Volume XXI - Otwo - Issue 2

Otwo Volume XXI | Issue 2 7th October 2014

Letter from the editors 4 Back to School Conor O’Toole 4 If you Khan Dream it You Khan Do it 5 Delhi Dos and Don’ts Charlotte Ashmore

FOOD&DRINK 6 Cupcake Bloke Interview David Corscadden 7 Almond Praline Cupcake Recipe 7 Brehon Brewery Shane Hannon

GAMES 8 Enola Adam Donnelly

8 Shadows of Mordor Karl Quigley 9 Acid Wizards Interview Karl Quigley

HEY Y’ALL, First of all, welcome to Issue 2 of our fantastically brilliant Otwo magazine, the cooler little brother of The University Observer. (You know, the kind of little brother who doesn’t tell Mommy when you’ve done something bold).

This issue marks the 20th anniversary of the paper and to celebrate we thought we’d give you an extra awesome Otwo. Just kidding, if that were the case it would be our anniversary every issue.

In Food and Drink David ‘Hates Fungus Mugs’ Corscadden speaks with Dublin personality ‘The Cupcake Bloke’ and gives a recipe of his own, while Shane ‘Insert Hot Sexy Nickname Here’ Hannon tours County Monaghan microbrewery Brehon Brewhouse.

In Games Karl ‘Conceal Your Neck’ Quigley pens a feature on Acid Wizards, while ‘Enola’ and ‘Shadow of Mordor’ are reviewed. In our popular Film and TV section overseen by editor Aaron ‘Fridget Jones’ Diary’ Murphy, we have features on crowd-funding films, as well as Friends, which like us is celebrating its 20th anniversary. We also have reviews of films ’71, What We Did On Our Holiday and Gold, and our official ranking of the Top 10 Negligent Parents in Cinema.

Our centre piece this issue sees Sean ‘I Interview Serial Killers’ Hayes interview Alt-J, who recently played Dublin’s 3 Arena. Our Music section also sees Real Estate sit down with Rebekah (Chris {Francis [The Viper] Higgins} Torduff) Rennick. Amen. We also have excellent interviews with Sylvan Esso and Delorentos, plus loads of album reviews, Guinness Amplify coverage and we pick a band to look out for in Radar.

Our feisty Fashion section sees another fantastic shoot directed by our Fashion Editor Sarah ‘Twinning or Binning’ O’ Shea, while our new Arts and Literature section, edited by Patrick ‘Free Books’ Kelleher, continues its meteoric rise. A bit like the rise of Justin Bieber except our Arts and Lit section isn’t an annoying little shit.

The latter section sees emerging writer Blain Broomfield profiled (yep, that is the most aesthetically pleasing name since Rebekah Rennick came on the scene), Tadhg Dolan’s interview with Rory O’ Neill (otherwise known as drag queen Panti Bliss), reviews of ‘The Mariner’ and the recent Chester Beatty A-Z exhibition, plus a feature on chicklit.

Our ‘Fatal Fourway’ this issue debates the ‘Most Disgraceful Child Stars’, while in Travel the dos and don’ts of Delhi are dealt with decisively (too much ‘d’ there, sorry… that’s what she said lol). Our colourful columns section includes the best life advice from the one and only Genghis Khan, the great Khan of the Mongol Empire, and Emily ‘Is It Vegan for me to squeeze this?’ Longworth lets you what the cool kids that she spies on are into in What’s Hot and What’ Not. ‘Mixter’ Conor O’ Toole also pens his hilarious thoughts (we weren’t paid to write that at least weren’t paid much). The old reliable pieces – Soapbox, Mystic Mitten, and WHWN – have all decided to return too.

So what are you waiting for? Stop reading this bit and get stuck into Otwo; we just know you’ve been waiting for Issue 2 like DiCaprio’s been waiting for an Oscar.

PEACE BRAH, REBEKAH & SHANE

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FILM&TV

10 Friends 20th Anniversary Rebecca Kelly 11 Crowdfunding Mark Cohen 12 Gold Matthew Hanrahan 12 What We Did on Our Holiday Carlotta Fanton 13 ‘71 Grattan Aikins 13 Top 10 Negligent Parents Brona Kieran

CENTRE 14 alt-J Sean Hayes MUSIC 16 Real Estate Rebekah Rennick

17 Sylvan Esso Grattan Aikins 18 Delorentos Aoife Cunningham 19 Album Reviews 20 Guinness Amplify Sean Hayes 20 Radar: Storyful

FASHION&STYLE 21 Street Style

22 Winter Coats Fashion Shoot

ARTS&LITERATURE 24 The Mariner Maeve O’Neill

24 Chester Beatty A-Z Lauren Moore 25 Chicklit Roisin Murray 26 Rory O’Neil/Panti Bliss Tadhg Dolan 27 Fatal Fourway: Most Disgraceful Child Star 28 Parallax

what’s hot & What’s not

Soapbox The Hell of the Self-Service Checkout

Hot

Not Hot

#mashtags

James franco’s creative projects

The future of potato snack innovation technology is upon us. BirdsEye’s newest oven-baked product has done well to combine two of life’s greatest joys – potato goods and the internet. Mashed potato in the shape of asterisks, hearts and the ever-popular hashtag are now available to be put in your mouth. “Made with REAL potatoes!” the bag boasts, arguably saving much of the product’s target market from confusing them for virtual potatoes.

www.takebackhalloween.org What is there to take back about Hallowe’en? This is fair. Arguably we have a Hallowe’en, look - it’s right over there at the end of October! Not a bother on it. More accurately, however, we have a Hallowe’en dominated by gender inequality, cultural appropriation and dead white men. takebackhalloween.org suggests a fine truckload of alternatives for girls, including Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Gráinne Mhaol and a host of others who’d easily destroy a sexy nurse in a fight.

An Post’s new stamps All the cool kids are talking about the hottest new stamps from An Post! (we know because we overheard them). It’s getting harder and harder to know which one to pick, especially when asked to choose between an Irish Prison Service celebratory stamp, a Seamus Heaney memorial stamp, or a stamp with a cute little kitty cat on it. As an added bonus, the guy in charge of updating the An Post website with stamp descriptors seems to only be capable of talking in puns. Get your stamps today!

James Franco is on a really half-assed reign of terror, conducted entirely through the medium of bad side projects. Last month he released a piss-poor documentary about the making of Saturday Night Live, which he piss-poorly co-hosted in 2008. This comes after five lame books, several embarrassing art shows and four unfinished degrees. The only way he’ll stop is if we all pretend not to notice him when he comes over. Just like in 6th class. That’ll learn him not to try!

giant spiders It seems like the entire arachnid population of Mirkwood and the Forbidden Forest has relocated to everybody’s gaff. The warmer summer months came back to bite us in the ass when it consequently produced spiders so large that actual scientists have used the words ‘mega’ and ‘super’ to describe them. On the upside, many spiders have now grown so large that they will in fact have to ring your doorbell to get in – leading to an increased numbers of spiders disguising themselves as Airtricity salesmen.

Photoshopping This is fine if it’s a matter of hilarity. Like that time a load of shark heads were photoshopped into a picture of a NATO meeting to make ‘SharkNato’. We can get behind that. But the unrealistic cropping, mending and airbrushing of our self-portraits is bogus, because nobody should care that much about a thigh gap. Especially not Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and hordes of other A-list clowns who’ve been fuelling the fad. Next time you go to mend a photographic blemish, just crudely photoshop a shark head over the area of concern instead. Everyone wins, especially shark head.

Mystic Mittens Aries The level of “alt” that your new college friends exude may get too much, as you see them followed around campus by Louis Theroux and a camera crew.

Taurus While it will be tough, you must accept that heartbreak will enter your life. That’s what you get for playing with liquid nitrogen in your anatomy practical.

Gemini The months you spent growing your hair like Conor McGregor will come to naught, as you realise LawSoc’s MUN competition means something else entirely.

Cancer Expect the unexpected this week, as you will be the unfortunate victim of a surprise waterboarding on campus. At least you won’t have to wash your hair for a few more days.

Libra An overheard conversation between two Ag students will sound raunchier than it should. It’s about time you learn that those outside the Pale have a different understanding of ploughing.

Scorpio Your desperation for a mug with your name on it is getting old. Stop dropping hints.

Sagittarius A marauding gang of CompSci majors will mug you for your sports scholarship money, insulting you in C++ all the while.

Capricorn An attempt to convince a friend that you know where the library is will be really just an attempt to convince yourself. Don’t worry, at least a D is a nice round grade.

Leo

Aquarius

University is a time of changing tastes, and many things will begin to grow on you. Sadly, most of them of will be fungus from your poor hygiene habits.

Your rousing rendition of ‘Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off!’, performed drunkenly in the Student Bar, will land you in the West-End. Who knew there was also a prison there?

Virgo The dreaded day will come when you realise your goal of becoming ‘Snake Boy’ won’t work. You must move on with your life and return the giant heat lamp you just bought.

Pisces The abundance of triangles on your Geometry lecturer’s slides doesn’t mean he’s in the Illuminati. It just means you spend far too much time online.

From flailing OAPs to surreptitious Pot Noodle bulk buying, Ray McGrath takes us through the harrowing experience that is the self-service checkout As a self-confessed socially inept misanthrope, the self-service checkout should be among my favourite inventions. It will neither judge my purchases nor ask any awkward questions about my plans for the weekend. I can just pop down to Tesco on a Friday night and buy one of their reasonably tolerable ready-meals, without needing to share the grim details of my sorry, worthless excuse for an existence.

Alas, things don’t always work that way, as contentious humans still succeed in ruining my inept attempt of social deflection. For a start, the checkout supervisor will loudly inform me that I can get a fifth pot noodle for free, thus alerting anyone within earshot to the fact that I’m the kind of person who buys four pot noodles.

Leaving my tragic lifestyle and questionable dietary tendencies aside, the real misery begins when you find yourself queuing behind an elderly customer - by which I mean anyone on the greyer side of fifty. Prepare to be infuriated because when people get to a certain age they lose interest in learning anything new, especially when technology is concerned. A worrying truth known by any child attempting to teach their flailing parent that the portable machine in their hand does in fact send texts and, by goodness, can connect to the Google simultaneously.

When you get older, embarrassment no longer exists. You’ll be dead soon anyway. Even if an OAP isn’t capable of operating anything more complex than a light-switch, they’ll insist on giving the self-service checkout a go anyway. When it all goes wrong - because they’ve dawdled for too long, left their wallet in the bagging area, scanned the same item twice, or started packing their bags before paying - they inevitably blame the ‘stupid machine’ for their own mistakes.

We see something similar in our child counterparts. To be perfectly honest, they’re basically all idiots; if they weren’t, you wouldn’t need to send them to school. Unashamedly we were all young once and as a child, you constantly want to experience new things: What happens if I release the handbrake of a parked car on a hill? How often can I pick my nose before it bleeds?

What does Domestos actually taste like? All plausible questions for the inquisitive toddler.

If you’re a parent, I’m sure your sticky, smelly little nasal excavators are delightful, but don’t allow them to explore the bagging area when I’m scanning my items. He may be your flesh and blood, the centre of your life, the apple of your eye, the sole reason for your continued joyless existence but when he’s in my bagging area unexpectedly he is simply an ‘Unexpected Item’. Please remove him.

If you’ve opened that pension I’d advise to totter back to the traditional checkout, and enjoy a nice chat with the cashier about your grandkids, your haemorrhoid cream or that wonderful funeral you’ve just been to. And if you have kids, just don’t bring them into the shop at all please and leave myself and the self-service machine at peace to discuss further offers available to the capable customer.

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Back to School with Conor O’Toole

In this week’s instalment, Conor O’Toole gives you the smarts you need to be the perfect Dublin cyclist Today I would like to talk to you about the ethics of cycling in Dublin. This is a student paper, and so I can assume a good few of you reading this cycle, or at least know what cycling is.

You should run red lights. I know that’s a controversial view, but it’s true. Irish infrastructure is designed for cars, and for pedestrians. We cyclists literally fall between the cracks of these two worlds and as such regular rules do not apply.

A motorist simply cannot understand the personal investment a cyclist makes in momentum.

I’m not saying run every light you see, but be sensible. If there are pedestrians crossing, stop and allow them to cross in comfort. But do not watch an empty road from behind a false barricade!

A bike moves one person around without causing much noise, wear to the road, or damage to the enviornment. Once you realise most cars have just one person in them, you will realise the vast moral superiority of the bike, and thus it’s right of way in the city. Do not bow to the will of the aggressive motorist! You are just as entitled to travel as he!

And beware the bastard taxi. Empty taxis are transporting no-one anywhere! They are the lowest thing on the road, below even rickshaws.

They are the sharks of the road. A cyclist is no good to a taxi, unless the cyclist has been injured.

Just bear that in mind.

The bus is to be respected, as she transports many people at once. Is the minnow offended to be pushed out of the way by the whale? No! For he knows the whale has more important things to worry about, like getting out of this river in Tymon park.

Once you realise most cars have just one person in them, you will realise the vast moral superiority of the bike, and thus it’s right of way in the city. Do not bow to the will of the aggressive motorist!

You should wear a helmet. Unlike pachycephalosaurus, you have not evolved a 25cm thick skullcap in order to allow you to sustain massive impacts to the head. Although, I reckon there’s a good chance that if pachycephalosauruses had worn helmets MAYBE they wouldn’t have died out. I mean, who’s to say. I use a domed helmet, like what pachycephalosaurus had, when I cycle. It’s hardy and black and I can use it for competing with other males in the mating season. There’ll definately be a helmet out there for you too. Just google search it on bing. com, or yahoo.co.uk.

I like helmet cams. They’re these small video cameras people use to make obnoxious, self-righteous videos to post on the internet. But hey, if they get people wearing helmets, I’m happy.

I have more to say on this matter, but just remember, cycling is like extreme european politics.

When you’re going to the right, you’ve gotta do that thing with your arm.

IF YOU KHAN DREAM IT YOU KHAN DO IT

D

ear Khan,

H

ey Genghy,

I’ve had a good relationship with Guinness all my life.

It’s been there for me since the first time I went knacker drinking to the last preggers bird I walked out on. I know Guinness and me have something special. But ever since they cancelled Aurthur’s Day things have been different – I feel like Diageo left me standin’ in the rain.

I’ve tried downing other pints at a minute to 6, but they just don’t get me as fucked. Should I keep trying to hold on to that painful love, or move on?

AAron

I’m in love with one of my cousins. He’s completely right for me, we can talk for hours, tell each other anything and we laugh hardest at each other’s jokes. Plus the riding’s been unreal <3 I know riding your cousin is like, “wrong”, or something. But I really like riding my cousin. Is that bad? Since that side of the family only moved back from Australia last year, it doesn’t even feel like we’re related. If I imagine hard enough that we’re not real cousins, will it become true?

Need your help!

Lolita

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been feeling stuck and unsupported by gargle, AAron.

Sometimes we just need that small touch of magic in our lives that severe overdependence on intoxicants give us – it’s as special as the smile on a child’s face on Christmas morning, or the bloodshed of 1000 forsaken enemies.

