ON A PRETTY DAY The way Kurt Vile’s distinctively soothing lo-fi indie folk makes everything feel so simple and proper is a rare construct. Utilising shimmery acoustic guitar, spacey flanger and Vile’s trademark close mic vocals, the start compares to Wilco’s early work before erupting into a Neil Young-esque country guitar fest that perfectly ends the track.

At nine minutes, the song floats by with assured ease, and for what it’s worth, the track could go on for 20 and we wouldn’t be complaining.

THE RUBENS MY GUN Meet the Australian Kings of Leon. It’s a bold claim to make, but when you listen to the bluesy sing-along lyrics written by the Margin brothers, you can just imagine Wild West gunslingers silently nodding their heads in approval to this fantastic southern tune.

THE POSTAL SERVICE A TATTERED LINE OF STRING

FALL OUT BOY MY SONGS KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN THE DARK (LIGHT EM UP) The band that played at many a school disco are back, but it came as some surprise when Fall Out Boy decided to reappear on the music scene. Their new song seems much more grown up than their previous tracks. Nevertheless, we’re sure you will all be digging out those old Fall Out Boy albums after hearing this track.

Head straight to the playlist by scanning the QR code or visit www.nervemedia.org.uk

For a decade now, we’ve waited patiently for a follow up to indie classic ‘Give Up’ from Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard and DNTEL’s Jimmy Tamborello. Unfortunately, we’re not getting that, but they have released this new track to accompany their 10 year anniversary re-release. It’s funky, upbeat and beautifully well produced. Just don’t tease us guys, make another album already, we’re yearning.

LOCAL NATIVES THREE MONTHS Local Natives 2nd album Hummingbird is a record full of twinkling Americana and thoughtful, considered music. This is the highlight though. It’s quite and minimal, with sweeping, high tone vocals that float over a muted drum beat and rich piano. Check out our interview with the LA boys over on page 44!

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HEADS UP! YOUR MONTH IN BOURNEMOUTH

RUSSELL KANE @BIC 7 MARCH CLUBBING Those Kids Are Meatballs

60 Million Postcards 28 February

Enter

The Old Fire Station 2 March

Bedlam presents Ram Jam

GIGS

EVENTS

The Old Fire Station 28 February

BIC 27 February

O2 Academy 7 March

BIC 1-2 March

BIC 8-9 March

BIC 7 March

O2 Academy 16 March

Pavillion 21 March

O2 Academy 25 March

BIC 21-24 March

BIC 26 March

The Old Fire Station 21 March

The Alarm Lawson

Olly Murs

O2 Academy 8 March

Halestorm

O2 Academy 22 March

Skunk Anasie

Aruba 31 March

Biffy Clyro

O2 Academy 12 April

Little Comets

The Old Fire Station 13 April

Canterbury

Jagermeister Tour Jazz Juice

One Nation Country Club

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The Old Fire Station 15 April Sound Circus 19 April

Circus of Horrors Harry Hill Russell Kane Puppetry of the Penis

Not that the name sounds like a cartoon dog: Biffy Clyro @ BIC, 26 March

Micky Flanagan Comedy Nation BU Snowriders Ski Trip Les Deux Alpes 29 March

Secret Wars

The Old Fire Station 20 April

You better believe it: DJ Hype @ One Nation, O2 Academy, 12 April

England’s win over Brazil shouldn’t be counted as one of their all time best results, but the performance by Wilshere showed what the Three Lions have been missing from the midfielder since his prolonged absence. Wilshere’s dynamism, energy and precision was the talk of the night. Let’s hope he’s ready to deal with the media hype machine.

The nations favourite moody, sarcastic and occasionally downright vulgar TV personality has exploded back on to our screens. Black Mirror returns more harrowing than ever, examining the impact of modern technology on our lives. Testament to its success, Robert Downey Jr recently acquired the rights to a 1st season episode to develop into a feature film.

Add that to his classic satire in BBC’s Weekly Wipe, Brooker is dominating British TV at the moment.

With over 44 million collective YouTube views in a single week, 2013’s first major meme has taken off at breakneck speed. With tons of replications across Bournemouth alone, it display a ferocious insight into the power of viral, and considering the video that sparked it off actually has far less views than some of its replicates, it deserves big respect for its grooving ability.

PS4

WINNERS

After the difficult years of the PS3, Sony’s Next-Gen console; Playstation 4 looks to have won the hearts and minds of gamers. With revolutionary features such as the share button that will allow gamers to stream what they’re playing to their friends and the Gaikai streaming service that will open up the entire Playstation back catalogue up, the tentative release date of Holiday 2013 is looking incredibly far away.

LOSERS MONTH OF THIS

A damming one year report by the Australian Crime commission claimed that Australia’s winter sports, Rugby League and Aussie Rules football were rife with doping fueled by organised crime syndicates. For a nation that loves their sport, this was a devastating report, but one that we should all be very concerned with.

Us Brits are known for our monarchy - but imagine everyone’s surprise when we casually dug up one of our most famous rulers from a Leicester car park.

He deserved better than that, poor buggar.

With this whole horsemeat scandal on, it seems that people are forgetting the REAL losers of the whole deal. First glue, the Sarah Jessica Parker jokes and now ending up in people’s burgers. Horses just can’t catch a break.

This loathsome fella could place on this list every month, but February was particularly damning for his tattered reputation. After their feud outside a recording studio, Brown was snapped refusing to join in on Frank Ocean’s standing ovation at this year’s Grammy’s. Even Sid Owen got in on the act, with an ironic smirk in this classic photobomb. Or maybe he’s just pleased to be at a showbiz party....

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THE ENEMY After a two year “whirlwind period” that threatened the life of the band, The Enemy are set for their triumphant return to music this year. Ben Fisher catches up with the Coventryborn trio on their new tour, touching on everything from HMV to FIFA

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he Enemy aren’t anything too spectacular at all. Or at least that’s what drummer Liam Watts would like you all to think. But the Coventryborn three-piece band have played with the likes of The Rolling Stones and Oasis in recent years, which would suggest otherwise, wouldn’t it?

Coventrians are stereotypically known for their fondness of seaside resorts and these landlocked boys of the Midlands are no different. They were just keen on hitting Bournemouth in order to meet new fans.

"We’re just doing some dates at the minute and it’s always good to meet new fans. The Old Fire Station is a new one and it’s good to get to a new venue. Some bands do the same old places. It’s nice to get off the beaten track, come to a new area and meet the fans that may have never had the opportunity to see us before."

The band have announced recession-like ticket prices, of just five pounds at certain venues on their ‘Propaganda Tour’, making it even harder not to praise the likeable Watts and his band.

"We were really keen to get the band to new people.

We spoke to management about it and it came out that they could keep the prices down - Propaganda is a great night out too."

Recently announced as headliners for the Strawberry Fields Festival, Watts insists there’s a distinct difference of gigs during festival season.

"You do notice the different time of year at festivals.

It’s a completely different atmosphere inside a venue when it does really go off with a bunch of Enemy fans.

It’s all about playing to the people."

The Enemy was formed as a trio of school-boy 16year olds clubbed together with a few Fender guitars and a handful of lyrics, before releasing their first album We’ll Live and Die in These Towns in 2007. Now, in an online era Watts labelled the decline of HMV as ‘pretty sad’.

"We had massive amounts of people buying vinyl for the first time (for the first album) but second time around the record companies weren’t as keen in physically producing the music. I think it’s becoming a bit too disposable and transparent because an album needs love and care into it. It doesn’t need to be put together, just to shift a load of singles. I hope the industry doesn’t end up in a place where it will affect real people. I’d like to hear organic albums."

Young groups trying to make the grade may be disillusioned by the difficulty of trying to break through into the industry, but the band’s first manager, John Dawkins gave them the words of wisdom they needed.

"He gave us the best advice we were ever given. It was that put us where we are now. He said that if you don’t believe in yourself - then nobody else will either.

Now we are in a great place, after a bit of a whirlwind few years where radio turned its back on bands a little and the scene seemed to quieten down a little."

Watts is honest. He says that the two-year break was a time that they needed after a "whirlwind period" and a rather unusual approach led to the band making their comeback album The Streets in the Sky. "We didn’t even tell management that we had begun recording again and I think that allowed us to make Enemy albums the way they should be, with

ENTS

“

It’s easy for bands to be drawn in by the big smoke of London, but we are normal lads just living normal lives

”

experience and knowhow. That album is the closest to how we sound live.

"It sounds stupid but we lost contact with fans. I think we all thought Twitter was a joke but we have got on that a lot more recently."

When asked about his personal account that boasts a grand total of zero tweets, but a whole lot of followers, a mop-haired Watts admits it wasn’t even him that made such a profile: "Tom set up my account and I’m yet to tweet so maybe I’m building myself up for a big ole’ tweet", joked the drummer.

He is uneasy about the idea of being a celebrity. "It’s easy for bands to be drawn in by the big smoke of London, but we are normal lads just living normal lives. I don’t really get celebrity lifestyle. I mean, we get to go to great places, meet great people but I like friends - I like families."

Somewhat frightened by reality TV-shows, including Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Watts admits: "I’d love to go to the jungle and get stuck into it. But then we have celebrities dancing or diving – I just don’t understand that. We should let the professional dancers do the dancing and the professional divers do the diving. It’s a bit of a freak show really and then we vote to get them out. Maybe I’m a bit of a sceptic."

The Enemy have performed just about everywhere, despite only making their first appearance in Bournemouth in February. "Doing Wembley Stadium with Oasis and then on the roof for the FA Cup Final was just great. I feel like we’ve done it from all angles now."

The band feature on gaming hit FIFA 13, with their track Saturday. "It’s weird hearing yourself on there.

We love football; it’s a nice relaxation. When we were getting the ferry back from Dublin, Andy was gutted he couldn’t get hold of the scores. I’m not such a big football fan but we always have a footy on tour.

"We are normal lads making music doing something we love doing, and we want to give it one hundred per-cent. I hate seeing other bands farting around. People spend money to see you, you know, they might get that babysitter in, just once a month – and it is too easy to forget that sometimes. I don’t even like the word fans – people like Rihanna use that word."

Watts and co. are clearly ambitious but they’re enjoying life as The Enemy, as they are and that’s just about it really. Watts added, "We are just happy doing what we are doing. We want to carry on making albums, and take it as it comes, it would be great to be able to keep playing until we can no longer physically play."

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Official BUcket List

----------Make the Summer ball survivors photo - Take a ride on the Bournemouth balloon - Go skiing with BU Snowriders - Skinny dip -Skydive Nerve’s suggestions

--------- Study or volunteer abroad - Attempt a Man vs Food challenge - Make homemade alcohol - Take part in a protest (fight the power!)

“

But other goals might be extremely personal: to overcome a phobia of getting old, to finish writing a song about someone special, or to get a photograph you are proud of published.

It can be intriguing to look at other people’s lists. From seeing their completed and incomplete goals; you will delve somewhat into their personality.

It takes a minute to scrawl down the goals you strive for at the front of your mind.

Crossing off things from the list that you have done will be a very fulfilling experience.

Mollie Perella, a first year MultiMedia Journalism student, has completed an excellent goal that surrounds on the Leggit experience offered to you all at the beginning of each year – getting as far away as you can with no money.

"We arrived in Milan an hour before the deadline, and came 5th out of 97 teams! I felt so proud of myself and my team."

Mollie feels that her experience was something she will never forget for the rest of her life, and hopes to do it next year.

Achieving these sort of goals takes

planning, and bucket lists help you do just that. You might want to set up an online account on a bucket list site or blog and track your goals that way. Or you might be more creative; make a scrapbook, a canvas, a journal, a letter. That’s where the upcoming BU Bucket list comes in. In support of Macmillian, the list will comprise of all kinds of goals to get your heart racing, and will unite all students by sharing these mutual objectives So whatever your goals are, write them down! Organise them and cross them off, and you might be surprised how many appear on the official BU bucket list. You may want to live abroad like Ben Fisher, meet inspiring people like Katrina Quick, or on a more comical note, use an over-turned Asda trolley as a barbeque, courtesy of Alex Folkard. Think, and act now on making your dreams become reality. Motivate yourself, before anyone else does, because it’s your dreams resting in your hands!

Bournemouth University is getting its own bucket list on the 12th March. Look out for posters being given away in the Atrium!

