TOBY GRAY DESIGN PORTFOLIO Taken from Nerve Magazine 2012/13
FEATURE
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Edible art? Take your fill By Toby Gray
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t first glance, you may think you’re just gazing upon serene sunsets, breathtaking landscapes and peaceful coves of distant lands. It’s not until you realise the settings are made entirely from food that you can feast your eyes over the magnificence of Carl Warner’s ‘foodscapes’. Now of course, we’ve all attempted a miniature Mordor of broccoli around a river of gravy on a Sunday afternoon, but this is taking it to another level, another stratosphere in fact. Salmon seas, stilton cottages, cereal deserts and salami highways, you name it; Warner has probably used it as art. For over a decade, he has been making a living playing with his food, and with 2 books under his belt, numerous advertising commissions and a children’s TV show in the pipeline, he has well and truly lay that cliché to rest. Warner’s excruciatingly detailed pieces stem from a long time celebration of food, and a creative eye for their possibilities as art. From wondering around the Borough Markets of London to the firsthand experience of delicacies around the world, Warner has a truly global catalogue of inspiration. "Food is a great source of inspiration to me because it is an organic material that has a similarity to the larger aspects of the natural world. I’m a big foodie, I love
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to eat well and dine out. Food is something we can all afford to be passionate about." Yet as with many great innovations, he stumbled upon his discovery by chance, when a tree shaped mushroom opened up the avenue for a completely new art form. An only child, Warner was deeply influenced by the surrealist works of Roger Dean, Patrick Woodroffe and Salvador Dali in his youth, and spent hours at a time alone in his room trying his hand at art and illustration, which would later develop into an infatuation with photography. Using these influences, combined with over 25 years in the advertising business, Warner consciously creates conventional landscapes designed to trick the eye, to bring in the surrealist elements of his idols that force the audience to take a closer look at what they’re seeing. I need to fool the viewer into thinking it is a real scene at first glance. It is the realization of what the real ingredients are that brings a smile, and for me that’s the best part." As you might expect, the preparation of a foodscape is a meticulous exercise and one that requires an extraordinary amount of patience and precision, but Warner maintains as with all art, it simply starts with an idea. "I imagine the scene in my head and then I draw the scene as a sketch. From here I decide
what ingredients will be used to make the scene, and I work with my food stylist and my model maker to build the scene on a large table top in my studio." The average budget, depending on the extravagance of the shot is around £300 and Carl, alongside his small team shop for all the ingredients themselves. From carefully planned supermarket trips to spontaneous discoveries in local markets, a suitable food counterpart is always located for the set, however unlikely a match (try and spot the ingenious use of a fortune cookie on the next page, then you’ll see). Any one shoot takes up to a day to prepare and several days to shoot, and is often done in layers to ensure the produce is of the freshest quality. Hours of planning goes into when an object is placed into the shot, as Carl claims "wilting and the perishability of ingredients are my biggest problem, especially where fresh herbs are concerned. Things like coriander and flat leaf parsley last only a few minutes, so they go into shot right before the end in order to catch them at their best." One of the most striking charms about Carl
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Warner’s foodscapes (alongside their ability to fixate the viewer into a who’s who of ingredient spotting) is their innocence and accessibility. He calls his work "The pleasant deception"; a whimsical and fun way to appreciate the universal culture that is food. "To celebrate it in art is a celebration of the very thing that sustains us. A healthy food culture is something that can bring families and communities together by giving us a sense of oneness. The simple
I need to fool the viewer into thinking it is a real scene at first glance
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pleasure of growing food, cooking a meal and sharing with friends is what unites us in our humanity. To celebrate this through landscapes made from the food we eat is for me a simple connection of nature’s beauty from nature’s bounty."