Unfortunately, Diageo has betrayed you - and now it is right for you to kill them. Kill them all. I remember when I was 14, my half-brother Behter stole a fish and a lark that I had caught, I went to find him, to explain the misunderstanding, we laughed about it together. And then I immediately slew him because he wronged my reputation.

It’s always tricky to let go of the drink that’s closest to your heart – you’ll find it’s a lot easier if you start believing in yourself, thinking positively, and abducting women and children belonging to the Diageo tribe.

Hey doll, That’s a hard one. What you and your cousin have been doing is technically illegal in many places, and society looks down on intrafamilial ugly-bumping unforgivingly. They say that Family Comes First. But isn’t it true that they also say Get the Ride? Because they do, and you should.

At the start of my marriage, I somehow felt guilty for thinking about other women, including my own family members. But before long I was dating in every new minority group whose tribe we massacred, and it changed my life! It also changed the genetic heritage of 16 million people, since 0.5% of the male population in the world today are descended from me.

Khan x

So in reality, the practice is still thriving, most of those people don’t even realise they’re related until after they’re rattled at least one of their distant relatives. Sleeping around was the best decision I ever made, just block out the negative energy, ignore the haters, and continue bangin’ your cousin – you owe it to yourself.

Khan x

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Delhi – The Dos and Don’ts The capital of India and second most populous city on the planet, Delhi is a truly bustling place. Charlotte Ashmore takes you through the dos and don’ts of the beautiful City of Rallies.

DO

hire an authentic Indian guide! These can be found at the entrance to most large tourist attractions.

Make sure they have an official ID and have set rates, and you’re good to go. Not only will they save you a lot of time and cash (they’re relatively cheap), but they’ll be in-the-know on local info and must-see places. Not to mention, they genuinely want you to have a good time!

DON’T

make eye contact with street merchants unless you want to get your ears burnt off.

Period. Shopping culture in India is entirely different to at home. Sellers like to entice their customers by means of listing off all their fabulous wares in one long give money to people begging rant. Will they let you off the hook if you’re not all that on the street. I appreciate it’s a heart-breaking sight enticed? No, no they will not. and extremely tempting, but A) you do not know where your money is truly going, and B), other people may notice and try to take advantage of your good purchase food or beverages on make the trip to Agra – the home of the the street. This is the number-one golden rule; it’s Taj Mahal. You might be sceptical at first – a three-hour intentions. Instead, donate to a registered Indian charity. One to check out is the Indian Centre for known that people can refill water bottles, and reseal journey just to see one of the Seven Wonders of the Integrated Development based in Nagpur, central them with glue to sell on again! Make sure and stick to World? Pffft. But it will turn out you’ll have made the legitimate restaurants/cafés. right choice; the luminous white marble and majestic India. architecture will honestly send chills down your spine. speak to locals – if they look approachable! Also, bus fares are very reasonable at just 20 euro for Of all peoples, I found Indians to be the most charming, a full day trip. use the Delhi metro! Underground, it’s respectful and generous. Take a minute or two to a whole other world from the steamy, bustling one speak with them, and you’ll be surprised at just how above. The metro is clean, punctual, safe and cheap! leave home without hand endearing they can be. sanitizer. This baby will be a life-saver! As much as you It’ll take you directly to all the largest sights in a matter of minutes. Just be prepared for the genderwill fall deeply and irrevocably in love with India, it’s separation on carriages. It’s not a rule, they just tend to not the easiest place to find a toilet with soap. So to forget to remove your shoes do it. All part of the experience people. eat with peace of mind, sanitizer is an essential. when entering shops/peoples’ homes. Not all shops require this (usually it’s the smaller, family-run ones), but where they do, it’s seen as disrespectful venture into Old Delhi. Many tourists if you don’t. And let’s face it, it’s not a custom most actually miss out on it, even though it is the whole leave without having learned westerners would be familiar with. other frickin’ half of the city! Not only is Old Delhi something about yourself, as well as Indian beliefs. visually like something out of the medieval era, but Delhi is as multicultural a city as you’ll get, being dress native! The locals will love you for it. the flea markets here are umpteen-times better than home to members of each of the five major world The amount of times I got a smile from native women the ones in westernised-New Delhi. Here, one can laze religions. But in this day and age, what is most when I wore my sari in Delhi is uncountable. Not only about the sprawling alley-lanes drinking in the cultural striking is just how peacefully each community will it help you to attract less attention, but you won’t atmosphere, or take a relaxing ride in one of the many coincides with each other. On that front, Delhi truly is tuk-tuks lurking around every corner. The exotic spices setting an example to people worldwide. look like a stereotypical tourist in khaki shorts with a and smells will blow your mind. Trust me. fanny pack to boot. Not a great look.

DON’T

DON’T

DO

DO

DON’T

DO

DON’T

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DON’T

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Photography: Charlotte Ashmore

The Taj Mahal

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Food and drink

Do you know the Cupcake Bloke?

Having garnered a cult following in Dublin, Graham Herterich talks to David Corscadden about the popularity of his stand on Coppinger Row and his use of unusual flavours in his cupcakes.

Gone are the days when people are concerned with if you know the Muffin Man and where he lives, all attention has now shifted to the Cupcake Bloke. Graham Herterich, the culinary genius behind The Cupcake Bloke, launched his bakery in 2012 and has seen its popularity grow among Dubliners ever since. In the time since, he has cemented himself as the go to cupcake person in Dublin. Having just sent 600 cupcakes off to the launch of the iPhone6, there is no tiredness in Herterich’s voice as he takes time to chat about his growing cupcake empire.

Herterich trained to be a chef in the Institute of Technology Waterford and has worked in a number of high profile restaurants including Chapter One and Mount Juliet. Following a return to college, Herterich decided to enter back into the culinary world but not at the same level. “After that I didn’t want to go back into the crazy hours of cheffing that I had been doing before that. I was doing 60 to 70 hours a week and I didn’t fancy going back to that level of cheffing.” This saw Herterich work for a chain of coffee shops “basically running savoury production and then over time I took over the management of their bakery section.”

When Herterich was made redundant in 2012 many would call it a moment of faith when, only two days later, he received a phone call offering him his own kitchen.

Herterich explains that while the call came at a perfect time, it was in fact something he had not contemplated doing for a number of years, after he had viewed the space weeks previously. “I never thought it would happen a month later after I had gone down to look at it. I took it as a meant-to-be type of opportunity.”

It was a very quick turnaround for Herterich as he pumped his redundancy package into starting the business. The haste in starting was down to Herterich’s previous experience in the industry. He knew if he did not start immediately, a launch in January would not be possible. “I knew from being in the industry that opening a bakery like that, which was going to specialise in cupcakes, if I didn’t get the December trade I couldn’t have opened in January because I would have had a disaster of a month. I knew that December was going to see me through January and February.”

The idea to specialise in cupcakes arose from a Facebook page Herterich set up to showcase the cupcakes he was making for friends and family. “Baking is always something that I have been interested in and had a passion for. Nearly three years ago now, I set up this small little Facebook page called Cupcake Bloke and it was literally for me to put up pictures of cupcakes that I had made for family and friends and things like that.

It started to get a little bit of life in the first year; a couple of people were following it.”

Although it is known as the Cupcake Bloke, correctly speaking it is two blokes. Herterich works alongside his partner Daithi Kelleher.

‘We often wonder should we change it to the Cupcake Blokes instead of Bloke. The two of us are not only life partners but we are business partners too” explains Herterich. He adds with a chuckle “We have to decide on that ‘s’

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sometime in the future.”

Herterich credits Kelleher with the success of the stall saying “Daithi is fluent in Swedish and French and he lived in Sweden for a while.

He has very good language skills. It is almost like a tourist information spot at times. He has a great rapport with people and will point them off in the right direction. It has worked well for us because on Tripadvisor in the space of less than a year of having the stall I think we are up to around 12 or 14 in the best places to shop in Dublin. That is testament to Daithi’s hard work at the stand.”

While the friendly smile and cheerful conversation create a lasting memory of your visits to the stall, it is undoubtedly the cupcakes that have people coming in their droves each week. As well as red velvet and Oreo cupcakes, that have become firm favourites with clients, it is Herterich’s more unusual cupcakes that have captivated people.

These cupcakes take influence from Herterich’s training in the culinary world. “When it comes to my flavours I am very much influenced by the savoury side of my training. That is why I come out with the more unusual types of flavours that I have. It is going back to the real cheffy thing of pairing unusual things together

that work well together but I am trying to do it in a more sweet contemporary way.”

On one of his most recent cupcake inventions, his white chocolate, green chilli and tequila cupcake, he explains that the idea came from the traditional combination of tequila and chilli. “The classic of tequila and chilli work very well but I needed something sweet to bring it in. That’s where the white chocolate came in to the equation.”

This year proved that the Cupcake Bloke is not just good for a fantastic cupcake; Herterich was crowned winner of Ireland’s Best Scone 2014. He won the Goodall’s competition with his black pudding and apple savoury scone made from Irish produce.

On what to expect next from the Cupcake Bloke (Or Blokes if that ‘s’ is added in the meantime) Herterich says it will be about six months before any changes are made. He believes in bedding down each aspect of the business to ensure it works correctly before moving on. “This time last year it was me and Daithi. Now we have another full timer and two part timers. We are building the wholesale trade of things. Every time I reach a new level I like to bed that down and make

Nearly three years ago now I set up this small little Facebook page called Cupcake Bloke and it was literally for me to put up pictures of cupcakes that I had made for family and friends and things like that. It started to get a little bit of life in the first year, a couple of people were following it.

sure it is working.”

On the burning question of when will we see a standalone shop Herterich says “The day will come when hopefully there will be no stall there at all and just a sign saying ‘We are permanently around the corner’, that is the plan.”

Dublin will just have to wait patiently for a standalone bakery, while enjoying delicious cupcakes from the stand on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from selected stores and cafés around Dublin.

Create Your Own Cupcake Competition Do you have what it takes to make a unique Cupcake Bloke cupcake? Send your flavour combinations to deputy@ universityobserver.ie with the subject ‘Observer Cupcake’. The most original cupcake idea, picked by the Cupcake Bloke, will be made and sold on his stall for a weekend with the winner receiving a €20 voucher. Competition Closes 24th October 2014.

Microbrewing up a storm Craft beers are slowly but surely changing the face of the Irish beer market. Shane Hannon took a trip to the newly established Brehon Brewhouse recently to look at the beer-making process as a brewery finds its feet.

Situated among the rolling drumlins of south County Monaghan, the Brehon Brewhouse has only been up and running for a matter of months.

The rural set-up has a rustic charm to it that fits the artisan nature of microbrewing. Run primarily

by Seamus and Siobhán McMahon, the brewery is housed in an old shed on a farm behind a milking parlour, not far from the pub where local poet Patrick Kavanagh would have taken a pint.

Kavanagh himself would have turned 110 years of age on October 21st, and his memory lives on in the area. The Brehon Brewhouse even have a fabulously well-hopped and refreshing Indian Pale Ale (IPA) in the pipeline named ‘Stony Grey’, in honour of Kavanagh’s poem ‘Stony Grey Soil’ which describes the land in the Farney county. “We’re in the process of doing the IPA. We did a test brew and we’re waiting to see how that’s coming along.”

Microbreweries began to emerge in Ireland in the 1990s, and by the start of 2014 there were around 50 such craft brewing businesses either in production or planning across the country. Siobhán McMahon of the Brehon Brewhouse explains that Ireland has been slow to accept craft beer as quickly as our neighbours across the Irish Sea. “You could go into a bar in Ireland with your eyes closed, you know what’s going to be there; Bulmers, Harp, Heineken and the rest. If you go to England it’s a totally different story, they have a great variety. It’s a fear of the unknown [in Ireland].”

The Brehon name is spreading quite rapidly throughout the craft-brewing industry in this country, with the ‘Brehon Blonde’ pale beer and ‘Killanny Red’ grand Irish ale already on the shelves of supermarkets and in bars and restaurants.

Co-owner Siobhán explains that “Cork was really first, then Dublin and Belfast as well.Hopefully

people will get the taste for it.” The Brehon website states “…we want our beers to be approachable and appreciated”, and that certainly looks like becoming the case. “We are supplying through SuperValu with the Food Academy, which is promoting newlystarted businesses. We’re in SuperValu in Cavan and Monaghan and some in Dublin that were formerly Superquinn.”

Craft beers are renowned for an emphasis on quality, flavour and brewing technique, and the slow brewing process highlights the attention to detail. Everything at Brehon is hand-crafted, with two people bottling, two or three capping and one taking bottles and putting them in crates after the patient brewing process has ceased. Once the beers are bottled another two weeks of secondary fermentation must begin for the beer to bubble up again. “They are brewed to be a session beer so you can go and have 5/6 pints. People say they are strong but they are the standard 4.3% (blonde) and 4.5% (red). It’s the flavour that’s strong.” One major advantage is that Brehon use no preservatives, so a pounding hangover won’t be an issue.

Lager accounts for 60% of the beer sold in Ireland, but Brehon have no intention of going down that route just yet. “Maybe at some stage we might, but people are familiar with lager in its current form and we don’t want to be taking that on yet. It’s a craft beer; it is meant to be different and have a different flavour.”

Word of mouth is vital for any craft beer company getting on its feet, and Siobhán McMahon is confident more and more people are hearing about Brehon.

“We were at the Taste of Cavan and got a lot of good feedback. It was the first time I saw for myself on the ground that there was a market for it, people wanted to buy it.”

the brewery is housed in an old shed on a farm behind a milking parlour, not far from the pub where local poet Patrick Kavanagh would have taken a pint

‘Brehon Blonde’ and the ‘Killanny Red’ are available bottled and on tap in increasing numbers of establishments, including the award-winning Andy’s Bar and Restaurant in Monaghan Town.

“We want our four basics; our blonde, our red, our IPA and our Ulster Black (subtle dark chocolate and coffee stout), and after that we will do seasonal ones like our Christmas stout and maybe a beer high in citrus hops for the summer.”

The small team at Brehon Brewhouse have made a flying start, and when every pint and bottle is hand-crafted, you can be sure you have a drink that is brewed to absolute perfection.

For more information visit www. brehonbrewhouse.com and www. andysmonaghan.com

Cook’s Corner Almond Praline Cupcakes By David Corscadden

In his issue’s Cook’s Corner, Otwo shares a simple and reliable cupcake recipe to match our Cupcake Bloke interview. This recipe uses almond praline as its finishing touch, however the basic recipe can be altered using any flavor combination you want.

To Make Cupcakes: 1. Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl 2. Add butter, eggs, vanilla and two thirds of the milk into the bowl 3. Mix using an electric mixer until combined (If thick add more milk – want dropping consistency) 4. Spoon the mixture evenly between ten prepared cupcake cases 5. Bake at 180c for 25 minutes 6. Remove from oven and allow to cool fully.