We want to travel, we want to do and see the things we’ve always hoped to experience

Design Lauren Debono-Elliot

- Attempt a world record

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rom one human to the next, sometimes we ask thoughtprovoking questions. We all question our existence and wonder how we can live life to the fullest, whether considering how to make the most of our freedom in youth, or looking at the bigger picture, across our whole life.

We want to travel, we want to do and see the things we’ve always hoped to experience. All of our combined aspirations and dreams, a world away to the person we are sat next to.

The ultimate purpose of a ‘bucket list’ is to organise our list of goals and dreams in a way that we can see them in their entirety, and satisfactorily scribble them away once we achieve them. Many of us might just have a mental list of things we’d like to do in our lifetime, but often people write their list down on paper. In the thriving digital era, there are also many online websites we can use to get jumbled thoughts in writing, such as bucketlist.org. There is no excuse not to have one!

Using a bucket list is a fantastic way of getting our dreams to look like more of a do-able goal, and to motivate.

Many people have similar items on their list: to skydive, to visit another country, to fall in love.

Many of us have thought about the things we want to achieve before we die, but rarely get around to ticking them off. With BU’s new official bucket list, making the most of your experience is easier than ever. Kath Matthews investigates

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LIVE YOUR LIFE

FEATURE

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DEVIL IN THE DETAIL THIS MONTH’S STREET STYLE PICKS

Design Hollie Brotherton

These street style snaps, taken by our house fashion photographer Andrea Pereira show the power of perfect styling; showcasing how it’s the finer details that hold the key to a brilliantly put together look

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RIHANNA

FASHION

FOR

RIVER ISLAND Rihanna’s hotly anticipated River Island line is set to hit the high street in March and we can expect everything quinessentially stylish about the global star

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Words Holly Welsh Design Toby Gray

t’s nearly here; the date fashion fans across the nation have been waiting for. Ever since it was announced last year the international megastar was going to collaborate with River Island to create her very own collection, we’ve been counting down the days.

Well the wait is over. The line was unveiled at this years London Fashion Week, and set for high street retail release on 5th March 2013. It aims to showcase her quirky look alongside her self-proclaimed admiration for British fashion.

Talking about her collection to press, Rihanna said; "Launching at London Fashion Week is a dream come true for me. I have wanted to design my own collection for a long time and to present my collection for River Island alongside all of the other great design talent at LFW is a real privilege. I can’t wait to see the reaction from my fans and the fashion press!"

As Rihanna describes the much anticipated line, which she has designed alongside her costume designer Adam Selman as a vision she’s "wanted to design for a very long time". Pairing up with River Island has allowed her the chance to put her statement stamp on UK fashion with clothes for young ‘sassy’ personalities. Contrary to the traditional fashion pattern of catwalk inspiring high street trends, she sees the inspiration working the opposite way, so decided to begin there.

The high street heroine says her diverse range of moods inspires the style of the range, and admitting she’s not afraid to show them will relate to her fans intimately. She describes the casual, flirty design. which blends chic elements, aimed for every female shape to wear with confidence and comfort.

Rihanna’s aim; to design a clothing range inspired by her own style an edgy character without trying too hard. It’s ‘just simple’.

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YOUR ULTIMATE

FASHION EVENT GUIDE 2013 BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL FASHION WEEK STUDENT COMPETITION

When: 9th March 2013 Where: Millennium Port Birmingham What: Birmingham Fashion Week will host the first international fashion student competition in an attempt to seek out the most creative fashion students from all around the world. The winners will earn the opportunity to showcase their whole collection FREE on the runway at Birmingham Fashion Week 2014. Presenting a great chance to see what the future fashion designers have to offer and what to look forward to from these talented young minds.

NEW DESIGNERS EXHIBITION

When: 26th June 2013 Where: Islington - London What: Young designers gather in their thousands to showcase their fresh and innovative creations at the Business Design Centre for two weeks this summer.

Everything from fashion to graphics, interiors to architecture, is displayed as over 3,500 students represent over 200 top UK design courses. A chance to see what fellow students have been up to for the last few years.

LIVERPOOL FASHION WEEK

When: 14th – 19th October 2013 Where: Liverpool What: The self-proclaimed biggest fashion event of the north, the perfect opportunity to follow the fashion happenings nationwide.

BOURNEMOUTH VINTAGE FAIR

When: 24th March 2013 Where: Bournemouth Pavilion What: The UK’s biggest travelling vintage event is coming to Bournemouth, featuring vintage fashion from the 1940’s-80s as well as home ware accessories and jewellery. The day provdes the opportunity for a day out, as it also hosts a vintage tea party with cakes and cupcakes. It also hosts a vintage hair lounge, which will be creating vintage styles and make up all day long.

FROM CLUB TO CATWALK: LONDON FASHION IN THE 80s

When: 10th July 2013 – 16th February 2014 Where: V & A London What: The Opening of a step back into time to Thatcher’s England and what inspired the fashion of the time and the very theatrical look and way of dressing.

VOGUES FASHION NIGHT OUT

When: 5th September 2013 Where: Regent Street, Soho London What: Fashion outlets in central London will come alive for one night as part of a global initiative, carried out by the magazine Vogue. Over 200 retailers have signed, which will see stores and designers undertaking special one-off events, including late opening hours, styling tips given by celebrities and Vogue editors, makeovers and manicures, and appearances from top fashion personalities. The VIP fashion experience and for FREE.

WEST END VIP SHOPPING DAY

When: 24th November 2013 Where: Oxford Street London What: Love shopping in London but hate the traffic and business that comes with it? The one day only event stops all traffic from entering the area, except that it is for the vip’s (Very Important Pedestrians) of course.

Get your Christmas shopping started early or enjoy shopping for yourself in a calm environment at a much more leisurely pace.

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As ever, 2013 is filled to the brim with top class fashion events you can’t afford to miss out on. Fear not though, this handy guide will keep you in the know all year long BATH IN FASHION 2013 When: 15th – 21st April 2013 Where: Bath What: Bath in Fashion 2013 celebrates fashion, textiles and art holding the theme of ‘Looking at Fashion’. With catwalks, talks and exhibitions; make sure you are not to miss the Norman Parkinson exhibition (which is sure to be amazing) curated by Roland Mouret. As well as workshops, films and some surprise special guests, this has members of the fashion world extremely excited. An added insentive is many of the events and talks are FREE, with a select few costing only £7.50.

LONDON FASHION WEEKEND

When: 19th - 22nd September 2013 Where: Somerset House, Strand, Covent Garden : London What: London Fashion Weekend is returning to Somerset House this September. This fashion-focused weekend is open to all and an opportunity for everyone to get access to the latest designer trends - even if they don’t have a stylist’s little black book. Offering savvy shoppers the opportunity to check out the latest fashions, tickets are on a timed entry basis to make sure the crowds never get ‘first-day-of-the-sales’ busy. You can also get makeovers and styling tips while sipping on a champagne cocktail - very stylish.

CLOTHES SHOW LIVE 2013

When: 6th – 10th December 2013 Where: NEC Birmingham What: Clothes Show Live is everything you love about fashion. The UK’s top designers combined with the country’s hottest trends alongside the nation’s biggest catwalk show.

Be sure to visit and be at the heart of UK fashion.

New Designers Exhibition: 26th June

FASHION

A DIGITAL MAKEOVER HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS CHANGING THE FACE OF FASHION The fashion industry is world laden with history and longstanding traditions, but with the vast progress of ever expanding technology, it is undeniable that these rituals eventually succumb to change. Welcome to the digital fashion revolution Words Grace Williams Illustrations Alice Kirkham

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as long as you own a smartphone the entire fashion world is now available in the palm of your hands

Design Will Oxford

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T

he first ever Fashion Week took place in New York in 1943, but fashion was at the forefront of people’s lives long before that. By 1910 department stores were holding fashion shows of their own, and for all of you who have been addicted to Sunday night’s Mr Selfridge, you will understand the profound importance of style for those in the Edwardian era.

Now, a century on, the landscape that fashion exists within has inconceivably changed, forcing the traditional industry to adapt if it is to remain ‘in fashion’.

The widespread accessibility to the Internet, the introduction of broadband and the most recent revolution of social media, have been the main catalysts compelling the fashion industry to change their ways. But more than anything else, it is the demands of the consumer. More and more brands are embracing digital platforms; online fashion portals, live streaming and social media, bridging the gap between the world of high fashion and the everyday consumer lives. Fashion has always been a creative industry, but now it has more and more platforms to release this innovation on. The world of fashion has truly been turned on its head and this evolving trend could not be any more evident than at Fashion Week.

Of course, a ticket to a live Fashion Week show is still incredibly sought after, but fashion addicts no longer need to be in London, New York or Paris to see the trends as they hit the catwalk. They can be in their bedrooms, in a university library, or even sat in Starbucks, as long as you own a smartphone the entire fashion world is now available in the palm of your hands. There was once a closed circle.

Press would write down their thoughts and buyers would place their orders, while consumers waited patiently for up to six months before products hit shop floors. This has now become instantaneous. Collections are becoming available straight off the catwalk for anybody to buy and consumers are even participating in the decision process for what makes the designer’s

final collection. There is a new fashion democracy and consumers are leading the way.

More and more people can get online access-all-areas passes; two million people viewed Topshop’s London catwalk show in September within three hours of it taking place, Burberry live streamed their show on a giant screen at Piccadilly Circus and have provided live ‘twitpics’ of the models before they hit the catwalk, so social media saw the collection before the front row. Diane von Furstenberg even made her models wear Google glasses to create a behind the scenes movie from the eyes of her models.

All of these ‘sneak peek’ and ‘inside exclusives’ invite ordinary people into a previously alien world, but surely if everyone gets to go to every show, Fashion Week could become, well, unfashionable.

Is the instant nature of the digital world turning us into greedy consumers in need of constant gratification at the click of a mouse? The immediacy of access could be seen to be damaging our attitude towards fashion; the bi-annual global events may not be enough for the ever-demanding consumer of today. The waiting used to be the exciting part, queuing outside shops after months of saving for the long awaited reveal of a new collection. But now, by the time those lusted over garments appear in store, consumers are already so familiar with them in the virtual world, that they already want the next big thing.

The question that remains; is there no such experience as a fashion show first hand? The excitement as people take to their seats, celebrity spotting for those who have made it to the front row, the patient anticipation for the arrival of the music, the notion of being in close proximity to supermodels. The flashses, as thousands of pictures are taken in an attempt to capture that inimitable atmosphere. A show may only last five or ten minutes, but is the experience of being at Fashion Week truly able to be captured fully through the virtual worlds of today’s technologies? You, the consumers, decide.

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COMMENT

Is a healthy BMI a question of mind over platter?

U

nderweight, overweight, obese. These are words that no one wants to hear. Yet some may not have a choice, as the NHS has restructured the Body Mass Index (BMI) weight indicator system, which determines whether or not a person is considered overweight. Because of this, now more people than ever are considered larger than they actually are.

According to this new formula, people under 5’7 will gain a point, bringing them closer to being considered clinically overweight or obese, and those over 5’7 will be considered thinner than what they first thought.

That’s great news for those who are tall, but those who are born on the shorter end of the scale – prepare to be adding a few points to your BMI. The original BMI formula calculated the level of fat on your body by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height squared. However, the new formula sees a person’s weight being multiplied by 1.3 and then divided by the person’s height to the power of 2.5.

However, what the BMI fails to distinguish is the difference between muscle weight and fat. So, if you’re a 5ft 3 competitive swimmer, prepare to be branded as ‘obese’ in the eyes of this index – which is the prominent flaw found in this formula. If this is true, then world-renowned rugby player Johnny Wilkinson is now needed to drop a few pounds, regardless of the fact that he is a professional athlete. Doesn’t quite make sense does it? This also accounts for people who are taller and are now considered thinner than first anticipated. Who is to say that a taller person takes up any less space than someone who is 5’2? With flaws like these, is it any wonder that the question is being raised whether or not having the BMI scale is more of a hindrance than a help?

With the current percentage of overweight adults and children being the highest on record, it’s understandable that the wellbeing of the general public is of great importance. However, if tightening the belt on BMI is the NHS’ attempt at a wake-up call, they’ve gone the wrong way about it. Perhaps, in the battle to ‘slim down’ society, there should be less time spent concentrating on branding more people as overweight and more time concentrating on battling obesity practically, by lowering extortionate gym

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membership prices or not promoting a fast food chain as a sponsor for sports events (London 2012, anyone?).