Turn over for more Feasts for the eyes! Design Toby Gray
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UGLY DUCKLING As one of the most prominent, longest running underground acts, Ugly Duckling know a thing or two about hip hop. We caught up with Andy C on the groups humble beginnings in a gangsta’ scene, manfuctured rappers, and why he doesn’t listen to hip hop anymore
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Jay – Z is always hinting he has this deep dark mafia background and I don’t buy that for 2 seconds
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When 50 Cent came out, I remember thinking ‘it’s like they built this guy in a lab’
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aking a single look at Ugly Duckling, it might come as some surprise to learn they emerged from the same Long Beach, California scene of the early 1990s that was birthing the iconic rap of Dr Dre’s The Chronic and Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle . Yet as one of the most prominent underground acts to emerge from the hip hop era, Andy C, Dizzy Dustin and Young Einstein have built a cult following over the years that has placed them as the frontrunners for alternative rap. As the name the suggests, Andy unsurprisingly admits feeling completely out of their element in the rising gangsta’ scene, but the multiple layers of hip hop meant there were still people who had enthusiasm for their sound. "We knew the guys from Jurassic 5 and Dilated Peoples so there were loads of us that felt strongly about the late 80s pre gangsta’ era style of music, so we never felt alone." But what if they had gone down the gangsta’ route? Undoubtedly, Ugly Dogg could have caught on, right? "What choice did we have? Like we would have been marketable as a gangsta act! It would have been funny to try and do it. There weren’t ever any white gangsta’ acts that I can think of. Eminem sort of had it but he played it more like trailer trash. It would have been a difficult sales pitch!" Remaining faithful to their passion for the golden age, one listen to UD and you’ll notice a consistent, uplifting vibe of soul jazz samples over an up-tempo, natural drum beat, reverent to the legions of UK hip hop surfacing over the past few years. Andy explains the formation of their sound was bred from the "traditional nature of hip hop. We discovered jazz and soul music via sampling and it allowed us to learn about the old music and incorporate it into our style." With the focus in contemporary hip hop shifting evermore to the glorified individual rapper, UD still firmly see themselves as a group, like the De La Soul’s and Tribe Called Quest’s of old. "We come from that era when groups were still very much in fashion, so we still believe in that mentality of a group with our own sound – just like a band. For me now, most rappers have their own style but their music doesn’t have a particular sound because it’s all the same producers. We feel like our chemistry is unique which is important for a music act." The challenge for UD, who produce their music entirely from samples, is maintaining and sourcing a consistent sound. Andy describes the process as making a "collage art with old records to make it sound fluid, which is very tedious work." In fact, the procedure has sparked an interesting decision for a man with
rap running through his veins. "I really don’t listen to hip hop anymore. That’s been the blessing and the curse of working with production and samples, I really started getting into and preferring jazz and soul music. I like the rappers, but I like the music more." With vast experience over the developing years of hip hop, both Andy and UD have been granted a unique insight into how the game has changed. Whilst acknowledging the abundance of talent and the sale of rap stars as a "sort of party Scarface" as compelling to people, Andy believes the mainstream culture has lost its diversity somewhat from the streamlining of one dimensional hip hop characters. "People live vicariously through that idea of ‘wouldn’t it be great to be a pimp? Everyone’s afraid of me, all the women want me and I’m rich.’ That charm has always been part of hip hop; it’s not some new phenomenon, but I do think it’s a shame because culturally in the late 80s, people like Public Enemy and De La Soul were trying to expand the culture into more thought provoking areas and eventually it’s regressed away from that. Now in the mainstream nobody has any time for that." Now with the notion of the ‘manufactured’ rapper, Andy explains the move from hip hop into mainstream limelight came with a realisation of its commercial viability. "When 50 Cent came out, I remember thinking ‘it’s like they built this guy in a lab.’ He’s got Tupac’s stomach, he’s from the East Coast but he’s working with Dre. They did the market research and created the perfect pop gangsta rapper. Just like when they figured out how to make punk into a pop medium, they’ve done the same with rap. NWA were a major gangsta group, but they never got out of that culture. Now they’ve honed in on the machine to the point where my mum knows who Snoop Dogg is just like anyone would with a major celebrity. That would have been crazy to me to think somebody’s mum would know who Eazy-E was." The rise of the "rap emperor" as Andy calls it, Ugly Duckling play on this hyperbolic flamboyance for comic effect, using the competitive rhyming of hip hops origins to parody the blatant exaggeration of some hip hop. "I think about that sometimes. How many times on a record does a prominent celebrity say they’ve killed people? Of course they don’t kill anybody - it’s ridiculous. But of course I realise that they’re entertaining, just like Schwarzenegger does in Terminator." For it to appear genuine though, artists like Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar have to tread the line very closely to act like it’s true. "Jay – Z is always hinting he has this deep dark mafia background and I don’t buy that for 2 seconds."
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With a hectic year over and a new album in the pipeline for next year, Fenech Soler are only just coming up for a breath. Charlotte Gay chats to the band on their hectic year
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and spontaneous with it. Because a lot of hampioned in the same indie disco it is obviously is programmed and there scene with the likes of Friendly are a lot of things doing certain sounds," Fires, Delphic and Klaxons, Fenechexplained Ben. Soler’s funky electro pop and synth-bass "Because it is a bit of a process of being guitars have been gaining critical acclaim in the studio and then when it goes to live from both here and across the pond. it’s a completely different thing," said Dan. With NME saying Fenech Soler are "We like to start from the beginning "dancing to the sound of a very different really and start to build it up from nothing beat - they don’t get much more hi-NRG with a live band because than this," and Time Out comthe way we do things live menting "we have seen the future anybody that says and the way we do things on of white dancefloor-scorching touring is difficult the record is a bit different. electro-funk." is all bullshit In the past the group have because it’s like the It’s quite a fun process so we like to give that a good worked with the likes of Marina best fun ever amount of attention, so we and the Diamonds and Example don’t want to rush anything and lead singer Ben lent his vocals to feaor play anything new ture on Groove Armada’s Paper Romance. until it’s right," At their only UK festival gig this year at smiled Dan. the Leopallooza festival in Cornwall, just what can party goers expect from a Fenech Soler performance? "It’s quite a dance orientated set really," started Dan, "We’re playing most of our first record because we’re kind of in the process of recording our second record – we’re right in the middle actually. So we want to play new stuff but we haven’t actually figured out how to do it live yet. We’ve made it, but we don’t know how to play it yet!" said Ben. With the success of their last self-titled album, Fenech Soler’s previous singles have been greeted with a more than positive reception, yet with the perils of being a primarily electronic band it leaves little room for the guys to have any spur-of-the-moment ideas live on stage. "That is half of the thing with electronic music kind of live, is that it’s quite difficult to be off the cuff
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"But the way we play live, even though the majority of it is quite electronic and dance-y, we are still a band and we do still love rock bands. And for us having guitar, bass and drums, that is essentially what we are, we just add in the other stuff," added Ben. So with Fenech Soler sticking mainly to the recording studio when can we expect to hear this awaited new album? "We’re in the process of writing but I think our first single is going to be the beginning of January. I think the album itself will be released in the summer next year, but we’ll be back playing and keeping busy by the end of this year, beginning of next," explained Dan. In past tours, the band have trekked around pretty much the entirety of the British Isles. "Our first tour we did about 30 shows, which is everywhere basically. We were on tour for two months and it was every day, I think overall we had three days off," remembers Ben. With this much travelling whilst being confined to a tour bus, what is the best activity the Fenech Soler boys have to pass the time? "We like to play FIFA on the bus but apart from that, it’s mainly sleeping, partying at night and sleeping," said Dan. "Anybody that says touring or whatever is really hard and difficult is all bullshit because it’s not it’s like the best fun ever."