To Make Butter Cream Frosting: 1. In a large bowl beat the butter using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy 2. On low speed add half of the icing sugar , combine and add the remaining 3. Add the milk and beat on high until light and fluffy 4. Spoon mixture on to the cooled cupcakes and spread evenly

To Make Almond Praline: 1. Add sugar and water to a pan and heat over a gentle flame 2. Swirl pan occasionally until pale golden in colour 3. Add the roughly chopped nuts and swirl to combine 4. Pour the mixture onto the an upturned baking tray that has been lightly oiled 5. Once fully cooled, remove from tin and break into chunks 6. Place on top of cupcakes and admire

Vanilla Cupcakes:

175g Self-rising flour

100g Sugar

100g Softened butter

1Tsp Baking Powder

2 Large Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla essence

75ml Milk Butter Cream Frosting:

250g Icing Sugar

110g Soft Unsalted Butter

3 Tablespoons Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence Almond Praline:

100g Caster Sugar

1 Tablespoon Water

350g Roughly Chopped Almonds

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Games

Middle Earth: Shadow of mordor Since Warner Bros Games acquired Monolith Productions in 2004, they have attempted several games related to J. R. R. Tolkien’s incredible fantasy world. However, their newest creation is of a far higher standard than any previous game. As a comparison, if Assassin’s Creed and Batman: Arkham Asylum joined together inside Tolkien’s Middle Earth, the result would be Shadow of Mordor (SOM).

The game is set after The Hobbit and before The Lord of The Rings. After Sauron’s downfall, the people of Gondor moved to cultivate the land of Mordor. Quite some time before the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, Sauron returns to his land and does his best to eradicate the presence of Gondor there. This is where the game starts.

The player takes control of Talion, a ranger of Gondor stationed on the Black Gate. A fearsome opponent, Talion fights in vain to defend the gate against Sauron’s forces.

Unlike other games, SOM does not treat death as a ‘Game Over’ or force the player to reload to an earlier checkpoint and try again. Talion is killed in the first scene and wakes up in a limbo between life and death. There he meets the Wraith, an undead elf of unknown origins, who was brought back by Sauron.

Joined together in their desire to be free of this undead curse, they set off into the hostile world of Mordor in search of Sauron and his Black Captains.

SOM is open world and rewards exploration.

The world is filled to the brim with side quests and collectables, already complementing the

Developer: Monolith Productions, Inc. Publisher: WB Games Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3 Release Date: Out Now (November 21st for Xbox 360/PS3)

massive branching story. Talion must fight his way through Mordor, inhabited by this Wraith who is gaining power as his memories are unlocked.

The combat in SOM is almost identical to that of the Arkham games. It is based around attack, counter, stun, and dodge. The higher the combo the player achieves, the faster Talion moves and the more powerful his attacks. The stealth system is much like Assassin’s Creed but incorporates the unusual power of the Wraith, resulting in satisfying and brutal takedowns.

What makes this game unique however

is the ‘Nemesis System.’ Uruks (which are larger, stronger orcs) in Middle Earth have a brutal method of society, in which the weak are stepped on and the strong grow in power. It is easily split into three main groups; grunts, captains, and warchiefs.

Many grunts have aspirations to become captains and many captains serve warchiefs; all with their own aspirations to become more powerful and grow in stature in society. The Nemesis System gives this society a tangible form, with each uruk worthy of note and possessing a unique name and title.

Enola While perhaps not as relevant in the big budget market as they were in past, horror games have nevertheless been able to graze comfortably on indie pastures. Indeed, ever since the Slender Man had gamers punching their computer monitors back in 2012, indie horror has become something of an internet sensation, with the underground artists of our industry consistently producing incredible and creative new ways to scare ourselves silly. On this front is Enola, a new effort from The Domaginarium, and one which punches well above its weight as an indie offering. Unfortunately, ambition and execution are two different entities and while there are plenty of eyebrow-raising ideas here, they don’t necessarily blend together as cohesively as they could have.

One aspect of Enola that plants it several paces ahead of the competition is its storyline. Most indie horror titles tend to put you on the spot with little rhyme or reason in order to get to the actual horror as soon as possible. With Enola there’s quite a bit of thought and build up packed into a narrative that, while not Shakespeare, is unpredictable, engaging, and fun.

In fact, the opening minutes of the game will surprise with the unexpected tranquillity of their tone as you amble up to your mansion in search of your girlfriend. Nowhere to be found, the situation escalates with the discovery of an alarming note that suggests she has disappeared with a potentially dangerous man. From this point forward, your adventure plunges headfirst into the surreal, spooky and sublime. Supported with an enchanting musical score and some admirable voice acting, Enola is far

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more than your average “find 8 pages” fare.

The game’s plot trickles out across your journey in the form of scattered notes for you to collect.

Depending on the type of player you are, this can be either hit or miss. There’s a remarkable amount of terrain for you to explore in Enola, to the point where an update had to be released in order to quell gamer complaints of being confused and lost. Every step taken is one brimming with atmosphere. The game takes a more fantastical approach to conveying horror, focusing more on subtlety and psychological terror, and so every location is unique and staggeringly insane.

The game’s graphics aren’t exactly polygonal Picasso, but they do manage to evoke feelings of intense discomfort and unease. There are some ‘jump-scares’ incorporated in the game but they almost seem out of place. The game is so unbearably eerie that these sudden, startling events break the flow. In the midst of all the thrills and chills, are some puzzle and adventure mechanics. For the most part, the puzzles aren’t too difficult, and again their implementation in relation to other elements seems a little forced, but they remain a fun challenge which provides the gameplay with an extra bit of muscularity.

Enola is a genuinely impressive effort, with a lot of great ideas going on. But all these excellent ideas, when forced together, do not seem fully realised.

While all of these elements are to be admired by themselves, together they can’t seem to work as team, resulting in Enola’s biggest flaw: inconsistency.

It should be noted that such a critique is minuscule in

the grand scheme of things, and anybody looking for an enjoyable experience of horror while indifferent to any sort of technicalities will no doubt enjoy what Enola has to offer. It’s not going to be the next big thing as far as indie horror is concerned, but the effort and imagination put into it is evident and is easily worthy of notice.

ADAM DONNELLY

Developer: The Domaginarium Publisher: The Domaginarium Platforms: pc release date: out now

When encountering such an uruk, they will have their own personality, weapon of choice and attitude to Talion who is infamous throughout the society. Any uruk who kills Talion is immediately promoted and if Talion dies whether by a nameless uruk or by a creature the society still shifts and changes.

There is a constant struggle in this society, whether Talion is present or not. These uruks will remember you too. Perhaps you raided a feast that the captain was holding but let him flee; he will remember this and will hate you even more for it; mentioning it in further encounters. This system really gives SOM a

depth that most games, Tolkien or not, lack.

Overall SOM is a wide, expansive and enjoyable game. There is enough challenging content to keep any active player engaged for hours on end. Whether you’re a fan of Tolkien or not, this game is a must buy. karl quigley

An Acid (Wizard) Trip

The Acid Wizards sits down with Karl Quigley to discuss their unique genre for their early access game, Darkwood.

Right from the start of development, our goal was to make something we would, as players, sink dozens of hours into and remember for years to come.

Creating a game is one of the most complex tasks in the entertainment industry. It requires writers, artists, and game designers. It is several different, incredibly specialised areas, coming together perfectly to create a cohesive and enjoyable experience. In its most basic form, creating a game is a monumental task even before the extra details and features have been introduced. Game developers The Acid Wizards have recently released their creation Darkwood into early access.

Darkwood is an open world, procedurally generated survival horror experience with elements of crafting. The procedurally generated nature of the environment means that each time you start a game the world is randomly generated by an algorithm rather than being manually placed.

Game genres, like genres found in literature or film, are unique. But what games are capable of is combining not just more than one genre, but also creating a wholly unique experience with randomly generated content. This is what Darkwood is attempting to do. Gustaw Stachaszewski of The Acid Wizards explained their unique and complicated choice saying “Right from the start of development, our goal was to make something we would, as players, sink dozens of hours into and remember for years to come”. The game possesses no direction or instructions but The Acid Wizards were untroubled by the possibility of alienating players who are starting off.

“The game is uncompromising in a lot of ways, and catered to a specific audience”, this audience being the gamer who would pour hours upon hours into a particular game.

Many developers have attempted to create similar games in the vein of open-world survival with crafting features and some have been successful. DayZ is still popular as one of the best survival games around. 7 Days to Die and Project Zomboid are randomly generated, survival crafting games that are both rapidly gaining large followings in their early access. But Darkwood has managed to do what most others don’t even attempt.

Darkwood has a full narrative, subtle yet

explicitly intriguing. There have been some complaints that the story is unclear. When asked about this and how the full package might overwhelm the player, Stachaszewski responded “The story will never be spoon-fed to the player, but it’s one of the main things we will be working on during the alpha stages”.

The overall setting is dark, daunting, oppressive and often psychologically terrifying. Ironically, the developers didn’t intend for the game to be like this. “It was supposed to be a simple tower defence game where you defend your home at night”, but the game’s prototyping stage with placeholder graphics apparently caused the team to see things differently.

“We started seeing simple shapes in dim lighting as monsters from the depths of our minds”. They decided that something could be made of these unmistakably eerie and unnerving feelings. The art style was changed to a low resolution so that even detailed objects left room in the player’s imagination. For the overall aspect of horror they took inspiration from the likes of Stanley Kubrick and the psychologically terrifying works of David Lynch, but Stachaszewski also claims it comes from some of their own experiences.

Unfortunately, he was unable to give an example without revealing details that would spoil some of the story.

Darkwood and the other games mentioned here have successfully pulled off a thoroughly difficult task. Interesting games are ever-present in the gaming community but a combination this unique is a relatively new concept, or at least one that has only re-emerged in the last few years.

Stachaszewski compared the popularity of genres to a sine wave; taking pixel graphics as his main comparison. “Through decades, most games wanted to achieve the best graphical fidelity possible, doing very complicated things to hide those nasty pixels or blurry textures, and so for several years, everything was high definition.”

However now countless indie games go for the pixel art look, Darkwood included.

However, the overall technology available is of much higher quality.

The same idea is applicable to Darkwood.

“When we were starting work on Darkwood, survival and survival horror games were pretty rare.” Now it’s hard to search for games anywhere without passing over a score of survival or survival horror games.

Stachaszewski also attributed the rise to Youtubers, “People love to watch other people get scared, to the point of defining the term ‘Youtube Fodder’ by Jim Sterling, or ‘PewDieBait’ by TotalBiscuit”. What he is referring to is horror games specifically tailored for Youtubers who play horror games, manage their channels around them and the jump scares that entertain their audiences.

The uniqueness of this genre is difficult to combine efficiently. An open world game is difficult to accomplish by itself; the necessity of letting the player roam but enough content to keep them satisfied is

not an easy balance. Survival and crafting elements must be integrated in the open world, further complicating the world at large. Finally, the system required to create a procedurally generated environment is a massive undertaking, regardless of the other aspects.

Darkwood has managed to do a lot of this, while it is still in a very early version of the game. The amount of talent on the indie front of gaming is extraordinary and there are always new developers looking to make a name for themselves. With this consistent level of talent coming through, it may come to pass that the level of gaming will rise with it. So long as developers like Stachaszewski and the Acid Wizards keep on moving forward this unique genre may become the minimum level to reach.

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Film and Television

Why are we still Friends?

With Friends celebrating its 20th anniversary, Rebecca Kelly takes a nostalgic look back over the hit show and the characters that continue to entertain

As most of you know, unless you don’t have access to the internet or Comedy Central, the Friends 20th Anniversary is upon us. The hype still surrounding the show just proves that, even twenty years since its first episode, Friends still holds a special place in the hearts of many.

With the 20th anniversary comes repeated hysteria from fans and countless news reports on a possible Friends reunion show or even a Friends movie. These claims came to a fever pitch for fans when we received a ‘half reunion’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The ‘half reunion’ saw Jennifer Aniston perform a Friends fan fiction written by Kimmel, with surprise guest appearances from Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow. With this reunion, of which the video on Youtube has received over 15.5 million views since it aired at the end of August, the longing for a full Friends reunion has grown. But why are fans still captivated by a show based around friends living in New York?

Everyone can relate to the scenario of; coming in from college or school after a long day, settling down on the couch and struggling to find something to watch on TV. For some reason, when Friends appears on the screen, you will probably watch it. No matter if you watched it when it first aired or became a fan after the final show aired, Friends just doesn’t seem to get old, no matter how many times we’ve seen it. Within each episode there is the

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quick oneliner that still catches you off guard or that one single episode that you will claim to have never seen before.

The unique quotable lines combined with the writers’ balance of hilarious jokes and surprisingly poignant moments are the show’s true selling point. We can all remember the heart-swelling moment of “I got off the plane”, as well as the continued debate of “We were on a break!!” The show’s writers both destroyed and restored our hopes in a Ross and Rachel happily ever after ending after each season.

However, the brilliance of this show can’t be discussed without talking about the friends themselves; Ross, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, Rachel and Monica. Chandler’s sarcasm, Joey’s innocent stupidity, Phoebe’s weirdness, Monica’s obsession with winning, cleaning and being in charge, and the ‘will they won’t they’ love story of Ross and Rachel all blend to create the greatest group of friends TV has ever know.

It is hard to think about Friends and not remember Ross and at least one of the many moments he utterly made a fool of himself. The dinosaur enthusiast, or as he likes to call it, a paleontologist managed to get three different women to marry him. Yet despite all his failed marriages, his relationship with Rachel is one that everyone rooted for, no matter what obstacles writers put in their way during the show’s run. With Rachel’s grand entrance into

the show it was clear that she would add much of the drama and bigger story lines to the show.

The spoilt one, who couldn’t seem to function by herself at the start, eventually does make a name for herself in the fashion world and not just as a coffee house waitress. Lets face it, anyone who could ignite a worldwide hair trend, is bound to be one of the most popular Friends characters.

The Ross and Rachel relationship was only overshadowed with the shock hook up of Chandler and Monica in London. Chandler, the ever sarcastic one with brilliant one liners, added much of the shows great humour. From his inability to function in emotional situations to his repeated failed relationships with the high pitched Janice. But the one with commitmentphobia, eventually did settle down and the term opposites attract could not be more true with his marriage to Monica, the was the fat one, but pursued her dreams of becoming a chef, and in turn, became skinny. Throughout the shows run Monica constantly mentioned the fact she wanted children and this long culminated with much of the final season revolving around her and Chandlers attempts to become parents.

Finally within the two last episodes they get to bring twins home.

What would Friends be without Joey, a lot less humorous that is what! Joey, or as his fans may know him, Dr. Drake Ramoray from ‘The

Days of Our Lives’, is the loveably stupid one who added much of the side splitting humour to the show. Whether as Chandler’s roommate or the hopeless actor trying to make it big. Whether it’s speaking French or getting trapped in an entertainment unit, his stupidity can not be rivaled. Joey’s role in the show also tugged at viewers’ heart strings when we had to watch helplessly at his relationship with Rachel . He is that friend that fluctuates between having lots of, or no money at all. And, no matter what night out it may be, he will never leave the club alone.