This doesn’t mean that the BMI formula is completely irrelevant; it’s useful to work out those with high blood pressure and at risk of heart disease.

It is currently a tool that has been adopted by medical experts across the country. However, the use of BMI is ineffective when addressing large populations as a whole to predict and document trends, and doesn’t determine the individual.

The public’s issue with body image isn’t exactly a fresh topic, but it certainly plays a prominent role in the importance of highlighting the flaws in a formula that can brand a person as ‘fat’ by a single calculation.

Fashion magazines, celebrities, clinical studies, and now another added pressure to count the calories and slim down. With just a few clicks of the mouse, anyone can be faced with the harsh ‘reality’ of their body weight. Although the BMI is aimed at adults, who’s to say body-conscious teens won’t input their details and read the words ‘overweight’, when that is simply not the case? Not everyone is stereotypically ‘tall and thin’ or ‘short and stout’ – we are smart enough to see that no two people are the same. Therefore, being lumped into categories in a matter of seconds is the exact thing you’d assume we want to be avoid. According to a recent survey, one in five women’s body worries actually affect their everyday life, so is having this scale so easily assessable and widely used to categorise a person actually going to do anything to battle this statistic? It’s doubtful.

If someone’s weight is posing a serious threat to their health, you would believe that a simple scale would not be the only formula used to test and highlight this – so why make it so widely accessible just to add to the populations ever-increasing lack of self esteem? Battling health issues and body hang-ups is never going to be easy, but as cliché as it sounds, a person can still be happy and healthy without washboard abs or 0.1% of fat on their body and having an impersonal chart designed for the masses to tell you otherwise is just not plausible. When it comes to your dress size it’s really just a number, and if you don’t like it – cut the label out.

Words: Sophie Turner Multimedia Journalism Illustration: Nathan Hackett AUCB Illustration Graduate

“

Not everyone is ‘tall and thin’ or ‘short and stout’ – we are smart enough to see that no two people are the same

”

Something

to say?

Get your opinions published by sending your thoughts to comment@ nervemedia.org.uk

NERVE 19

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Photo steve@elephantdistribution

Unveil

FEATURE

Prevail British weather has never offered much hope to those of us who actually manage to escape the textbooks and go outside once in a while. Thankfully, for all you skate fans, there is finally one right here in Bournemouth. Adam Trimby finds out more

I

by opening its doors in the Kinson Pottery Estate just before Christmas last year. Mr. Hill has claimed opening a skate park is something that he has been dreaming of since the very young age of 13. Now that Prevail Skate House is up and running, there’s far more variety for those interested in the extreme sports. With the added benefit of a roof, there are few reasons not to pursue them.

“

Now there is far more variety for those interested in the extreme sports

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The new skate park is a fantastic place for all levels of experience and skill. It even has dedicated nights to cater to your desired kind of ride. If wheelieboarding’s your thing, then Wednesday evenings from 6 to 10 pm

are just for you. Tuesday evenings are for inline skaters, whereas Fridays are designated for the more mature thrill-seekers, available to only those over the age of 20. There is also the chance to buy a yearly membership at the park for the price of £50. This includes multiple discounts, plus members only nights and competitions.

Next time, don’t blame the rain for the lack of time spent skating or moan that it was too cold and windy to go riding. There is another option, with a whole range of different ramps, kickers, grinding rails and a foam pit. Who needs more?

There are already plans in place to develop a shop, a café and a huge bowl for the park. So for those of you who enjoy a good skate/ride, get out there and roll to your heart’s content, whatever the weather. No excuses!

To find out more, visit PREVAILSKATEHOUSE.CO.UK NERVE 21

Design Victoria Richards

t’s Saturday morning and you’ve decided to take the day off from all that studying. It’s a struggle, but you manage to drag yourself out of that wonderful hole called bed and get ready for the day ahead. With a board in hand and a foot out the door, the inevitable strikes - rain.

That beautiful British weather of ours has ruined yet another opportunity to hit some ramps and grind some rails.

Thankfully, this is no longer the case.

Introducing Prevail Skate House: the newest indoor skate park to hit the south coast, which fortunately is well within riding distance from Talbot campus. There is now an alternative option for you thrill-seeking adventure bunnies only a half-hour skate away. Those rainy days that made outdoor concrete parks like Slades Farm and Kings Park become puddle breeders, are now rectified by finding shelter and stunts at Prevail.

Tony Hill, his brother Steven and their friend Chris Davis envisioned the skate park and made it a reality

Dan Welling speaks to one of the brightest prospects in British sport, Courtney Tulloch, who looks set to be a key member of Team GB’s gymnastics squad

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n an Olympics that featured countless wonderful stories and incredible must watch moments, the resurgence of British Gymnastics must be high up on the list.

After winning an unprecedented four medals – including the completely unexpected team bronze. by beating powerhouses such as USA, Russia and Germany – Britain’s gymnasts appear to have cemented their place as a major player in the sport. If they want to stay there however, it’s down to the supremely talented juniors to keep up this momentum and at the forefront of the talented bunch is Courtney Tulloch.

The 17-year-old from Kent has emerged as one of the brightest stars of the British junior squad, in particular on his favourite apparatus - the rings. As current European junior champion and Australian Youth Olympic champion, Courtney has been utterly dominant on the upper body killer in the past two years. He is now poised to represent the senior team at the World Championships in October after being forced to miss out on London 2012 because he was too young despite achieving the qualifying standard for the rings. For Courtney though this wasn’t a problem in the grand scheme of things.

"I don’t think I was really disappointed because I was still on a high from the Europeans. I watched a few of the events and I went to support the team and see the boys and they did really well. The atmosphere at the O2 Arena was insane, so loud and watching them go out there and do all their routines and win a bronze medal was fantastic.

"I’m working hard to get there [the World Championships]. I’ve got a few junior comps coming up, the English Championships and the British. They’re quite big competitions and we’ll be up against some of the seniors so it’ll be nice to see how we do up against them. It’s important for me now to get a few more big moves into my routine so I can score as high as possible."

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Courtney’s chances of representing the senior team could be increased because of his incredible potential on rings which has been the main weakness of the men’s team for decades. After all, Louis Smith was brought into the Olympic team solely for his pommel horse expertise.

Courtney agrees but still wants to offer more to the team.

"I think it’s helped a lot in the junior team comp so maybe they’ll give me a chance so I’ll be pushing to get into the team this season because I definitely think my rings score can boost the team up a little bit and we can score a bit higher if I was in the team.

"I still consider myself an all-rounder because for a team comp that’s really important to have as many good all-rounders as possible. I do like the floor, vault, parallel bars and the rings, they are my favourite pieces as well and I can score quite highly on them. It’ll be great if I did as I do consider myself an all-rounder but if I don’t and I still get to compete on rings, vault, floor those three pieces maybe then I’d still be very happy."

The hyper active child began his gymnastic career when his mother Gloria took him to his first club at the tender age of six but only took the sport seriously after giving up his dream of playing for Manchester United.

Five years after his first class, he was jetting off to Hungary for international competitions at the age of 11 and has just returned from Australia where the Great British squad won a staggering 26 medals, trouncing the juniors from the sport’s leading powerhouse, China. Courtney’s generation is certainly a far cry from the times when GB barely had a world ranking and explained how the juniors are now completely assured of their ability.

"Around Europe and going to different countries, Great Britain does really well. We always win the team events by quite a few marks so we always like to do team competitions the best. I haven’t really been told about [the past].

I’ve seen score sheets of when Britain didn’t do very well

SPORT

in world championships. But we are confident when we’re little, we don’t think about it too much, we just get on with our game.

"It was nice to go out there and beat China because they are regarded as the best team in the world and to beat them by seven marks is amazing. I think out of the 60 something medals that GB won in Australia, 26 of them were in gymnastics. When I found out this I was shocked and it shows that gymnastics is growing and we’re winning medals. That’s how good we are and that’s how good we are getting."

A fantastic year for Courtney, which included his rings gold at the European juniors and carrying the Olympic flame through his home town, was capped by winning the prestigious SportsAid ‘One to Watch’ award. Courtney now joins names such as Jodie Williams, GB Hockey star Harry Martin and everybody’s favourite 18 year old, Tom Daley.

"To win that was great especially when I heard that Tom Daley had won it twice. The whole night was just amazing I got picked up in a jaguar and things like that just made the whole night amazing. I got handed the award by Max Whitlock, Dan Purvis, Kristian Thomas and Sam Oldham

[who won the team bronze at London 2012] so for them to be there as well was great. They told me before that I was going to win it but I had to keep it quiet but when I found out I was really happy."

Gymnastics is most certainly a young man’s sport, and by the time the 2020 Olympics enters the collective consciousness of the general public, Courtney will be 24 and a senior figure in the GB squad. When asked whether he could see himself as the poster boy of the sport here in Britain, the young man showed the innocence of youth when he spluttered out his answer with an obvious huge smile on his face.

"It’ll be great if I was, it’ll be amazing, having something like that would be amazing. I didn’t really look that far ahead, I’ve got a lot of important stuff coming up but yeah I would love that."

Although he’s participated in a few guest speaking roles, Courtney is still relatively inexperienced when it comes to the media circus that surrounds so many of today’s high profile athletes. It seems though that this extremely hard working, amiable young man would take to it like a duck to water and he’d better do as his name could breakthrough to the mainstream in Rio 2016.

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9 S

Mistakes you shouldn’t make in Bournemouth

o, you’ve been in B-Town, Bomo, Bourney Shore (whatever you want to call it) for a few months now and hopefully you’ve settled in. If not, it’s probably your own fault. You social outcast.

If you’ve managed to land yourself in a lovely little flat/house with great housemates that you ‘just clicked with’ immediately, then you’ve been dead lucky. If you’ve ended up in a rabbit hole with a raging psychopath, then it’s more than likely you’ll soon be more dead than lucky. Might be worth sorting that out.

As you’ve probably worked out, this article is all about mistakes, we all make them, just ask my Mum. We wish you the best of luck in your journey towards avoiding these 9 mishaps, though realistically, you’ve probably already ticked off about 5 at least.

1

Illustrations Jack Carrington

Words Jonny Monsour

This is a really obvious one. You’re too busy drinking, going out and making fake Lollipop tickets to sit down and start writing things. That’s not what Uni is all about anyway, is it?! So, you leave your work until a day before the deadline, desperately pull something together and end up with 38%. But it was worth it right?

It’s 5 o’clock in the morning, you’ve lost your keys, standing outside your halls and all your friends have left you alone. What’s that person’s name? The one who comes up to your flat and tells you to turn the music down...Ah yes. The security guard. If only you’d made friends with them by being just a little more chatty, they might have happily let you back into your flat. Instead, they’ll probably just smile smugly and tell you to fuck off.

It’s always nice isn’t it, when you see the people who live on the same floor as you, especially if they’re attractive. If you’re really fortunate they might even be in your flat, awesome!

Or, it was awesome, until you committed the crime that is popularly known as "shitting on your own doorstep" and slept with them. It may have seemed like a good idea on the way back from Lava after 10 ‘jungbombs’ but be prepared for many awkward encounters with this person. Or you could just go back for more...Scientists* say it stops being awkward after the 5th time. Unless you’ve given them thrush, in which case do the responsible thing and tell them...that they’ve given you thrush.

You and your mates have had a great night out, Matty’s pulled, the girls have managed a whole 5 hours without a life-changing dramatic episode and you’ve managed to get everyone past all the kebab shops without stopping. "Hang on...Heroes is still open" somebody says.

"Well it would be rude not to..." so you go in, pick a song from the menu and more than likely get hit on by someone a good 20 years older than you. So you get up in front of the crowd, which closely resembles that of a Michael Buble gig and absolutely nail "My Heart Will Go On". Unfortunately, the crowd would prefer that it didn’t. It can be an unforgiving place at times, be careful.

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2 3

4

FEATURE

6

8

You absolutely love your new flat mates? That’s fantastic. I’m really chuffed for you. How long have you known them? About 2 months? You’ve sorted a house out for next year as well have you? After 2 months you’ve already decided that you definitely want to live with them for the whole of next year as well?