Words Charlotte Gay Design Toby Gray
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ENTS
Not content with just causing Earthquakes, Labrinth is hell - bent on world domination. Toby Gray asks what he plans to do with all that power
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or a man with the world at his fingertips, the question of his dream collaboration tells you all you need to know about Labrinth’s attitude towards music. "My dream would be to work with my family. All of them are musicians so I want to work with them one day and make an album with all 9 of my brothers and sisters." Naturally the topic of the band name came up and Labrinth, real name Timothy McKenzie, aged 23 instantly replied, "When we were younger we were called Mac 9."
It’s clear it’s all about the music for Labrinth, and it always has been. Growing up in Hackney, East London alongside an incredibly musical family, he started producing at just 15, spending months at a time in the studio introducing himself to the art of production. "I just wanted to make music. I’ve always been like that and I don’t care where I go or how much success I have, if I don’t make music it literally kills me. I feel like I’m gonna die." NERVE 55
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Labrinth signed for Simon Cowell’s label Syco in 2010 after the initial invite as a producer expanded into a full record offer, despite McKenzie already in the midst of signing with Universal Island Records. "They said ‘well you’re not signed yet, so what’s going on?’ so we decided to let them put a bid in. For me personally I felt, ‘why not go with Syco because you’ll be the only urban act in there. Not just urban, you’ll be the only fully musical person in that label. " For Labrinth then, it’s less about the profile of the label and more about the treatment he receives for being such a unique import. "I’d rather be in a place where they’re gonna give me special attention, than be in the same place as everybody else where they just have black/urban artists getting signed." This decision to turn down an offer from Universal Island came to a shock to a lot of people around Labrinth, as they lay claim to some of the most successful urban acts on the circuit today. According to McKenzie, "it was definitely the oddest place to go because all the people round me at the time were saying; ‘are you serious? Does this make sense?’" But the choice has definitely paid off and Labrinth describes his progress as "healthy", with four top five records and debut album Electronic Earth peaking at number two in the first week. The difference that separates him apart from the crowd however, and what attracted Cowell to him is that in his own words; he’s a "one stop shop". "I think he had an urge to sign artists that had their own vision on where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do. When he saw the way I was thinking, he was like "okay, I believe in that." It wasn’t about being cradled by Cowell, but using his platform to drive his own success. Labrinth claims that when he signed the deal, "I was in control of my career and I still am." His ambition is strong enough for anyone to see, confident in his own ability to be successful, as he explains "I’ve always had massive plans for myself", so much so
I’m not thinking about the success I’ve had, I’m thinking about the success I want to have
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If I don’t make music it literally kills me. I feel like I’m gonna die
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that he never worries about the impact of Cowell’s plans will have on his career. Yet the expectations of Labrinth from what he’s already achieved to the exclusivity of his record deal are unavoidable. But as a man with a clear vision, he maintains he feels no pressure at Syco because he’s the type of person that is never happy. "People are like ‘you’re smashing it around the world’ and I’m like ‘I don’t care’. I haven’t made what I want to make yet and that’s the kind of artist I am," he explains. "I’m not thinking about the success I’ve had, I’m thinking about the success I want to have." But as a man always pushing for higher, Labrinth admits "I feel like I’m my own worst enemy sometimes in terms how I move forward. I won’t lie that I appreciate what I’ve done so far and I’m not overlooking that, but at the same time I know where my ambitions lie." Despite being part of Syco, Labrinth is far from a talent show signing and doesn’t expect people to see him as such. Ironically, he even mentions in single ‘Express Yourself’ - ‘I don’t make the papers, I’m far from JLS // Ain’t got the X-factor, I’m not what they expect’ despite writing it before he was even signed. "It’s so weird that it’s in there and I ended up signing with them! When I listened to it again there was the irony that I’m not supposed to be part of the X Factor. I don’t have what the X Factor usually wants." The stereotype of a Cowell signing is not something he’s concerned with though and isn’t choosing to distance himself from it, because he believes his diversity is his biggest asset. "I’m a bit of a weird one to a lot of people because I can change my hat very quickly. One day I’ll be a squeaky clean pop artist and then the next day I’ll be the sickest underground artist making crazy club tunes. He adds that, "people don’t really know where to put me most of the time and I think that confuses people. It works with the name though, Labrinth!" His confidence may be taken as arrogance, but as a man who has written, produced and performed practically an entire hit album himself, he may be afforded a pat on the back. But he admits the decision to create the whole record isn’t going to be the way forward in the future. "Sometimes you can learn fresh things from new people and I don’t always believe on doing it all on my own. But I felt the first one I should at least do."