Out of kindness we are not going mention that Joey spin-off show.

Of course the perfect group of friends that captivated the hearts of millions could not be rounded off with out the weird and eccentric Phoebe. Every series we find out something new about her childhood and growing up (including contracting hepatitis from a pimp, mugging Ross as a teenager and never learning to ride a bike).

Her songs throughout the show have taught us many lessons over the years, the most popular of course being ‘Smelly Cat’. Her relationship with the rest of the group and her quirky personality can be viewed as the catalyst that pushed this show ahead in the ratings and why the show is as relevant today as it was when it first aired.

It All Kicks Off! With crowd-funded film making becoming more and more regular thing, Mark Conroy looks at what this means for the future of Hollywood

There has been a recent trend in our cinemas of films that have been financed as a result of crowd-funding. For those who are unaware of how this works, basically; if someone has a creative project they want to get off the ground, they might use a website like Kickstarter which relies on donations from an interested community in order to finance the project. This year especially, we have seen numerous examples of films that have gone down this route in search of funding, and almost all of them did it via Kickstarter.

Last year at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, 11 of the films, shorts and documentaries distributed there were Kickstarter funded features. In this year’s festival, that number has risen to 20. This is also becoming more apparent in other festivals like Cannes. Earlier this summer newcomer writer/ director Jeremy Saulnier gave us the muchadmired revenge thriller Blue Ruin, described

by MTV as the “perfect example of what crowd funding can accomplish”. Stuart Murdoch from the band Belle & Sebastian, also made use of the site to help with the making of his Glasgow set musical God Help The Girl.

This could mean a future in which we’ll see less of promising auteurs groveling to wealthy producers in the hopes of getting their foot in the door

It’s easy to see why crowdsourcing is such an attractive option for these first time film-makers.

The obvious advantage of something like this is that it allows them to circumvent the more traditional forms of investment. This in turn could mean a future in which we’ll see less of promising auteurs groveling to wealthy producers in the hopes of getting their foot in the door.

Furthermore, directors of crowd funded features should have complete creative control of the films that they are working on. There’ll be none of those pesky “studio execs” breathing down the directors’ neck as they check in to see how production is going. It’s also a relatively low risk process for those involved. Due to the fact that it’s a service that relies on donation and not on investment. The only real danger is that the project does not meet the target set for it (which means they don’t get the money) and with the exception of maybe his or her sense of pride, the director has lost very little.

This new form of film finance is not just becoming popular among newcomers, there have also been some high-profile Kickstarter funded films and campaigns in the last 12 months. The former scrubs star, Zach Braff, used crowd funding to assist in the making of his recently released film Wish I Was Here. The outspoken director Spike Lee also launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for his new film that will come out some time next year. Both of these men came under fire for using their celebrity status to get ahead, and many also

criticised the pair because they’re already well off, have successful careers and so shouldn’t be in need of a site like Kickstarter. Braff came under particular scrutiny as his film could have been financed by studio backers, but he defended his actions, claiming that he couldn’t work with the “money men” who wanted final cut and casting privileges. Lee makes the claim that he has always asked for donations from family and friends when making previous films, and that using Kickstarter is just another form of this method. He also argues that the landscape in Hollywood has become increasing unsuitable for smaller budget, independently made films.

Whether or not you approve of the actions of Braff and Lee, they at least seem to both be speaking sense about big studio financing and their decision to go down this route paints an interesting picture about the state of film investment today. With cinema audiences dwindling each year, it seems Hollywood has become more reluctant to finance so-called “riskier” projects. For large scale films that are seen as ‘sure things’, like superhero films, or young adult novel adaptations, the budgets seem to balloon increasingly, with the figures often reaching beyond the $200 million mark. This, however, is not the case for films made on a much more modest budget which are, if anything, being made for less and less. As for mid-budget films, they don’t seem to even get a look in anymore.

This in turn means that the smaller films will be

With cinema audiences dwindling each year, it seems Hollywood has become more reluctant to finance so-called “riskier” projects

under more pressure to perform financially and so the investors will more be hands on then they would have otherwise been in order to ensure their investment is well placed. If a film is financed through crowd funding, however, this is less likely to be the case. If the Kickstarter campaign for a film has reached its target, there is a good chance it will make a profit as there must be some sort of demand for it.

It may seem hyperbolic to suggest that this will result in a mark shift in the way movies are going to be made in the future (i.e. a process in which studio backing becomes increasing less paramount), but it should be not forgotten, however, that if the likes of Netflix and “on demand services” are revolutionising the way we consume our films, it makes sense sense that the way in which they are produced will follow suit. This crowd funding, coupled with the advent of digital production means its both easier and cheaper than ever for young filmmakers to get their work out there. There is no doubt that the big studios will still have final say with regards to the mega-budget blockbusters but in these smaller, more personal films they could find themselves more and more out of a loop that is ever expanding.

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Film Reviews

What We Did on Our Holiday Despite being in the midst of a divorce, Abi (Rosamund Pike) and Doug McLeod (David Tennant) decide to keep it a secret and travel with their three children to the Scottish Highlands to celebrate Gordie’s 75th birthday (Doug’s father, played by Billy Connolly).

Pressured by their parents to not tell a word about the separation, the children can only be themselves with their granddad, who shares their passions and gives them the attention they need. Yet when Gordie suddenly dies while spending time with them, the kids are left with an important decision to make: they can either ask for the help of the argumentative adults that surround them, or say goodbye to their beloved granddad in a way that would truly please him.

An optimistic comedy about the meaning of life and the importance of affections, What We Did on Our Holiday explores some very serious themes, only pausing to lighten them with laughter.

The interaction between the three children and all the other adults is probably the best part of the film, because it leads to an inversion of roles. Adults behave childishly, and children wisely, a familiar motif which works particularly well here thanks to the witty, comic exchanges between the characters. When confronted by the children’s indelicate questions, we watch grown-ups stumble over their words, contradict themselves, and finally fall into a hilarious awkwardness.

The plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with its unexpected twists and turns, but it’s not invasively complex. It is original and captivating, well thought out and coherent and, most importantly, serves as the platform for a pleasant and thought-provoking film.

Moreover, the acting is what makes this film even more enjoyable. Pike and Tennant have great chemistry in their scenes together, and the children exhibit their own considerable talents at times. There are long sequences of them alone on camera that don’t provoke the usual blank, unimpressed stare that child actors

usually get when acting in a meaningful scene.

The emotions and drama of the film are down to earth enough to ensure that there is no moody melodrama from the children.

In the end it can be said that there is no real protagonist in this story. None of the characters really stand out from the others, because each of them is memorable in their own way. The plot is such that it presents a family’s issues and feelings equally in the light of a summer holiday, which is quite a nice depiction of divorce and life’s changes.

Directors/Writers: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin Starring: Rosamund Pike, David Tennant, Billy Connolly Release date: Out now

The film delivers a simple and well presented, but unconventional, storyline, and a cast that gives life to the characters. The directors, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, have created a comedy that brings together the hysterical dialogue and situations of their hit BBC show Outnumbered, with universal, heart-warming themes and a message for everyone.

In a nutshell: A hilariously witty perspective on such universal themes as life and death. It entertains and invites reflection.

Carlotta Fanton

gold

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Director: NIALL Heery Starring: David Wilmot, Maisie Williams, Kerry Condon, James Nesbitt Release Date: 11th October

Directed and co-written by Patrick Heery, Gold features the best cast of actors that he has worked with yet. The film tells the story of Ray (David Wilmot) and his attempt to rekindle his relationship with his ex-wife, Alice (Kerry Condon), and daughter Abbie (Maisie Williams), after a twelve year hiatus. Frank (James Nesbitt), a PE teacher and fitness guru, is now married to Alice and assumes the role of father to Abbie while pressuring her to succeed as a runner. On returning, Alice takes pity on Ray and invites him back into the family’s life. Ray’s unwitting encroachment on the lives of the family acts as the spark to the powder keg of their domestic life, and he proceeds to destroy their lives through a series of his mistakes and bad decisions.

The film begins with caricature of Abbie as an aspiring runner and Ray as a homeless freeloader. The characters are not relatable and their motivations are unclear throughout. Due to the clustered writing in the first half of the film, the actions of the characters in the second half seem to stem from nowhere and at that point it’s difficult to care what happens to them. It seems that there was a very clear idea of the ending they wanted and this took precedence over the character motivations.

Much of the early part of the film, and indeed a significant portion of the 88 minute runtime, is spent on shots highlighting the gold imagery of the landscape which, while it makes for some striking scenes, is at the expense of any meaningful characterisation. It feels like there are too many foibles that the director wanted to explore and, unfortunately, this is where the suspension of disbelief comes crashing down.

On the other hand, the film has some fantastic individual

performances, with the comedy hitting home more often than not.

It’s at its best when showing us Frank, the fitness guru, plugging his revolutionary running technique that will “change the lives of millions”. The strong, unbending, witlessness of it is reminiscent of Arrested Development in some respects. Maisie Williams’ deadpan, teenage scowl almost distracts from her on-again, off-again Irish accent though all is forgiven when she cathartically rebukes Ray in a string of foul language. Though few, there are moments of real fun where you want to buy into this film.

Gold’s plot suffers an overemphasis on conscious imagery (the colour gold). This hinders the character development in a story that is supposed to revolve around the interactions of Ray and the family of Alice, Abbie and Frank. Thankfully this is balanced somewhat by great individual performances, from Nesbitt and Williams in particular. This along with comedic moments peppered throughout, and a moving conclusion to the whole affair, makes Gold a good film but not worth going out of your way for.

In A Nutshell: A funny film with touching moments that is plagued by the Midas touch: too much gold.

MATTHEW HANRAHAN

top ten Neglectful Parents in Kids’ Movies

‘71

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The Lion King (1994)

Okay, so I concede that Mufasa was a hero. But perhaps in our zealous lauding of his final act, we fail to see the bigger picture. What was Simba doing out and about on his own? He is the sole heir to the throne and as such, there are bound to be enemies lurking, not to mention a scheming bitter uncle who mutters out loud about his planned ascent to the throne (yes, Mufasa sent Zazu to accompany Simba but on the African plains, he has about as much a chance of warding off danger as a small, rather angry beetle).

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Frozen (2013)

Elsa’s parents couldn’t see past their fear to allow her to explore her gift. Imprisoned within the confines of the castle walls, she learns to live in shame and fear. If only they could have supported her. Maybe then she could have simply “Let It Go”.

Stu blames Grandpa Lou for falling asleep. Grandpa Lou blames Stu for getting distracted.

Whatever the case may be, the Rugrats are left unattended. Living up to their reputation for industriousness, the crew set off on an adventure - breaking free from the house, they become entangled in a perilous journey involving devious monkeys and a blood-thirsty wolf. With the right amount of nonchalant parental supervision, there isn’t a baby gate that can’t be climbed over for this troupe of toddlers.

Director: Yann Demange Starring: Jack O’Connell, Sam Reid, Sean Harris Release Date: 10th October 2014

Yann Demange’s debut is two films in one. For about the first 30-45 minutes ‘71 is a documentary. The film flicks through Gary Hook’s (Jack O’Connell) training in the British Army for Belfast. They arrive into the heights of the Troubles. Hook and his platoon are tasked with protecting some officers conducting a raid on a house suspected of holding IRA weapons. As the police beat the occupants to gain information, there’s a stunning sequence where masses of people come up to the soldiers trying to stop this operation.

It’s a moment that brings your attention to the struggles of both sides. This candid camera technique places you right beside the men, being able to fully be a part of what Belfast was like during the height of the Troubles. Up until that moment, ‘71 is an exciting feature film debut. Demange shows a strong vision for what his movie wants to say and a powerful and often beautiful eye for composition.

Unfortunately, Demange’s film falters when it transitions into the more narrative-based section of the film. This is a failing of the script more than anything; while snippets of scenes detailing life in Belfast are fascinating, they get side-tracked by a complicated narrative that introduces too many new characters.

Because these elements get introduced later on, Gregory Burke’s script has little time to develop these characters, and his solution to this is to paint most of them as caricatures; the kid who gets in over his head trying to hang out with those older than himself, the wise but tough IRA leader, so on and so forth. The dialogue scenes become clichéd and wooden, with characters making odd decisions.

Coincidences also pile up on each other until the whole film becomes ridiculous. You feel that is has lost the spark that made the first thirty minutes so compelling.

Taken together, this ruins the more engaging documentary style of the film, instead replacing it with a plot line which takes you out of the intensity of 1970s Belfast and into a bad cops and robber’s movie which happens to be set in Northern Ireland. Moreover, after

The Rugrats Movie (1998)

In a nutshell: ‘71 starts out as an exciting examination of life during the Troubles but deteriorates in quality to become a lackluster film about the inner workings of the IRA.

7 6 5 4

GRATTAN AIKINS

A Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, James and the Giant Peach. All in all, it doesn’t bode well to be adopted in cinema. (Notable exceptions include Annie and Despicable Me).

a scene in a pub earlier on, the narrative which develops loses anything which made the film unique to Northern Ireland. This causes the film to lose one of the most fascinating aspects of the film: its ability to force us to feel the terror felt by these soldiers in the middle of a city tearing itself apart. It feels like there was a desire to cram too much into one film; it’s just a shame it happened to a film that was as promising as this one.

3

Home Alone (1990-2012) They forgot their son existed. They forgot their son existed five times.

The Simpsons Movie (2007) Granted, it made for a cracker sequence on screen but daring your son to skateboard through town in the nip is arguably a bad parenting technique.

Matilda (1996) That girl is far too young to be making pancakes on her own.

All Adopted Guardians Ever Represented In Children’s’ Films Ever.

Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002)

Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez may have bequeathed upon their children the coolest treehouse that has ever graced the silver screen but there can be no justifying their casual attitude towards live ammunition.

2

Snow White (1937)

Back in the day, Disney weren’t concerned about showing villains to be complex characters with misunderstood sob-stories. Villains used to embody the platonic ideal of evil. Snow White’s step-mother, for example, is so full of concentrated nightmare-inspiring evil that with the utterance of a few words from an old magic mirror, she morphs from an inconsiderate guardian into a demonic murderer.

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Star Wars (1977-1983) “Luke, I am your father.” *zhoom zhoom light saber noises zhoom zhoom* Bróna Ni Chiaran

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Still Riding The Wave

Ahead of their sold-out 3Arena show, the members of experimental indie rock band Alt-J, sat down with Sean Hayes and talked about their newest album, the departure of their guitarist and having Miley Cyrus as a fan.

I I think people have this assumption that we are trying to be highbrow, they’re therefore surprised when we include popular culture things. We make music that’s a bit complicated and a bit left field, but that’s not what we aim to do.

Half an hour late of their expected arrival time, a tangible sense of unease has descended upon the room in which a select group wait nervously to welcome the Brit-nominated, Leeds based band, alt-J. Outside, the queue of loyal fans have grown restless while behind closed doors, the bowls of crisps and M&M’s precisely laid out for the guests have been eaten and reduced to crumbs.