I’m sure absolutely nothing at all could possibly go wrong there! Just think about it a little bit.

Properly. No-one wants to end up living with a Gordon The Tramp lookalike** but nor do they want to live with the Kim and Aggie cleaning nazi.

Your university diet probably isn’t going to be brilliant, especially if this is your first time away from Mum’s cooking. Oh how we’ve grown to appreciate that woman more and more now she’s gone. Anyway, if you’re living off ready-meals, super noodles and Asda’s own Cola, then after a while you will start to take the same shape as Cee Lo Green after a particularly good Christmas dinner. Make sure you get that exercise in, even if it is running to and from "Roosters Piri Piri".

You wake up in the morning, feeling ever so slightly hungover and not really with it. Then you turn over..."CRAP. I didn’t did I ?!" You say so loud in your head that it actually comes out of your mouth. Yes, it’s that person who’s been pesting you for the last 3 weeks, constant texts that you didn’t reply to, invites to awful nights out that you declined, yet here they are, in YOUR bed.

You’re polite, of course, because you’re not a snapback wearing, up yourself-tosser. But you want them gone. Not only from your bed but also from the planet. You were too drunk again weren’t you...yeah you’re never drinking again. Until next week when you’re going to get messier than Stevie Wonder at a paintballing party.

"Is anyone actually going to Summer Ball? I think I’ll wait to see who the acts are first..." - These words were uttered a lot last year. Don’t be silly. The summer ball was an incredible DAY AND NIGHT where everyone gets together and just has a great time. The atmosphere is incredible and suddenly that dickhead from a few doors down becomes your best friend. Everyone becomes your best friend actually. So don’t debate whether or not you’re going to get a ticket, just do it. The few who missed out last year REALLY missed out and if you don’t go, you’re making the biggest mistake of all! (Apart from asking why they charge you 30p extra for a card transaction in Dylan’s, that is...).

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Design Lauren Debono-Elliot

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Finally, that person you’ve been stalking on Facebook, following on Twitter and watching through their window, has agreed to come back to yours (providing you don’t tell anyone) and you couldn’t be happier. However, there is a pitfall that many fall into here. Your door has a lock for a reason, use it. The last thing you want is that miserable lowlife of a housemate stumbling into your room and telling you to keep the noise down when you’re in the throws of passion. It’s a bit of a mood-kill. So I’ve heard...

* By Scientists, I mean my mate Steve. ** I’ve just thought about it and actually I would like to live with one of these.

FANCY SHARING? TWEET YOUR MISTAKES @ NERVEMAGAZINE NERVE 25

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FEATURE

CAREER CONTROL

“

ENTREPRENEURS ARE THE 21ST CENTURY ROCKSTARS

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A

lexander Jarvis is 21 and has never been to University or college. His career, which began by selling sweets and drinks at school, has seen him found and sell two subcontracting companies, with a third global venture currently operating from strength to strength.

He is an entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word.

Entrepreneurship is vital to the UK economy with youth unemployment still at a worrying rate. Whilst Bournemouth University enjoys a relatively high graduate employment rate of 88% (2009/10), it is important for students to recognise that seeking employment is a competitive and sometimes difficult task.

Today however, young people are more equipped than ever to begin a business. Entrepreneurial skills are filtered into the teaching curriculum and as native technology users, students have a wide toolkit to facilitate their success. The attitude towards entrepreneurism has become a more positive one also, and schemes such as the Lloyd TSB Enterprise Awards and the National Enterprise Academy continue to demonstrate the integral influence of entrepreneurism on the economy.

Alexander has always had an entrepreneurial mind and has forever longed to be his own boss. At school, he managed a team of 20 pupils who sold confectionary, taking profits in excess of £450 a week. Using the money he saved from school, he immediately invested in a painting and decorating contracting company. After a building a successful portfolio of contracts, he went on to invest in a portable appliance testing business.

"I bought the business to sell," explains Alexander, who sold both companies before the age of 18.

Competing against 40,000 other entrepreneurs to gain a place in the National Enterprise Academy, he was mentored by Dragon Den’s Peter Jones, where he met other entrepreneurs, billionaires to bankrupt, and was inspired to develop ideas for the future.

The main challenge that Alexander found was that he has never been academically minded, and with dyslexia, has struggled with formal education. Both his ability to think critically and enthusiasm for networking have helped him to overcome the issue of his dyslexia.

"Don’t let anyone put any limitations on you" he advises.

Upon leaving, Alexander was inspired to set up Entrepreneur Club UK. "When I left the NEA, I wanted to get the UK economy

“

Not fond of your superiors barking orders at you?

John Gusman talks to entrepreneur Alexander Jarvis on why age is no barrier to becoming your own boss

connected. There’s so much entrepreneurial spirit here.

Relationships and trust are what matter in business. I think everything else is just noise". Alexander learned a lot about leadership in this role, and after making initial financial losses, he restructured and refocused the company, creating what is now his most successful venture: City Network International.

"Students leaving university have more of a chance than anyone else of getting a job, but remember it’s the raw ambition to succeed that employers and entrepreneurs are looking for". Alexander doesn’t regret not going to university, but advises that students should pursue what they’re passionate about. He doesn’t underestimate the potential of students as entrepreneurs either. "Do as much research as you can if you’re starting a business venture. Have one hundred coffee meetings and get your head around who your client is. Ask all the questions you can think of, even if they sound stupid; asking questions is the only way to learn at a start-up stage".

Social media is an area that Alexander places a great emphasis on mastering. "I used to invest three hours a day on Twitter and Linked-In. These are great tools to selectively connect with people, identify competition and expand networks. Net-gen students are the best equipped to master the social media game, as native technology users."

Alexander is the perfect example of the potential that the youth of today can offer to the professional marketplace. Whilst he has not ventured into the workplace fresh from University, he is definitely a role model for students and budding entrepreneurs alike.

Follow Alexander on Twitter @AJarvis8

”

Words: John Gusman Design Viki Richards

It’s the raw ambition to succeed that employers and entrepreneurs are looking for

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COMMENT

The British Bulldog and the EU: in or out?

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ne of the great contemporary political debates has surrounded the relationship between Britain and the European Union; MPs and politicos have exhausted the topic at party conferences, in print and in the cyber-sphere, but seemingly not enough in the chambers of our parliament, where David Cameron this month has promoted the topic to qualified supremacy over all other issue.

In a long awaited speech last month, Cameron sought to open and close the chapter on Britain’s EU involvement. He offered a vague, but promising era of choice for British MEPs and governments where we could enjoy a significantly empowered sense of flexibility over our portion of EU responsibility coupled with the freedom to opt in and out of endeavors where it would suit us (the UK, apparently).

This imagined utopia has been metamorphosed into some reality, with the Eurosceptic camp in Brussels securing a payment ceiling for Britain over the next seven-year term, curtailing our contribution to the EU pot by £20.5bn. This has been hailed as a show of the ‘bulldog spirit’ of Britain, demonstrating a good deal for British taxpayers.

While voters are seduced by Cameron’s twenty-billion-pound hole-in-one, they are further wooed by his tactically timed referendum on the EU membership, which he offers the public immediately upon reelection. Whilst the camp that screams victory for the public in response to the in-or-out poll, it seems to me at least that the painting of ‘Eurosceptic Britain’ Cameron has crafted is lacking a canvas. The referendum appears to be entirely premature, and most likely to be a well-timed re-election strategy.

A poll conducted by Ipsos MORI in January 2013 has indicated that fewer than 10% of Britons place the European membership and single market policy at the top of the political agenda in Britain today. Whilst voters have consistently demonstrated a lack of enthusiasm towards the EU, they do not perceive it as prevalent an issue as Cameron has painted it to be.

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Citing a need for greater independence from Brussels, many call for the increasingly liberal agreement that Cameron’s government is pursuing and look to the 2017 referendum to hammer our position as a nation on the EU agenda.

Before even contemplating a situation where the EU becomes exclusive of Britain, voters should evaluate the political clout that our bulldog nation, does indeed enjoy within EU government.

Whilst many Britons argue that they have little power in the European environment, the reality is that our government enjoys a particularly dominant relationship with a large proportion of the European constituent states, whose governments would do much to keep our MEPs in post.

The British voice is booming in Brussels, where conferences are regularly held in English, senior posts are often awarded to British politicos such as Lord Mandelson and where ultimately, Britain has weaved a thread of inherent authority through the European Union flag.

And what of leaving the EU? Will the government call for us to join the EFTA, a European trade group related to the EU that houses Iceland, Norway and Switzerland and where the total population does not even match that of London?

Will the Commonwealth be revived, where Britain will trade goods with a set of developing countries, where current trade agreements are so low, that they could not even match that of the U.K to Ireland exchange of goods?

Or will we seek to join the North American Free Trade agreement as the only offshore trader, ignoring the decision in the seventies that it would be entirely unproductive for both the UK and the three North American countries.

Stark reality stares us in the face as we move towards an increasingly liberal relationship with the EU and the potential to cut ties in the next term of government. The question that strikes most important, is whether Britain realises the power it already enjoys within Europe, and whether this union lends Britain more power than we could hope to have on our own.

Words: John Gusman Communication & Media @johndavidgusman Illustration: Nathan Hackett AUCB Illustration Graduate

“

The referendum appears to be entirely premature, and most likely to be a well-timed re-election strategy

”

Something

to say?

Get your opinions published by sending your thoughts to comment@ nervemedia.org.uk

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO photo@nervemedia.org.uk NERVE 30

NATURAL DESOLATION Jade Jannotti How long have you been photographing for?

I’ve been passionate about it since I was thirteen years old. I took some photography courses when I first started, to develop my skills and knowledge on the topic.

What first interested you in photography?

I started for fun, but then I realised I enjoyed capturing unique scenarios from all around the world. I like to look for something that represents the place I find myself in, as I want my pictures to be inspiring not just for me but also for the people who look at them.

What camera(s) do you like using?

I like using my Nikon D3100 as there are various features, such as picture control that lets me customise the image before the shot. I take it everywhere I go.

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FEATURE

All Aboard the

SHoelace express A 7000 mile journey around the entire coast line of Great Britain, armed with just the essentials and the will to explore. Toby Gray talks to Tom Brabham on his epic, 10 month journey

Tom is raising money for kent, sussex and surrey air ambulance service follow his progress at www.shoelaceexpress.com @shoelaceexpress

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“

It feels like my own little Lord of the Rings trip

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Nobody has claimed the whisky rent since he had it so I guess it’s my job

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It’s what We’ve done for hundreds of years; it’s only recently We feel like We’re stuck in the rat race

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even thousand miles, the bare essentials and a tough pair of feet prepped for exploration, Tom Brabham calls his epic journey; "my own little Lord of the Rings quest". From February, the 22 year old began a trek around the entire coastline of Great Britain, starting from his original home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, stretching up to the Highlands in Scotland, all in the name of charity.

Armed with just a "rucksack, camping equipment, food and medical supplies", he expects to complete the trip, which is a further distance than London to Beijing, by Christmas.

"I’ve always wanted to have ‘that big adventure’ that young boys dream of. Back then it would have been going into space or running away from rolling boulders through temples like Indiana Jones."

Yet it wasn’t until 2012, under strenuous circumstances, that the pipe dream materialised and he decided to jump headfirst into what most people only ever hope to pursue. "I was feeling a bit like my life was shitty and started to think about this adventure I had only dreamed about back in school.

It was literally a few days later that I quit my job (which I’d only landed a few weeks back!), moved back home and begun training for this trip."

Although people have questioned Tom on his choice of location, and why he wouldn’t explore more exotic world regions, for him, Britain has untapped beauty that is rarely recognised. "Our country is a really beautiful place. Many people may think it doesn’t compare to tropical islands, deserts or mountain ranges elsewhere, but I think our coastline is such a diverse place and is well worth exploring before I start travelling abroad."

Like the few that have achieved the feat before him, Tom is especially excited to take in Britain at its most raw, natural state. "It’s rare these days that people choose to travel in this way. It’s nice and slow, you can really take in the scenery at walking pace." Plus, there are a few perks awaiting him when he arrives in the Isle of Islay, at his grandfather’s plot in the Laphroaig Whisky Estate. "Apparently nobody has claimed the whisky rent since he had it so I guess it’s my job. I hear its one dram for every year he’s owned it and he’s had it for about 11 years, so it looks like I’ll be getting very drunk before I leave the island."

