o-two Volume XVII Issue 7

o-two 18th JAN 2011 Issue 7 Vol. XVII

The University Observer’s Arts & Culture Supplement

feeder frenzy Feeder's Grant Nicholas talks exclusively to o-two about their new album and the thrills of

+inside > Munich > Ball fashion > Black Swan > The Go! Team

Contents

03 REGULARS

SOAPBOX Paul Fennessy has his knickers in a knot about snowballs.

WHAT'S HOT WHAT'S NOT Alison Lee is back, with WHWN

o-two

Feeder detail the highlights of their long and successful careers that saw them engraved in history as a top British band.

16 FILM

Moan, groan and atone. Emer Sugrue gives her thoughts on what will happen in 2011.

07 ICON

20 GAMES

ATTEMPTS A Golden Semester is possible and Sarah Doran reaps the rewards.

06 OPINION

George Morahan acknowledges the comedic genius of Laurel and Hardy.

08 TRAVEL

– The ins and outs of Krakow detailed by Amy Bracken.

– A Christmas venture to Munich recommended by Bridget Fitzsimons.

09 WEBWATCH

The unwritten laws of Facebook and the lack of variety on the web are tackled and discussed.

10 HOROSCOPES

Mittens ballooned over Christmas and is now picking on your weight to distract you from her problems.

11 FASHION

– Boys in their suits and girls in pretty dresses, Kieran Murphy likes balls.

– Tips for tackling the sales season and preening your eyes to perfection.

2

14 HEADLINER

REVIEWS –Black Swan, The Green Hornet and It's Kind of a Funny Story are reviewed in the film section this issue.

TOP TEN Jon Hozier-Byrne takes you through our new-year’s-resolution-themed film countdown.

TV o-two brings you a thorough review of RTÉ’s The Savage Eye and a fangirl review of Doctor Who.

SHOW PATROL Gigs and events hitting you up in the next two weeks.

18 January 2011

A round-up of the games that tickled everyone’s fancy during 2010 and a look at this year’s hottest upcoming releases.

21 MUSIC

INTERVIEWS – o-two party with the Go Team and Zola Jesus.

SHUFFLE – Amazing Irish chooones that make you proud of this charming little isle.

26 FOOD AND DRINK

– Elaine Lavery talks you through the best approach to making packed lunches.

– Mexican food delights the taste buds of Steven Balbirnie.

28 BACK PAGE

– o-two interviews Morning Hush and thankfully, they’re not as quiet as their name suggests.

– What are your New Year’s resolutions?

Please Talk investigates.

Letter from the Eds Jai Ho readers, It’s the new year if you haven’t already realised. The best way to notice that we have started a new 365-day cycle is to observe the sudden rise in people making ridiculous resolutions to better themselves.

Complete restoration of the mind, body and soul by any means necessary is top of most people’s agenda. The methods are exercise, starvation and liking Mass-related pages on Facebook.

So what are o-two’s new year’s resolutions? Stop laughing at people as a means to boost our own ego and that’s about it. That’s a pretty big thing to cut out of our ego’s diet to be fair.

Speaking of new year’s resolutions, diets and egos, we have an interview with Welsh rockers Feeder, who give us some exclusive news about their new album as well as providing the secret to longevity as a band.

Here’s a clue: Don’t go on X Factor.

In fashion, Kieran Murphy explains why wearing your dad’s oversized suit looks ridiculous, while also having tips for where girls can buy a nice gown.

Looking towards our music section, we are happy to include interviews with the Go! Team and Zola Jesus, along with some decidedly non-music-y stuff including a feature on TNA wrestler The Pope.

Film provides you with some killer reviews as well as a list of films to help you stick to those pesky resolutions.

Yours faithfully, Emer & Killian

SOAPBOX The recent onset of heavy snowfall meant the idiots were out in force, writes Paul Fennessy

W

Rant

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ord of advice: If it is snowing heavily and you spot me walking home, do not throw a snowball at me, especially after I’ve endured a long day of work and have managed to survive up until that point on only a few hours of sleep and especially when I’m wearing a pair of expensive glasses which break easily.

Yes, some poor, unfortunate soul who I’d never met in my entire life decided it would be hilarious to hit me, along with other random passers-by (both walkers and drivers) with thick, potentially potent lumps of snow.

You might be thinking: “Oh come on, it’s just a bit of fun, what harm can arise from it?” Well I’m sorry, but this is essentially an assault. It can cause serious damage. Indeed, there have been cases where people have been seriously injured from snowball attacks and lawsuits have resulted.

Would you ever consider going up to someone you’ve never met before and slapping them (aside from on drunken nights out of course)? Would you ever feel the need to purposefully strike strangers with food, a laptop or any other random instrument at your disposal? No. Why not?

Well, you see this thing called civilisation occurred many, many years ago. However, after witnessing certain people’s

behaviour recently, I’m not convinced the evolution from the apes was entirely successful.

What’s more, I describe this person as ‘poor’ and ‘unfortunate’ because he was not some five-year-old child who didn’t know any better (although he undoubtedly had a similar level of intellect), but a guy who was at least 20 years old. Word of advice to the offender who was most likely a UCD student (the incident took place just outside UCD) and is thus, possibly reading this article: grow up.

Seriously, it frightens me to think of the state of the mind of someone who throws snowballs at oncoming traffic for laughs. They are the type of people whose self-awareness permanently stands at zilch.

They are the type of people who talk their way through movies at the cinema, or who always skip ahead in nightclub queues. They are sociopaths, in other words, who cannot comprehend the fact that the world does not revolve around them. Normally, I’m not in favour of the death penalty, but I’m willing to make an exception in this case.

So there you have it: if you see me walking down the street, do not throw a snowball at me or I will kill you. Or at least I’ll attempt to persuade the state to do so on my behalf. Happy new year everyone!

WHAT’S WHAT’S

HOT NOT

&

They sequenced the cool gene over Christmas and named it ALI/LEE. With that in mind, here’s Alison Lee’s happening guide to get you through the fortnight

What’s Hot

18 January 2011

What’s Not

3

The return of The Rubberbandits Grey’s Anatomy

Having water on tap

o-two awards its coveted double thumbs up to the Limerick duo that brought the country to its knees with their ridiculously catchy ode to the advantages of owning a horse over a car. Expect to see the UCD car park thronged with piebald ponies this semester – if you haven’t swapped your Honda Civic for one, you better get a move on.

It can be hard to appreciate the little things in life, such as running water – especially when you live in a country renowned for its irritatingly reliable rainfall. But after weeks of being officially out of H2O, flushing toilets and taking showers have become activities that leave much of the country’s population experiencing a disturbingly satisfying tingle.

Meredith and the gang are back for our viewing pleasure. Their extremely complicated professional and personal lives make a day in the life of a UCD student look about as exciting as Dad’s Sunday trip to Power City. Except for the med students that is, whose lives of scandal, intrigue and perfect hairstyles put the rest of us to shame.

New year’s resolution to diet

Novelty The January sales calendars rush

It’s a well-known fact that new year’s resolutions are bad for you. In fact some, such as dieting, are scientifically proven to be life threatening. That extra layer of Christmas blubber is essential to survive the cold January days – especially if you’re one of the poor unfortunates that still have to spend two hours in the Arctic RDS doing exams.

Are sales REALLY that exciting nowadays?

Thanks to the R-word, there have been brilliant sales all year round in pretty much every shop in the country – the ones that haven’t gone bust, that is. Sorry Brown Thomas, you can take your ‘ten per cent off Prada handbags’ and shove it up your very expensive rear entrance (the one on Clarendon Street).

Novelty calendars are the ultimate “I’m out of ideas” present, and sadly most of us are currently in possession of one, gifted unto us by our nearest and dearest.

Titles like Ferrets Go Fishing, Racoons are Beautiful and Cat Yoga are just some of the gems on offer. If you must buy one, pick up Ireland’s National Firefighter Calendar – at least it’s for charity!

Advice

o-two

It’s a brand new year and it’s high time you got Hot and Nasty with our resident sexpert, Fadora McSexypants Dear Fadora, Every New Year it’s the same. I start off with the best of intentions, but by the time Semester Two rolls around, I've completely abandoned all my New Year’s resolutions.

How do you discipline yourself? Do you have any tricks or tactics to keep yourself on

18 January 2011

4

Christmas is good to the horizontally challenged. It is a time when we choose to forget about eating properly – every extra dollop of brandy butter falls unchallenged onto your plate and that carefully piled stack of cellophane Quality Street wrappers seems almost like your accomplishment for the day.

Well, luckily Christmas is over and we can get back to our ritualistic January self-loathing. It’s time to get back into the gym, so dig out those tight-fitting O’Neills, make a playlist on your iPod featuring only Tiesto, and get ready to be judged by a bunch of cocky pituitary retards lifting weights that are in exact inverse proportions to the size of their penises.

As you rightly point out, Babar, it is very easy to make a resolution and even easier to break it. I myself have been dead set on a major lifestyle change many times, before slipping out of the habit faster than a sexy nun at a Hallowe’en party.

That is not denying the fact that exercise is dull, tedious and difficult. Try to focus on how good you’ll look after shedding that ham baby you’ve been quietly encouraging over the last month. The key to resolutions, dear Dumbo, is in the word itself – you must be resolute. I’ll give you the same advice my father gave me on the eve of my 16th birthday; “It’s going to be hard, but you’ll have to do it or no man will ever love you.”

So stick at it, Snuffleupagus and before long you’ll get to that mysterious point all gym-goers get to, when they compartmentalise their pain and convince their mediocre brains that they truly ‘enjoy’ working out. Shoot for the moon, you engorged pachyderm – even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars. And by stars, I mean self-important, tight-trousered, spotty-backed evolutionary missteps gathered around some heavy things.

the straight and narrow?

Yours desperately, Ella, 2nd Arts.

Happy New Year, Love and Tickles, Fadora McSexypants, 1337.

Good evening Ella.

Ella, I’m going to go ahead and assume you’re a larger lady, in fact; I’d go so far as to wager that your second name is Phant.

Next Week, Fadora explains how balls work.

Send your queries to mcsexypants@universityobserver.ie

Mystic Mittens

Fuck you Enda and your Honda Civic. Mystic Mittens is down to five lives after that collision

Aries

Leo

Sagittarius

(March 21 – April 20) You have flung around that invisible axe of power pretty convincingly so far. What happens when you’re caught out?

Even Mittens doesn’t know.

(July 24 – August 23) Cop on, life isn’t a Disney movie and you won’t get the girl/boy. Anyway, Leo-to-Leo procreation breeds colour blind children and feminazis.

(November 23 – December 22) After binging yourself on sweets that come by the tin load, the tapeworm in your belly is now fat, like you!

Taurus

Virgo

Capricorn

(April 21 – May 21) You think you’ve passed all your exams, but those provisional Ds will quickly turn into permanent non-compensatable Es.

(August 24 – September 23) If you try and add that thing you pulled on Black Monday to your notchless belt, you’ve hit rock bottom.

Gemini

Libra

(May 22 – June 21) If you got a nickel for every time you get robbed in the next two weeks, you’d have one nickel. You will still suffer from 18 knifepoint incidents. Think about it.

Cancer (June 22 – July 23) Turkey leg, turkey breast, turkey sandwiches, turkey stew, turkey soup, turkey curry and turkey couscous equals turkey belly.

(September 24 – October 23) That ticking time bomb you left in Auntie Nora will come back to haunt you. An eight-fingered baby born in August raises many questions.

(December 23 – January 23) Yet another year of Christbirthdaymas presents coagulate into one. Get revenge that lies outside the boundaries of the laws!

Aquarius (January 21 – February 19) You’re scared of change? Well change is scared of you!

Scorpio

Pisces

(October 24 – November 22) You can’t hide your weight behind facial hair forever. (This horoscope is not male specific).

(February 19 – March 20) Your persona of the 'bunny suicide murderer' will catch on eventually.

Don’t try and force it.

5

18 January 2011

ATtempts

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o-two attempts:

A Golden Semester

With the arrival of a new semester, Sarah Doran attempts to prove that things can be different

Keeping your face stuck in a book and actually attending lectures can have a positive effect on your degree, apparently.

P

erfect attendance has never been my forte: a lack thereof characterised much of my early scholastic career. First year was spent largely at home, lethargy justified by the fact that it simply ‘didn’t count’ toward the final degree. Second year did count, so next semester, things would be different.

However, with a boyfriend on a year-long Erasmus and cheap flights to Stockholm, the appeal of foreign shores and free accommodation significantly outweighed the allure of the Golden Semester (in other words, going the entire semester without missing one lecture for those of you reading this who have been living under a rock throughout college). “You’ve got one more year,” I assured myself: Next semester things would definitely be different.

I arrived on campus in September, unwavering in the belief that this semester, I would boldly go where no student had gone before. Well, none that I personally knew of: I was aware of one or two students who had yet to achieve a Golden Week in three years at UCD. The first four weeks of term seemed to pass without much stress or incident. Every morning the alarm would ring and I would refrain from smashing my hand down on the snooze button. I actually enjoyed making my way to college every day and even found myself becoming involved in college-related activities for the first time.