Their taxi driver has gotten “completely lost”, somewhere on route between the band’s hotel on the Quays and the confines of UCD. Though after a few frantic phone calls and, no doubt, some sharp words directed towards the driver, the surrounding crowd begin to shuffle once again and prepare themselves - alt-J have arrived.

The three members of the band - Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton and Thom Green - breeze into the room. Despite having been branded as “nerds” and promoting “boffin rock” in the past, they look the part of an experimental, indie rock band, complete with thick glasses, leather jackets and tattoos. After a quick bathroom break and a round of drinks ordered - two Guinness and a Heineken - they finally get to sit down, slightly perplexed at what all the fuss was about.

Alt-J have come to UCD to receive the

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Yet the odds were somewhat stacked against Literary & Historical Society’s James Joyce the three-piece group as they approached the Award, for their contribution to music. The recording of their second studio album. The award is given to those who have achieved outstanding success in their given field, with making of a second record for any band is never past recipients including Morgan Freeman, Sir easy, especially when faced with the task of George Martin, Jack White and, questionably, improving on an unexpected success, the sort that their debut effort became. Talking about Jenna Marbles. As they settle in, reaching for what’s left of the crisps, all three of them this pressure, lead singer, Newman says, “I think that there was a bit of pressure in the confirm, “we are very happy to be here”.

Following said appearance in Belfield, alt-J air when we got back together to write, but I played to a sold out crowd at Dublin’s newly think any real pressure would only have come from us. We know that we can only do our rebranded, 3Arena. The last time the band played in Ireland was in 2012, at the Olympia best if we just concentrate and try and forget Theatre. “We always seem to be stepping up about anything like that. We were lucky that we quickly realised that all we have to do is a level, which is very cool” Unger-Hamilton admits, “this time, we went from playing small concentrate. We work extremely well together.”

While they may not have been pressured clubs, to decent sized clubs to big theatres and now we’re into the arena places. There always with the task of a second record, the task seems to be something new.” Yet this type of certainly wasn’t made any easier with the step up, or rise, is possibly something that the departure of their guitarist, Gwil Sainsbury. group should’ve become accustomed to at this Sainsbury, who Newman states “wasn’t stage, as it’s a pattern that has followed them happy” in the band anymore, left a few days before recording sessions began. Losing a since their inception.

The band released their debut album, “An band member can have a devastating effect Awesome Wave”, in 2012 and, after winning that on a band’s dynamic, while many struggle year’s Mercury Prize for the record, their sales to ever recover. Newman admits that being almost doubled within a week. They then went faced with the prospect of recording without on to pick up an Ivor Novello for Album of the their long-term friend was a nerve-wracking Year as well as three Brit Award nominations. experience. “At first, it was quite a shock, but it

was actually quite a cathartic thing for himself and the band. When he cut himself lose, it was really good for us, even if it was scary and daunting.” Unger-Hamilton is almost philosophical about the departure, “I think work was the best therapy for us. We had something to get on with, making the second album, we didn’t really have time to sit around and think. We had something to occupy us.”

So the band threw themselves headfirst into the making of their second record, “This Is All Yours”, which was released last week to rave reviews and entered straight into the UK album chart at number one. Acknowledging the almost universal acclaim the band received for their second record, Unger-Hamilton jokes that, “we actually had to get our label to send us the bad ones as well as the good ones. They were shielding us from the bad ones we were like, ‘No, no. We want the bad ones too.’ It’s good to get the bad ones. You don’t want to be too cosseted.”

The album has been noted for its references to popular culture and the mainstream throughout.

‘Every Other Freckle’ features the type of sensual lyrics that are more common to radio friendly, pop songs while ‘The Gospel of John Hurt’ references the many films, including the infamous Alien scene, of the veteran British actor John Hurt. Unger-Hamiliton, however, believes

that fans should not be so shocked with the references in the record. “I think people have this assumption that we are trying to be high-brow, they’re therefore surprised when we include popular culture things. We make music that’s a bit complicated and a bit left field, but that’s not what we aim to do.”

Perhaps the most glaring and obvious reference to popular culture in the record is a sample of the all-twerking, all-grinding Miley Cyrus in ‘Hunger Of The Pine’. The line “I’m a female rebel” from her track, ‘4x4’ is sampled throughout, with infectiously catchy results. Yet one still finds themselves secretly hoping that Cyrus, complete with foam finger, will not be making any appearances on stage.

It was Green, the band’s drummer, who originally made the connection with Cyrus.

Telling the story of how the unlikely pairing began, Greens reveals, “she’s just a massive fan of the band” his voice unclear as to whether he’s saying it in delight or despair. “She was using ‘Fitzpleasure’ in her live shows and I knew that she was following me on twitter, so I asked her if I could do a remix. She was really into the idea.”

Newman, the band’s chief songwriter, is clearly pleased with the song. Glancing at his shoes as he speaks, one cannot help but notice his HUF socks, emblazoned with images of marijuana leaves on them. He is clear that it

wasn’t intentional to feature someone as high profile as Cyrus. “It was just coincidence that we ended up working with her in a way. It just worked. That particular song worked.”

About halfway through the conversation, and halfway through their pints, talk turns to the Mercury Prize. The Mercury Prize has been a controversial award throughout the years, with many believing in a “curse” where the recipient of the award fails to ever reach the same success later in their careers. In 2001, Gorillaz famously requested that their debut album be withdrawn from the nomination shortlist. Frontman, Damon Albarn would later liken winning the prize to “carrying a dead albatross round your neck for eternity.”

Having won the award in 2012 for their debut, Unger-Hamilton takes a very different viewpoint on the subject. “I think that you can be selective and call it a curse. I think, equally, lots of bands who win Mercury Prizes actually do have really great careers. We’ve always seen it as something that’s judged purely on the basis of the album you make. To win that prize is amazing. Even if you do make only one album and then you disappear, you still deserve it because it’s judged on that album.”

With this year’s list of nominees having recently been released, both Newman and Unger-Hamilton have clear favourites. Newman backs the bookies favourite FKA Twigs, “I was

a big fan of her first EP. I think she might win.”

While Unger-Hamilton chooses one of the more unusual names on the list. “I watched Kate Tempest play a few weeks ago at a festival. I was really drunk but I really enjoyed myself. She’s something a bit different.”

Before getting up to go and meet their waiting fans, alt-J considers what the future holds for them. Right now, their main focus is touring and promoting their latest record.

Newman goes through the details of the tour, seemingly for as much his own sake as anyone else’s. “We go to Europe and then we go to Australia, then Canada and then North America.”

Unger-Hamilton agrees that touring is their main concern for the moment. “We’re really at the beginning of the album touring now so that’s stretching ahead of us like an endless road.”

However, it’s clear that the band never stop writing, making music and working towards new things. Unger-Hamilton states that, “we’re always thinking about new stuff and looking forward to the new project.” Expanding on this, Newman explains, “we always write down ideas and we’re still doing that. We’re still creating new work but they’re in the very, very early stages.

We will begin to piece together a new album. We don’t know how long it’ll take but we’re looking forward to working together.”

Alt-J have an exciting time ahead of them.

With a new number one album and upcoming

world tour, they continue to ride the wave that began only a few years ago, gaining momentum at an incredibly fast rate.

“This Is All Yours” is available now

I think work was the best therapy for us.

We had something to get on with, making the second album, we didn’t really have time to sit around and think.

We had something to occupy us.

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Keepin’ It Real Cosier than your favourite Aran jumper, Rebekah Rennick talks to New Jersey’s Real Estate about their sun-kissed sound, suburban roots and the struggles of sculpting that perfect lyric

There are few bands that capture the woozy, hazy transendence of those late summer nights, stretched beyond consideration and tinted with the good vibes of which Brian Wilson would approve. Since 2009, Martin Courtney alongside his fellow band members of Real Estate have been providing us with records encapsulating those mid-summer flourescents of hazy wishful thoughts.

However while a plethora of other low-fi bands similarly capture these nebulous nuggets of escapism, the New Jersey trio have stood at the forefront for many years now. And it’s apparent from speaking to Courtney that this leading inclination has been at the heart of the band since their inception in the suburbs of Ridgewood, New Jersey; “There wasn’t much of a scene that we were aware of as we were growing up” he says “We would see back yard shows and stuff and at a certain point that kind of inspired us to start our own bands. But once we did that I feel like a scene kind of sprouted up around us by virtue of the fact that we all wanted to start our own bands.

With a plethora of bands forming among Courtney’s friends an emerging music scene soon became apparent. ‘We discovered this town next to us where there were kids making music and we kind of merged our scenes together. So there was actually a pretty good vibrant scene just based around ourselves and our friends making music.”

Those early days, while providing a “good learning experience” to the budding musicians, allowed for the creation of Real Estate’s self-titled debut and planted the seed for their musical trajectory of success thus far. However as the years have passed, while the softened vocals and American Apparel attire have survived, these

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I think that being in a band is definitely an exercise in worrying that you’re constantly going to loose your audience and people’s tastes are going to move on and people aren’t going to care about you.

suburban youngsters have matured and stepped into the emotions of the here and now.

While Courtney admits each record has been an accurate reflection of their lives at that time, it’s obvious that this year’s Atlas looks at life from a new perspective “On the first record it was definitely nostalgia, but it was also reflecting on the fact I was living in the town I grew up in after I had gone away for a couple of years. The feeling of reflecting on your surroundings. I feel like there’s a lot of detached, ironic view-points; talking about the suburbs on the first record and then the second record romanticized it a little. And now on this third one I feel older” he considers. “Definitely life changes and also just the fact this band has become a bigger part of my life and touring and everything, I’ve had a lot of experiences since the first record came out. Life changes and it shapes the art that you make.”

Reflecting on the band’s inception, Courtney cites the internet as being a powerful tool, without which their story may have been very different; “It’s definitely a good thing. It’s funny like we think about that a lot; if we were a band in the 90’s at the level that we are today, like in 1995 we would probably be making a lot more money but also I don’t think we would have gotten to this point because the internet definitely helped us get attention but at the same time, like the whole music industry really, it’s cut into the profit margin. We have never known anything else so it’s no problem for us!”

Three years stood between their second and third records, a dangerous length of time for a band to decide to disappear for. Something which obviously played upon Courtney’s mind

during that time; “By the time the record was done I was itching to get it out because I felt every passing day was another day that people were forgetting about us” he admits.

“Especially because I could see tastes changing and Pitchfork or whatever websites were covering different styles of music. I’m generally quite paranoid about things like that. I think that being in a band is definitely an exercise in worrying that you’re constantly going to lose your audience and people’s tastes are going to move on and people aren’t going to care about you the next time you make a record; so yeah I was definitely thinking about that a lot.”

Yet unsurprisingly, the transient nature of ‘Atlas’ reignited the unbound love Real Estate fans have for their favourite indie veterans. The intricacies of the album are vivid at points and at others they sway and swell in a meshwork of enriched waves of perfectly entwined guitar and vocal. These deceptively unobtrusive sounds stir a cauldron of memories and emotions in the listener. Yet, while the finished piece breezes through with sickening nonchalance it’s clear Courtney struggled at times during the creative process; “Lyrics are definitely important, you know I want them to be good and something I can be proud of. But music comes more naturally and it’s easier, at least personally” he confides.

“I’m constantly writing music and then I’m like ‘Oh God, I have to finish all of these lyrics!’ It’s hard for me, I fret about it because I want them to be good. It takes a lot to sit down and be alone and focused and in the right mental state to come up with something that I can be happy with. So, yeah they’re important but

It takes a lot to sit down and be alone and focused and in the right mental state to come up with something that I can be happy with

just harder.”

It may not be the case that Courtney is a perfectionist but his measured tones and thoughtful pauses throughout his conversation with Otwo make it clear Real Estate are the band who create and deliver at their own relaxed pace. “As much as we have a great time playing shows every night, at this point we’re looking forward to the end of this touring cycle so we can get started on the next thing. I have something I want to finish and I want to start writing the next Real Estate record. It’s not like we’re going to stop, we’ll just go away for a little bit.”

Real Estate play Dublin’s Academy on October 22nd

Playing It Right Ahead of their upcoming Dublin date, Amelia Meath, one half of electro-pop duo, Sylvan Esso, chats with Grattan Aikins about the band’s creative process, controlling her music and that spandex onesie Speaking about her upcoming Dublin gig, Sylvan Esso’s lead vocalist, Amelia Meath, reminisces about the last time she played in the city. “I played there on my 21st birthday, that was the last time I played there. Though, maybe it was my 22nd, I think it was my 22nd”. Unsurprisingly, Dublin is a favorite spot of hers to visit: “My mom was there and that was really nice. I loved it. It was really fun and she got me this amazing spandexy onesie that I am actually wearing for the last scene in the ‘Coffee’ video. So I wore that, for the show.” Disappointingly however, the onesie performance seems to have been a once off.

“Unfortunately it’s in my closet at home, but if I had it I probably would wear it.”

It’s clear Meath has an eye for what others may view as unimportant details, particularly when recalling certain anecdotes. When telling the story of how herself and Nick Sanborn, the producer and other member of Sylvan Esso, came together, what she remembers is less about the conversations, but the details of the moment it happened.

“We were at Eller’s Deli, which is in Madison, Wisconsin. We went out and got some very good matzah ball soup, and I ate a grilled cheese sandwich.” It’s this attention to detail that shines through both vocally and lyrically when Meath performs. Songs such as ‘Could I Be’ or ‘Uncantena’ work especially well because of the intricate work which Meath invests in her word choices and performances, with her vocal work beautifully intertwining with Sanborn’s uniquely offbeat music.

Sylvan Esso released their first single, ‘Hey Mami’, in May 2013, with their second single ‘Play it Right’ following a couple of months later. After ‘Coffee’ became a viral hit amongst indie sites, Sylvan Esso’s stature began to grow. Their breakout success was solidified when they played The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon during the summer. It has been a steady rise to prominence for the duo, and Meath is astonished by this trajectory.

“It’s kind of hard to describe, because it feels great, and also you really want to control it, and you can’t control it because you reached your goal and then everyone has their hands and minds and ears all over your music and you can’t take it back from them and say ‘No, no, no, it’s this!’, so you have to hold onto the little whiskers of the dragon.”

For Meath, this sort of success and the success of her previous band, The Mountain Men, was the kind of career she always wanted to have: “I always wanted to be a singing person. That was my plan when I was three or four. I learned how to sing with my dad around the dinner table.” Her success as a musician came quite early, as she was still in college when she met the original members of the band that would make up The Mountain Men. “It was basically, I had moved into a brand new house, off campus and decided we needed to have a house show to commemorate us moving into the house, and then I asked Molly and Alexandra to play, and then somehow or other we realised that we should just play together.”

Sylvan Esso started out as a project between vocalist Meath and producer Sanborn, who was originally part of indie rock band Megafaun. Meath and Sanborn met at a club in Milwaukee. “That was after he had done a

I had moved into a brand new house off campus and decided we needed to have a house-show to commemorate us moving into the house

remix of ‘Play it Right’, and we realised that like to categorise her work strictly as folk, but instead sees a different commonality we should just make more tracks together. between her previous and current bands.