As Tom explains, the whole coastline is a beautiful place, but it’s the Highlands in Scotland that he’s most excited to visit, amongst others. "I hear the Isle of Skye is a really surreal place to hike on.

Cornwall is meant to be beautiful; it’s a little embarrassing that I’ve not actually visited it before."

Of course, for all the perks and excitement, such a daunting prospect is bound to bring some fear, of which Tom claims leaving his girlfriend, family and friends behind is the trickiest part. "It’s so difficult to head out into the wild alone when you’ve spent so much time around them all as part of daily life.

I’m not overly pleased with the idea of camping out during the last few weeks of winter either."

Reaction to Tom’s trip has been overwhelming.

On top of the constant support from family, of which "most of them don’t shut up about it" and friends which have helped with training, he’s also got several high profile sponsors, including Timberland, Vango and Berghaus. "I’ve not actually had to pay a penny of my own savings towards equipment, which I think is fantastic. I’ve received about 15 offers of accommodation around the coast as well as donations from complete strangers."

Aiming to travel as light as possible, and within a budget of £2000, for the most part he will be using his camping gear to set up a suitable spot to camp out of sight. He hasn’t ruled out the desirability of a cosier shack once in a while though. "I won’t say no to a shower and a bed, if you know anyone who can offer it?"

So what exactly does one bring on a trip like this? Bear Grylls manages to get by with a knife and a bucket of urine most of time, but what about Tom? "I have a cool as fuck kettle thing that doesn’t require gas, you just set a little fire in the base and it boils water and cooks food which is so cool. My dad has given me a solar charger for my phone and camera. I’ve forged my own knife and home made my own leather bound journal which makes me feel super old school. I’ve got an axe, fishing line & hooks, and 2 iPhones to blog my experiences every day, as it looks like I’ll have a lot of free time. " As an achy, exhausted Tom passed through Bournemouth on day 14, a trip to the balloon awaited him before he headed straight on. Up to this point, he’d been offered free accommodation each night through the support of folks rallied up online. From an elderly couple in Christchurch, to a 4 star hotel in Buley, the generosity has been overwhelming for him. He even has a stranger in Norwich planning his accomodation each night, purely from goodwill. But he know’s better than anyone, the tough times have barely begun yet, as the sheer enormity of the task seems to dawn on him.

Walking up to 26 miles a day is bound to be strenuous on anyone, but his feet, and more worringly his hips are struggling, even at this early stage. Despite yearning for home comforts and enjoying the spectacular scenery the British coast has to offer, continuing on has become his major challenge.

"The purpose that makes me walk each day is the faster I go, the sooner I’ll be home."

For most people reading this, the trip parallels more with a character profile from a J.R.R. Tolkien novel, than with everyday reality. Despite its fantastical elements and massive commitment, Tom reinforces its plausibility for everybody, and if you really want to do it, just go right ahead. "It really doesn’t take a lot. Just gather some gear, put it in a bag and get the hell out of town. It’s what people have done for hundreds of years; it’s only recently that we feel like we have to be stuck in the rat race. It doesn’t take a lot to save up. People are always there to help you and most of all it’s exciting."

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R E V I E W E D Biffy Clyro

Opposites 28/01/13, By James Hibberd

Credit: Frank Maddocks

Biffy Clyro have taken the old fashioned route to stardom, through sheer hard work. Opposites is their sixth album since their debut, Blackened Sky, was released with a lot less fanfare way back in 2002, and it’s a firm demonstration that Biffy have grown in both mass appeal and their ability to write huge, stadium-filling songs.

Across the 20 tracks that make up this double album, there are the truly monumental, soaring choruses in Biblical and arguable highlight, The Joke’s On Us that we have now come to expect from the Scottish rock giants. Yet it’s the angular returns to their experimental roots such as Sounds Like Balloons or Trumpet or Tap that really shine.

It is difficult to keep such momentum across such a large amount of tracks, but for the most part Biffy succeed, with only a couple of songs sitting awkwardly amongst a surprisingly consistent album.

Credit: ERockUK

Funeral for a Friend

Kerrang! Tour

Funeral for a Friend started 2013 with a bang after the release of their sixth studio album Conduit. They were back on the road in days and turned their sights to Bournemouth’s own Sound Circus for a much more intimate show.

The band set the tone with She Drove me to Daytime Television, a favourite from their debut album Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation. Thankfully, the band didn’t dedicate entire gig to their newest release, but instead took us through nostalgic highlights from their career, notably not including anything from their controversial almost orchestral concept album about water, Tales don’t tell Themselves.

The band finished with their sing along anthem History offering the fans a final chance to sing their hearts out.

The show was an extremely rare treat to see of a band that usually play venues with capacities of 3000 in a small room with 400 other dedicated followers.

Hardcore punk and rock ‘n’ roll has always been a difficult void to fill. Often, inspiring artists arrive on the scene and presume that aggressively creating loud noises and expressing repressed feelings is what the genre is all about. This is not the case for Black Veil Brides.

They arrived on set playing renowed singles and favourites, Fallen Angels and The Legacy and were met by a vibrant atmosphere. They certainly knew how get the crowd going.

This could not be accomplished without the performances of rising stars Tonight Alive and long runners, Chiodus. Both bands really knew how to satisfy a very hungry audience.

With special credit to show stealer Andy Biersack leading his dedicated band and keeping the party going. The folks behind the Kerrang! tour, clearly know what they’re doing and one can only imagine what pioneers they will find next.

Sound Circus 02/02/13, By Drew Sleep

NERVE 34

Southampton Guildhall 07/02/13, By Jack Dyson

ENTS

O2 Academy Bournemouth 11/02/13, By Alie Barbieri

Pure Love

Credit: Mercury Records

Credit: Phil Sharp

Disclosure

Anthems 04/02/13, By Joshua Iredale

Electronic newcomers Disclosure took on the Bournemouth O2 stage last Monday, alongside Friend Within and the hottest Treatment & Get Satisfied DJs. The highly anticipated act took centre stage after exhilarated speculation in the early hours after midnight.

The Surrey duo kicked off with their distinctly smooth garage-house sound, slowly moving into popular remixes such as Running by Jessie Ware and You Know You Like It by recently collaborating artists AlunaGeorge.

As predicted, the overcrowded room reached its climax as soon as the soft and steady bounce of Disclosure’s lead single Latch was heard.

The night finished with Bournemouth jumping and buzzing from side to side as we got a taste of the beginning of a hotly tipped duo who are set to achieve big things this year.

Although Pure Love are new on the scene, it seems as though they have been around for years. Instead of playing it safe as many new artists do, they have put together an album with tonnes of attitude.

They bring you guitar rock packing a punch, with highlights such as Handsome Devils Club and debut single Bury my Bones.

The aptly named Riot Song is the defining track of the album, in the style of rock you would have heard around a decade ago. The album uncovers guitar-rock, which has previously been overshadowed by the soft, indie-rock of the 00s.

It’s difficult to believe that singer Frank Carter used to once be the angry, screaming vocals of the Gallows. He says: "It got tiresome just beating the shit out of myself all the time". Definitely a good move to rest from the screaming, Frank, now when can we hear more from Pure Love?

Credit: Ndemic Creations

Credit: Sam Baggette

Comedy Nation

Plague Inc.

The Old Fire Station 31/01/13, By Tom Beasley

App for iOS & Android 26/05/12, By Ben Tyrer

The first Comedy Nation of 2013 had the rafters of The Old Firestation shaking with laughter. Joseph Wilson acted as compere and despite a disappointingly regular descent into the lowest common denominator holiday park humour, his knack for a voice more than carried him through.

First on was Fergus Craig, best known for portraying Russell Brand in Channel 4’s Star Stories. He married a nice line in puns, straying as close to the offence line as possible.

Danish comic Sophie Hagen followed who, after a shaky start, brought a filthy charm reminiscent of Sarah Millican.

Headline act Elis James, a Welshman known for appearing on Russell Howard’s Good News, closed the show with an energetic performance. Regaling the crowd with the intricacies of the Welsh language, flirting on trains and tales of inappropriate acts in swimming pools, James brought the house down. And not a sheep gag in sight.

Eagle-eyed Nerve readers will probably call us out on a nine month old iOS game being featured here, but due to budgetary constraints around the office, we’ve had to look into the back catalogue that has built up.

Fortunately, Plague Inc. is well worth investigating. The premise is simple. You take indirect control of a virus and spread it around the world by adapting it with DNA points.

You win if you infect and kill every single person on the planet.

It’s hardly the most original idea, but it’s frustratingly addictive, as you watch your disease turn the world red, only to see the last country eradicate the infected, save the human race and ruin your chances of unlocking the next plague and getting to sleep before midnight.

If simplicity plus addictiveness is the equation for a great app, then Plague Inc. has the formula pretty much nailed.

NERVE 35

ENTS

One night in bournemouth

Design Toby Gray Photos Charlotte Gay

L

ooking out over Bournemouth’s upper gardens and over towards the seafront, the Terrace Bistro welcomes both passers-by and show-goers with its tasty local cuisine and modern styling.

The Terrace Bistro operates alongside The Pavilion and runs a pre-dinner and show deal for those wanting a little more from their night out to the theatre. This offer comes with a set menu of two courses for £12 or anything from the regular menu.

We ordered our food from both choices of menus and settled on beginning with the set menu smoked salmon starter. The salmon arrived with a bed of rocket dressed in balsamic vinegar, capers and rustic bread. The Terrace Bistro proudly showcases only Dorset’s finest produce within 50 miles of Bournemouth, and this beginning certainly didn’t disappoint. The portion size didn’t skimp on the smoked fish, the rocket was covered in just the right amount of dressing and the capers made a nice touch to the traditional starter.

The second course promptly followed, with Lamb Koftas off of the set menu and a hot chicken mozzarella and pesto burger from the regular list of options. Both meals were presented on platters of wooden boards and looked extremely appetising. As someone who wasn’t 100% sure what koftas were when ordered, it was pleasing to enjoy the lamb kebabs with toasted flat bread and chilli sauce just hot enough to give that pleasant tang. It was a shame that the meal was also accompanied by the same rocket and balsamic vinegar as the starter, but it still went down well.

The chicken burger was also served with a bed of rocket and tasty vegetable crisps. The succulent chicken went down a treat and the mix of pesto and melting mozzarella gave the burger a delicious twist.

Finally we arrived at the long anticipated dessert of the day.

This chocolate tart was absolutely gorgeous, and a perfect consistency of dense chocolate without becoming too sickly. However the only small disappointment was the cream served with the chocolate

NERVE 36 36 NERVE

dessert. Both bistro menus were a delight to choose from and knowing the ingredients come from local sources helped calm your conscious mind, but this high standard made it a shame to have what tasted like canned squirty cream served beside the tart. We were reassured the cream was from fresh Salisbury, kept in a specially designed machine to help aeration, but you couldn’t have noticed.

It was a quiet night with few braving the weather to come out but we could easily imagine returning to the terrace bistro early in spring, whether to enjoy a tea and coffee with friends or to grab a bite to eat.

After the masterful meal came the theatre. The Thursday night in question had the Pavilion hosting Beauty and the Beast on ice performed by Russian ice dancing stars. We sat in the Pavilion’s traditional red theatre seats and wondered what kind of performance we had in store for the next hour and a half.

For those who fell in love with the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, prepare to see the original traditional fairy tale brought to life by a combination of atmospheric music, ice dancing, ballet and breath-taking feats. The story portrayed on ice saw the dancers move from graceful smooth twists and turns to the most daring stunts you’d expect from the Russian State Circus. Skaters were bouncing from trampolines, using pyro techniques and spinning from great heights above the stage rink.

Even as someone who wouldn’t usually choose to engage with such a performance lead entirely with music and dancing, the acrobatics combined jaw dropping moments with high speed extraordinary skating. Dancing on Ice it was not.

We left the Pavilion having fully enjoyed all aspects of the evening.

The bistro lived up to its expectations of serving only the best local food and the Pavilion is hosting an abundance of intriguing shows over the coming months. The experience as a whole is one we would happily enjoy again – which suits perfectly as either as a date night with a partner or a night out with friends and family.