In first year, when I actually had an extortionate amount of free time for them, extra-curricular activities had consciously been banished to the realm of my secondary school debating days. In final year, when time was sparse, I proved determined to allocate myself as much surplus work as possible. This appeared

to work in my favour when attempting the Golden Semester: it transpired that the numerous commitments I felt compelled to fulfil ultimately encouraged me to attend college.

The first threat to my Golden Semester came in the form of the cancellation of the number 10 bus; getting to UCD from the Northside seemed far more inconvenient when I was required to actually walk from the Stillorgan dual carriageway. I valiantly soldiered on despite this drastically demoralising development, attending class after class whilst dividing my time between the newspaper office, the radio station and the library.

My determination to attend class seemed to be accompanied by an obsessive need to withdraw so many books that my UCD library account was continuously stretched to its full capacity: asking your boyfriend to withdraw books for you really brings a whole new dimension to a relationship. If I had perhaps been half as resolute to read as I had been to attend classes, those books would even probably have proven useful.

By week six the effects of early mornings and late nights had begun to set in and to make matters worse, reading week had been pushed back to week seven. My carefully constructed schedule for the semester had not been adhered to and essay due dates loomed ever closer.

The news that I actually had to formulate my own titles for a project, whilst simultaneously navigating through a sea of materials handed out by another kind-hearted yet almost incomprehensible lecturer, did not serve to calm my nerves.

However, despite the fatigue and occasional internal fracas, I still felt a strange determination to carry on:

in other words, I was plain stubborn. Reading week provided some respite and relief, with the submission of essays allowing me to feel as though some share of the burden had been lifted.

My 21st birthday fell in week eight. I was incensed at being required to attend college on my birthday, having always been afforded the luxury of a bank holiday weekend or mid-term birthday in the academic calendar. My friends assured me that this was one day that I was entitled to spend at home: I chose not to listen.

Week eight rapidly became week nine, as I burrowed beneath a monstrous mound of books, essays and articles. I soon swiftly found myself in week ten, with my perfect attendance intact. Week eleven arrived and with it an illness which threatened to derail the Golden Semester.

Yet determination, or rather delirium and copious doses of paracetamol, pushed me toward week twelve.

With two days to go, the head-cold had developed into a full-blown dose of flu. Nevertheless, I dragged myself into class through the snow, rather unsure as to how I would survive the wintery week. Miraculously, on Wednesday the snow forced UCD to shut its doors and my Golden Semester was achieved.

Twelve weeks of class later, I developed a much deeper appreciation for the December holidays, even if they were slightly marred by the postponed exams. Yet I also noted how seamlessly the semester had passed after the first few weeks and simultaneously discovered a new affection for UCD. Could a surprisingly enjoyable Golden Semester lead to a Golden Year? Who knows?

Semester Two could be totally different.

OPINION

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18 January 2011

6

2011:

The predictions

As the college term starts and we've already failed at all of our resolutions, Emer Sugrue takes a look at the year ahead

Separated at birth? Brian Cowen and Gordon Brown have experienced similar political fates.

2

010 was a year for the history books. They all are really, such is the nature of history. Yet never before have we seen such a combination of natural disasters, financial meltdowns, and cats in bins. Just 18 days in, however, and 2011 has kicked it right in its obsolete balls. There are floods raging through Australia and birds are dropping out of the sky like feathery missiles worldwide. Is it too early to call apocalypse?

Bird-proof umbrellas isn’t all we have to look forward to. Last year’s airspace-ruining volcano, Eyjafjallajokull’s bigger and more pronounceable brother Katla, is showing signs of unrest and like you next month with swine flu, could blow any minute.

Snow is predicted again this winter and with Dublin City Council’s policy of leaving towering heaps of grit on Grafton Street while everywhere else is an icy death trap, there is basically no chance of ever going on a holiday again. We should just abandon any attempts at a tourist industry and accept that this year we will spend our holidays at home, crying over cancelled tickets and eating cold baked beans, because the power has gone out while shaking our fists at the ceiling impotently cursing Pele.

The only reason you might have to leave the country this year is to emigrate. Word has got round by now that we are economically shagged. Our brief time of overpriced houses and employment is over; all we have left is our memories as well as a crushing mortgage.

There will be record numbers of young people trying to flee our depressing shores, but unlike the 1980s when Ireland was an island of unemployment and depression in a sea of coked up stock traders pouring Krug on their

cornflakes, absolutely everywhere is a mess.

The United States, our 400-year safety country, is arguably worse off – at least here the poor can have medical treatment rather than the American solution of throwing them in a gutter and poking them with a stick until the cancer goes away. Failing that, the government will offer you a cheese plate.

We could go to mainland Europe, but considering they are giving us €85 million to boost the economy, it’s taking the piss slightly to ask for a job too. Britain is a bit touch and go too, as their battalion of shiny-faced Tory millionaires cut all welfare not directly used by themselves.

There will be a general election here in the next few months, and the whole country is buzzing with excitement. Wait, not excitement, what’s that other thing? Oh, abject despair. Even the most buoyant of political enthusiasts can’t delude themselves of an electoral whirlwind.

Enda Kenny is not the face of change. He is the face of one who eats potatoes with every meal and owns 14 Aran sweaters. Fine Gael’s only campaign for the last 15 years has been to take Fianna Fáil’s promise and add 1. “2000 new Gardai on the street? We’ll put 3000 on, and give them new shoes. Vote Enda!”

Kenny’s lack of popularity is baffling frankly; he might not even win this election. This should be an impossible election to lose, but if anyone can snatch defeat from the jaws of defeat, it’s Enda. A used tissue has more political presence.

As in all political meanderings, we will follow Britain’s example. Ireland tends to do what England did two years previously, with disastrous results. When Tony

Blair announced he wouldn’t finish his third term, there was a shitstorm of journalists badgering him for his resignation date and accusing him of lame duckery, so Bertie duly followed suit. They got their visually unfortunate ten-year finance minster as a replacement, so did we. They thought that constantly building new houses would lead to an infinite rise in prices making everyone millionaires forever... Well, we know how that turned out.

Hence, the election will go like this: the two main parties will compete on practically identical platforms.

I’m going to guess ‘Change’ because why actually change things when you can just wave a sign. Neither will specify what change that is, because they don’t know and giving any sort of opinion risks having to actually do things.

Then, just as everyone loses the will to live, Labour will hover into view. Eamonn Gilmore will break the cardinal rule of politics and start saying things.

Statement, opinions, promises almost. Polls will come out showing his incredible popularity, it all looks set for a landslide!

When the votes are cast, no one has a majority and Labour’s share is exactly the same as it’s always been ten per cent. They have been well and truly Clegged.

They’ll join in with one or other of the parties, probably Fine Gael. Everyone will hate them because despite not being voted for, they didn’t keep their promises and we all learn an important lesson: don’t try.

In other news, a new definition of the kilogram, based on universal constants, is going to be announced at the 24th General Conference on Weights and Measures.

Looks like you might lose weight this year after all.

7

18 January 2011

Icon

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o-two icon

Laurel and Hardy Despite a prolific and iconic career, comedy duo Laurel and Hardy are unjustly ignored by modern audiences, argues George Morahan

T

ime has not been kind to Laurel and Hardy.

Despite being in an age where the public’s comedy tastes can wildly vary (from the stoic minimalism of Stewart Lee’s standup to the gross-out bromances of Judd Apatow’s Hollywood movies), there seems to be little room for the comedy stylings that made Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy two of the most recognisable faces on Earth. In fact, their style is rather derided by contemporary audiences.

The partnership of a short, thin Englishman and his rotund American sidekick was one of the most fruitful in the early years of the Hollywood studio system and kept audiences laughing in the late 1920s and throughout the thirties.

Arthur Stanley Jefferson first emigrated from Britain at the age of 22. Having toured up and down the UK as a support act for most of his childhood and young adult life, Jefferson decided to seek fame and fortune in the US. Upon reaching America, it was decided that shorter name would be more beneficial to his career, and so Stan Laurel was born. Oliver ‘Babe’ Hardy had been a popular stage singer is his native state of Georgia, before finding a stable career as supporting actor in a number of silent films when he moved to New York.

After moving to California, Hardy starred in a film entitled The Lucky Dog along with one Stan Laurel.

This would be the first film they would appear in together, though they were both starring as solo acts, not as the double act that would bring them celebrity.

It took many years for the pair to find popularity; they would not star together again until 1926. It was only upon being paired up by studio boss Hal Roach that everything started clicking into place and in 1927’s The Second Hundred Year, “Stan and Ollie” were born.

Stan and Ollie were truly prolific under the guidance of Roach and over the course of their partnership, it is thought that they made 32 short silent films, 40 short films with sound and 23 full-length feature films, as well as eleven cameo appearances in other films.

Overall, Stan and Ollie made 106 films together – a testament to the longevity and to how beloved they were to audiences worldwide.

“Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into...” goes the phrase which distils the comic personas of Stan and Ollie. Stan would be constantly annoyed with his buffoon of a partner, even though he had contributed as much to their misfortune as Ollie had and both had been undermined by their inherent dimness and perpetual optimism.

Both characters also had a penchant for farcical slapstick and general idiocy, but they were bound by friendship in a way that made it obligatory for them to stick together. The universe wanted them together and they would eternally remain as a cosmic punching bag, much to the delight of thousands of cinema lovers. A large part of their act would be grounded in slapstick; as the constant subjects of fate’s mocking

The dynamic duo, above, have inspired many of the modern-day greats. gaze, the pair found themselves on the receiving end of many beatings and calamitous injuries.

Scenes were naturally played for laughs with onomatopoeic sound effects fed in to quell worries of any actual bodily harm caused to the pair, an example of their egoless performances; willing to throw out any dignity they had to get a laugh. They were born showmen and performers. Many of their films revolved around a tit-for-tat competition rival, allowing for silliness and calamity to spiral out of control.

Although laughs did come from their onscreen personas, the pair’s physical disparity and appearance were vital to the performance. They were and are instantly recognisable; the towering Ollie is his scruffy, ill-fitting suit, complete with tatty necktie along with his large bowler hat and fixed toothbrush moustache and the short, trim Stan wearing his oversized suit and bow tie completed with his narrow bowler hat and walk comparable to that of a duck’s waddle.

Their consistency was a source of familiarity and comfort for their contemporary audience, as they

followed a tried-and-tested formula. The comedy, the situations and the results were easy to replicate from film to film and audiences would lap it up.

Of course, it’s easy to see why an act that brokered success with their repetition and consistency would be deemed unfashionable by sophisticated modern audiences who are in demand for originality and constant evolution of the comedian, but Laurel and Hardy were allowed to refine and continue to find variance and nuance in an act they had been perfecting over the course of their entwining careers.

However, after leaving Roach in the 1940s, the popularity of Laurel and Hardy began to wane, but they had left an unavoidable mark on comedy that would remain through the century. The archetype of the well-meaning-but-forever-flawed duo would survive in many incarnations with great success, from The Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise, and Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, to more contemporary couples such as French and Saunders, Mitchell and Webb and even Kenan and Kel.

TRAVEL

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18 January 2011

München gracias

8

Fresh from a frustrating Irish Christmas, Bridget Fitzsimons discovers the joys of German efficiency in Munich

I

am not characteristically Irish. I believe that 1pm is 1pm, not half past, not “oneish”. Lateness and inefficiency infuriate me, so I was suitably excited about a sojourn in Munich. I was dreaming of buses arriving perfectly on time and the general population being completely unaware of lateness.

Fortunately, my punctual fantasies were satisfied, but there is far more to Munich than wonderful timekeeping. The city is the capital of the Bavarian (Bayern) region of Germany and boasts legendary Christmas markets as well as a history built on beer.

The city’s German name München comes from the German for monk and its beginnings come from when these monks brewed beer in the region. Alcoholic monks: making Munich fun from the start.

While I spent four days in Munich, it didn’t seem like nearly enough time. There is so much to do in the city, but if you plan carefully, you can pack in as much as possible. As previously mentioned, Munich, like much of Germany, has a love of beer. There are countless beerhouses in the city, the most famous of which is the Hofbrauhaus, which has existed in the city centre since the 17th century. As well as beer, the food in Munich is incredible. I ate my weight in

bretzel, schnitzels and sausages. There isn’t much point visiting Munich if you’re on a crash diet. If you’re not into beer, which I’m not, fear not. There is plenty of delicious wine and gluwein, or mulled wine, to enjoy.

Free walking tours operate around the city that can give you a good understanding of Munich’s history.

Munich has a rich and varied past, much of which is centred on World War II. Dachau concentration camp is situated outside of the city and can be easily accessed with public transport. It’s also very easy to get to other attractions from the city centre. Munich’s public transport system is perfectly timed and very easy to use. Dublin, take note.

Located outside the city centre is the BMW Museum, which is essential, even if you’re not a petrolhead. I know less than nothing about cars, but had so much fun there. Looking at vintage cars, old Dakar rally bikes and cars turned into works of art by the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein is pretty unforgettable and you can also see how badass you would look astride a BMW motorbike.