Then once we finished ‘Hey Mami’, we realised all of our friends were saying ‘this is “Mountain Men was a folk band. We don’t really really good’ and we were really really use any tuning on my voice, so it sounds authentic and real which was the goal of excited.”

Mountain Men as a band and is part of the Part of what makes Sylvan Esso’s work goal of Sylvan Esso as a band, bringing so exciting is the variance in song structure humanity into performance and electronic and the eccentric rhythms they explore and music.” develop. When asked about the process of So what next for Meath after she leaves creating such a unique catalogue of songs, Dublin? “Oh you’ll definitely hear new Sylvan Meath explains that her and Sanborn’s Esso music eventually, but quite honestly working process is uniquely fluid. “Usually we’re pretty much scheduled through it starts with one of us having a single to next summer, and then we’ve got a idea and going to the other one and being, couple of months off. I plan on reading a ‘Hey! This idea!’, and we sit around and talk lot of books, learning some more musical about it for a while, and then we go off into instruments, resting, and making a lot our own little corners and work on it, or of food.” Considering the whirlwind of a sometimes Nick has a full beat and I just write over it, or sometimes I have a full song year she’s just had, it will certainly be a and Nick writes a beat over it. It changes all well-deserved rest. the time.”

No matter how many articles are written, Sylvan Esso play at Workman’s Club or assumptions made about the electro-folk tonight, Oct. 7th nature of Sylvan Esso’s work, Meath does not

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A Lot More Than Idle Conversation Meeting in their Dublin hotel’s bar, Ronan Yourell and Kieran McGuinness chat to Aoife Cunningham about their upcoming release, their journey so far and being fathers to their music

The Delorentos have made quite the name for themselves on the Irish music scene and beyond in recent years, with sell out shows and numerous awards to their name. This week, the four piece Dublin band are set to launch their fifth studio album, Night Becomes Light, having recently been signed to Universal Records. Kieran McGuinness and Ronan Yourell, one half of the band, are in high spirits and clearly excited about the upcoming weeks.

Sitting down with them, they begin to speak about their musical journey to date, a journey which has been influential on the recording of their latest album. Having played various gigs around Ireland and to large audiences internationally, the describe the process of writing as “a labour of love”. “As a band, and as an individual, you want your life to be filled with experiences like that,” they recount.

In keeping with the reminiscent tone, both admit that they would have made some changes to their own personal musical journey over the past few years. “The reality is everything we’ve done to this point has gotten us to where we are today. You have to accept

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errors but bring the experiences forward and make yourself a better person.” This belief is a central theme in the album, which draws on eclectic experiences from the band as a whole, acknowledging difficult times and utilising such experiences as a basis for self-expression.

The excitement of the impending release is contagious and they’re eager to explain how each band member is involved in the writing and recording process. Answering the question, they come up with a clever analogy, saying, “we all write, a song has four fathers, some fathers are more present, some have different styles of parenting, as well as our own influences. They’re all funnelled into our songs.”

While it is unusual that they view themselves as fathers, it demonstrates their passion for their work. Attempting to choose their favorite song to perform proves to be a difficult task. It’s almost as if they’ve been asked to choose a favorite child. After much consideration, and slight hesitation, “Too Late” emerges as a potential front runner.

The song is full of soul vibes, something they’re hoping to convey when on stage. “The

You have to accept errors but bring the experiences forward and make yourself a better person

song lives or dies on the feel or groove of how we play together”. McGuinness cites The Funk Brothers as an inspiration, and notes that to get that “level of soul”, they’ll have to practice “the fun stuff” to get it just right. Their performances are joint efforts – combining the passion of each individual together to create a memorable gig.

As Yourell and McGuinness sit side by side, it’s easy to see a strong bond - they pick up on each other’s jokes and often glance at each other to elaborate on meanings. When

asked about connecting on a more personal level with fans, they feel that they “don’t intentionally set out to connect with anyone” but rather, hope that someone out there will connect with what they’re saying. “If you can put across your own insight into every song, be proud of it and put that out there, then people will connect with it.” It seems as though they view song writing as their own personal journey, one they’re more than happy to share with the public.

As the conversation continues, Yourell and McGuinness start to contemplate the future.

It’s intriguing to hear their own opinions about the evolving Irish music scene, given that they’re all too familiar with the highs and lows that the industry offers. They describe the industry as a “melting pot of creativity” and are quick to share some nuggets of wisdom.

“There are opportunities if you’re good and have talent. The only thing you have that’s different is your insight. If you can put it in a record and say what you want to say people will listen. It’s vocational. Music doesn’t live or die for us, it’s exciting to see trends change.

There’s so much to be found in Ireland in terms

of creativity”.

Despite international success, the Dublin group are proud of their Irish roots – and equally as proud of their Irish counterparts.

They’re quick to praise Hozier’s success, and hope that this will encourage international listeners to delve further into the Irish music scene, paving new pathways for rising artists and creative souls alike.

The Delorentos play Dublin’s Vicar Street November 1st.

album Reviews

zola jesus

delorentos

SBTRKT

Flying lotus

Switching labels has coincided with a change in sound for Nika Roza Danilova, more commonly known as Zola Jesus. Taiga, her fifth studio album, but first release through Mute Records, is a sonic exorcism of the noise and distortion shrouding previous LPs. With the consistent nucleus of her strident baritone vocals, Danilova tethers strands of electronica to gothic operatics, giving birth to symphonic pop.

Opening with the title track, ‘Danilova’, makes use of the reference to boreal forests found in both her hometown of Wisconsin and ancestral Russia. The echoing chants evoke feral surroundings suitable for the vast soundscapes dominating Taiga.

Though the forest proves an apt metaphorical stage, ‘Lawless’ sees a transition to a stadium setting to showcase a truly anthemic sound. The poptastic fanfare of “Dangerous Days” leaves the album teetering on the edge of mainstream, while ‘Hunger’ pulsates with abstract bombast. “Ego” finds Danilova on sparser territory, as cinematic strings intermingle with minimalist beats.

Brass is a key element in creating the almost regal sound of Taiga. Trumpets burst through grimey layers of synth and match the soaring heights climbed by Danilova’s driving vocals.

The intensity of Danilova’s vocals is balanced by simplistic yet honest lyrics. A pining for the past is evident from the offset: “Do you wish you could go back to it all?” Accessibility seems to be a prime concern, as lyrics are laid out bare and sung with a passion begging to be heard.

While the striking sharpness of the production values allows for a departure from the darkness overwhelming Conatus or Stridulum, Danilova doesn’t entirely succumb to the light. Light certainly seeps through the cracks of the ominous atmosphere, but her brand of pop lies in the shade, reluctant to adopt a wholly brighter hue.

Dublin outfit Delorentos have returned in flying form with their latest album, Night Becomes Light. The record is full of the hooks and riffs that the band have become both loved and acclaimed for; a tightrope they have managed to walk successfully since their breakthrough release in 2007, In Love With Detail.

With performances slots supporting the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Sinéad O’Connor, the band have certainly earned their stripes in the Irish music industry, as well as on an international stage.

This album, coming on the heels of an acoustic release, Unbroken, Untied, earlier this year, offers a change of tone once more. It is infused with a summer spirit that manages to counteract the impending wintery weather. With tracks such as the album’s latest single, ‘Show Me Love’, these infectious melodies and choruses make radio play a compliment once again.

What still remains are the bellowing vocals of Ronan Yourell, formulating the crowd-pleasing tunes we know that this quartet can and do deliver. Similarly, the sharp guitar twangs and crashing crescendos create a powerful track list.

Fitting in amongst recent releases from the likes of The Riptide Movement and Hozier, their influence on Irish music in the last ten years has never been more evident. Yet, despite their similarities, Night Becomes Light displays a certain flair and maturity which sets them apart.

The influence of the acoustic is still very much evident in this album. It is a well-paced affair, balancing deliciously upbeat and sing-along tracks, including ‘I Will Not Go’ with more mellow, yet equally anthemic songs such as ‘Too Late’ and ‘Valley Where the River’s Run’.

Wonder Where We Land is a step in a different direction for SBTRKT, an artist that, in the past four years, has seen an unprecedented rise; spurred on by the high energy, ultra polished and exceptionally slick post-dubstep beats of his 2011 debut. However, those expecting a similar vibe with this installment will be in for a surprise.

While the self-titled debut oozed with a sickening striding confidence, Wonder Where We Land opts for the more docile, quiet scenic route. It grooves subtly, almost politely in places, displaying the more aesthetically attractive, soul-enriched side of SBTRKT’s vocabulary.

Drawing from an array of varied synthesizers, drum loops and vocal effects, he paints a lush tapestry of moods varying from the playful and straightforward, like the track ‘Lantern’, to the more intense and layered, seen in ‘Osea’; both tunes standing out amongst their fellow instrumental counterparts thus illustrating clearly what exactly this masked maestro is doing on his latest offering - tinkering and experimenting with his sound.

This album doesn’t set out to please previous fans, or anyone else for that matter, appearing rather more as a personal project. ‘Problem Solved’ catches the listener off guard while ‘WWWI’ is a particularly genre-morphing track; deeply progressive to the extreme.

A number of the songs on the record are infectiously catchy as seen with ‘Higher’, while the bass-centric tracks ‘NEW DORP. NEW YORK’ and ‘Gon Stay’ are surprisingly more skeletal.

As for the vocals, we once again see a close relationship with Sampha along with a host of other up-and-coming vocal talents. Yet, the real standout vocal moment comes from A$AP Ferg, with his performance on the final track ‘Voices In My Head’, a sublime cherry perched on an otherwise deliciously synthesized cake.

One of the most common compliments paid to Steven Ellison, the man behind the FlyLo moniker, is that his brand of experimental electronic music is a genre unto itself. Yet while his sound is completely unique to him, its not hard to find precedents. The problem is that it’s difficult to stop finding precedents, as a listen to You’re Dead will reveal.

The wild free jazz of ‘Stirring’ and ‘Tesla’ recalls the free-for-all ecstasy of John Coltrane’s Ascension sessions (Coltrane is Ellison’s greatuncle after all). The lingering shadow of J Dilla’s sampledelic hip-hop is still felt on ‘Never Catch Me’ and ‘Dead Man’s Tetris’, two of the album’s standout tracks. The former is FlyLo’s remarkable duet with Kendrick Lamar, the latter a chance for Ellison to spit some rhymes under his Captain Murphy pseudonym, with some help from a great Snoop Dogg verse.

The sheer range of sounds employed doesn’t let up. ‘Cold Dead’ has melodic metal guitar leads give way to soaring brass lines. ‘Coronus, The Terminator’ is a haunting example of R&B, with an incredible vocal turn by Niki Randa.

Ultimately, FlyLo’s music doesn’t need to be a genre unto itself. It excels by providing a meeting place for genres and styles to mesh together and take from each other without losing their character. This is his fifth album, and he’s managed to move from more IDM inflected early work to a substantially more soulful sound with huge success.

This is an album to spend time with. One great joy of Ellison’s music is that it sacrifices no immediacy for intellect. The initial sugar-rush of sounds gives way in time to an incredible, nuanced record that touches on themes of mortality and loss.

Taiga

In A Nutshell: Bombastic vocals married to luscious pop melodies with brassy beats; a perfect union.

Eva Griffin

Night Becomes Light

In A Nutshell: Extremely listenable and pleasing.

Delorentos have delivered an album for all weathers.

Siofra Ni Shluaghadhain

Wonder where we land

In A Nutshell: SBTRKT drops a plethora of floor fillers to create an album with greater depth and scope than any of his previous work.

You’re dead!

In a Nutshell: An overwhelming, but endlessly rewarding listen. cormac duffy

Eoghan O’Neill

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Guinness Amplify - Preview

With some of the biggest names in the industry set to make appearances at Dublin’s Guinness Amplify dates, Sean Hayes takes a look at some of the smaller, must-see names gracing the various stages Earlier this summer, Guinness unveiled a new exciting music program with the launch of Guinness Amplify.

The aim, to connect the freshest new music talent with audiences all over Ireland. Over 800 acts applied online, while local publicans selected bands to perform live gigs in their pubs.

Having already spread throughout the country, with Ellie Goulding and Hozier playing surprise gigs in Dundalk and Disclosure performing in Belfast, Guinness Amplify is set to arrive in Dublin this weekend. Some of the biggest names in music are rumoured to be strolling into local pubs and playing surprise gigs, with a set-list that’s already boasting Kodaline, Bastille, London Grammar and George Ezra.

While these names are clear must-sees during the weekend, many up and coming bands and singers will also be taking to the stage, showcasing the rising talent that Ireland has.

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crobat

October 9th – Doyle’s - 21:00 Formed in 2013, Acrobat are an exciting four-piece band just starting out on their musical journey.

With the members having Irish, Dutch and Indonesian roots, the band’s unique, worldly sound is set to impress when they take to the stage in the cosy surrounds of Doyle’s pub. Acrobat made waves this summer on the Irish festival circuit, taking in Sea Sessions, Indiependence, Castlepalooza and Electric Picnic. In anticipation of their upcoming EP release on Oct. 31st, this band on the rise is not to be missed.

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eath In The Sickroom

October 9th – Brogan’s - 22:00 Death In The Sickroom are a four-piece band from Dublin who play a superb brand of 12 string jangle pop. Having released their debut EP, Brick To The Face, in August, the

band are set to bring their unique sound to Dame Street this Thursday. The groups sound has been compared to Johnny Marr while their lyrics and melodies have been applauded for their infectiousness and energy. All of this is sure to result in a highly enjoyable performance which will see new listeners become lifelong fans.

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ANGS

October 10th – Fitzsimon’s - 21:30 GANGS are a rock’n’roll four-piece based in Dublin. First coming together in 2012, they gelled together on their mutual appreciation for music and fashion. With a sound and style created by friendship, natural talent and a dedication to their craft, the band soon found themselves at the top of the pile and are now regarded as one of Ireland’s hottest new musical prospects. Incorporating vocals, two classically trained guitarists and a drummer, their sound is influenced from 60’s rock’n’roll to 80’s mod-rock, which will make for an interesting and captivating showcase.

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he Weathermen

October 11th - Sweeney’s - 22:00 The Weathermen formed in late 2012. Citing influences such as Bill Haley, Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly, they have been tirelessly performing around Dublin, spreading their unique style of rock. Their latest single, “Take A Look Outside” makes only a slight impression on their live performances. The members, who will arrive on Sweeney’s stage dressed in full uniform, are sure to utilise their passion and energy to produce a truly vibrant and lively set.

Guinness Amplify kicks off in Dublin October 9th. For full gig listings, go to www.guinnessamplify.com Image: Ruth Medjber, for Guinness amplify

Radar: Storyfold As they ride on the trajectory success of their debut album launch, Ross McKeever speaks to Dublin band Storyfold about contemporary influences and the importance of music being about music

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Cutlery clatters loudly as Storyfold guitarist Michael Fortune attempts to escape the bustle of a noisy restaurant scene. The line goes dead for a few moments and incidental sounds are left to whisper through the receiver, but once Fortune returns there isn’t another moment of silence. “Give us one second” he intones, though he doesn’t really need it. Before the second’s up he launches into the interview and wastes no time discussing his band’s new sophomore album; “We’re ramping up because the record’s out, you can imagine yourself”.