The Terrace Bistro and Pavilion in Bournemouth Gardens offer the perfect nights entertainment, at a reasonable price. Charlotte Gay went along to test the experience

Smoked salmon on a bed of rocket dressed in balsamic vinegar, capers and rustic bread Lamb kofta kebabs with toasted flat bread and chilli sauce

Hot chicken and mozzarella pesto burger

Chocolate tart with cream and sauce

Fresh selection of tea or coffee

NERVE 37

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}

ENTS

}

HID/ DEN/ GEMS/ FEATURING / PEACE / BLITZ KIDS / SAM GRAY / LOCAL NATIVES NERVE 39

HIDDEN GEMS

{ PEACE } As a condition of signing their first record deal, Birmingham boys Peace had a billboard placed in their hometown, depicting their faces along with the message, ‘WHAT THE FCK BIRMINGHAM’. They were the buzz band of 2012, and as 2013 begins, could such irresponsible acts be just the start of something massive?

James Hibberd caught up with the boys ahead of their show at the Southampton Joiners

How’s the tour going so far? What’s been the highlight?

Douglas: Really good, people have been responding well and moshing, so that’s always a good sign.

Sam: It’s a toss up between our hometown show in Birmingham on Halloween, or Nottingham.

Douglas: Nottingham took us by complete surprise because they went fucking mental. In Birmingham there was people hanging off the rafters and crowdsurfing for 30 minutes.

How is your live show different to your recorded work?

Harrison: When you’re recording, you have more time to experiment with whatever equipment you fancy, whereas playing live is all about getting the song across to the audience. It’s probably the purest form, but all our stuff is recorded live anyway.

It’s maybe not as dense, but it’s louder and better.

You’ve got some tracks in the NME Top 50 Singles of 2012...

All: Three.

Sam: No-one’s done that since La Roux in 2009.

Douglas: That didn’t end too well for her though. Actually, her song, what was it? In for the Kill, that was on some advert for a computer game lately.

It’s weird, the Skream remix of that song ended up being a bigger hit, didn’t it?

Harrison: That’s a perfect example of my thinking at that time, when remixes were most worth doing.

Dom: What, when the original wasn’t good enough?

Harrison: No, no! It wasn’t just that song, there were a lot of songs that benefitted from having remixes at that time. I think it was Black Kids, who had their song remixed by The Twelves. It was a really good electro remix of Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You. It was on loads of adverts and stuff. Maybe it’s a bit different now, we’re not really that keen on remixes.

NERVE 40

So have you had any of your stuff remixed?

Harrison: We had the first demo of Bloodshake, Bblood, remixed. Wax Cotton did a tech-house mix of it, which I actually really liked, because I was really into techhouse at the time, so I wanted to hear that version of the song. That song was kind of influenced by his music, so I was like, "You’ve got to do a remix of it", but I’m not really that keen on trying to adapt your song to a club situation.

Douglas: I think that song suits a remix quite well, but I don’t think that many of our songs do.

“

If I wasn’t in Peace, I’d hate us anyway, just cos I’m that kind of guy

”

Have you remixed anyone else’s work?

Harrison: Well, 1998 on the EP is basically an inverted remix of Binary Finary’s 1998. I was really into 90’s trance when I wrote it, and I really liked the chord progressions, so I did it backwards and made a song out of it.

Douglas: There’s loads of different versions of that track that people have done.

Harrison: But they always do trance versions. We basically made a song out of it, wrote some lyrics and added some other sections. Apart from that, I’ve remixed Lucy Rose, which is on her Bikes EP, and just made it really 80’s pop. It’s got an amazing guitar solo in it.

The new single, Wraith, came out in January, what’s the story behind it?

Sam: It’s quite an old one. It’s nice that it’s survived all the way to the album. It feels like it deserves to be released because it’s a good song.

Harrison: It started with a looping riff, and I made stuff up to sing over it. Then we added in a chorus.

Douglas: I think it’s a good bridging gap between the EP and the album.

Have you finished recording the album?

What can you tell us about it?

Douglas: Yeah, we finished the other week.

It took about six weeks to record, I think.

We did five weeks in Chapel Studios, and then a few days in Psalm to record the last track.

Harrison: I think if you like what you’ve heard before, you will definitely like the album. As long as you’re not just a douche who’s like "I liked them before they were known". I’ll admit, there’s been a few times in my life where I’ve said the album isn’t as good as the EP, and genuinely meant it in some places. It’s very tempting to be a snob, but I’ve grown out of it. I think it’s something that happens between the ages of 17 and 20, where for some reason you just become a douche when it comes to music.

Douglas: I think if I wasn’t in this band, and I was a fan, I’d be that douche.

Harrison: If I wasn’t in Peace, I’d hate us anyway, just cos I’m that kind of guy.

Douglas: Just sounds like fucking Foals, doesn’t it?

As you say, Foals are a band that you get a lot of comparisons to. That must be a good thing, surely?

Harrison: Yeah, it’s a compliment! I don’t think it’s entirely relevant though, apart from two of our songs. Bloodshake and Wraith have got that Battles-y, staccato guitar thing. But also both of those songs have a lot of things which are very different to Foals.

Douglas: It was a comparison that was drawn from the first demo that we did, so we’ve progressed from there.

Finally, what does 2013 hold for you?

Harrison: Gigs, gigs, gigs. We want to do all the festivals, if they’ll have us, and then there’s the NME tour as well. We had an absolute ball Bournemouth!

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW SPECIAL SPECIAL

NERVE 41

HIDDEN GEMS

{BLITZ KIDS} Bryony Diplock talks to the rock group on the essential details of life, including Spock, Lover Boy, Rihanna, and just how mental Kerrang after parties are

It’s been a crazy few years for you and the band, what’s that been like for you?

We’ve done a few small tours, headlining shows and we put our EP out at the end of last year. Then we spent pretty much all of last November in LA with John Feldmann doing the new record which is out this year. The past few years have been a little bit quiet, but now we’ve got a big team behind us we’re going for it now!

Not a lot of people get to see what the backstage parties are like and what actually goes on. Is there a lot of competition between you and another band when you’re touring?

It kind of depends who you’re on tour with actually. If you meet a band and they’re not nice it just makes the whole tour horrible. But thankfully it hasn’t happened too many times.

The thing about backstage is, the main band will have the room and then the two support bands will get a shared room, so that helps everyone make better friends. It’s all good fun!

If you could be any Star Trek character who would you be?

I’d be Mr. Spock because he’s got that cool vibe and can make anyone go to sleep. I’d use it on my mum so she’d stop nagging me.

Pepsi or Coke?

Coke.

What’s 2013 got in store for Blitz Kids?

Well like I said before we’ve got a momentum now and we’re kind of starting the press cycle of the album now. Today we just announced we’re touring with Lower Than Atlantis, off all over Europe!

So you were nominated the ‘Best British Newcomers’ at the Kerrang awards. How’d that feel?

It’s actually the second time we’ve been nominated! But the year before we lost it to Black Veil Brides and quite

NERVE 42

deservedly I think because nobody knew who the hell we were. I mean last time it was a bit like ‘oh, we’ve been nominated’ but nobody really expected it to come true. We weren’t even on the radar then, but this time I think we might actually have a shot.

Tell us about the party, is it as great as we’re told?

At the Kerrang awards yes! They bring you more booze than you’ve ever seen in your life and if you run out they just bring you more! So it’s somewhat a cocktail for disaster, but it’s amazing. The Kerrang guys put on a fine spread and it’s a good night had by all.

Adam Phillips from Kids in Glass Houses collaborated in one of your tracks, which is music to our ears. If there was anyone in the world you could collaborate with, who would it be?

That’s a good one! I’d go with Rihanna; just so I could look at her, maybe touch her if her bodyguards would let me. It would be pretty cool to have Rihanna on a track. If you want to pass on a good word...

(Laughs) I will! Tell me your favourite song in the world.

The song that always gets me going is probably the good oldfashioned Lover Boy by Queen. Whatever mood I’m in, it raises my spirits!

Is there any prep you do before going on stage? Secret handshake?

We genuinely stand in a circle and kind of shout at each other! We say we’re stretching, but it’s not really stretching, it’s more like a very strange dance. We’ve made up our own dance for this tour, which we might premiere on stage, but we’ll probably leave that until the last night. We normally just run around, shout at each other and then actually pretend we’ve warmed up, but actually we’re just being idiots.

INTERVIEW SPECIAL

{SAM GRAY } A

“

I’d go with Rihanna; Just so I could look at her, maybe touch her if her

bodyguards

would let me

”

The British singer songwriter speaks to Ben Fisher about playing music in outer space, Twitter and singing along to pop-classic Mysterious Girl

breathless and energetic performance left Sam Gray in the wilderness of a 4,000 strong crowd before navigating a route backstage. Gray, supporting Peter Andre, leaped off stage after his infectious single This Girl, yet the Yorkshireman managed to remain impeccable in style and composed in voice.

Gray, who labelled himself "the suit with soul", promised more positivity from his new album Too Much of a Good Thing. Au fait with a pun or two, Gray said: "There are too many good songs on it, but seriously, the album is more pop than Brighter Day and it’s a good uplifting album."

The singer is keen to talk about how he has just hit the 24,000 follower mark, not the 23,846 one previously touted at him. "Twitter is great and it’s really important to reach fans.

In order to be able give artist’s longevity, it has to be a good product but there’s a market there straightaway with it."

Gray is beaming and is delighted to tour with household name, and six-pack, Peter Andre. "It’s amazing and he’s such a lovely guy too. He lives up to every reputation you have for him, he welcomed us onto the tour and said you have to come to my coffee shop in Brighton.

"It’s great to have his lyrics in front of me, on stage, but sometimes I do find myself mixing up lyrics, singing along to Mysterious Girl during my song. It’s a huge tune and I’m always there with a beer, just dancing around.

It’s great that everyone supports each-other."

Despite being wowed away by the sheer scale of the O2 Arena in London, Gray does the smaller venues too. "I try not to limit myself.

Being from Hull, starting in social clubs there, that’s the toughest crowd you can play to. That’s a tough audience, expecting big women, big chests, sparkly dresses, a backing track, but I’m just trying to do real music."

Recalling his performance at the BIC that night, he said: "Any place where they have to hang the speakers from the scaffolding is amazing. I love playing any venue with good sound and as many people as I can. I love coming to do different cities, and when you get the opportunity to do a big venue, I just think you have to do it while you can."

Gray performs with a buzz, his sound isn’t too distant from a Ska-like or Reggae offbeat, but that’s down to influences. "Bob Marley is one of my all-time idols. I’m getting into that stuff and I’ve tried to produce songs so they sound a bit different.

"I really love Jamie Lidell too. He’s a bit of a psychedelic DJ and he’s a really good soul singer who mashes his voice up on stage.

From the gigs I have seen on YouTube, I would love to be on stage with him."

What the future holds for Gray, who knows, but he is certainly an ambitious character.

"I want to get my music out there and to as many people as possible. I want to play on the moon."

NERVE 43

HIDDEN GEMS

{ LOCAL NATIVES } Ahead of their appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show, lead singer Taylor Rice speaks to Abigail Payne-Humphries about producing the new album Hummingbird, what lies down the the road ahead, and how his obsession with music has now become his life

W

ith their guitars, bushy facial hair and plaid shirts you could mistake Local Natives as just another indie band. But to do that would make you foolish. Selfdescribed as ‘schizophrenic phonetic type of afropop’, and having toured with such greats as Arcade Fire and The National, with the latter band helping record their latest album Hummingbird,

NERVE 44

Local Natives are seemingly a band worthy of their hype.

And if that little taster isn’t enough to get you intrigued about this LA foursome, their Wikipedia page description might help: ‘Local Natives are a band who knows how to groove’. Just brilliant.

It’s been over three years since Local Natives released their debut album

Gorilla Manor. The past two years has shown the band a rocky road of the perfect opportunities clumsily thrown together with some real lows. The creation of such an emotional rollercoaster is new album Hummingbird, as Taylor Rice, lead singer, explains.

"The reason we named the album Hummingbird is because a humming-

INTERVIEW SPECIAL

“

As the interview draws to an end, Ryan Signs off with a final whimper: ‘please don’t take music away from me’

bird is this creature that is so fragile and delicate and has to flap its wings a million times a second just to stay alive. But at the same time, when you see a hummingbird you’ll stop what you’re doing, and for some reason this bird can pull you out of your day or reality and let you just take a moment. The album was born from being pulled and expanded from both directions of having these incredible, surreal, amazing times – like the highest highs, beyond what we could have ever imagined but also having to go through some really difficult times too".