It’s also worth taking a day to go on a tour visiting the castles built by Ludwig II of Bavaria including the beautiful Versailles-inspired Schloss Linderhof and the

The BMW museum, pictured, is one of Munich’s most famous sites. impressive Schloss Neuchswanstein, which remains unfinished.

Munich is a city that has something for everyone.

From shopping to historical landmarks to delicious food, it is the perfect place for a few days away. Plus, they dealt with the snow much better than Ireland did. All the pathways were gritted and no pipes were frozen. Screw gross inefficiency, I’m moving to Germany.

Having the Krak From important historical sites to bargain hunting, Amy Bracken discovers that Krakow has it all

K

rakow is the epitome of the perfect student holiday location: cheap, lots to do and Ryanair fly there.

For once, it’s not the small, lesser-used airport a few hours bus ride outside the city. You can travel from the airport to the city in about 30 minutes.

As a history student, a trip to Auschwitz concentration camp was a must. Not for the faint-hearted, there are no words to describe the experience. Admission is free, but there is an option to make a donation which your conscience will not let you avoid.

Another major tourist spot are the Salt Mines at Wieliczka. Salt has been mined here for over 900 years and the interior is immersed with religious shrines and a magnificent church, carved out of the salt as part of the subterranean museum. The two-to-three-hour tour passes by in a flash as you become engrossed in the history and sheer beauty of this truly unique museum.

Besides the wonderful and moving sights, another distinctive characteristic of Krakow was how cheap it is.

I have been there twice: the first time I stayed in a hotel with bed and breakfast accommodation which worked

The Auschwitz concentration camp is one of Krakow’s most historic landmarks. out at about €60 per person for two nights. The second trip threw that cheap deal out the window: we got a selfcatering apartment next to the famous Krakow Castle for just €14 per person each night.

From accommodation to food, Krakow never failed to disappoint. A one-course meal will cost in the region of €7 to €8, but I would recommend (provided you have self-catering accommodation) going to Carrefour in the ‘Galeria Krakowska’, given that it provides food at Lidlesque prices. This relatively new centre encapsulates it all: shops, restaurants and bargains, and is only a stone’s throw

away from the main train station.

Of course, the burning question on students’ lips is: what about the price of alcohol? A beer will cost you in the region of €2 a pint, but be warned, it is difficult to find anything but local beers. As I was there in winter, I became addicted to mulled wine, which also worked out at around €2 and its warmth was a perfect remedy to the snow outside. I am hoping to make trip number three to Krakow this year, and the best way I can recommend that you experience the magic of this beautiful city is to simply go there yourself.

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18 January 2011

WEB

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Social networking for dummies Despite being accepted by the docile masses, Kieran Murphy dislikes Facebook and your behaviour on it

S

ocial networking is not a new phenomenon.

Some people reading this may have had a Hi5 account, or even played around on Faceparty before they realised it was a dating site. However, social networking really took off with Bebo. We were all giddy with excitement from making quizzes for our friends and adding glittery effects to our pictures.

Eventually though, Bebo got so bloated with tackiness that it all had to end. Consequently, once we finished school, we graduated to Facebook.

Facebook has solved the problem of Playboy layouts by not allowing any personalisation of the layout and adopting a totalitarian approach to its users. Since we can longer take out frustration on someone’s disgusting profile, we’ve turned on each other.

Facebook has stuffed our social network into one easyto-read wall.

Nevertheless, while Facebook has mimicked our lives, the users have sadly not mimicked the fine tunings of social etiquette. Perfectly lovely people become social pariahs on Facebook through actions that are completely normal to them, but which threatens onlookers’ entire faith in the human race.

The main offender is ‘liking’. It started out as a way for people to share a common interest, such as abseiling. Yet it has now turned into a monster, throwing up nostalgia from the nineties, secondary school, or even just a million different variations of a popular song. The worst offenders are the 21,245 people who liked ‘Fuck do Honda Civic tá mé capall taobh amuigh’, which for any non-Gaeilgeoiri means that they are in fact a horse outside.

Photos used to be confined to mantelpieces and albums, but are now sadly out there for the whole world to see. We all fear that one friend who always brings a camera on a night out, takes 300 photos and without any editing at all, proceeds to tag every single person. So, while you’re still in bed hungover, the whole world can see you shifting the first year with the gammy eye.

Facebook comments are the cornerstone of interaction on the site – great for having the banter with your friends, until some casual acquaintance joins in and party’s over. While some people are serial likers, others are serial commenters, butting in on everyone’s conversation. A commenter and a liker are

often one in the same, as they like every mildly funny wall post, while also commenting on how funny it was.

While I have pointed out the problems of Facebook social etiquette, you might notice I have failed to offer any solutions. Why? Because instead of solving the problem, I’d rather just sit back and watch Facebook self-destruct owing to the creation of one too many groups about how UCD is better than Trinity.

Liking everything: Not big, clever or hilarious.

Internet inertia

With trillions of websites at our disposal, Aoife Valentine asks why we choose to visit such a select few

A

h Facebook, the eternal source of wisdom and gossip and, according to a recent survey

by Hitwise, the most visited website of 2010.

Knocking Google off the top spot and adding insult to injury by also occupying two of the top three most searched terms, while also taking up most of the time we spend online. It’s possible that Facebook has won the internet.

This fact was noticeably reinforced when I realised that the Christmas holidays generally not only mean the steady demise of whatever semblance of a sleeping pattern you had in the first place, but lots of time to gently peruse the internet. By the internet, I mean Facebook, Twitter, and your email. Maybe a trip to YouTube if you felt so inclined, but really, that’s a bit of a trek.

Apparently, it’s not only most students who are blind to the rest of the web, ignoring the many uses of such a vast resource. In the survey’s top ten most visited

Let me Google that for you… websites, after Facebook, there were only email clients, search engines, YouTube and MySpace (glad to see the angsty emo teens still haven’t moved on). But why when we’ve essentially got the world at our fingertips, do we only visit a couple of sites regularly?

Perhaps it’s because we’ve got everything we need with our current browsing habits. We have insane ease of access to information and can find out anything from the capital of Uzbekistan to cinema times in literally a matter of seconds. Why scour the internet when Google will do it for you a million times faster?

With social networking sites, we can keep in touch with everyone from Uncle Paul in New Zealand to

your sister who’s in the next room, while Twitter caters to all your micro-blogging needs. It’s obvious that this sort of connectivity doesn’t always justify the billions of minutes we collectively spend watching our new feeds update themselves each month. However, these sites do have some obvious and worthwhile benefits, which most people wouldn’t readily give up in exchange for a broader view of the internet.

With sites like StumbleUpon, you’re introduced to pages of websites at random. Thus, it exposes you to just some of the many, many things to be found online, outside of those three or four sites you visit everyday. In reality however, unless you’ve a specific interest in something, you’re never going to revisit it or even go looking for it in the first place. We visit our regular sites because they have everything we’re looking for from the internet. Anyway, if we want something more, I’m sure Google will find it for us.

LISTINGS

o-two

Show Patrol January 18th The Wizard of Oz – The Mill Theatre – €16 January 19th Laugh Out Loud – Anseo – €5/€8 The Phantom Band – Whelan’s – €15 January 20th PJ Gallagher – Swords Comedy Club – €12/€15 Jinx Lennon – Whelan’s – €10 January 21st Alice in Funderland – Project Arts Centre – €6/€8 Tommy Tiernan – Vicar Street – €35 Nouvelle Vague – Tripod – €20/€24.50 January 22nd Ani Di Franco – National Concert Hall – €34.50 Adam Beyer – Tripod – €20 January 23rd Capital Comedy Club – Ha’penny Bridge Inn – €4 Fossett’s Christmas Circus – Pavillions Shopping Centre – €10 January 24th Madison Violet – Whelan’s – €12.50 Teddy Thompson – The Academy – €20

January 25th Justin Townes Earle – Whelan’s – €20 All My Sons – The Mill Theatre – €15/€18 January 26th Jeff the Brotherhood – Crawdaddy – €13 January 27th Joe Pug – Whelan’s – €15 January 28th DJ Redwood – The Academy – €20 Jason Byrne – Draíocht Arts Centre – €16/€20 January 29th A Day to Remember – The Academy – €25.50 Revolver play Revolver – Whelan’s – €15 January 30th Sleeping Beauty – Lambert Puppet Theatre – €11/€13 January 31st Imelda May – Vicar Street – €35 The Blind Boys of Alabama – National Concert Hall – €22/€48 Jarlath Regan – The Woolshed – €5

18 January 2011

10

Gig of the Fortnight: Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour January 28th – The O2 – €45/€106.25 Hardcore fans will relish the opportunity to behold the spectacular show in all its sequined glory. Where else will you see an Olympian, a Corrie Actress, an MP and a psychologist in luminous pink leotards? After this experience, you will struggle not to waltz up and down the concourse. If you want to make your mammy eternally happy, bring them to see the Guinness Book of World Records’ most successful reality TV show. Can you think of a more delightful way to beat the January blues?

- Rachel Heavey

MCD PRESENTS

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11

18 January 2011

FASHION

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Eye spy Eye makeup is key, and as Kieran Murphy notes, the latest trends are more than a little eye opening Feeling original? Kieran Murphy encourages you to try on a new way of thinking for clothes sizes

T

he eyes are the windows into the soul. No matter how often the cliché is heralded, it is true. Eyes draw people in and even though that sexy stare may turn into a wonky squint, you can’t be excused for not having them looking perfect with new on-trend colours for this season.

Last season was all about heavily kohl-rimmed eyes that made any fun-loving woman look like she was heading to a funeral. This season, it’s all about bright pastel eye-shadow colours with a chalky finish to brighten up your look for spring.

A new year means a new you and that should also mean new cosmetics. It’s important to replace old cosmetics every six months to avoid excess bacteria growth, so you can say you’re fighting swine flu when you come home with some new shades.

The same rule applies to make-up brushes. If you’re still using a brush that came free with Sugar back when you were doing your Junior Cert, it’s time to make a change. Though MAC brushes are the epitome of make-up application, a lot can be said for the essentials now in Penneys, since it’s not what you use, it’s

how you use it.

If eyes are the windows into the soul, what’s the mouth then? The lips are just as important as the eyes.

It’s the eyes that bring people in, but it’s the lips that seal the deal. While last year we were all raving about deep berry lips, this year we’re all over glossy painted on deep red lips. To complement the lip shade du jour, make sure that you have beautifully natural skin with a sun-kissed glow.

Make-up concessions in department stores like Debenhams and Brown Thomas will be happy to recommend shades that will suit your skin tone, because while hot pink eye-shadow is beyond adorable, it may not go with your fire-engine red hair.

Don’t be afraid to use the testers in Boots to see how it will look and bring a friend along for a second opinion, or even to go halves on new spring looks.

Pastels are on-trend for eye makeup this season.

The perfect fit

A

perfect new year’s resolution would be to make the right choices when shopping and not just in the sales, but in general. Purchases in the sales are another problem of ill-fitting clothes.

Normally, we would never dream the size XS T-shirt would fit us, but when it’s marked at 80 per cent off, we immediately think that control pants will solve everything and away we go.

How many items have you in your wardrobes that still have the bright red sales tags on them? Purchases like this inflate and bloat our closets to the point that they begin looking like a laundry room and we become overwhelmed.

Vanity, thy name is high street stores. Vanity sizing has taken its toll on the Irish nation allowing for ladies to be a sure-fire eight in Penneys, only to be shocked and appalled to find a ten barely fits them in BT2. Vanity sizing occurs when a store wants to satisfy customers’ wishes to appear thin and feel better about themselves, which means in the clothing industry, Penneys are lovely and BT2 are the mean girls.

Although the powers that be in the European Union have created a standardised sizing method for clothing, this is not yet in common practice. Ireland has adopted the UK method for sizes, but this is rarely followed by manufactures.

Altering clothes is not as difficult and scary as it may seem.

The importance of trying on clothes before buying them cannot be stressed enough. More often than not we put up with a slightly tight-fitting dress or pair of jeans, because we were foolish enough to not try them on and even more foolish to not exchange them when we discover they don’t fit.

Even if the person at the changing rooms is eyeing you up or seems unfriendly, suck it up and try it on. If you haven’t time to try it on, buy it, but make sure to keep the receipt and exchange it at the weekend.

Taking in clothes can help combat ill-fitting sizes.

If an eight is too tight and a ten is too big, don’t be afraid to whip out the sewing machine and bring it in yourself. If you’re too wary, there are a number of dry cleaners that also offer to do adjustments and I’m sure there are some students out there who would love some practice for their home economics project.

It’s all about how good you feel. While it may feel better to be able to squeeze into that size ten, if you look better in the twelve, go for it. Beauty is not a number on a dress and remembering this will save your sanity as well as your look.

FASHION

With ball season upon us, Kieran Murphy provides some alternatives to the traditional attire

Jo wears: Blue Pleat Dress - €195 Coast White Shoes - €29.99 New Look

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18 January 2011

12

13

18 January 2011

FASHION

o-two

all season is coming up again and we’ll be inundated with posters and flyers for every ball from Science to Swing. Women everywhere will be pulling out their debs dresses and guys will be borrowing suits off fathers and uncles, but I implore you to stop.