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One day I’ll be a squeaky clean pop artist and then the next day I’ll be the Sickest undeRground artist making crazy club tunes
And the album is a diverse record at that, showing the different sides to Labrinth’s style, which he describes as "a healthy intro to people understanding what I’m about, what I’ve learnt and who I was." Yet for all the alternative faces of Labrinth, his party records still dominate and for him, it’s all about having fun. "I didn’t want to be too serious because that wasn’t how I was feeling at the time. I don’t find it hard to make a well written, well constructed melody and that side of it for me is actually easier than making a party song." He insists however, "I’m not gonna be one of those artists that make the same record all the time, because I’m about music so hopefully they get that message." With 2012 already a massive year for Labrinth, his plans remain solely to keep making music. "I’m gonna put more stuff out there, make more club bangers, make more beautiful, well written songs and get more strings going. I just want to keep putting myself out there and hopefully people will respect and enjoy that." Plans to hit America are building up as well. "It’s been quite hot over there. We’re being used as one of the songs for WWE, Earthquake’s getting a bit of noise out there and we got Busta Rhymes on the version we’re releasing. I’m going there to put the face to the song really." A household name already, and Labrinth isn’t finished yet, not by a long shot. With the amount of Earthquakes he’s got planned, that bomb shelter you’ve been mulling over may not be such a bad investment after all. Labrinth plays O2 Bournemouth on 18 October.
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No Tempah Nerve You or Tinie Tempah, who’s got more style? L (Laughs) That’s funny! Well I think I’ve been in GQ more times than him so I win. Nerve Do you think he’ll be too happy about that? L Nah Tinie will be like "I don’t care man" because he’s gonna be like "well that means I’m not much of ladies man, that’s what he’s gonna say to me!" Design Toby Gray Thanks to SQ Magazine for permitting the publication of this article.
Lab’s Acts to watch Kyra - "She’s under the management of Wretch 32’s management and she’s got an amazing voice." Emergency Room - "I actually have these 2 guys on my label and they’ve got some really crazy, fresh records that they’re putting out really soon so I can’t wait for them to come out." Lady Leshurr - "She’s a badgirl! She was in the studio with one of my boys the other day and she’s got some insane verses, her flow is insane." NERVE 57
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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SUMMER BALL NERVE 40
ENTS
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SUMMER BALL REVIEW
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here’s only one day a year where you can spot Kate Middleton, the Teletubbies and Ronald McDonald all at the same venue. Of course it was at Bournemouth University’s biggest sell-out event of the year, the Summer Ball. For those who don’t know this isn’t any standard sort of ‘ball’. In fact the term should be used in the loosest sense as this is more of a festival – you wouldn’t be seen dead in a gown or a tux unless you were coming as the cast of Strictly Come Dancing. Every year the costumes seem to get better and better and this year was no exception. Thousands of colourful, unusual and even some borderline offensive outfits could be seen donning the streets of Bournemouth as the students made their way to the Old Fire Station to
catch the free bus ride to the venue. The event itself is like stepping into the closing scene from Grease, minus the ‘You’re The One That I Want’ and add a few more duplicate groups of T-Birds and Pink Ladies. There’s fun fair rides for the brave ones, plenty of international cuisine for the peckish and there is, of course, the main event...the music. A variety of circus tents around the field offer something for absolutely everyone, so whether you like to get down and dirty to hip hop, or you prefer moshing to something from our friends at Milk, there’s definitely something to keep you dancing ‘til your costume tears. Next year the Summer Ball celebrates its 10th anniversary so it’s damn sure to be a good one – make sure you don’t miss out!
INDIE ROCKS TENT: DOG IS DEAD
INDIE ROCKS TENT WAYF TENT: TODDLA T Over in the We Are Your Friends dance tent was Radio 1 DJ Toddla T (right), who was back after headlining last year’s Block Party in Bournemouth. It was not only his set, but also the lights and the atmosphere meant that the dance tent just felt totally electric. Anyone who walked in there was sure to walk out buzzing. NERVE 42
In the Indie Rocks tent were up and coming and hotly tipped for 2012 band Dog is Dead (left). They caused waves when they performed on the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury last year and had an even better reaction here at the Summer Ball. The indie crowd were consumed by the Nottingham five piece, which recently finished touring with Bombay Bicycle Club, and it was clear everyone felt captured by their presence. Their latest single Two Devils seemed to be the biggest crowd pleaser and these guys are definitely ones to watch.