Their song writing approach is a very unique one, as they are a self-professed diplomatic band, giving each member of the band equal weight in each decision made. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy, though.

"It’s just a crazy bouncing act, it’s quite a pressured system. Everyone has their own ego and everyone has their own ideas".

With members of the band taking lead lyrics of songs that are particularly personal to them, it ensures that every single word from Local Natives is etched with memories and lyrics coming from a very emotive place. Debut album Gorilla Manor embodies an exciting pinpointed moment for the band, a whirlwind of moving in together and deciding that being in a band was going to be their full time job. ‘Hummingbird’, however, has a feel of a much more mature, emotive approach.

"There’s always a veil between the song and the listener. With ‘Hummingbird’, we wanted to be very direct with our song writing and make that veil thinner and that’s something we really tried for with this record, and it very much does come out of that emotional place for us".

This more mature sound was also created by the loss of their bassist Andy Hamm, which not only cultivated a sense of sadness in the loss of a friend but also helped Local Natives to take on a new approach in the way they created music. Building their own recording studio allowed for an opening of the band’s palette, helping them expand both sonically and arrangement wise with looping bass and drum beats - something they hadn’t necessarily experimented with before.

With big performances such as Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona and a year-long tour on the cards, it would be understandable for any band to still get nervous when on stage. But oh no, not for Local Natives!

"It’s the craziest thing how quickly the human spirit and body is able to

acclimatise every single time you take another step".

Talking about the first time they played festival giant Coachella, Taylor says: "It was our first time playing a big festival and we had a tent which was packed out. We played to thousands but that show was a blur. I remember almost nothing from it immediately when it was over. It went by in a snap of a finger, but as we did more and more festivals it was like ‘oh, just another festival’. But it’s always exciting".

For Local Natives, there’s never a question of when the excitement will start to wane when touring. The buzz that surrounds a band when they tour can soon start to fade and break, but Local Natives never lose that.

"A lot of bands tend to feel drained by touring, but for us it feels very much like feeding, it’s fulfilling every night even if we’re playing songs we’ve played for years. It’s about having that physical connection in a new physical space with new people every night. We love that so much, it’s the best feeling in the world".

In between the exhilarating ride of writing an album and embarking on a year-long tour, there has to be some time out for the band, and what better way to cool off than an all American road trip? They visited such beautiful sites of calm such as the Grand Canyon, prepping before they set off on what could seem like an endless tour.

"It’s a musician’s life to play out, travel a lot and perform. It’s so exciting, but it’s very draining and hard to be really creative in that zone. It was really important to us to completely disconnect and put roots back into the grounds and have a home again and feel that sense of normalcy. That’s a very important part of just being able to get to a grounded place where you can be really creative".

When asked what he’d be doing if Local Natives didn’t exist, Ryan states that he’s always wanted to be a musician. Ever since he was 13, playing guitar in his garage he’s always dreamed of making music for life. If Local Natives were no more, he’d still be doing music in another capacity. It’s the art of putting each emotion into a beat and sharing it with the world, it’s the whirlwind of cultures when touring and it’s making new friends, meeting new people and seeing life with new eyes that makes being in Local Natives so magical.

As the interview draws to an end, Ryan signs off with a final whimper: "Please don’t take music away from me".

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Alex Hocking describes his experiences of racing around one of the most exhilirating tracks in the F1 circuit

T

he Sepang Circuit has held the Malaysian Grand Prix for the past 13 years and it is one of the most gruelling events on the Formula One calendar.

A mix of challenging corners, extreme humidity and an unpredictable monsoon climate, Sepang has seen only the true greats succeed a 193 mile race distance.

We’re talking the likes of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and reigning triple world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Not surprising then that it delivered one of the most exciting races last year, which saw Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso claim victory in wet conditions. Six months later and it was my turn to imitate my F1 heroes around the circuit, located 35 miles south of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

I was given a Lotus Exige AM-01 GT4 race car to drive, provided by the Aylezo Motorsports team which competes in multiple Asian sports car series, including the Lotus GT4 Cup Asia.

This was my moment to show how good I really was at being a racing driver. I had spent the prior weeks learning the circuit and knew it like the back of my hand thanks to hours of play on the PlayStation. This time though, I wasn’t driving Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren Mercedes – and it certainly wasn’t a game!

The nerves started to kick in as I took the controls of the Lotus and rolled slowly out of the pit lane. In typical Sepang style, a major rain storm had descended on the venue only minutes before but had stopped by the time I had got into full swing around the 3.4 mile circuit.

This certainly didn’t feel like a PlayStation simulator.

With full race wear, fireproof balaclava and a helmet, I was strapped in so tight I could barely breathe. As I NERVE 46

Photo Alex Hocking was cocooned in a tiny cockpit only centimetres off the ground, with limited visibility and no air conditioning, my body was in for a gruelling ride.

I drove five complete laps of the circuit, each time going quicker as I became more familiar with the 250 brake horsepower Exige machine as it powered through high humidity and damp track conditions.

I’ve driven many circuits around the world but Sepang is by far the most thrilling - fast flowing and awkward corners combined with some of the longest straights in motorsport. It took until my final lap to realise my limits as I spun the car 360 degrees – enough to calm me down and return to the pits.

I got let off lightly. Every so often we are reminded just how dangerous motorsport can be. Only 11 months prior to my Sepang visit, Italian MotoGP sensation Marco Simoncelli lost his life on the very same piece of tarmac after a horrific accident during the 2011 Malaysian MotoGP. After showcasing my driving skills it was time for a professional to show me how it’s really done. My instructor, Cheah Lai Sun from Aylezo Motorsports blasted the car to its limits, giving me the passenger lap of a lifetime. It was so extreme I could feel my lungs touch my rib cage upon braking.

It was a privilege to have experienced one of the best and most visual new generation Formula One facilities.

It will certainly change my perspective of the Malaysian Grand Prix when watching it on television. Sepang will host the second race of the 2013 Formula One season on 24 March, one week after the opening race in Australia.

If last season was anything to go by, it will be an exhilarating year of racing!

SPORT

Photo Alex Hocking

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NERVE 47

Oscar Tollast caught up with AFC Bournemouth fans’ favourite Marc Pugh to discuss his new contract, his appreciation for Cherries supporters and the club’s on-going promotion bid

I

n July 2012, AFC Bournemouth midfielder Marc Pugh turned down the offer of a contract extension, with his deal set to run out at the end of the next season. Championship clubs began to hover, as Cherries fans prepared to say goodbye to one of the club’s standout players.

Fast forward to November, however, the former Hereford star was announced as having signed a new three-and-a-half year contract. So, what changed? Well, for a start, the return of manager Eddie Howe and his assistant, Jason Tindall.

Training has become enjoyable, with Howe working a lot more on his side’s approach to set pieces, both in a defensive and attacking manner.

"I just think he brings that feel-good factor back to the place," says Marc, as we sit in the home dugout at Dean Court. Marc reveals he’s always enjoyed working alongside Eddie and Jason. "He just makes it a lot easier for the lads to come in and do their stuff. He gives you the freedom and the belief in your own play to go out and express yourself on a Saturday."

It’s clear to see how much of an impact Howe’s return had on Marc, who signed the winger during his first spell at the club in the summer of 2010.

"I’m not going to lie. If things were going the way they were, I wouldn’t have signed the contract. I believe the gaffer and Jason are the men to take the club forward and I believe we’ll get to the Championship, if not this season, [then] next season."

Marc certainly wouldn’t have been short of any potential suitors. His performances over the past few seasons have attracted the attentions of Premier League and Championship sides.

"You have a bit of banter about it with the lads in the changing room. I have done in the past. But you can’t let that affect your performance."

Whilst he admits speculation would have added more pressure when younger, Marc reveals he’s perfectly settled.

"I love the place and I want the club to be successful. I love the fans and I’ll go out and hopefully do my stuff each week and let my football take care of itself."

Marc’s one of many players at the club, as

NERVE 48

well as staff, to interact with fans on Twitter.

The 25-year-old said it’s a useful way of hearing thoughts from an "absolutely superb" set of supporters who are passionate about their football.

"It’s important to let the fans know that you’re just the same as everyone else really. You can’t get too big for your boots. Myself, I’ve got a family to support each week and I do a job each week just like everyone else."

As performances and results have improved on the pitch, so have attendances. Nearly 2,500 fans travelled to Wigan for the FA Cup third-round fixture, whilst 8,890 turned out for the Dean Court replay, a season-best. Meanwhile, 68 brave Bournemouth fans travelled over 329 miles for last month’s midweek fixture against Hartlepool.

"The guys who travelled to Hartlepool must have been mad. It was freezing. It’s a long, long way and I’m just so thankful for everyone’s support. In the three years I’ve spent [here] so far, I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m so thankful to be at such a wonderful football club."

Under Howe’s second stewardship, his side have matched the club’s record of 18 matches unbeaten in all competitions. They now find themselves in contention of challenging for a play-off spot, remarkable given their positioning at the beginning of the season. But why settle for a play-off spot when an automatic promotion spot is still within reach?

"I wouldn’t really like to say at this moment in time. We have to keep our form going and rely on the top two slipping up. It’s going to be a tough ask. The play-offs, at this moment in time, are looking more likely, but if results can go our way, we can hopefully achieve top two".

Marc’s club end-of-season target is clearly promotion (whether via play-offs, or automatically).

But he also has his own individual goal target.

"I always set my targets really high. I want to achieve double figures every season. It’s not always going to happen, but I’ve scored six so far this season. I always look back and want to be happy with my own individual performance, but it’s important that the team is really successful this season, and I’m sure we will be".

The past couple of months have presented a number of difficult fixtures for the Cherries, facing promotion-chasing rivals like MK Dons and Coventry.

These are the fixtures that matter and are "really important" to Marc. "We need to pick up points like that, especially at home.

"We got beaten at Walsall, which was a kick in the teeth, but if we go another 10 to 15 games unbeaten, you never know what the season might bring".

Competition for places can only keep Marc on his toes, with a forward line including the likes of Wes Fogden, Lewis Grabban, Eunan O’Kane, and Josh McQuoid.

Adding to this mixture of players is new signing Ryan Fraser, a Scotland U-19 international who joined from Aberdeen in January for a reported £400,000 fee.

"There’s a lot of good quality. If I’m out of the side, at any point during the season, I’ve got to work that little bit harder to get back in.

Whether I’m in the team, or out of the team, I’ll always work as hard as I can, week in, week out, and give 100 per cent".

Marc’s in his third season with the Cherries, but drawing on a particular personal highlight appears to be quite a challenge. "I’ve got quite a few, too many to name."

He mentions the "unbelievable" atmosphere at Huddersfield in the 2010/11 season play-off semi-final, but this is only one highlight of many.

"I’ve made a lot of good friends down here and hopefully this season can be my personal highlight when we get promotion."

“

“

MARC PUGH: PROFILE Age: 25 (Born 02 Apr, 1987) Twitter: @MarcPugh7 Career Bournemouth (04 Jun, 10 – present) Apps: 119 (6) – Gls: 31 Hereford (01 Jul, 09 – 04 Jun, 10) Apps: 43 (2) – Gls: 13 Hereford (26 Mar, 09 – 31 May, 09) [Loan] Apps: 8 (1) – Gls: 1 Luton (12 Sep, 08 – 12 Oct, 08) [Loan] Apps: 3 (1) – Gls: 0 Shrewsbury (29 May, 07 – 01 Jul, 09) Apps: 28 (18) – Gls: 4 Bury (23 Mar, 06 – 29 May, 07) Apps: 35 (12) – Gls: 5 Kidderminster (10 Nov, 05 – 25 Jan, 06) [Loan] Apps: 7 (3) – Gls: 1 Burnley (02 Mar, 04 – 23 Mar, 06) [Trainee]

Photo: Mick Cunningham/AFCB NERVE 49

SPORT

Although it is one the key sports that every girl in secondary school has played at some stage in their life, netball has never been high on sports channel schedules or professional participation lists.

While sports like handball and volleyball basked in the Olympic spotlights, netball was forced to look on with envy. For BU’s vice-captain Emma Mosley, this is frustrating.