UCD balls are times to make a splash and your old debs dress or ill-fitting suit just won’t cut it anymore. With vintage stores offering high-quality clothing at a fair price and shops like Coast and New Look offering a ten per cent student discount, there has never been a better excuse to splash out.

There’s no need to stick to the expected when a ball comes around either.

Trawling through vintage shops can bring some great rewards, such as the long Grecian goddess dress that moves beautifully when in action.

If you’re still wary of vintage, shops like Coast offer great vintage-inspired pieces, such as the white lace shift dress or the pleated dress reminiscent of 1920s flappers. For footwear, look no further than neutral browns and creams. The days of statement shoes are over and people should be gazing at your amazing dress, not your painstakingly high shoes. However, you can compensate by having some standout jewellery.

Guys may be expected to rent out full suits for a ball, but is there any need?

We all know that the bow tie will be wrapped around a girl’s neck and the jacket will be sitting in a puddle somewhere by the end of the night. Take the pain out of getting your deposit back and opt for a pair of quality shoes, a tailored suit pants and a slick shirt. That’s all you need to make an impression.

However, if you feel bare without the full get-up, feel free to throw in a waistcoat or silver bow tie to smarten yourself up.

Anthony wears: Shirt - €14.99 New Look Pants - €18.99 New Look Shoes - €24.99 New Look Belt - €6.99 Vintage

Jo wears:

Necklace - €52 Coast White Lace Dress - €175 Coast Brown Shoes - €32.99 New Look

Stylist: Kieran Murphy

Styling Assistant: Aisling Murphy

P hotographer: Conor Fox

Audrey wears:

White Dress: €75.00 Vintage

M odels: Jo Linehan, Anthony Hennesey and Audrey Dearing

Feature

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18 January 2011

14

Musical therapy Feeder frontman Grant Nicholas talks exclusively about their new album to Emer Sugrue, as well as singing her some Madness.

15

18 January 2011

o-two

F

eeder are the sort of band that you know without even realising it. They had that song that goes: “It’s got a CD player player player player player.” Remember that song?

That came out ten years ago, how old are you? But that’s the amazing thing about Feeder – they’re still here. Matt Cardle has probably descended into obscurity and heroin abuse by now, yet Feeder are approaching their 20th anniversary. Lead singer Grant Nicholas tries to explain: “God I don’t know really.

“I think we just do what we feel we want to do musically, we never tried to follow the next cool thing or what’s cool at that moment,” he says. “We’re quite eclectic – we write heavy stuff that appeals to the indie rock kids, but we also have songs that are anthemic or acoustic. I think we have songs that appeal to a big audience. We’re very much a song-based band and at the end of the day, the bands that have the tunes are the bands that last.”

The band formed in 1991 when Grant Nicholas became friends with Jon Lee, at that time a drummer for another local band in their hometown of Newport, Wales. A third member was later recruited when they contacted bassist Taka Hirose through an advert.

Feeder didn’t reach mainstream success for another decade however, with their third album Echo Park in 2001. It featured cult hit ‘Buck Rogers’ (player player player player... bloody hell that’s catchy) that became their first top ten single. It is slightly at odds with the band’s usual dark indie style and it is said to be their least favourite to play. Nicholas refutes this claim however; “It’s probably one of the best pop songs I’ve ever written. It was meant to be incredibly simple, sort of like a Madness song.”

He starts singing ‘Driving In My Car’, to o-two’s delight. “It’s so stupidly simple and catchy that people could relate to it. The whole thing was kind of an accident really, the way the song came about it was just a bunch of lyrics I threw down and wasn’t even planning on keeping.

“When the label heard this rough demo of it which was the original lyrics which ended up on there, they sort of said ‘wow’.

They smelled a hit. I was quite terrified of it at the time because I didn’t want to be buried by it, thinking that that’s who we are, but hopefully anyone who knows the history of the band will know there was enough substance before that, that song was just a pop song.

“It put us on the map from a mainstream point of view because it introduced Feeder to a lot more people and on that point of view, I owe the song a lot. I’m just saying on a purely personal level, as a writer, there are songs I’m more proud of, but as a pop song it did the job,” he says, before adding: “It’s simple and it’s catchy. It’s meant to be a fun song; you don’t have to think about it, you just go with it.”

What exactly is the secret to making a hit song like Buck Rogers?

Nicholas laughs: “If I knew that I’d be a multi millionaire.” Fair enough, back to the day job then.

Tragically, just a year after finding mainstream success, Jon Lee committed suicide. The band withdrew somewhat from the public eye for most of the year, before releasing their fourth album, showing a mellow and mature sound covering themes of loss, depression and growth. o-two asked if it was meant as a tribute to their lost friend: “I don’t know about a tribute, but it was really born from what happened in its own way,” he explains. “I think lyrically, obviously experiencing a bit more of life and losing Jon still affects me now, it still fuels me to get ideas for songs, but it inspired me. It was a case of when I was writing those songs, we didn’t quite know what the future held for us, we didn’t even know if we could carry on.

“I know it’s a cliché to say music therapy, but if I hadn’t had the music… I’m so lucky that I was inspired because sometimes you go the other way and just can’t do anything,” he says. “I went the opposite way, I just had all these ideas and all these emotions and thoughts. I think that album would have been a good album anyway; because we had the makings of it, but lyrically I went places I hadn’t gone before. It’s a very simple album, but people just seemed to relate to it really well.”

In 2009 and with two more fairly well-received albums under their belt, the band took a step back from the limelight to try a new direction. Along with session drummer Karl Brazil, Nicholas

Feature and Hirose started playing under the name Renegades. “I wanted to be able to go to a little club like when we started and just play new material in a really stripped back way.” Nicholas adds: “As you get bigger, you do bigger stages and get looked after more, but I was really missing that.”

“It was just a great way of doing it, and we hadn’t done that since we started. Of course, you do little secret gigs here and there, but it’s not quite the same, because people always expect to hear all the Feeder stuff. So, what we did was we advertised it on our website, because we felt that if we didn’t, it would be so underground that it might slightly alienate the fans.

“We didn’t make it very clear, so it caused a bit of confusion, but it got people talking. In a weird kind of way it seemed very planned, but it wasn’t that thought about. We basically wanted to just get out there and do something and not have the usual Feeder title, because we didn’t want have to play all the usual stuff people expect to hear.”

Soon Renegades’ increasing popularity lead to demands for more dates with bigger venues and the project was abandoned.

After a second tour, the album titled Renegades was released under Feeder’s name. “At one point, we were thinking that maybe we should do a completely separate album for a while and then come back, but it was basically the same guys – it didn’t really seem there was a point, he says. “There’s only two of us officially in the band, so it just seemed a little bit silly to do that.”

Feeder’s current plans include a new tour scheduled for the end of January. Is Nicholas excited to get back on the road? “Yeah!” he exclaims. “It’s sort a continuation of the tour we started last year, so it’s going to be a similar show to that, but we’ll probably do a new song or two. I’m actually hectic at the moment, because we’re trying to finish our next album.”

Oooh! New album you say? An eighth album has been in the works, but so far the band has been keeping very quiet about the details. You can imagine, therefore, how we at o-two nearly collectively weed ourselves when Nicholas reveals: “I haven’t talked to anyone about this new record yet, so you’re the first.”

He adds, “it’s almost done; they’re sending me off to New York next week to finish some vocals. It’s eclectic, much more eclectic than the Renegades album. We wanted the Renegades album to be really just a good rock record; we weren’t thinking about the obvious two-minute single, we just wanted it to be an album we really liked. We just wanted to rock out, you know? And it was great fun; I really love that album for that reason, because it really rocked up our set. It just gave the set a lot more power and we’ve got more back catalogue now to choose from.

“It’s probably going to be commercial suicide now that I’ve said this, but it’s definitely a more commercial record. I think if you liked Comfort in Sound and you liked Yesterday Went Too Soon, then I think you’ll like this album.

“There are some real tunes on this and some anthems; there are some rocky moments as well,” he reveals. “It’s a rock record, but it’s slightly different to Renegades. There are songs on this album, if they make it, that were recorded at the same time as the Renegades album that we held back, so there will be a few songs that touch on that.

“But it’s going to have a few songs, that hopefully people will like, that are on the more melodic side. I won’t say any more, or it’ll be giving it all away. I don’t even know what’ll end up on the record yet, because we’ve got 20 songs and we’re going to get it down to about ten or twelve songs.

“That’s all I’m going to say, it’s a bit more of a classic Feeder record, but it still sounds different to some of our previous records, just in the way we recorded it.”

After several unsuccessful prods for more exclusive gold, o-two asks if the album will be released this year. “That’s the plan, I mean it’s almost ready to go, but we want to make sure we got it right. We might put out a single around the tour, but I don’t know whether it’ll be an in-between song. It might be something that ends up on the next album, so that’s our plan if we get it all done on time.”

At last, something to rock us out of this dreary winter.

Feeder play The Academy on February 5th.

FILM

Swan song

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18 January 2011

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Green light Title: The Green Hornet Director Michel Gondry Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christopher Waltz Release Date: Out now

Seth Rogen proves an unlikely hero as the Green Hornet.

Black Swan is another one of Aronofsky’s typically dark explorations of the human psyche.

Title: Black Swan Director: Darren Aronofsky Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel Release Date: January 21st Very few major Hollywood films can legitimately be described as true works of art, but there are very few filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky. The major thread connecting all of Aronofsky’s work might be described as the unbelievably beautiful contrasted against the deeply unsettling – and in that case, this might be the definitive Aronofsky film.

Black Swan is the story of a troubled-yet-brilliant ballerina (Portman), cast as the Swan Queen in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. In her quest for utter perfection, her mind begins to slowly unravel, as her world slowly transforms from a little girl’s idealised dream to a troubled woman’s visceral nightmare.

Aronofsky is a master at creating a pervasively unsettling tone in his films, although he has come a very long way from the shocks and depravity of Requiem for a Dream. Aronofsky uses ballet as a framing device for what is essentially an exploration of female self-mutilation and ballet proves to be the means for this.

Moments as simple as Portman’s Nina having her fingernails cut are made more invasive and unsettling

than the very darkest moments of Saw or Hostel.

Having these instances contrasted so elegantly against the choreographed beauty of the dances themselves is where Black Swan’s true genius lies.

No other director, short of Michael Powell or Zhang Yimou, pays such remarkable attention to the use of colour in their films (most brilliantly displayed in the massively underrated The Fountain). Black Swan is a film bathed in a chilling monochrome, mirroring the light and dark dichotomy that the film revolves around. Aronofsky’s clinical restraint in using black and white only serves to make the occasional splash of crimson all the more shocking.

Natalie Portman gives a performance that is nothing short of breathtaking and along with Aronofsky’s insane, brilliant vision, delivers a film that is infinitely better than the subject matter alone would suggest.

Black Swan is the best work of two already distinguished careers and is totally deserving of the piles of accolades it looks likely to receive when award season rolls around. It’s not only one of the best films of the year, but a true classic made in the confines of what is essentially a psychological thriller. Very few films are at once stunningly beautiful, unrelentingly moving and completely terrifying. Just like Portman’s ballerina, Black Swan is almost perfect.

In a nutshell: A masterpiece.

- Jon Hozier-Byrne

Comic book adaptations in film seem to go one of two directions these days; either you have your Christopher Nolan-esque gritty reboot, bringing life back to a franchise that has had the dreaded Joel Schumacher treatment, or you have the more light-hearted variation that brought the recent Iron Man adaptations to fame.

The Green Hornet takes the latter route.

The premise is familiar. The stoner protagonist’s newspaper baron of a father dies rather early in the film, prompting the protagonist to re-consider what he has done for the greater good. The only difference from your standard mysterious vigilante yarn is that Britt Reid (played by Seth Rogen) never drops his moronic, party-boy persona after his superhero-forging epiphany. Instead, he blunders his way through his crime-fighting career with the aid of his martial artstrained, car-modifying, weapons-inventing valet, Kato, played by Taiwanese singer/songwriter/pretty boy, Jay Chou.

Rogen and Chou’s acting is passable but the performance that really fills up the screen is the excellent Christopher Waltz. Just like SS Colonel Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds, Waltz brilliantly plays the role of creepy antagonist Chudnofsky. Apparently Nicholas Cage was lined up to play the baddie, but was dropped for Waltz – a change for the better.

In fact, the film underwent countless changes during development with everything from studios to producers, directors to stars. Originally, Kevin Smith (Clerks) was set to direct, but was replaced with French director Michael Gondry, the man behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg took over as writers, and were presumably responsible for taking the franchise in a more comedic direction.

The visuals are also suitably impressive. Gondry choreographs scenes quite well, and makes the bold choice of slowing down time to show the fight from the perspective of the protagonists.

If you manage not to take it too seriously, then you should enjoy this film. The combined forces of Gondry, Rogen and Goldberg take the Batman and Robin dynamic and turn it on its head. They take a superhero story and turn it into what is essentially a buddy-cop comedy. They turn the main protagonist into comic relief, and they even give the villain an existential crisis over whether or not he’s scary. It’s absolutely daft, and that proves to be the film’s biggest strength.

In a nutshell: A silly, funny take on the superhero genre.