BIGGEST PARTY OF THE YEAR URBAN TENT: DOT ROTTEN & NETSKY Charging into the Urban Tent meanwhile were the likes of Netsky (bottom right), bringing with him those classic drum and bass beats all the way from Belgium to get the urban crowd pumping all ready for headline act Dot Rotten (right) (which stands for Dirty on Tracks). The grime artist has been pretty underground until recently when his single Overload was awarded hottest record status by Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe. What’s captivating about Dot is the fact that he’s a great rapper as well as a sick lyricist.
MAIN STAGE: FEEDER Headlining the whole event, and completely stealing the show, was internationally famous band Feeder (right). Fifteen years and seven albums later these boys had all the industry experience to get a crowd moving with absolute indie classics like ‘Feeling a Moment’, ‘Just The Way I’m Feeling’ and the house came down when they played ‘Buck Rogers’ (that’s the ‘CD player, player, player’ one for those less familiar with Feeder). This band did not disappoint and left the Bournemouth students reeling and begging for more.
PHOTOS BY JAMES BRIDLE NERVE 43
A NEW YEAR can only mean one thing. The return of the best damn indie night that ever did live. About time we say
PLAYLIST Talk Through The Night Dog is Dead Breezeblocks Alt-J Lightning Bolt Jake Bugg No Hope The Vaccines Sleep Alone Two Door Cinema Club NERVE 58
WIN!
WINNER WINNER BEEF DINNER
Design Toby Gray
Every week, Milk offers free entry and prizes for the most talented, funniest and downright wackiest responses to the brief. This cow got free entry for the rest of 2012 for their psychedelic return of the cow to Bournemouth. Trippy.
1st person to spot themselves on this page and tweet or Facebook comment us "I saw myself @MilkBournemouth in @NerveMagazine #Iwantfreemilk" will win a free t-shirt and free entry! The next 2 will also win free entry!
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Feature
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For most of us here at Nerve, cartoons form a big chunk of our day. We just love them and everyone has a childhood favourite they can’t help but idolise. So we’ve joined forces and rallied the troops to take the best damn trip down memory lane you could ever dream of.
as he seemed to have more of
RULED, END OF.
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He’s not very well known, but I used to watch it every morning before school on Channel 5. He used to slide down a helter skelter to get out of his house. Poppy St Ledger
I used to rush home from school to watch it! GIRL POWER! Lauren Blackler-Hinks
He quite reminds me of one of my favourite science teachers, especially when he had a lighbulb moment. Fond memories! Joanna Poulton Design Toby Gray
NERVE 35
AIDEN GRIMShaw With his Debut album out now, tara MAY cox talked to the x factor starlet on why he's keen to scrap the reality show title NERVE 12
L
et’s start with some background. How has your life changed since x factor? When I was younger I used to go to a theatre school. I wanted to be an actor originally but I didn’t apply to any drama courses so my mum auditioned me for X Factor, and luckily enough I got through. Then after the show I moved to London, was lucky enough to get signed and I moved house so had to learn how to change light bulbs, cook my dinners and do washing which I’m still struggling with! Last year in November I started writing an album (Misty Eye) and here it is.
people is that their music is rushed and you’re just a product of the show, but I’ve had full control of everything that’s gone on and I’ve done all the writing myself and it is exciting. What was the experience like after being signed to a record label? It’s amazing, it’s a big opportunity for a label to have such belief for someone who only came ninth on the X Factor, and what they basically said was ‘Yep you’re signed, go away for two years and do your thing’ and that’s exactly what I’ve done.
What were your thoughts after you were voted off the X Factor? Initially I thought what could have been and I was obviously disappointed. It’s a weird show the X Factor. I always looked at it a bit weirdly because you get so much praise for not actually doing anything much. So now it feels good because so if people ever actually notice me I feel like I’ve got merit for writing my own album. Do you ever compare your level of success to other X factor contestants, particularly from your series? No, I think it’s different. I never really looked at myself as an X Factor contestant. You don’t get another platform like it, it was an amazing experience and I loved every minute of it, but I feel like the way we’ve come off and done everything now it feels honest to me. Maybe the preconceptions of X Factor
October 2010
AIden performed Mad World after making it to the first of the live shows on X Factor
How are you feeling touring the UK? It’s good but it’s weird, it’s a bit different from when I last toured the UK (on the X Factor tour) and I was singing Mad World over and over again. It feels good to sing my own songs. Have you ever been to Bournemouth before? Before we started writing the album I did loads of writing with different writers and producers to get used to it all. It was dead sunny and we came down for two days and these two producer guys took me on an ice breaker trip - we went spear fishing, it was mental. I’m from Blackpool so of course I’m a big fan life near the beach. What has the response been like to new album Misty Eye? It’s been amazing, I’ve had a top 20, it’s been in the top 50 singles and really good
DECEMBER 2010
Aiden finished ninth on the seventh series of X Factor, losing out to Katie Waissel in the sixth week of live finals.