"Some of the sports at the Olympics were ones that people haven’t even heard of and netball is just so popular but there are not enough people that play it at the moment. I don’t know why. It’s mainly played by countries in the commonwealth like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa places like that and they literally have no idea what it is in the States. It’s just about getting it more widespread but it’ll get there eventually".

January 2013 might be a landmark month for the sport in this country however as the English squad whitewashed the current world champions Australia 3-0 and received more coverage through the BBC in a fortnight than it has in five years. At Bournemouth there is cause for celebration too as at the time of writing, the team are currently joint top of the Western 2A division as Emma explains.

"We’re unbeaten apart from one match which we only lost by three points which was a bit of a sore spot, but we’re hoping to win the league and we’re in the quarter finals of the cup. The

previous team just missed out on promotion against Southampton. Both teams were really strong but unfortunately they won so we thought that we could hopefully get a promotion and win the league".

After seeing off their traditional rivals Southampton Solent at the end of January 41-23, the Bournemouth girls look set to be on a collision course with Plymouth University.

"Plymouth is the team to beat because they were the team that beat us. They are now top but we’re playing them at home and we’re very determined to win that one."

With the league following the UEFA formula of ranking their groups by wins and head to head records rather than goal difference, Bournemouth will need to beat Plymouth next week to make absolutely certain of only the side’s second foray into the 1A division in ten seasons. Cup glory on the other hand, is definitely in sight as the Bournemouth girls progressed to the Western Conference Cup final thanks to two home wins against tough opposition in Cardiff and Bristol, who both fielded second string sides. But that’s nothing to take away from Emma and the rest of the team.

This certainly hasn’t been bad year for the girl who only took up netball five years ago as a subsidiary to her main sports, equestrian and skiing.

“ Photo Sport BU

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SPORT

Craig Rodhouse explains just what Lance Armstrong’s confession means to the fans who believed in him for so long NERVE 52

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Lance didn’t just cheat the sport; he cheated the world and the people that maintained the role model image He’d created

P

ull down the posters, bin the biography and abolish the awards. A career of deception and deceit from the man who was once the sporting hero of the globe has finally been affirmed.

Lance Armstrong’s public confession on the Oprah Winfrey show compounded one of the most sensational sporting ‘hero to zero’ stories since the cliché was coined itself.

The 41-year-old confessed to using performanceenhancing-drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins in front of a worldwide audience during a two-part interview on Winfrey’s show, lifting the lid on Armstrong’s dark past.

The man whose idolisation was unified throughout the sporting world was in fact "a lying bastard" as cycling’s new king Bradley Wiggins put it in his usual enigmatic manner. To the untrained eye, Armstrong’s achievements in his heyday were nothing short of unbelievable and the revelations have simply restored human faith in realistic sporting ability; although Lionel Messi may have something to say about that.

Cycling supporters have had to come to terms with plenty of monumental achievements being tarnished by doping but Armstrong’s offences have hit peddling fans harder than most because, simply put, Armstrong was the man who revolutionised the sport in the modern era. As the allegations began to mount in the direction of the 41-year-old, we still held a loose grip on the hope that the greatest cyclist of all time wasn’t the greatest cheat of all time. But he was.

Perhaps the biggest reason as to why the revelations have caused such sporting uproar is how Armstrong hid his despicable misdemeanours behind the facade of the hero status he had adopted. The peddler tied together both his cycling success and cancer fight into one fictitious heroic narrative about himself and the whole of the sporting world bought it, including me.

When I was in Primary School, I was asked who my hero was and I replied with the definitive answer of Lance Armstrong, despite having never watched a cycling event during my tender years. I wore the yellow ‘live strong’ wristband that represented his charity ‘The Lance Armstrong Foundation’, such was the extent of my admiration for the man and his colossal reactions to the challenges that his life continued to throw at him.

His cancer battle gave hope, strength and belief to the world. The fact that after overcoming life’s greatest battle, he went on to win one of sport’s most physically demanding events on seven consecutive occasions, which created a ‘never say die’ story that we all wanted to believe. When Armstrong’s achievements were questioned, his supporters, including me, defended him like he was our own.

Even when Armstrong was stripped of his tour titles

last August we still didn’t fully believe that justice had been done. We trusted the man and the character that he had developed over cold hard facts.

The cloud of deception that misted the reality of his achievements had brainwashed the world and we all wanted to believe that his achievements were the real deal. So much so that it has taken us eight years after his last tour success to finally come to terms with the reality of Armstrong’s career.

But when somebody is idolised so heavily by so many, it almost becomes inconceivable to question their means of success, especially when cycling is involved.

The sport has been dragged through the mud so many times by prior ‘champions’, yet we’re still unearthing the drug cheats it’s been forced to deal with on so many occasions. So how come the biggest drugs cheat of not just cycling’s history, but even maybe the entire sporting world, somehow managed to slip through the net?

Simple, Armstrong’s reputation in the sport outweighed the reality of his actions and Lance milked this for everything that it was worth, such was the manner of the man as we have now discovered. Armstrong bullied his cycling counterparts into covering up his actions and turning a blind eye to the drug offences that were dominating his team’s victory strategy.

Armstrong regularly described the "witch-hunt" that had formed against him, but how right people like ‘The Times’ journalist David Walsh, were to question him.

In his confession interview, Armstrong revealed how every one of his Tour de France victories had been achieved with the aid of performance enhancing drugs, claiming that it was "part of the process to win the tour" whilst also admitting he was a bully that "turned on" those that he didn’t like.

Although the interview hinged around Armstrong’s confession, we – the people that had defended him throughout his career – wanted an apology. Although this came, it did so in a rather sour manner. Armstrong revealed how he didn’t feel that he’d actually cheated and viewed it as a "level playing field".

But Lance didn’t just cheat the sport; he cheated the world and the people that maintained the role model image he’d created. Sporting admiration can be a quick fix, but Armstrong didn’t just stand for sport. The hope and strength that Armstrong’s life gave to people was something that far exceeded the effects of the usual sporting role model.

But no matter how fast you try to run, the truth will always eventually catch you up. Armstrong was taking us all for a ride and we bought every bit of bravado and front that Lance carried with him.

We now know that our support was merely massaging his ego about the fact that he thought he could get away with whatever he wanted. But he couldn’t and he didn’t, which we can only chalk up as a victory.

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PLAYLIST Two Door Cinema club Next Year Everything Everything Cough Cough Theme Park Tonight Foals My Number Jake Bugg Taste it NERVE 54

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COMMENT

Dropping the bomb on British war reporting

C

onflict in Algeria is nothing new. In fact it has been going on for decades. The question that needs answering is why does it take 3 British hostages to be killed before the media and the public sit up and take notice?

‘Islamic terrorism’ has been a particularly contentious issue since 9/11. However, up until now, the focus has predominantly been on the Middle East. Western countries invaded Islamic and Arabic countries with the intention of eradicating the Taliban and with it, Al Quaeda.

Not content with our unsuccessful attempts to create a ‘free world’ in Afghanistan and Iraq, we then turned our attentions to Iran and the possible threat from the Arabic state.

While politicians still continue to debate whether it is the right course of action to go to war again in this region of the world, countries like Algeria and Syria remain forgotten, unless there is a western interest or casualty. Now I’m not advocating we go to war in Algeria or even Syria, I’m just simply saying that if we consider it our duty to make the world a better place, why does it take us losing military personnel, journalists and other innocent victims before we pay attention to the conflicts that are occurring around the world?

As a media student you are taught that news is ‘new’ and that people only want to hear what is relevant to them. I would argue that since we are frequently told that we are involved in a global war on terrorism, we should therefore be well informed of all areas of conflict and violence. It shouldn’t take the deaths of British people for it to make the news.

The fact that the civil war in Algeria has been referred to several times in the wake of this hostage siege as a forgotten one demonstrates my point. That’s not to say that there aren’t any media outlets you can go to who will at least give you an overview of the situation.

But once again this has been done in the wake of a tragedy – not before. We in the West, only give a damn about global conflicts when there is a political agenda – not a humanitarian one.

Not a new point I grant you, but certainly one that has been contested many times.

So what’s the solution? Do we go marching into Algeria like we did in Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention Libya? Or do we learn from our mistakes there and from now on leave well alone and no doubt save countless military lives and money? We certainly can’t have it both ways. I have never been an advocate of war but I am an advocate of helping those in need and the best way to decide if someone needs our help is to ask and be completely informed about the facts.

We need to at least pay attention to places that harbour so called terrorist cells and hold our politicians and media to account over the type of information that is available to us. It’s no good burying our heads in the sand and pretending that nothing is going on or that it simply won’t affect us. As recent events have shown, a problem ignored will eventually come back and bite you. Quite often it’s the little people that have the most impact, whether it’s the ordinary Brit who demands that we should know more or the local Algerian who’s been driven mad by western foreign policy and turns to extremism to find a solution. You may be sitting there thinking I sound like one of those idealist type people and maybe I am.

But realistically speaking how on earth can we expect to live safely in a world with self created enemies, if we are not at the very least informed about them. Our media and politicians argue that they tell the public what they want to know. Start asking the right questions and they will have no choice but to give you the right answers. Asking those questions can ultimately prevent the loss of a life, be it yours or someone else’s, so why not ask?

Words: Anushka Naidoo Communication & Media Illustration: Nathan Hackett AUCB Illustration Graduate

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We in the West only give a damn about global conflicts when there is a political agenda – not a humanitarian one

”

Something

to say?

Get your opinions published by sending your thoughts to comment@ nervemedia.org.uk NERVE 57

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Being a keen gamer is no easy task. Sure you’ve got to sift through all the chart toppers, but the real skill comes in picking out the ones no one’s got the foggiest even existed. In honour, we present you our top 5..

GAMES YOU’VE NEVER PLAYED 5

Lollipop Chainsaw

4

DYAD

The name itself is enough to pick up this one, because you can’t help but think – just what is a Lollipop Chainsaw? Suda51’s latest character, Juliet Starling, attends her High School one day only to find her student body a little more brain dead than usual; yup it’s time for another zombie slaughtering frenzy!

Although a little on the short side Lollipop Chainsaw offers a fun and relatively fresh experience, filled with tongue In cheek humour and obscure video game references, it’s a game that won’t leave you disappointed.

Fancy a trip down the Large Hadron Collider? That is the metaphor developer Shawn McGrath used to describe this game. In fact, he said make of it what you want – Dyad is a trippy, surreal, musically orientated ‘racing’ game, that blends psychedelic visuals that immerse you with its contrasting fast-paced reactionary gameplay.

Unfortunately, you won’t have played DYAD, simply because it’s not available in Europe; not yet at least.

3

2

Vanquish

Released in 2010, Vanquish was exceptionally well received by critics, but wholly unappreciated by consumers. Vanquish’s innovation comes from its slide-boosting mechanic. If you’ve ever wanted to destroy giant robots, whilst rocket propelling around on your knees in slow motion, then Vanquish is the game for you. It is the fastest paced third person shooter you’ll probably ever experience, and although a little short in length, one of the highest quality productions of this generation.

FEATURE

Words: Jozef Kulik Illustration: Becky Hill

1

Dark Souls

Dark Souls is a game that throws out most of this generation’s conventions. Forget being hand-held through tutorials, forget check points, manual saving and respawns; die in Dark Souls and this game will make you pay for it. Oh and die you shall! Dark Souls is no push over, and that’s fine, because everything in this game is fair. If you die, it never feels cheap, but it always feels challenging and that’s ultimately what earns Dark Souls the top spot on this list. There’s no better sense of reward than that which comes from defeating a beast 20 times your size, that can kill you in a single flick of its talons.

Give Dark Souls a chance and it’ll grip you.

Just make sure it lets you go!

See you next month!

Shenmue

Shenmue was the game that kick-started the ‘Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment’ genre. Wait. The what?

Yeah, it never really caught on. Nevertheless, Shenmue remains one of the most high-quality open world, action orientated, role playing games of all time. Shenmue features an absurdly rich storyline and environment to immerse yourself in to – pretty much what you’d expect considering the games absurdly large budget. Unfortunately the investment never paid off, despite being critically well received.

Rather sadly, Sega chose not to finish the Shenmue trilogy and the tale of Ryo Hazuki remains incomplete to this day.

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