- Fachtna Basquille

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FILM

o-two

Teenage angst

Top Ten New Year’s resolution films Feeling a bit too spherical after the Christmas break? Jon Hozier-Byrne presents the top ten films to get you back to your better, svelte self

10. “I will give up cigarettes!”

– Thank You For Smoking – Before Aaron Eckhart was Two-Face, he was a spin doctor for Big Tobacco, convincing people they need cigarettes – People like you. You should probably just stop trying.

9. “I will spend more time with friends and family!”

– Sophie’s Choice – Best of luck. You know that point when you return home after living on your own for a while, and then your mother asks you to actually do something? The cheek of her. This film will, at least temporarily, guilt you into remembering family are important.

8. “I will meet new people!”

– Catfish – New people are weird and should be avoided. Watch this truly great film and realise that I’m right.

7. “I will stop eating junk food!”

– Janku Fudo – Thought I was going to say Super Size Me, didn’t you? Well shame on you for having such low expectations.

Instead, I have opted for the Japanese crime and drugs drama Junk Food, purely for the name. Because, let’s face it, you’re beyond helping.

6. “I will stop having such reckless and frequent sexual intercourse!”

– Young People Fucking – Great work, screenwriters Aaron Abrams and Martin Gero. Bet your moms are super proud.

Zach Galifianakis is the standout performer in It’s Kind of a Funny Story, while Keir Gilchrist fails to impress.

Title: It’s Kind of a Funny Story Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts Release Date: Out now It’s Kind of a Funny Story is really not that funny a story at all. Revolving around a suicidal 16-year-old named Craig (Gilchrist), who “accidentally” admits himself to a psychiatric unit looking for a quick fix to all his problems, the comedic element isn’t exactly obvious.

Upon arriving, Craig has a swift change of heart.

He’s forced to stay for a five-day observation period on the adult ward, while the youth ward is under renovation. He meets an array of patients who are living clichés of their disturbing mental disorders and adopts a mentor figure in troubled father Bobby (Galifianakis). He simultaneously grows closer to a self-harming teen his own age, Noelle (Roberts).

While the film may have been trying to highlight teen suicide, it only seems to trivialise the issue.

Gilchrist’s performance is a bit empty, resulting in his struggles seeming more like whiny, teen angst rather than the kind of issues that might justify being committed.

Where Gilchrist falls down however, Galifianakis shines. More subdued than the style we’ve come to expect from him, he brings a degree of credibility to his character. Gaining our empathy, he also contributes what humour there is to be found here, in his deadpan style. Without his character, I probably would have lost interest in the first ten minutes.

It’s a mostly inoffensive coming-of-age story, if you ignore the consistently gaping plot holes and the somewhat trite script. The freeze-frames and fantasy sequences range from a bit off-putting to downright cringeworthy. When we reach the cast’s performance of ‘Under Pressure’, the highlighting of each new day only served to make time crawl a little for the viewer.

One thing they got very right was the soundtrack however, which features Broken Social Scene heavily and suits the tone of the film perfectly.

Despite the subject matter, it’s something of a feelgood film, making it difficult to hate. You’ll know the ending before you’ve walked in the door, and it’s not exactly groundbreaking. Nonetheless, it is cute, quirky and name-checks Vampire Weekend enough times to ensure we fully understand just how indie it is.

In a nutshell: A bit bland. It’s kind of a good film.

- Aoife Valentine

5. “I will quit drinking!”

– Withnail and I – Try the drinking game in which you must drink everything Withnail drinks as he drinks it – by the time he gets to the lighter fluid, you’ll be on the wagon for the long haul.

4. “I will get out of debt!”

– Zack and Miri Make a Porno – It worked in the film. That’s all I’m saying.

3. “I will quit all those drugs I’ve been taking, man!”

– Harold and Kumar Get the Munchies – You know how long it takes a sober person to go buy fast food? It’s actually a pretty simple process. This film will make you realise the errors of your ways. Or, you could just buy your snacks before you get high, idiots.

2. “I will enjoy myself more!”

– Havoc – I interpret this to mean… ahem… that you will enjoy yourself more.

In that case, this has Anne Hathaway nude in a sex scene. Thank me later.

1. “I will get in shape!”

– Pumping Iron – All January roads lead to the gym, so this taking the top spot was pretty much inevitable. In this bodybuilding documentary, watch a young future governor of California explain how his muscles make him feel like he’s “coming all the time”. Ah, democracy.

FILM

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Absolutely savage With RTÉ on the verge of losing its relevance, Jon Hozier-Byrne takes a look at its last hope for comedic credibility – the second series of The Savage Eye

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inally, we have a reason to pay our license fee.

After the dire choices made by RTÉ in recent years (see; putting an economist as host of The Panel, or literally every decision made in the production of Fade Street [I will defend Fade Street until the death! – ed]), they’ve managed to find form again with The Savage Eye. It’s fair to say that we at o-two didn’t have a huge amount of faith in series two of The Savage Eye. Dave McSavage’s stand-up style has always been based on audience interaction and his pervy rapport is often comedic Marmite to viewers. When you consider his unique style, along with RTÉ’s treatment of comedy as something of an afterthought, the show’s future prospects looked somewhat bleak. How wrong we were.

The Savage Eye’s season two opening was one of the funniest things on RTÉ television since Dustin took down Don Conroy on The Den. McSavage not only delivers a genuinely funny 25 minutes, but presents us with one of the most nationally self-aware critiques of the Irish people since Father Ted. Each episode explores a particular idiosyncrasy of Irish people (starting with the increasingly topical: ‘Why are the Irish such natural criminals?’), and the

Wholly good

Dr Who captures the magic of Christmas with a little help from Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins.

result is what might be described as Ireland’s most biting social and political satire since the days of Myles Na gCopaleen. The baby-snatching priest, the homicidal Gardai, the homophobic publican – these characters all are genuinely funny and constitute some of the highlights. These sketches challenge Ireland’s political and social establishments in a way rarely seen on home-grown television. Most importantly, The Savage Eye’s ultimate success is largely as a result of the general public allowing it to continue.

This is a very long way from Bull Island. Perhaps most interestingly, The Savage Eye gives time to real academic and cultural figures that provide a social commentary between sketches, giving the show’s critical observations an air of documentary. This ingenious contrast between fact and farce only serves to make the successive sketches more outlandish and the satire more biting.

The Savage Eye is well worth a half hour of your Monday night, and if the rest of the series can follow the first episode’s stellar example, we all won’t feel quite so cheated when the next TV license bill rolls around.

The Savage Eye, Mondays, 9.50pm, RTE2.

David McSavage’s TV show has finally come of age.

Travel back in time to Christmas Day 2010 with Emer Sugrue and her review of the Doctor Who Christmas Special

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his Christmas, Doctor Who finally succumbed to the inevitable – an episode based on A Christmas Carol. It seems to be a law that every show running longer than three years must have a version of A Christmas Carol. It must be the most ripped off plot in history.

Since the definitive adaptation, A Muppet’s Christmas Carol, surely there is nothing more that can be wrung from that story. Despite my totally normal and non-obsessive love for Doctor Who, I was deeply sceptical about what enjoyment yet another adaptation could hold. However, this being Doctor Who and being written by the utterly marvellous Steve Moffat, the story manages to stay fresh by being massively self-aware. The doctor happens upon Kazran, a man too bitter and selfish to help Amy and Rory after a spaceship crash on Christmas Eve. Hoping to save his friends, the doctor sets about engineering a Scroogestyle turnaround. Instead of taking him to the past and showing the error of his ways, the Doctor goes into Kazran’s past to give him a good holiday, therefore jollifying old man Kazran in time to save Christmas Amy and Rory. Of course, there is an hour to fill, so it doesn’t go quite to plan and devolves into a charming

shambles.

The episode was the usual excellent standard we have come to expect from the series. My doubts were washed away as soon as we hit the opening credits and I was hooked all through. There was something for everyone, from the adults who know the original story inside out to the tiny kids who may never have come across it.

There are also a few quite rude jokes in there that were played so subtly that a child would never notice them. I can imagine, on Christmas Day, many parents choking on their sparkling wine while the children remained obliviously enchanted by the whimsy of it all. It’s all terribly cheesy of course; there’s snow, carolling, slightly dodgy CGI flying sharks and the doctor even gets married to Marilyn Monroe at one point, but I thought I might explode with Christmas joy at the end. I was making odd squeaking noises throughout the show out of sheer childish glee. It was a perfect end to the series and I can’t wait to see what the next one has in store for us. According to rumours, there will be an episode written by Neil Gaiman as well as one featuring the staple of all time travel fiction: Nazis.

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Film

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Trending topics The cinematic trends of the last year provide a fascinating insight into cinema’s past and potential future direction, writes Paul Fennessy

Toy Story 3, above, was last year’s highest grossing film according to the worldwide box-office statistics.

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hat will be the abiding cinematic memory of 2010? Will it be remembered for a particular film like Inception, The Social Network or Toy Story 3? Or perhaps a lesser-known work will eventually be venerated such as Xavier Beauvois’s Of Gods and Men, a film that is based on a true story of Christian monks living in Algeria who were murdered under mysterious circumstances.

The past year, in general, has seen a rise in the amount of faith-themed films. Along with Of Gods and Men, other critically acclaimed works such as the Palme d’Or-winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Lourdes and A Prophet meant 2010 constituted a mini-revival in religious-based films, at least from a foreign language cinema perspective.

Why has this trend emerged? Perhaps filmmakers are attempting to capitalise on the financial crisis. After all, it has been statistically proven that more people revert to religion in times of economic hardship.

Moreover, following the Great Depression and World War II, several much-loved religious-themed films emerged including It’s A Wonderful Life and Ben Hur, not to mention the abundance of biblical films which Hollywood used to churn out regularly.

So will the modern-day film industry follow suit?

The short answer is no. The western world (i.e.

Hollywood’s primary target market) continues to be a relatively agnostic place and this situation will not change dramatically anytime soon, so the market for religious films is hardly substantial. There are, however, occasional anomalies to this trend such as Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ and to a lesser extent (dependent upon how loosely you interpret the term ‘religious film’) The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.

Yet further proof of Hollywood and the general public’s disinterest in films relating to religion can be found upon examination of the overall box office top ten for 2010. The list is as follows: 1. Toy Story 3. 2.

Alice in Wonderland. 3. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1. 4. Inception. 5. Shrek Forever After. 6.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 7. Iron Man 2. 8. Despicable Me. 9. How to Train Your Dragon. 10. Clash of the Titans. Of the films in question, only Twilight could be said to contain loose religious undertones.

Nonetheless, one noticeable trend that could be discerned from last year’s box office figures was the public’s greater interest in fantasy films. All of the films in the list, to some degree, can be classified under this category. Thus, while religious films may not be thriving as they once did despite increasing worldwide problems, one truism remains: mass economic hardship leads to a popular desire for escapist entertainment.

A look at the equivalent list ten years ago – generally speaking, a less gloomy period in human history – adds further support to the argument. The overall box office top ten consisted of the following films: 1. Mission Impossible II. 2. Gladiator. 3. Cast Away. 4. What Women Want. 5. Dinosaur. 6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 7. Meet the Parents. 8. The Perfect Storm. 9.

X-Men. 10. What Lies Beneath. Notwithstanding the presence of numbers 5, 6 and 9, this list clearly has less of an emphasis on fantasy films.

Another interesting aspect of the 2000 list is that at least seven of the ten films could be considered as vehicles for their stars. How many people would have seen Cast Away if it featured an unknown actor rather than Tom Hanks?

In contrast, as far as last year’s list is concerned, three or four at most could be regarded as films in which

the star is the main attraction. Evidently, in 2010 the franchise was the star, given that half the top ten were part of a film series. This disparity is perhaps as a result of a greater disillusionment with celebrity – or at least conventional celebrities – owing to their growing ubiquity via sites such as Twitter and YouTube.

One heartening note to end on is that people appear to have a considerably better taste in movies now than they did ten years ago. According to the website Rotten Tomatoes, six films from the 2010 box office top ten acquired over 70 per cent critical approval, with Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon garnering an especially impressive 99 per cent and 98 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile only four films from the 2000 list scored over 70 per cent, with the highest-rated film (Cast Away) getting 90 per cent. Word of caution though, by far the most critically mauled film from the two lists was made last year – Clash of the Titans received only a 28 per cent critical approval rating.

Overall, this ostensible narrowing of the difference between the tastes of fans and critics could be due to one of two factors: 1. Word of mouth and critical opinion have become easier to access due to the increased development and usage of the internet over the past ten years. 2. Again, owing to the internet’s greater influence, fans-turned-movie-critics are now more prominent than ever.

So what do all these trends ultimately mean? Well, judging by our growing critical sophistication, 100 years from now the year-end box office top ten will comprise solely of surrealist avant-garde films. Then again, Sex and the City 2 was also one of the year’s highest-grossing films, so we may just have to abandon hope for 2010 after all.

Games

The future of gaming With the onset of the new year, Steven Balbirnie gives us the lowdown on the hottest new releases of 2011 3DS (Nintendo) Nintendo unveiling their new handheld console will likely be the hardware highlight of the year.