ENTS
“
The preconceptions of X Factor people is that their music is rushed and you’re just a product of the show, but I’ve had full control of everything
”
reviews, and the things people are writing about it, people who you probably wouldn’t expect to write about X Factor people have been writing about me - and it’s been great. I think it’s going to be a slow process I think it’ll take people a little while to get their heads around because it’s so different. Is there a particular meaning behind the name of the album? It’s loads of thoughts in my head about love and relationships and questioning ideals and everything, it’s not a statement or a fact it’s just the thoughts that lie behind a misty eye.
January 2011
Aiden signed with RCA Records, a flagship label of Sony Music Entertainment. NERVE 13
Words Tara May Cox Design Toby Gray
Would you recommend the music industry and what advice would you give to others? What like a fine wine?! Haha. I’m only 20 and I’m still trying to figure it out myself really. It’s very weird, in my eyes it seems like it should all be really easy but sometimes it gets difficult. Nothing I’ve really done seems very hard, it all seems very logical. I think if you’ve got a good idea of where you want to go and what you want to do then just jump in. I think you’ve just got to remember if you get advice then listen, but always make sure your voice is the loudest one.
APRIL 2012
Who are your musical inspirations? I was a big fan of John Mayer and Damien Rice for a long time. I had a bit of a messed up musical background because my mum used to like Chaka Khan and Simply Red and then my dad was this big punk indie fan of music like The Clash, Dexys Midnight Runners and Oasis. And then you go to college and your friends think its dead cool to play Ian Brown, and then I’d go to my uncles and he was a little bit older than me and thought it was dead cool to play 60’s music. I think you just take the best bits of music from the best places.
Aiden’s debut single ‘Is This Love’ premiered on the BBC Radio 1 Request Show. NERVE 14
june 2012
What are your plans for the future/year ahead? I’ve got 8 more shows in this small intimate tour and then hopefully some other people will want to see it, but I think it’s going to take a while. I think that’s the different thing about our approach, it’s not an in your face thing I think it’s a discovery thing, if people want to give it a listen I think they might be won over – I think it’s great! Aiden Grimshaw’s debut album Misty Eye is out now.
‘Is This Love’ was released and debuted at number 35 on the UK singles chart.
august 2012
“
It’s a weird show the X Factor. I always looked at it a bit weirdly because you get so much praise for not actually doing much
Aiden’s debut album ‘Misty Eye’ was released on the 20th, peaking at number 19 on the UK album chart.
”
ANDY WHITBY The hardcore legend chats to Tristan Griffiths about his life as a DJ and why his love for music never dies When we saw you perform at Lava & Ignite. you were mixing hardcore, but you are predominantly from a hard dance background right? I am indeed – although my harder musical beginnings are rooted firmly in Hardcore. Back in 1996 I stumbled across an album called ‘Bonkers’ which changed my world forever. At the time I had only ever heard dance music in its most-known forms - house and trance. When I heard this much faster music I was instantly hooked and it wasn’t until about 4 years later until I found hardhouse, which is 20bpm slower and has more of a groove. It was this that I decided to play, write and form a career from but my love for ‘core will always be there too. How do you manage to find ways to keep every set different, energetic & exciting for the audience? It’s all about keeping your sets interesting through new mixes, new tracks, remixes and bootlegs that relate to the current state of the scene and dance music as a whole. Coupling those factors with new and exciting mixes keeps the crowd engaged and people keen to see you again to see what you’ll pull out of the bag next time!
other listeners, find more content associated by that user if needed and it’s all presented in a very clear and well designed way. What is the next big gig you are looking forward to? I look forward to every show I play in different ways; be it where I’ll know a lot of people in the crowd or a part of the world that I know REALLY love to party – each weekend brings something new and exciting which is what makes my job such an adventure! What is the most interesting venue / gig you have ever been asked to play? I’ve played on yachts floating around the Sydney Opera House, on stages in the middle of forests in Russia and even at illegal raves where the police have rioted in and shut the place down. But in a few weeks I’ve been booked to perform at an Indian Restaurant for a guy’s Birthday event. Part of the booking involved me having dinner with him too – so I guess we’ll see how that goes!