Picturing what it’s like to release a record is difficult but figuratively, one can imagine.

Five-piece, Dublin based band, Storyfold have had a hectic week. Their sophomore record, It’s Later Than You Think was just launched in the Button Factory, and Fortune admits he’s had more than one interview today. Yet, there’s not a flicker of fatigue or disinterest in his tone as the band’s current momentum continues to elevate energy levels. It seems Storyfold are gathering an impetus once again after two years of writing and road-testing their new album.

Initially arriving on the scene in 2009 with surprise hit ‘Delphine Wakes’ and since this inception the quintet have brought their anthemic indie-rock songs to various corners of the Irish music scene, including the Button Factory, Whelans and Croke Park as well as attending “pretty much every [Irish] festival”

as punters alike.

Created via the “fantastic tool” that is the internet, Fortune supports the ever intrusive invention claiming he “never bought into the idea of blaming technology”, and has instead taken full advantage of it by producing a number of music videos, with the video for their most recent single, ‘The Lost And The Lonely’ a brilliant showcase of life in Dublin.

Speaking of their recent Electric Picnic appearance, Fortune acknowledges the typically “transient nature” of festival crowds, in comparison to their usual venues. “You’ll have people float along for four or five songs, give it socks and then leave”. Storyfold also clashed with Blondie at the festival, which he admits “wasn’t ideal”, though reveals no more on the subject.

Little Green Cars also played Electric Picnic and Fortune cites their secret set as a highlight.

He’s a fan of the band, but doesn’t believe Storyfold takes any particular influence from the Irish scene. “We kind of seem to exist in our own little bubble” he explains. Yet, bassist Jim admits to being a big fan of the Minutes, while Fortune says he’s “good pals with the lads in the Riptide Movement over the last few years but I don’t know if any Irish bands are specifically an influence.”

Though he can’t name any singular Irish group as an influence, Fortune does see some Irish influence in the sound that encapsulates

the band; “I suppose in many respects we’re very Irish people, especially in terms of our self-deprecation and our sense of humour, so that inevitably plays a part in the songs we write.”

Musically, Fortune sees more of an American influence on their sound, but seems reluctant to place their identity entirely in that tradition, which sparks an impassioned speech on the nature of “Irishness” in music, with Fortune noting that lots of very Irish bands play music that came “straight out of the Mississippi delta” or from further afield.

However, he admits to being an admirer of oldschool song writing; “Music is music, and if you’re into songwriting as a craft some of those Phil Spector songs are amongst the greatest pop songs ever written, especially in terms of production value. Gershwin and all that sort of stuff, this is when rock and roll music was just coming in and it’s essentially where all our music comes from.”

Fortune is genuinely excited about the music Storyfold are creating and his enthusiasm is infectious, even as the pings of knives and forks return on the other end of the phone as Fortune re-enters the restaurant he left only moments earlier.

It’s Later Than You Think is out now.

street style

Photography James Brady

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The Winter Wardrobe Investment Staple

This season texture and graphic print are two terms that will definitely be making friends with not only your Google search bar, but also your new Autumn/ Winter wardrobe.

Every winter I deem it safe to say that many of us struggle with the seemingly never-ending search for ‘THE Winter Coat’. Deserving given capitalisation, the winter coat is deemed the one vital item of clothing that will transcend one’s wardrobe right through from late summer to early spring, if the time and money are invested appropriately. No, we don’t mean grabbing that ill-fitting, Penney’s ‘pleather’ parka or duster coat in the last ten minute rush of your lunch hour. The term ‘investment buy’ is a definite juxtaposition to everything Primarni has to offer, UNLESS it is an impulse bargain you’re looking for.

In terms of making the catwalk inspired pieces more everyday wearable, the high street is at the forefront of cultivating designer-worthy standout pieces at a fraction of the haute couture cost. For this shoot, we’ve raided the likes of Topshop, River Island and H&M in showcasing the best of the best outerwear pieces in knockout colours, styles, textures and prints.

In Aoife’s first look, this new-season River Island leather jacket is a perennial favourite. The fur collar and creamy leather add a warm and luxe aesthetic to this delicately boyish look. The

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fur collar acting as the statement piece works effortlessly with the nude tonality of this vintage embellished bodysuit and Aoife’s pale complexion and Snow-white like hair. The stark contrast between the neutral tones of the upper half of the body compared with the dark block-coloured H&M bodycon skirt and Topshop Chelsea boots, collectively both add depth and interest to the main focal piece –the sell-out leather River Island jacket.

In comparison with Aoife’s second look, the innate focus on texture swiftly diverges into a huge focal point of graphic printed goodness.

Bravely mixing monochromatic grid-print with monotone tartan, alongside autumnal shaded tartan, is an evident connotation of the playful nature surrounding printed Autumn/Winter pieces, along with the wear-ability possibilities for those of you whom are ’cost-per-wear’ enthusiasts. The oversized silhouette of this coat heightens its’ versatility in a numerous set of ways. Tailored, non-tailored, bodycon, loose-fit, high-rise, low-rise, peplum or A-line-shaped, this coat is a definite staple in acting as the standout piece of any outfit, whilst also adding interesting silhouette, along with allowing exposure of one’s own outfit worn underneath – something our beloved trench-coat simply cannot offer. Simply

skimming over one’s frame, this lightweight duster coats allows for layering, making it well and truly a key piece for an Scandi –style-hunter this season. This oversized check-print duster coat doesn’t come cheaply at €120 , though it will ensure endless outfit possibilities, considering you’re not dressing for the faint-hearted. This duster coat will definitely act as a head-turner.

Trust me on this one. Been there, done that, worn the coat.

Back to basics, back to texturisation Yeti style. It may be Ireland, not the Himalayas, yet the Irish winter does make us want to dress up all day, every day as an Inuit. This style certainly has made a comeback this AW14, as seen in Eudon Choi’s London Fashion Week debut last month. Again, Topshop excel in designing this practical, yet certainly ‘statement’, Autumn/Winter ombre shaggy woollen coat. The greyscale and dark colouring of this woollen jacket makes it the perfect addition to these velvet H&M trousers and this matching burgundy American Apparel crop top. Again, the mixed textures of shaggy wool and velvet add dimension and depth, along with the intrusion of the greyscale aesthetics of this Topshop investment piece. This catwalk-worthy coat is a definite winter must

have for any woman serious about investing for future autumnal and winter seasons. You will also undoubtedly see shaggy woollen coats popping up on worldwide catwalks seasonally for years to come. Investing at its finest.

For the final look, graphic print was the key feature in showcasing the emergent ‘bomber jacket’ trend that has been emblazoned across catwalks this season – notably at the Philip Lim show, having showcased his new collection at this season’s New York Fashion Week. This H&M steal will work effortlessly with any basic piece thinkable, adding prominent interest to any minimalistic, monochromatic assemblage, which will undoubtedly serve both your style and wardrobe for future blustery seasons.

All in all, whether it’s Alexander Wang or Primarni you’ve been eyeing up for that one treasured winter coat, do your homework beforehand, choosing between print or texture before settling on any price point. Shaggy furs and oversized outerwear are the instant style update this season, so don’t let yourself be seen #binning the Yeti trend all too soon, before Halloween approaches.

Look 1: Polka Faux-fur collared leather jacket: River Island: €36; Lace Bodysuit: Vintage; Black bodycon skirt: H&M: €16; Black Chelsea Boots: Topshop: €60; Gold chains and choker: All Topshop: €14 each.

Look 2: Check-print duster coat: Topshop: €120; Check-print shirt: Urban Outfitters: €36; Tartan-print high-waisted skirt: Miss Selfridge: €48; Round purple-tinged sunglasses: Topshop: €27.

Look 3: Chain-print bomber jacket: H&M: €29.99; Sparkly crop-top: Urban Outfitters: €28; Ripped black skinny jeans: Levis: €68.

WINNING! Hope Ur OK Hun: Now everywan can getta bittaa Dublin’s fave mickey money hun for less than ya jonny playa blue #bleedinwept

Look 4: Shaggy woollen jacket: Topshop: €135.

Burgundy crop top: American Apparel: €24; Burgundy velvet trousers: H&M: €29.99.

MAC Lipsticks: Where every girl’s makeup savvyness is denoted by her lipstick collection #numericsofaMAChon Return of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte: The only way pumpkin should be consumed before the Eve of All Hallows. #oneofyer5aday American Apparel Riding Pants: No they won’t give you Iggy Azalea’s ass but they will promise an instant bum lift for the glorious price of €74 #becauseyoureworthit Eggcirrih: Waking up to your house having been egged by scummy 16 year olds on the Results night, locked on their blue WKDs #howdoyoulikeyoureggsinthemorning

BINNING!

Bae: From Urban Dictionary: “Bae is a Danish word for poop.

Also used by people on the Internet who think it means baby/ sweet” Also a genuine reason to block and Facebook report the next person to use that word in their status. #usernotfound #keepkalmthekarmakameleonluvserbae Clear Bra Straps: WHY do Penneys still manufacture these pointless, plastic waste of a fiver?! Why wear interchangeable bra straps when they’re so blaady obvious in all their shiny, tacky glory that it #defeatstheentirepurpose?

HunBuns: Was the hair doughnut invented to scouse up lecture halls that little bit more, to the extent that one is no longer able to see the lecture slides? #effoff Styling and Directing: Sarah O’ Shea; Model: Aoife Duffy; Photography: Laura Iorgulescu; Makeup: Makeup by Ellen Petticrew.

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Arts and literature

A-Z of the Chester Beatty

With the opening of the Chester Beatty Library’s latest exhibition, Lauren Moore reviews the alphabetised showcase of some the collection’s highlights In the heart of Dublin Castle is the Chester Beatty Library, home to the beautiful and expansive collection of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty.

It is one of the finest collections of manuscripts, books and decorative arts from a private collector, with some items dating back to about 2700 BC. It gives widespread insights to a range of Western, East Asian and Islamic cultures.

The ‘A-Z; From Amulet to Zodiac’ exhibition provides a simple framework to showcase highlights of the collection, with each letter matched to a special item or range of items and features many works seldom shown to the public. The exhibition also has a secondary theme of cultural interaction and links, displaying pieces that link different cultures from across the world.

This secondary theme is present from the beginning in its choice of amulets for A, where beautiful examples of Christian, Muslim and Hindu amulets are placed side by side, showing the similarities and crossovers of cultures as well as the differences between them. A Roll of Magical Prayers (19th Century, Ethiopia) is an amulet that cites a passage from the Gospel of John. This theme continues throughout, especially in the awe inspiring illuminated manuscripts and scrolls of calligraphy which, although not directly compared like the amulets, still engage with each other in a fascinating

way.

B is for ‘Beatty’ and M stands for ‘mining’, Chester Beatty’s main profession. These are accompanied by documents from Chester Beatty’s life and work. It seems like an unusual choice to incorporate the previous owner of the collection into the exhibition, and it has a jarring effect. There is a sense that he doesn’t belong in this exhibition, and his inclusion takes away from the overall effect. While it’s important that people know about the man, introducing him into an exhibition like this is wasting space, taking away from the natural flow of what is an otherwise well planned concept.

The framework of the A-Z theme raises several issues as well. The connection becomes tenuous at points and potential difficulties the curators had are clearly seen, especially with the latter half of the alphabet. ‘Y’ for example is represented by ‘Yurt’, portable housing structures used by nomads since ancient times, particularly in Mongolia and Kazakhstan. To accompany this we are given an engraving of a celebration which contains a ceremonial Yurt. Within this framework, the connection seems forced. In a collection that holds over six thousand individual items in its Islamic section alone, something more substantial could have been chosen.

The Mariner at the Gate Theatre

Women The connection becomes tenuous at points and potential difficulties the curators had are clearly seen

Despite its faults, the exhibition is a beautiful one, with a wealth of informative, exotic and inspiring pieces. There are few other places, especially in Ireland, that offer the opportunity to experience the histories and connections of multiple cultures at once. While it is an interesting exhibition, it serves mainly as a taster of a collection that is far more nuanced than this particular exhibition. It’s successful in showing some of the Chester Beatty Library’s finest artistic and cultural works, and will encourage visitors to experience it in more depth.

The Chester Beatty’s A-Z exhibition runs until February 1st 2015 January

Premiering on the opening day of the Dublin Theatre Festival, Maeve O’Neill reviews Hugo Hamilton’s The Mariner Hugo Hamilton’s new play The Mariner takes a clear-eyed and long overdue look at Irish soldiers’ involvement in the First World War, and the ambiguity of the treatment they received on their return home.

Hamilton draws from his own experience, reflecting the fact that his grandfather served with the Royal Navy; this fact was never mentioned by his family and had effectively been erased from their collective memory until the rehabilitation of his experience by the writer.

Currently playing at The Gate and presented as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, this play is set in 1916 when a sailor with the Royal Navy returns home to Ireland suffering from shellshock. He is unable to either speak or identify himself to his wife or mother when he returns from the largest naval battle of the twentieth century, the Battle of Jutland fought in 1916. His wife, although they had only been married a day before his return to the war, receives him with open arms and remains true to the man she loves. His mother however, has a more ambiguous reaction, and begins to question the man’s identity.

The conflict between the wife, as the man’s defender, and the mother as the denier escalates to a tragic and deeply affecting conclusion. It perfectly describes the uncertainty that encapsulated the reaction to Irish soldiers’ involvement in a British war, ultimately becoming the core of this play’s message.

The sailor’s wife exhibits loyalty, patience and great love and compassion for the injured man who cannot speak for himself; his mother, however, seeks out excuses to deny his very identity and existence.

Ingrid Craigie as the mother skilfully embodies the darker side of the Irish reaction to these anguished soldiers. Her line of thought remains unknown to the audience as it appears she either genuinely does not believe the man to be her son or has no wish to know, and finds it more convenient to deny his identity and existence altogether. While the play’s message is a serious one, the writing is peppered with welcome

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humour throughout. The tragic final scene is both beautifully acted and deeply affecting.

In hindsight it becomes clear that at the time a new country was being born in its own bloody struggle. It became too difficult to acknowledge the fact that Irishmen were also fighting and losing their lives in a British war. It is in this confrontation that The Mariner is most successful.

Hamilton’s play is an enormous success. The rock solid cast bring this psychological and political conflict to life with a luminous standout performance from Lisa Dwyer Hogg as the sailor’s wife.

While Irish combatants in the First and Second World Wars are now being appropriately commemorated, it has taken nearly a century to reach equilibrium with the past. Hugo Hamilton’s new play forms part of that necessary reimagining and gives life to the memory of those many have chosen to forget.