The system is more sophisticated than the Wii and capable of graphics more like those seen on PS3 or Xbox 360. It will also be capable of displaying 3D graphics, following the recent trends in cinema and television. Scheduled games appear to be mainly ports of old N64 or current PS3 titles rather than original releases, but I doubt this will stop the 3DS from being one of the most sought-after releases of 2011.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 (Capcom) After ten years in the pipeline, the latest instalment in the comic book/video game crossover fighting series is set for a February release. Now you can answer the burning question: who’d win in a fight, Spider-Man or Chris Redfield?

Metal Gear Solid: Rising (Konami) With the latest MGS game, out goes the trademark stealth gameplay to be replaced by hack'n'slash action as Raiden, rather than Snake, takes centre stage.

It is a bit of a departure for the series, but previous gambles by Hideo Kojima have paid off. Fans will therefore be hoping that it sticks to its original release date and will not, as rumour suggests, be delayed until 2012.

Portal 2 (Valve) This year sees a sequel to the game that made physics fun. The original game was a surprise treat and hopefully the sequel will measure up. Expect more teleportation, challenging puzzles and the return of one of the greatest villains in gaming history: GLADOS. Shadows of the Damned

(Grasshopper Manufacture) To date, everything developed by Grasshopper Manufacture has been brilliant; but can the company’s latest game continue this trend? Shadows of the Damned is a supernatural western made jointly by the respective creators of No More Heroes and Resident Evil, with the score being provided by the composer of the Silent Hill franchise. Expectations are high.

Tekken X Street Fighter (Namco) & Street Fighter X Tekken (Capcom) Tekken X Street Fighter is one of two crossover fighting games to be released shortly. This time, it involves characters from two of the most popular beat-'em-up franchises. The game will run on the Tekken engine, but another version called Street Fighter X Tekken, developed by Capcom, is also scheduled for release soon and will run on the Street Fighter engine. Is this a cynical money-grabbing scheme by the two companies effectively releasing the same game twice, or are they merely catering to fan demand? I’ll let you decide for yourself.

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18 January 2011

2010:

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The year in gaming From Super Mario to street fighting, Killian Woods discusses some of 2010’s best games

Call of Duty: Black Ops lived up to expectations and was a hit at the end of 2010.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

In an age of digital entertainment that always aspires towards that next level of high definition or new features in graphic design, Super Mario Galaxy is a welcome throwback to fonder times. Here is a game that was created to please gamers with its desirable gameplay and not an ability to spray 3D guts in your general direction.

Marking its 25th anniversary, Super Mario Galaxy 2 managed to dodge a dangerous bullet that could have potentially seen the brand churn out another stereotypical Mario game. This classic platform video game gave its longtime fans a breath of fresh air.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 hit all the right buttons. It cleverly balanced the exciting elements a game should foster and coupled it with the family-friendly aspect.

Here’s to another 25 years of Mario.

Halo: Reach & Call of Duty: Black Ops

Throw the nostalgia out the window for now, what level on Super Mario do you get to kill Fidel Castro or single-handedly take on the combined Russian and Vietcong forces?

As far as first-person shooters went during 2010, there were two inseparable candidates for the top spot in their category. Both provided what they promised, and more. Call of Duty: Black Ops managed to deliver the interesting and deep storyline that came with even more expansive gameplay than previous editions.

Halo: Reach, on the other hand, managed to offset the disappointing performance of Halo 3: ODST. It provided an interesting campaign to keep its loyal

fans occupied before getting engrossed in the online multiplayer aspect of the game.

Angry Birds

It may not be a high-definition blockbuster, but Angry Birds could arguably be regarded as the biggest game of the year. Playing Angry Birds is a unique experience. It is basic at heart, but addictive to its core.

Its basic concept of catapulting birds at structures in order to topple them is what makes it synonymous with an array of platform games. The popularity of this game never seemed to fade as it maintained a position aloft the Apple App Store chart, as one of the most downloaded and highestgrossing applications.

Super Street Fighter IV

Another throwback to times gone by, and like Mario, this is the return of a glorious classic with a happy ending. Super Street Fighter IV brought new characters and a story that followed the specific motivations of each character in their quest to the top. The gameplay brought a mixed animated style that saw both 2D and 3D made use of in order to enhance the overall experience.

Maybe the basis of gaming is becoming a system in which a popular brand churns out a remake of a classic or slightly tweaked version of their previous title. Yet as long as we get to blow up stuff, beat our friends and kill leaders of third world countries, let the system live on.

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MUSIC

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Snap, crackle and Pope The road to knowhere As TNA rolls into town, the Pope gives James Conlan the lowdown on wrestling and his quest to win the world heavyweight championship

Chad Elliott of Funeral Party talks to Conor O’Nolan about teenage angst and the perils of junk food Funeral Party were tipped as one of the bands to watch out for in 2011 by the NME.

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The Pope is one of TNA’s most popular wrestlers

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o say the Pope is pumped up for the TNA maximum impact tour event in Ireland would be an understatement. As TNA is quickly becoming a global phenomenon, the demand for the company’s wrestling events in the UK and Ireland is increasing all the time. The Pope feels that TNA offers an alternative form of entertainment compared with the WWE. He is clearly of the view that it is wrong to compare the two, as they are apparently not in competition with each other, contrary to what most wrestling fans would believe. o-two was surprised to hear that the home country represents quite well in the wrestling would, but according to the Pope, Irish wrestlers such as Finlay and Seamus are a trend that the Pope feels will continue and is one that has spread throughout the wrestling world.

The benefits of this phenomenon can clearly be seen as a marketing strategy to draw in a wider fan base. As the man himself puts it: “There is nothing like having a hometown boy when you’re coming over to make an impact in that market.”

In addition, he is of the clear view that PG television is not the way forward for TNA: “I do think TNA has done the right thing by staying away from PG and creating its own identity. TNA is total non-stop action

and that’s what we’re going to continue to deliver.”

The Pope gives an account of an average week in a wrestler’s life – the schedule can be hectic depending on the popularity of the wrestler. This week for the Pope starts with a pay per view on Sunday, while tapings for live shows occur from Monday to Wednesday. The Pope has Thursday off before house shows from Friday to Sunday. He travels home Monday, having Tuesday off to get ready for a flight over to Dublin on Wednesday for the event.

The Pope also provides us with the scoop on TNA policy of drug testing and health checkups, highlighting the fact that it wasn’t as advertised as much as in the WWE media world and kept in-house.

He also revealed that he had just undergone a drug test as part of TNA boss Dixie Carter’s own wellness policy.

Furthermore, he is of the opinion that the success of TNA will rest on his back, along with AJ Styles, Beer Money and Samoan Joe, and feels that they will be in TNA for years to come. Ultimately, he will keep plugging away despite the toils of the wrestling world.

The wrestler and his congregation won’t rest, however, until the ultimate gold is around his waist.

TNA Wrestling is at the National Stadium on January 24th.

ising indie band, Funeral Party, have been steadily building a fan base for the last few years and their achievements were acknowledged when they managed to bag themselves the much-coveted number 47 position in the NME’s “50 Best New Bands of 2010” end-of-year list. Despite being reluctant to classify their music when asked to describe their sound, Chad Elliott, the band’s vocalist says “I think there’s a kind of genre that we’ve made up called ‘Teenage’, and I think our music kinda falls in that genre [like] teenage angst and death”.

Their songwriting has culminated with their debut album Golden Age of Knowhere, which is due for release later this month. Chad expresses excitement at the album being released: “I just can’t wait for people finally to have a copy in their hands to hear it.” The album has actually been complete for over a year, but primarily as a result of mixing problems, it’s only being released now.

The band chose Lars Stalfors (who previously worked with the Mars Volta) to engineer and produce their album, having previously worked with him on their initial demos. “We decided to pick him again because he was really comfortable and easy to work with,” he explains.

Despite being a band for a relatively short period of time, Funeral Party have amassed an impressive touring record, having already played two gigs in Ireland. This time however, they hope to actually take in a bit of the country: “We only get to see it for a few hours,” he says. “Then we play the show and then we gotta go.

Hopefully this time around, we’ll get to see some parts of it.” After a tour of the UK and Ireland, the band will then embark on a world tour encompassing France, Japan and Australia.

Funeral Party have toured with an array of bands, from the likes of 30 Seconds to Mars to Surfer Blood.

It’s not all plain sailing though; the touring lifestyle has begun to affect the group’s health, namely their waistlines. When asked about new year’s resolutions, Chad says: “I think a good resolution would be to stop eating junk food,” before adding: “Junk food’s not good for anybody.”

With 2011 only kicking off, Funeral Party have a lively future ahead of them, sitting in their van, further cultivating their moustaches and eating lettuce.

Golden Age of Knowhere is out on January 24th and they play Academy 2 on February 1st.

MUSIC

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The Go! Team adopt an array of retro sounds while still managing to sound unique.

The A Team Ian Parton, the man behind The Go! Team, talks to Cormac Duffy about duetting with Bethany Cosentino and the problem with Lady Gaga

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peaking to o-two, Ian Parton, the ideas man, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader of sorts for English indie sextet The Go! Team, describes his band’s work concisely. “It’s the kind of music that couldn’t have existed in any other decade.” This line taps into an essence that makes The Go! Team special.

He talks about the unique vantage point musicians have in a time when any piece of music is only a click away. “We’re at this point in time where you can look over music history and cherry pick your favourite things from across the decades.” And no one cherry picks like The Go! Team.

For the uninitiated, here’s a brief introduction. Parton began the group in university as a solo project, but it soon became a full band. Thunder, Lightning, Strike and Proof of Youth, the band’s first two albums, were met with acclaim from critics and fans. The music has an immediate impact on the listener, but is tricky to articulate.

Songs are built from marching band brass, Sonic Youth-style guitar noise and a 60s pop sensibility, amongst other influences. Tracks are littered with small samples from sources as diverse as TV themes, cult movies and lost pop songs. Frontwoman Ninja’s brilliant rapping is backed up by chants that could be (and sometimes were) straight out of a schoolyard or pep rally (the song ‘The Huddle Formation’ was even warm-up music for a cheerleading squad in One Tree Hill). In practice, it’s just great pop that’s catchy, danceable and completely enjoyable.

Speaking to Parton before the release of the new album Rolling Blackouts, o-two asks a fairly standard music journalist question. Where did the album name

come from? He pauses, thinking. “I don’t know!” he says with a laugh. “I just have books full of slogans.

Whenever anyone says anything good, I write it down.”

Quite like his music then, building up a collection of sounds, styles and samples as he encounters them? He agrees. “The first thing I did when I made this record was listen to records all day, thousands and thousands of them.” He describes searching for snippets worth keeping, and adding them to a lengthy database of samples. For him, it’s about salvaging sounds that others have forgotten. It’s the same ideal The Avalanches and DJ Shadow have successfully adopted in the past.

He emphasises that melody and songwriting are the album’s true cornerstones. Writing with a traditional approach, the aim was “slightly strange little pop songs with unobvious melodies”. Then he calls the album “more eclectic” than the previous two. This is like hearing Kanye West’s new lyrics will be less humble.

To support this claim, psychedelic hip-hop, country, Ennio Morricone and My Bloody Valentine white noise are all promised to feature. He calls it “a bit all over the shop,” a definite understatement.

In addition, like so many others before and no doubt after them, the band have fallen victim to music piracy.

“It leaked. You can pick it up from loads of places,” he informs me with an odd chuckle. It’s difficult to judge whether he’s bothered by the leak, or if he just feels that it’s out of his control.

‘T.O.R.N.A.D.O’ is one of these tracks that have hit the internet – an energetic rap number, propelled by a dramatic brass band backing. ‘Buy Nothing Day’ is a duet with indie darling Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, recorded back in late 2009, and “pre-Best Coast

hype” as Parton puts it.

He recalls looking for a vocalist to bring out the song’s “California girls in the garage” vibe. “The moment I heard her voice, I knew she’d be perfect.” He made the right choice. It’s a power-pop gem that benefits from the kind of focus and ambition that Best Coast can lack at times.

The songs old-school feel brings us full circle to the idea of taking cues from pop of the past. “I’m more interested in 60s than modern pop,” he admits. “It has a lot more warmth than this charmless Lady Gaga toss.”

What is it that puts him off? “It’s just Europop, isn’t it?

The image is trying to get you off the scent. If you just listen to the music you realise how fucking dull it is.”

On sampling, he criticises the P Diddy variety of sampling, that “hip-hop mainstream thing where you just hijack someone else’s idea. It’s more like being an entrepreneur, you’re seeing a gap in the market and you’re just trying to nail it before anyone else does.”

Does he see any hope in mainstream pop music?

“Beyoncé,” he argues. “‘Crazy in Love’, that’s the classic.

It’s just a kick-ass song.”

Given his band’s penchant for brass, o-two suggests they try a cover. He doesn’t think so. “We’d just fuck it up, and make it less shiny.” Maybe they would.

However, having heard the fresh ways they reinvent the music they come in contact with, I’d still love to see them try.

The Go! Team’s third album Rolling Blackouts is released on January 31st by Memphis Industries. They will be performing at The Academy in Dublin on the March 5th.