What do you think it is about the hard dance scene that makes people travel long distances, to see sets by their favourite DJs & MCs week in week out? For me it’s always been about the energy, the feel-good vibes associated with the music and the chance to leave your week behind you and forget your problems (for a few hours at least). Clubbers appreciate artists who are as dedicated to the music as they are. I live and breathe this music – it is my life and I try to show this through my performances. How do you think the advances in technology have helped and / or hindered the industry? Musically it has both helped and hindered. The music industry was so keen to move forward with forms of media that before we knew it the right measures weren’t put in place to stop piracy or file-sharing. This worked on separate levels; the loss of income for some producers meant many had to stop and seek other forms of employment. It also meant the quality of music dropped in some instances, as it was easier than ever to buy production software, write a track and release it on their own record label. It hasn’t been all negative though, due to music now available on a much larger scale it means it’s reaching audiences which may have not been interested before. Do you reckon technology and social media has improved the chances of potential artists gaining success as DJ’s and producers? I really think it has. Before websites like Soundcloud, the means to getting to those who mattered was a long drawn out process coupled with a hope they would take time to listen to your CD/download your file/read your letter. Now it’s a case of ‘here’s my download link’ – you click it then press play. You can read comments by
andywhitby.com awsum.co.uk hardcast.com Words Tristan Griffiths Design Toby Gray
ENTS
CONOR MAYNARD Tanya Yilmaz talks to the latest pop sensation on his route to stardom, the Bieber comparison and why he’s always wanted to go to university
NERVE 10
T
he music business is changing. The way pop stars are emerging is evolving at an incredible rate, and the latest sensation; 19 year old Conor Maynard is testament to this. Notching up millions of views on YouTube and catching the attention of the finest in the music industry, Maynard sought mainstream success before he was even signed to a record label. The Brighton-born teenager had always been interested in performing, especially acting, but had never focused on singing completely until he was 15. "Me and my mates always used to mess about singing walking to school when this girl overheard me one day and went ‘do that again’. It made me think ‘if I can get a reaction like that, why not see what sort of response I get online." With a "crappy webcam" and the "cheapest possible" home recording kit, Maynard would record covers from the likes of Usher, Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake, gradually building up a "better recording sound, learning how to produce and record from the internet." After a year of uploading videos, Conor’s popularity amplified on YouTube, especially after his rendition of Ne-Yo’s Beautiful Monster, which dramatically changed the youngster’s life. One million views later, Maynard was approached by the R’n’B star himself and his management team explained how Ne-Yo wanted to work with him. "It was a typical American accent, all cringey. All I said was look I really
appreciate you’re interested and stuff but like I don’t have any proof that this is from Ne-Yo. To be honest I thought it was my mates down the road doing a prank." Still not believing his luck, Maynard was shocked when he received news that the US star wanted to Skype him. "It was so crazy, I was there at 1:30am debating whether to change out of my Superman pyjamas, then the call popped up with Ne-Yo sat on the other end saying how he wants to work with me and fly me out to LA. I think it was from here onwards when I knew I could make a living out of singing." When word broke out, UK labels swarmed him with record deals, but for Conor it was all about finding his sound, making it all original and unique. "I was so young, and I was being surrounded by people telling me I should be following the sound of Justin Bieber. For me, I try to steer clear from that stereotype because I think people liked my sound at the beginning because I took a mainstream song and made it my own and that’s something I wanted to stick to." Eventually, aged 17, Maynard signed to EMI’s sister label, Parlophone who, to name a few have a roster of Kylie Minogue, Gorillaz and Tinie Tempah. Conor shone in the limelight when he was nominated for, and subsequently won MTV’s Brand New for 2012 award. His first single, Can’t Say No debuted at number 2 in the charts in April, with his follow up, Vegas Girl, also scoring him with another top 5 hit. Working with the likes
BETTER THAN BIEBER? Bieber aint’ got nothing on this Brighton bucko, and there are the 4 reasons why Maynard thinks he’s better than the teenage icon.
“Myarefans
called ‘Mayniacs’ for a reason, because they go hard or they go home
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of Pharell Williams, Frank Ocean and Ne-Yo, Maynard co-produced and co-wrote his album Contrast, which debuted at Number 1 in the charts back in July. In celebration of his success, he has embarked on a nationwide tour, stopping off in Bournemouth on November 2nd where he showed the crowd of screaming 14 year old girls what he really can do. "My fans are called ‘Mayniacs’ for a reason, cause they go hard or they go home."
“I can sing”
“I’m more polite”
“I have style”
“I’m taller” NERVE 11
FASHION
STREETS OF STYLE
Our fashion photographer Andrea Pereira takes to the streets to show us exactly why London is the capital of Fearless Fashion
NERVE 22
BOYS 1/
Grey speckle skater skirt Topshop continue to create pieces which can be mixed and matched for any occasion. With the skater skirt still a firm fashion favourite and no need to splash out. £16 from Topshop
3/
2/ Cap sleeve flippy tunic This tunic can be worn and redesigned over and over again. Easy to make your own during the day. Then add an on trend collar for an evening look. Available in a variety of colours, this is the ultimate student steal. £20 from Topshop
4/ Red quilted messenger bag Add a splash of colour to the simplest of outfits. No need to worry about accessories, this does it all for you. The perfect buy for an effortless look any day of the week. £25 from River Island
Solid cross necklace A gold-tone cross pendant, a double layered cable chain design, an adjustable length and a lobster clasp fastening to the reverse offers the perfect chance to add detail to an outfit. £6 from Asos
WISH LI S T
1/ Oxford shirt ASOS has reworked the preppy style in a variety of light shades and stripes in both long and short sleeve styles on sale from £16.50 an essential in any man’s wardrobe. £22 from Asos