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18 January 2011

MUSIC

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Spoilt for choice This year’s Choice Music Prize nominations arguably provides the strongest lineup of nominees ever, writes Paul Fennessy

Are you sickened by American and British musical hegemony? So is o-two. Let’s look back over some Irish emeralds from years past, with George Morahan My Bloody Valentine – ‘Only Shallow’ The second Kevin Shields unleashes that ungodly guitar squall on your eardrums, you will likely never hear music the same way again, and that’s only partly for medical reasons. Shield’s dizzying power combines with Bilinda Butcher’s breathy vocal to create a hypnotic and brutal classic.

Van Morrison – ‘Moondance’ With ‘Moondance’, we find young Van at the peak of his musical powers; it has such rhythm and a vital confidence running throughout, that it’s impossible not to get swept up in it. Not even Michael Bublé could ruin it.

Villagers – ‘I Saw the Dead’ Malahide’s answer to Conor Oberst caused quite a commotion with last year’s debut album, Becoming a Jackal. The opening track, ‘I Saw the Dead’, sets a quite romantic, if morbid, tone with swirling pianos and violins and ghostly backing vocals.

The Divine Comedy – ‘National Express’ Neil Hannon occupies a strange place in Irish music; he has an arch intellect and a fun sense of a story to his lyrics rarely seen on these shores. Hannon’s vocal on ‘National Express’ is quite wonderful and makes it one of his band’s most enjoyable listens.

Ash – ‘Orpheus’ Over the past fifteen years, Ash have been delighting us with their pop-punk, but with ‘Orpheus’ they hit the jackpot. There are riffs aplenty and a delectably breezy chorus. The ultimate hybrid of Ash’s clashing sensibilities.

Thin Lizzy – ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ The track that saw Lizzy enter the big leagues. ‘The Boys...’ flits between Phil Lynott’s lyrical nostalgia and

its muscle-bound chorus with seamless ease and has a scintillating climax. One for the ages.

The Dubliners – ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ You may prefer Thin Lizzy, Metallica or one of the other thousands of versions out there. However, respect must be paid to The Dubliners, who through fifty years, countless line-up changes and the deaths of Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly, have remained at the forefront of Irish music.

Horslips – ‘Dearg Doom’ That riff soundtracked a thousand drunken nights during Italia ’90 and has found new life today, but beyond a cool guitar part lays a tale furrowing the depths of Celtic myth.

Rubberbandits – ‘Horse Outside’ A well-loved tale of one man and his horse overcoming not one, but three mightily impressive cars, and their equally charming owners, to win the girl of his dreams. Her reward for choosing our hero? A trip to Mullingar. Who could ask for more?

U2 – ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ Quite frankly, U2 would never be more visceral or ragged. Bono’s sense of empathy is never displaced as he recounts the horror over Larry Mullen’s militaristic beat, and Edge provides the first of his great riffs on this standout from War.

The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl – ‘Fairytale of New York’ Because this song is for life, not just for Christmas.

Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl fully inhabit their roles as a couple in crisis and pinpoint the heartbreaking moment when all the hope of their fledgling romance turns to poison entrenched in their veins.

January and February marks a time in the arts calendar when awards ceremonies are rife. The Brit Award nominations have just been announced and film fans are on tenterhooks for the Oscars. Closer to home, we have the Choice Music Prize, which celebrates the best in homegrown Irish music.

The prize was started in 2005 and aims to encourage the best in Irish music. Since its inception, winners have included The Divine Comedy, Jape and Super Extra Bonus Party. Moreover, this year, it is inarguably the preeminent Irish music award show, considering the recently announced cancellation of the Meteor awards.

This year’s prize looks set to be hotly contested.

2010, while being a disastrous year for our economy and international reputation, was an excellent year for Irish music. Nominees for the 2010 prize include Adebisi Shank’s This is the Second Album of a band called Adebisi Shank, The Cast of Cheers’ Chariot and Cathy Davey’s The Nameless.

At first glance, it is incredibly difficult to know which act is most deserving of the title. With a mix of established artists such as Imelda May and relative newcomers like James Vincent McMorrow, it provides an excellent distillation of the current Irish music industry.

The fan favourites are clearly Two Door Cinema Club. The Dubliners have enjoyed a highly successful year, with hits such as ‘Undercover Martyn’ and ‘I Can Talk’ providing the perfect soundtrack for what it’s like being a twenty-something, living and loving in the big city.

Meanwhile, the critics would undoubtedly prefer Villagers’ Becoming a Jackal to acquire the coveted prize. Conor O’Brien is clearly one of a kind, as his idiosyncratic debut proves. Not only did it enable him to break from the shadow of his former bandmates in The Immediate, but it also led to acclaim across the water in the form of a Mercury Prize nomination.

True to music critic form, this writer would suggest that the judges could do far worse than to award Villagers the prize. Given that the judging panel comprises solely of music critics, the other nominees might as well not bother showing up. On the other hand, I could ramble on about how art is subjective and each individual perceives it in a unique way for paragraph upon paragraph, but I’ll spare you the pain.

Finally, we’d like to give a shout-out to our sometime columnists Fight Like Apes. Success for The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner would inevitably be toasted over a pint or two in o-two towers.

MUSIC

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The woman in black Rising indie queen Zola Jesus tells Paul Fennessy about her prodigious work rate, why pop music is the highest musical form and how she realised her ultimate fantasy

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010 was a busy year for 21-year-old Nika Danilova, aka Zola Jesus. In addition to touring extensively and playing a total of 97 shows, she released an incredible four EPs, continually refining her incoherent-yowling-cum-pop music and simultaneously endearing herself to indie bloggers everywhere.

So what prompted this Philip K Dick obsessive to release four EPs in such a short space of time? Was it a subtle commentary on the increasingly fragmented and fleeting manner in which we listen to music?

Was it her way of contemplating the value of art in these brutal, recessionary times? Much to o-two’s disappointment, it apparently “just happened” that way, on account of the record label’s demand for bonus tracks and different European and US releases.

Meanwhile, she attributes the impressive rate at which she can churn out songs to being “constantly on a deadline”.

Of Danilova’s four records, the general consensus in the indie community decrees that the Stridulum EP is her most impressive effort to date, while also being the singer’s personal favourite of the quartet.

Not only does it manage to effortlessly amalgamate all of her compelling musical characteristics – her technical adeptness, her woozy, brooding vocals and her penchant for theatricality – but the album also includes what is arguably the most distinctive piece of cover art out of all the records released this year. It depicts Danilova’s face and part of her body completely covered in an alluring chocolate sauce.

“It was my idea,” Danilova explains. “I’ve always had a fantasy of having chocolate poured on me and bathing in it. This was the only way of getting away with it.” o-two gets the sense, however, that Danilova is not always willing to act so playfully. Her foreboding all-black attire is one indication of a darker persona lurking within, as is the fact that she has carried the pseudonym of Zola Jesus with her since high school. Yet she refutes the idea that she bears an extraordinary countenance.

“The appearance is inspired by what I like,” she says.

“Usually I create things that are like a shadow that I can hide under. The way I look when I’m playing live or having my picture taken is just what I’m wearing that day. It’s just the clothes that I have in my closet and so there’s really no special look that I put on, but I think it’s important as a person to really know who you are.

Zola Jesus received considerable praise for the many records she released last year and in particular, the Stridulum EP. “I don’t call the music under my name because it’s like a formal gallery space for things I’m working on.

But I know it’s a little confusing for people, because I am Zola Jesus and Zola Jesus is me.”

Yet despite her slightly austere, goth-like appearance, Danilova clearly possesses a sense of humour and seems thoroughly unaffected by the significant fuss which is currently surrounding her.

She laughs, for instance, when I explain how some critics have noticed a more pop-oriented tinge to her sound lately. It is as if she feels perplexed that anyone would bother analysing her music in such intricate detail.

“I’m sure I’m going in a more poppy direction,” she says. “It’s kind of for selfish reasons. As a writer and as a programmer, because I make electronic music and I programme everything myself, it’s a lot more of a challenge to make pop music, because so much is

“Really the lyrics I always feel are redundant”

required of the production compared with other types of music. So I see it as a fun challenge.

“I think the indie world is starting to move in a poppier direction, because I see everything as a reaction that came before it and we’re just coming out of this lo-fi environment of everything being homemade and having a kind of shoddy production.

So a lot of people are reacting against that and trying to do something that’s crisp and pure and well produced.”

Danilova cites Times New Viking, purveyors of skuzzy guitars and distorted vocals, as one of the bands that indie rockers are currently rebelling against. She soon clarifies this assertion though, stating her belief that such bands are not necessarily the antithesis of pop music, but that they merely “approach it in different ways”.

Danilova also adheres to the Frank Black school of songwriting, explaining that when it comes the words versus music debate, there is only one winner.

“Sometimes I feel like the voice is so expressive and really I write everything just to sing over it,” she says.

“I like the sound of the voice to take precedence over what I’m saying because I think I’m saying enough already as it is with how I’m saying it. The lyrics are important, because everything is important in coming together, but really the lyrics I always feel are redundant.”

With her hectic schedule set to recommence once more and her foot placed firmly within life’s fast lane, it is little surprise Danilova downplays the importance of reflection.

For more information, visit www.zolajesus.com.

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18 January 2011

o-two

CD Reviews Album of the Fortnight

Artist: Joan as Police Woman Album: The Deep Field

✮✮✮✮ While she may be best known for her work with Antony and the Johnsons and her ill-fated romance with iconic singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, there is far more to Joan Wasser, aka Joan as Police Woman.

Her fourth album The Deep Field is a sensual treat for your ears. The transition from track to track is seamless, creating a fluid, soulful and incredibly beautiful experience that ponders love, longing and humanity.

Wasser’s beautiful vocals combine with a number of instruments, most notably an incredible saxophone and blues guitar, to create something that sounds like sweet longing.

Highlights are the first single ‘The Magic’ and the delicious ‘Run For Love’. However, the album feels like one long piece as each song flows beautifully into the next to create a sweetly fluid aural experience. Wasser has created a treat that stands out from the music being produced at the moment and marks her as a real talent on the indie/soul scene.

In a nutshell: Arresting.

Bridget Fitzsimons

Artist: The Decemberists Album: The King is Dead

Artist: British Sea Power Album: Valhalla Dancehall

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In this latest offering from The Decemberists, they have upped the peasanty folksiness that was always their signature style to near-ludicrous levels.

They have really brought music back to the roots of American folk – one song even has a crackly overlay to make it sound like it was played on a gramophone.

It pleasantly plods along for ten songs, reeking of iconic folk-rock singers like Simon and Garfunkel or early Bob Dylan, the latter particularly brought to mind with the near-constant harmonica accompaniment.

However, the album feels slightly samey and could use a f lash of inspiration. While perfectly inoffensive, it’s unlikely to be remembered as anything highly innovative.

In a Nutshell: Perfectly nice music, but if I had wanted to listen to early-60s era Dylan, then I would have bought his records.

Emer Sugrue

Artist: Deerhoof Album: Deerhoof vs. Evil

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I su spect Deerhoof a re ver y fe w people’s cup of tea . Out sider mu sic na ïveté a nd clu msine ss is pa radox ic a l ly pa ired w it h a n ec c ent ric sk i l l. Song s a re d ra g ged f rom genre to genre.

Ta ke ‘Super Duper Re scue Dude s’: a ny norma l ba nd wou ld t a ke t he exc el lent hook a nd r u n w it h it u nt i l t he y get a great pop song. Deerhoof shove t wo chaot ic, c acophonic brid ge s in t here too, bec au se t hat’s what t he y do. T he y t a ke dose s of heav y met a l, d issona nt pu n k, t wee pop a nd a m i l lion ot her sou nd s a nd forc e t hem toget her.

Deerhoof vs. Ev i l is bi z a rre, but if t hat’s what you’re into, pick up t h is a lbu m a nd enjoy.

In a Nut shel l: Eit her geniu s or mad ne ss. Eit her origina l or a novelt y.

Ina rg u ably st ra nge.

C or m a c D uf f y

Chilled out and the perfect accompaniment to a pint in the Student Bar or a Sunday afternoon stroll. This fifth studio album from the vastly underrated British Sea Power is one that offers some catchy melodies and relaxing rhythms to help you through any hard day.

The stand-out track ‘Living Is So Easy’ aptly sums up the mood of the album itself; easy listening with a bit of an indie twist, so as not to be confused with your Dad’s CD collection of this type. With some great anthemic choruses, it would sit perfectly in an evening set at Glastonbury.

In a Nutshell: A potential soundtrack to your summer.

Sophie Lioe

Artist: The Go! Team Album: Rolling Blackouts

✮✮✮ The Go! Team are one of the few cases where this cliché ‘unique’ actually applies. The everything-but-kitchen-sink approach to genre, as heard on their aptly-titled debut album, Thunder, Lightning Strike, was a genuine musical bolt from the blue. Rolling Blackouts, however, serves as a continuation rather than an expansion of their trademark sound. The one exception is the disconcertingly threadbare instrumental, ‘Lazy Poltergeist’, a piano ballad which is easily the most understated song the band have ever recorded.

The collaborations, such as ‘Buy Nothing Day’ (with Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast) and ‘Secretary Song’ (featuring Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki) are oddly more reminiscent of the collaborators’ bands rather than The Go! Team, causing the record to lack cohesion at times.

The effervescent horns of ‘Voice Yr Choice’ and ‘Yosemite Theme’ give the record’s midpoint a sturdier sound and thus constitutes its highlight. Album closer ‘Back Like 8 Track’, meanwhile, demonstrates a Pixies-esque ability to incorporate loud-quite-loud dynamics and represents another of the album’s choice cuts.

In a nutshell: A fun record, despite being a little too similar to their previous releases.

Paul Fennessy

Food & drink

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Power lunches Sharing her cost-effective budget, Elaine Lavery explains the ins and outs of packed lunches

Boojum offers delicious food at studentfriendly prices.

All wrapped up Palatable Mexican food is on offer at great prices in Boojum, as Steven Balbirnie found out

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Bringing a packed lunch to college is a handy way to economise as well as being a healthier option.

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have never understood why people spend hundreds a year on crappy campus food lunches. No offence, but why spend €5-10 a day on food that you can easily make for less than €2, or in the case of leftovers, absolutely free?

A packed lunch will most likely be healthier and tastier. I remember being in first year of an all-girls private school and there definitely seemed to be some stigma about bringing your own lunch. It was like having the equivalent of a ‘Look at me, I’m poor’ label across your forehead. But at this stage, it’s just sad to see Orts-didn’t-get-the-points-for-Commerce-butown-shares-in-Insomnia students trying to look cool in the Quinn school.

So how do you do it? 1. Decide what you like to eat.

2. Figure out if it can be eaten and enjoyed cold. 3.

Establish whether it is transportable and will stay fresh throughout the day. It’s really that simple.

The excuse that you don’t have enough time is actually rubbish. You may not be able to make a gourmet soup every day, but some days there’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned cheese and ham sambo. Any sandwich can be improved upon by varying relishes, mustards and indeed breads.

Pittas are especially handy and can be kept in the freezer until you are ready to toast and fill. Cream cheese bagel wrapped in tin foil – delish. Ryvita and a

few slices of cheddar cheese – takes no time to throw together.

Pasta-wise, think tomato sauce, pesto, sundried tomatoes, roasted peppers, bacon, chorizo, feta cheese, pine nuts, rocket, and mixed leaves. Couscous is even quicker than pasta, only requiring soaking for five minutes before fluffing up with a fork and adding spices, herbs and other such delights. Rice, quinoa, and beans all make healthy and satisfying lunch salads too – all of which are easily transportable in a trusty old lunchbox. In terms of leftovers, some obviously work better than others. Use your head. Cold pizza has always been a personal favourite.

There are some no-nos to remember. Homemade soups (or even fresh readymade ones) are great, but make sure to get a good thermos flask that will retain its heat. Also remember to rinse out and wash it as soon as possible, since it will retain strong flavours.

Tomato-flavoured Barry’s Tea was enough to turn my stomach off using a thermos flask forever. Personally, I would recommend avoiding anything involving eggs, unless it is made and eaten in less than two hours. Too many people find their sulphurous odour offensive.

What’s the best thing about a homemade lunch? You know what you are putting into your body and it has been made by your hands. Without elaborating, it’s a lot more appetising if you really think about it.

he Millennium Walkway may not be the easiest place to find in the city centre (it’s opposite the Millennium Bridge on the north side of the Liffey), but it’s well worth locating if you’re after quality Mexican food, as nestled away in the heart of it is Boojum.

Looking around, you will notice how environmentally aware this restaurant is, as its recycling station has different compartments for every component of your meal. Not only was I impressed

by Boojum’s environmental awareness, but also by the friendly and helpful nature of the staff.

Boojum is also (and probably most importantly) friendly on the pocket, as they offer a student special for €6, consisting of a burrito and a bottle of water or can of soft drink. They also operate a loyalty card scheme whereby every ten meals you buy get you one for free. However, the small price tag doesn’t mean small portions either, as the student special certainly fills the belly of your average ravenous student.

Naturally, I opted for the student special and quickly discovered Boojum’s novel approach to Mexican food.

Rather than simply having a set menu, the restaurant allows you to order a customised burrito through a three-part process.

First you select a base from: burrito wrap, fajita wrap, tacos, or you can have your meal served in a bowl or as a salad. After the base, there are four choices of filling: vegetarian, chicken, shredded beef or steak; and you finish off your order by choosing one of four salsa sauces ranging from mild to hot.

The finished burrito is cleverly served in a foil wrapping to keep it together as you eat it. This is an idea that many other outlets could benefit from adopting.

I ordered shredded beef with salsa roja in a burrito wrap. The shredded beef was tender, well-cooked and full of flavour. The salsa roja struck just the right balance between spiciness and smokiness, with neither element overpowering the other. The burrito base contained rice and black beans, which were very filling. All in all, it was a satisfying meal – especially enjoyable in the cold weather.

With good staff, a clean bathroom, a pleasant atmosphere and delicious food at low prices, Boojum is well worth seeking out.

Boojum, Millennium Walkway, Dublin 1.

Tel: 01 872 9499

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18 January 2011

CULTURE

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To see or not to see

With fine performances all round, Dramsoc provided an excellent treatment of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, writes Maria Whelan

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f the production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is indicative of what is in store for UCD Dramsoc in 2011, we have every reason to expect great things. For five consecutive years, an annual Leaving Certificate show has been performed by the society.

Not only is this new legacy an opportune time for Dramsoc’s most enthusiastic members to take the stage, Leaving Cert students equally benefit as the committee are able to deliver an inspiring and memorable performance in preparation for the students’ exams.

Shakespeare’s tragic hero is portrayed admirably

by Gavin Drea, who before our very eyes metamorphoses from a doleful, inactive young man to one that is able to stare death in the face, not caring whether he lives or dies, so long as his honour remains intact and his father avenged.

Hamlet’s constant confusion, procrastination and altering of his strategy contrasts greatly with the character of Claudius (Paul Fleming). Fleming’s consistently evil persona is a perfect foil to Hamlet’s instability and reluctance. The persistent bickering of the two male leads is gently balanced by the soothing presence of Hamlet’s love interest Ophelia (Amanda Coakley). However, some might say that her stage chemistry with Laertes (Ian Toner) was much more powerful.

Undoubtedly, the cast and crew were in good hands. Director Stephen Jones is an acclaimed

Library review Goodbye to Berlin

by Christopher Isherwood

1930s Berlin is a society on the verge of catastrophic change. What was once a refugee for outspoken liberals and hedonistic socialites is being transformed into the oppressive capital of fascist rule.

Set against the backdrop of the dark and seedy lights of the city, Christopher Isherwood depicts a moment of monumental change, as the face of Berlin is transformed by the horrific growth of a fascist regime.

Its endlessly fascinating characters shape Goodbye to Berlin, most notable Sally Bowles, memorably played by Liza Minnelli in the subsequent film adaption.

Ms Bowles is drenched in the glamorous gluttony of the period. The indulgent yet infinitely encapsulating cabaret singer is a caricature of a society soon to be lost by

Dramsoc alumnus with six ISDA awards to his name. His choice of cast was noteworthy, as there were certainly no ham actors in this production.

The cast of 19 delivered such a tight and convincing performance that it was obvious hard work had gone into the production.

The Dramsoc committee evidently was mindful of the fact many Leaving Cert students would attend the show; therefore great lengths were taken to make the production relevant and applicable to the intended audience. Consequently, shattering the widely held opinion that all good Shakespearian dramas entail men wearing tights, the cast was of mixed gender and the time setting is modern day, which proves to be an interesting choice.

Additionally, the stage set was modern, fresh, and stylish, proving Shakespeare’s work is timeless. The colour scheme of the mise-en-scène was minimalistic and sombre, incorporating blacks, grays, browns, white, and red. The colour palette and large pictures of Denmark’s rulers candidly adhered to the totalitarian state ruled by the ruthless King Claudius.

Often it is easy to get caught up in the intensity of the dialogue, the striking set complemented the performance. Indubitably, Hamlet’s motives were to “catch the conscience of the king,” but Dramsoc wanted nothing more than to catch our attention and minds.

Dramsoc provide an education for the audience in their annual Shakespeare production.

Photo: Catherine Gundry-Beck

Why pay for DVDs and books when you’ve got the James Joyce Library, asks Anna Burzlaff the encroaching Nazi presence; constantly tittering on the edge of the novel’s borders.

The story, in effect, is one of transition and mourning. The decadent and unrestricted lives of many of Berlin’s inhabitants are soon to be irrevocably altered.

Goodbye to Berlin captures the spirit of a city whose acceptance and liberty had created a haven for the misfits of the world.

However, the tragic destiny Berlin is doomed to soon face, through the tyranny of Hitler’s rule, is the death which Isherwood so poignantly mourns.

City of God (2002)

Directors Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund depict the harsh realities of poverty and crime in City of God, a movie set in the unforgiving surroundings of Rio de Janeiro's favelas. The unavoidable culture of violence and drugs engulfs the ghetto's inhabitants as they desperately fight for survival in the moral wasteland of the favela.

Our experience of the Brazilian slum, known as the City of God, is shaped through

the eyes of aspiring photographer Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), who from the 1960s through to the seventies retells stories of rape, murder and revenge, all components of the horrific and senseless gang war which the movie is set against. Fuelled by desperation and fear the people of City of God carry out barbaric acts in order to cement a position of power.

Stylistically brilliant, City of God keeps the audience captivated throughout. The superb performances and well-developed characters make the movie one of the greatest of its kind. Inspired by Paulo Lin’s fact-based novel, the movie examines the harrowing effects of deep-rooted poverty, and the corruption – both state and otherwise – that causes it. Exciting, upsetting, thought provoking, and fascinating; City of God merits viewing for simply too many reasons to list.

BACK PAGE

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Please Talk!

What’s your New Year’s Resolution?

Sam McGovern, 2nd Year Arts – Use my Sundays to tidy up and learn how to cook two meals for my family.

Morning Hush, above, regard themselves as a quirky blend of rock and pop.

Campus Band Questionnaire:

Morning Hush

Rachel Boyle of Morning Hush tells o-two how the band are not exactly stereotypical rock musicians and why the soup in UCD is incomparable Who are your members and what do they play?

Jonathan Boyle plays guitar and is the lead singer, Sean Ryan plays drums and Ross Kelly is on bass and I’m on the keyboards and sing backing vocals.

Where did you get the inspiration for your name?

Years ago, Jonathan and the two lads were recording down the country and Jonathan came up with Morning Hush because it’s like a blank canvas and no one ever knows what to expect when they hear the name.

Where do you gig?

Around town more recently – Whelans, The Village, Pod, Mezz and we played Crumlin a few weeks ago, so that was a new adventure, at the Bridgehouse.

What do you play on the tour bus?

The three lads met because they’re very big Smashing Pumpkins fans and they met before they were going to see some gig. We all have pretty much the same taste in music, except Sean and Ross would like The Smiths, and myself and Jonathan wouldn’t.

How would you describe your sound?

Before I joined the band there was another guitar player so it was standard rock music, but then I joined and it became a bit more poppy. So we’ve been described as heavy pop – I’ll go with that.

How did you join the band?

I was a fan of the band and when the original guitar player left, I was presented with opportunity to join the band and I accepted it. It happened about two years ago. I didn’t have to try out for the band. They knew me, so they trusted I was okay. We’d known each other for years before that.

What’s the best thing about UCD? The soup in the campus shop with the roll – the veg one especially.

What’s the worst thing about UCD?

Parking. You have to get in before nine and I generally don’t, so I end up having to pay on meter off campus and walking and then feeling really sorry for myself.

For the average person, the walk would take about ten minutes, but I take about half an hour since I’m walking so slowly because I’m annoyed.

What acts would you choose to play your dream festival?

Alongside us? Phoenix – we’d very much be in the same vein as Phoenix. They do what we’re trying to do: mixing rock music with pop. They’re a band we’d look to emulate to a certain degree without copying them.

Also, Freezepop – they’re not that big at all, but because I’m a big fan of theirs, I got talking to their keyboard player. I think we’d go well together, because they have the same keyboard as I do. I’ll say Paul McCartney too, because we’d need to have a big act for a festival.

What would be your dream place to play?

Woodstock back in the 1960s. Maybe earlier in the afternoon than Hendrix, so people will have forgotten us.

How do you differ from other bands in UCD? We differ from a lot of our peers because we’re not really the usual alcohol, drugs and rock'n'roll types – Jonathan only recently started drinking. We’re not a goody-two-shoes band, but we did a documentary when we went on tour over the summer. One of the directors said “you guys gotta be reckless,” but we told them we’re not that kind of band, it’s more about the music. We do have fun though.

Ger Gallagher, 2nd Year Social Science – Learn to drive on a full license.

Aisling Flynn, 2nd Year Arts – Buy less clothes.

For more information, visit facebook.com/morninghush.

Morning Hush will be playing in the Student Bar in the coming weeks.

Ciara Gleeson, 2nd Year Psychology – Learn to play guitar.

In conversation with Paul Fennessy.

- Emer Sugrue