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2/ Sweatshirt with overdye crew neck With a nonexistent summer passed, we welcome in autumn with this crew neck sweatshirt. The bargain buy over dyed sweatshirt features a ribbed crew neck, raglan style long sleeves with ribbed cuffs and a ribbed hemline. £18 from Asos
4/ Fairisle printed backpack Featured with a printed fairisle design throughout, contrast bottom, two side compartments and adjustable shoulder straps this backpack adds to the traditional, as well as this seasons never ageing preppy look. £30 from Asos
Teenage Cancer Trust tshirt collection This off white tee looks great with its all over music pattern print and roll up sleeves. Topman will even donate £5 from each sale straight to the charity. £18 from Topman
GIRLS
Words Holly Welsh Design Toby Gray
NERVE 23
THE BLA CKOUT
The Blackout have made a name for themselves over the last few years with their hard rocking tunes, an exhilarating live show, and Sean Smith’s multi-coloured, ever-changing hair. James Hibberd caught up with Sean before their show at the Old Fire Station, and put some important, life-changing questions to him. Or maybe not... Welcome to Bournemouth! Have you had much chance to look around? Me and my friend Phil went to get sushi at Oishii Oishii. There are other sushi restaurants available in Bournemouth, but it was good. I had prawn tempura rolls and spider maki, which is a whole crab with the arms and legs sticking out. I love sushi, but I didn’t get to see much else really. Your live performances are always pretty insane. You must love playing live, right? We’ve always been a live band. When we started the band it was only ever to play live and we didn’t think we’d get to do anything else, so we’ve always been about trying to be the best we can and have a laugh. We were in Leeds last night and it was so warm that I nearly passed out about 3 or 4 times. It was either because it was so warm, or just because I’m terribly unfit and keep eating instead of working out! What’s the best bit about playing live shows? I think it’s the feedback you get from crowds. I like to see shock on people’s faces. I’d rather someone love us or hate us than just being like, ‘oh, they’re OK.’ We’ve always been about getting in people’s faces and having a laugh. I think I’m quite funny, I’m probably the only one though! I think if you pay to go to a show, it should be all entertainment. Don’t be the serious ones with silences in between songs who don’t speak to the crowd, because playing live is all about playing to the crowd. I heard at one show, somebody threw a shoe at you, and then bit you. How do you cope with that kind of behaviour? What happened was, a boy and his friends snuck into the gig, and they were caught in the dressing room area and got kicked out of the venue, but then managed to sneak back in. They were causing trouble the whole gig, pushing people over and stamping on the back of people’s heels, so their shoes would come off and then throwing them. I saw one of them throw it, and I ducked, but I saw red, ran into the pit and just went mental. I threw a punch at him and got him in a headlock, and I thought it would be against the five of them. But they all ran away, like pussies, and he ended up just biting me!
“
“
Anything you’ve seen is 2% of how crazy he actually is
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Sunday he was doing an Iron Man event, which is a 112 mile bike ride, a marathon, and then a two and a half mile swim. I asked him if he trains a lot for these, and he told me, ‘I find training makes it easier, and I like a challenge.’ Start the Party is a bit of a sing-along anthem, is that something we can expect more of on the new album? No, it’s all rap for the rest! And apparently, the kids are down with something called ‘dubstepping’, whatever that is. No, it’s more of a rocky album, and I want to say fun, but that makes it sound crap, because every time I think of a fun band, I think of ska and I hate that. Partying is the main theme, and it’s just about living your life and smiling. What’s up with the long delay from the release of the single to the release of the album? Not our fault! Basically, because when you’re a band our size, come Christmas, loads of massive pop stars are releasing Christmas albums, and you can’t compete with them. They told us we could either release it September, which we thought was too soon, or wait until January. We finished recording it in July, and I’m already fed up of it! I need another new album of ours to listen to; I’m bored of this one now! You’ve taken Straight Lines out with you on this tour, and there is a real close-knit group of Welsh bands, how has that helped you out? Lostprophets took us out on our first tour, and our first big show was with Funeral for a Friend. We took Kids in Glass Houses out on their first tour, who’ve ultimately taken Straight Lines out. We’re all friends. It spans genres as well, and I think right now Wales has the best scene in the UK, possibly in the world, for music. American bands just want to be British, British bands want to be American, and I think Wales has just come out with one of every genre, and nailed it.
I saw one of them throw it and I ducked, but I saw red, ran into the pit and just went mental
You flew out to Ibiza to film the video for Start the Party with Pritchard of Dirty Sanchez and Balls of Steel fame. Is he as mental in real life as he is on TV? He is more mental than you’ll ever know. Anything you’ve seen is 2% of how crazy he actually is. He’s mental, but not in a crazy, frightening way. He’s just happy. He’s the nicest bloke in the world. I’ll be out partying, and not feeling very well, and then I’ll think, ‘Pritchard wouldn’t stand for this’. He’s done marathons having not slept, because he’s been at a house party the night before. We did the boat party for the video on a Wednesday. On
Can you give us some examples of some up-and-coming Welsh bands? Astroid Boys - they sing raps over dubsteps. It’s kind of like metal/nu-metal meets dubstep meets rap, and it’s really cool. They’re a bit like Odd Future, but I like them more than Odd Future. Who else are Welsh? Gavin Butler’s solo stuff is good, but don’t tell him though, he’s got a big head.
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Finally, the ultimate question. Bournemouth vs Barry Island, which is the better beach spot? I haven’t been to Barry Island for quite some time, I can’t remember! Despite Gavin and Stacey being on, there’s nothing really there. I haven’t really been out in Bournemouth either, even though we’ve been here a bunch of times, so I can’t answer that one honestly, sorry. Words James Hibberd Design Toby Gray