The Mariner runs until October 25th in the Gate Theatre

It perfectly describes the uncertainty that encapsulated the reaction to Irish soldiers’ involvement in a British war, ultimately becoming the core of this play’s message

Chick or Ditch?

With the rise in feminist awareness, Roisin Murray questions whether “chick lit” should be a thing of the past In the wake of the celebrity nude picture scandal and Emma Watson’s HeForShe UN speech, the unavoidable concept of feminism is procuring more time in the limelight.

Countless feminist issues are being addressed today, debated often in the current media and particularly the human rights field. But the feminist discussion does not cease there. Even literature is experiencing challenges as it provokes controversy through the marketable storm that is chick lit. A huge, complex question is raised: is chick lit harmless escapism or detrimental and insulting to female empowerment?

For those of you who haven’t been in an airport bookshop lately, chick lit is the name given to a genre of book which follows a light-hearted formula and is marketed specifically towards females. The plot usually centres on the romantic escapades of a slightly dizzy protagonist in the pursuit of ‘bettering’ herself. Whilst it may also address additional issues of friendship, family and career, these elements are often trivialised in the favour of focus on a love interest. Throw in a sprinkle of shopping, countless references to Marc Jacob heels with cosmopolitan cocktail in hand and you have yourself a best-seller. But is this reading stimulating enough for females today, or rather a brazen insult to the intelligence of women?

We get it. Sometimes you just aren’t in the frame of mind to be intellectually challenged by Ulysses whilst on a long-haul flight, complete with child kicking the back of your seat. In a world awash with death, destruction and your general debauchery, chick lit is a useful form of escapism; a so called ‘easy read’ to accompany a cup of tea and ‘just one more’ digestive biscuit. Do not be mistaken; the ability to write any form of novel is an admirable feat which should be applauded.

However, the issue resides in the ideals that these books invoke upon society: questionable prescriptions of femininity and what it really means to be a woman.

The root of the insult ingrained in such a supposedly harmless genre is the idea that the success of a woman’s life can be assessed according to a number of factors. Yet, the most crucial indicator of a stable and contented life always relates to the presence of a love interest.

Regardless of the other achievements females boast, their success becomes void if they fail to meet their long-term mission of finding a partner. Yes, women can have it all, but ‘all’ is only attainable if they have someone to share it with.

Whilst Female Protagonist X may be a member of the Supreme Court, a self-made millionaire and an enthusiastic Amnesty International lobbyist, there is something missing; her womanhood is compromised as she doesn’t have a significant other half to split a takeaway with over the X Factor on a Saturday night. In essence, she is a half-built woman or a work in progress, constantly in a state of vulnerability. All it then takes is a suitable man to ‘fix’ her, laugh at her endearing flaws and simultaneously destroy the empowered vision of women that females everywhere have worked so hard to promote. Women did not throw themselves under horses for this.

Besides the questionable themes, the formulaic structure of chick lit also incurs some negativity.

Breaking Bad can be completely destroyed when someone accidentally gives away the ending, yet chick lit constantly subjects us to the same predictable, repetitive plot but does not provoke the same degree of uproar. The protagonist’s

Emerging Writer: Blain Broomfield

Women did not throw themselves under horses for this

inevitable catch is always about as subtle as a brick, despite the half-hearted decoy introduced in a vain attempt to throw the reader off the scent.

Queue light-hearted banter between the two, cavorting around the city and countless avoidable misunderstandings. Hilarity ensues. Yet inevitably they all get their happy ever after ending: complete with joint custody of a dog called Socks and a his/her dressing gown set. Such an ending sets unattainable expectations that females constantly measure themselves against and struggle to live up to. The result? The self-esteem of women everywhere becomes compromised, by the very people who should be helping to build it up. The fairy-tale model seemed to become somewhat obsolete for the majority when they could no longer pull off light-up runners, so why do intelligent women still insist on promoting such an outdated style?

It cannot be ignored that whilst chick lit and its ever-expanding market flourish, budding and refreshing new talent is often ignored at its expense. There is the danger of the next Sylvia Plath being unjustly overlooked by publishers merely because their style does not conform to the strict prescriptions of this genre.

Instead, writers enter into the vicious circle; distinctly intellectual women are driven towards perpetuating manufactured content simply to

make their books more marketable, and ultimately to be able to make a living out of their love of words. When there are a wealth of vital issues to be addressed vying for attention, racism and financial inequality to name a few, confronting only easy issues is too simplistic. History tells us that for too long women have been told that they are inferior to men: physically, mentally and even morally. It is up to women to combat this stereotype, and refuse to conform to such expectations imposed upon them.

It is time chick lit was redefined into something new. The genre is far too simplistic, and completely fails to tell women’s stories, instead providing a modern and tired fairytale.

It’s time literature returned to substance filled content, rather than the substantially superficial; incorporate more poignant issues in an effort to destroy the perception that this ‘easy reading’ is all women like to, and indeed, can read. And above all, let’s leave chick lit where it belongs; safely nestled in the bargain bins of holiday resorts and resting on the threadbare chair of an airport lounge.

Blain Broomfield is a fresh, new name in Irish literature who has recently self-published his first novella, Morsus. A fresh talent in the literary world, his work focuses on UCD students during the Celtic Tiger, and the life of excess that became common during these years. Having graduated from UCD with a degree in Economics and Politics five years ago, his novella is partly inspired by his own time in Belfield.

The novella couldn’t be described as standard literary fiction, and utilises styles made famous by the likes of James Joyce. “It’s a stream of consciousness thing that follows four different students around, and showcases the university life,” Broomfield explains. Its content is darker than might appear. “It also depicts the impulsive and excessive behaviour undertaken in college, the kind of debauchery. And ‘morsus’ is a Latin word which means ‘to inflict pain’, so it’s the themes of sex, drugs, but also infatuation. A lot of the characters are obsessed with another person.”

Broomfield had Morsus self-published through Original Writing in June of this year. “I tried it with a few [publishers] and they all told me that the work was far too small. I would have had to make it a lot longer, but I didn’t feel the need to make it longer.”

This refusal to compromise is central to his work ethic, and he recommends other new writers to build the same level of determination. “Never give up. It sounds so cliché and simple, but you just never quit. As well as that make sure that the story is perfect for you; that you love it. It’s a real long term commitment.”

Broomfield’s novella captures a moment in time in the recent history of Ireland, and his intense focus and intriguing style are central to his work. He may be a new face in on the literary scene, but he has the skills and the confidence to be a success.

Morsus is available in electronic edition on Kindle, or in print from Original Writing and Amazon.

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A Woman in the Making Fresh off the heels of sold out performances in Dublin and Cork, Rory O’Neill (or Panti Bliss rather) chats to Tadhg Dolan about gay rights, offensive jokes and plans for the future.

Chatting with Rory O’Neill, or Irish drag legend Panti Bliss as he is more widely known, it’s hard to know what to expect. From his performances on stage and at his own club, Panti Bar, it would be fair to envision a brass, Xena-esque warrior, with a razor sharp wit and no nonsense approach to those who impeach gay rights in Ireland. O’Neill constantly delivers on all of these qualities, but the man behind the dress and six inch heels is even more impressive.

It has been a busy year for the Mayo native who has seen his star rise dramatically following the now famous speech he delivered at the Abbey theatre in February of this year. Clocking up an impressive 600,000 views, the speech, which has been watched by everyone from Stephen Fry to Madonna, became a viral hit and was lauded the world over.

“The effects of it have definitely lingered,” says O’Neill. “It opened up a lot of doors for me and allowed me to do things that I’ve always wanted to do.” The speech was made following an interview O’Neill gave on the RTÉ talk show The Saturday Night Show with host Brendan O’Connor. After defamation claims were made by those mentioned in the interview, RTÉ elected to pay €85,000 in compensation, to be distributed between John Waters and Breda O’Brien of the Irish Times, and David Quinn and other members of the Iona Institute.

O’Neill became the subject of international debate garnering headlines on powerhouse news outlets like the BBC and Channel 4 News, and sparked a new conversation in Ireland on homophobia. “What the speech did was it made everyone take me seriously,” says O’Neill, who speaks of the implications of becoming the poster boy for gay rights in Ireland. “In some ways too seriously sometimes because now people want me to be fucking inspiring!”

Speaking of his newly found public image O’Neill is conscious that he is now under greater scrutiny when it comes to performing. “I have to make a very conscious decision to still be the same performer,” he says. “I have to find the middle ground. People hear what I say differently now.”

Talking about his recent appearances in Dublin and Cork, with his show ‘High Heels in Low Places’ O’Neill remembers a few stand out moments that let him know things had definitely changed.

“I really upset the bisexual network of Ireland,” he says, speaking of a recent appearance in Cork where a joke about bisexual men and women failed to impress. “The reason they were upset was because Panti said it,” says the performer.

“Because Panti said it, they were hurt.”

It is a line that O’Neill must learn to tread as he has now become a leading figure for LGBTQ+ rights in Ireland. It has been a year that has seen dramatic social advances for the gay community, most notably the decision by the Irish government to hold a referendum on same-sex marriage in 2015, a move welcomed by O’Neill. “I feel positive about it. I am hopeful it will pass. If I had to go in to a betting shop right now and bet, I would bet that it will pass.”

Despite this O’Neill is aware that there is still a long way to go. “I’m not naïve about it. I know that the history of all referendums in this country, but especially on social issues, shows that once the

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The reason they were upset was because Panti said it. Because Panti said it, they were hurt.

campaigns get going it doesn’t matter what the polls say, they’ll become closer and closer as you get close to the date. In the past referendums have been lost that seem sure.”

Asking whether he has plans to get involved in pushing the yes vote O’Neill seems confidently determined. “Once we get a date for the actual referendum and the campaign really starts, yes, I will be getting involved.” He stresses the importance of getting the younger voters out to the polling stations. “One of the major parts of the campaign will be to get people registered and to make sure they actually do vote and that’s going to have to be focused especially on the young, because the young are the ones who are more likely to vote in favour.”

As well as taking on the fight for marriage equality, O’Neill is set to have another hectic year with the release of his upcoming documentary ‘The Queen of Ireland’, directed by Conor Horgan, which is out later this year, and the publication of his first memoir ‘Rory O’Neill: Woman in the Making’. Speaking of the memoir O’Neill says, “It’s about me but it’s also about how Ireland has changed around me as I have gotten older, and there’s lots of ranting in it!”

When asked about the documentary, O’Neill seems to be as much in the dark as the rest of us. “In a sense I know almost as little as anyone else,” he says. “It was actually Conor who filmed the speech because he thought it would be good for his documentary!” The project, which has been the accumulation of five years of filming, had a ten minute preview at this year’s GAZE International Film Festival to rave reviews.

It seems there is no end to the diversity of talents that O’Neill has garnered over four decades as a performer. Writer, artist, comic, gay rights activist, actor, and all around bona fide star, he will certainly be grabbing headlines for the foreseeable future. Yet, when asked about what is to come, it seems that despite his elevated fame, he will always be a performer at heart. “No matter what I’m doing or where I’m traveling with Panti, I always try to arrange that I’m back in Dublin on a Saturday night!”

‘Rory O’Neill: Woman in the Making’ is due for release this October.

Fatal Fourway

Most Disgraceful Child Star Dustin Diamond — Screech, saved by the bell

Rebekah Rennick

There are those who ride on the lackluster trajectory of child star success and attempt to alter people’s cemented and presumptive perception of them and then there’s Dustin Diamond, the man, the myth, the disgrace behind Saved By The Bell’s Samuel ‘Screech’ Powers.

Between 1989 and 1993, Saved by the Bell was the vibrant lighthearted sitcom centered around a group of high-school kids and their everyday mishaps. There was the handsome, wholesome good guy (Zack Morris), the token hot girlfriend (Kelly Kapowski), the chiseled jock (A.C. Slater) and of course the new-age Shakespearean ‘Fool’; embodied by audience favourite Screech.

The curly mopped, flailing limbed nerd was both

loveable and frustratingly inept. Throughout the years we watched him transform from a lisping prepubescent clown into an even more disgraceful character; falling at every hurdle, contorted facial expression and offensively bright t-shirt in tow.

“There are millions of fish in the sea, and I’m just the worm to attract them” Screech once proclaimed, but undoubtedly he was our worm; flying the flag for all clumsy warbling low life’s.

As his voice cracked further with each passing episode and he desperately attempted to match the suave idiosyncrasies of Zack Morris, we couldn’t help but wish he’d get it together.

And Dustin Diamond certainly did so following the show. His stand up comedy began to deflect the burning impression Screech left on his

personality outside the confines of Bayside High School. We all thought he had escaped the harsh label of failed child star and broke out of fatalistic character constrains.

And so he did, oh he certainly did so. Gone are the innocent days of Screech saying something inappropriate to the feisty Jessie Spano or, god forbid, Lisa Turtle. What is left is a washed-up child star who has exploited every last Saved by the Bell ‘secret’ and grown an incriminating, disgraceful mustache. Oh, and he did porn too.

Angus t. Jones —jake harper, two and a half men sean Hayes While the highly public derailing of the main lead in Two and a Half Men, the “warlock with tiger blood”, and “winning” Charlie Sheen took the world’s imagination by storm, it is, in fact, the shows “half man” who takes the title for Most Disgraceful Child Star.

Angus T. Jones rose to international fame as the half-witted, underachieving buffoon, Jake Harper on the sitcom Two and a Half Men . While his on-screen character was often seen getting wasted, high, catching sexually transmitted infections and generally partaking in the

activities that have landed the rest of these child stars on this list, in real life, Jones was headed another direction.

In 2012, after being on the sitcom for ten years, Jones, who was earning $350,000 per episode, appeared in a YouTube video where he slammed the show. Despite being the highest paid teen actor in television history, Jones pleaded with fans to “stop filling your head with filth” and called upon them to boycott the show entirely.

Not surprisingly, this received an endorsement from the now axed Sheen. After converting to Christianity and joining a Seventh-day Adventist

Church, Jones spoke out about how he had become a “paid hypocrite” and that the shows themes and characters conflicted with his new found religious views.

Today, enrolled at the University of Colarado, Jones can be found traveling throughout North America, bespectacled and sporting an ironic, God-like beard, preaching to congregations about his new found faith. It has not yet been confirmed as to whether or not the child star has donated his networth of $17 million of “filth” money to his faith.

He has stated, however, that a return to

television in the future is a possibility, but would have to centre around religious and bible-themes. Unsurprisingly, Charlie Sheen is not expected to take part in that particular project.

Amanda Bynes —Amanda Bynes, All that & the amanda show patrick kelleher It is fairly obvious that our beloved Amanda Bynes is the most disgraced child star of all.

Everyone of a certain generation can remember her humble beginnings on Nickelodeon, namely The Amanda Show. From the dancing lobsters to Penelope Taint, Amanda’s number one fan, it was strangely hilarious.

At the centre of this was the lovely, seemingly normal Bynes, who seemed like any other kid – fun, but maybe a bit strange. It is now difficult to believe that she was only thirteen when this television show started filming. Her show was a

success, and her acting career (if you can call it that) eventually kind of happened with starring roles in Hairspray and She’s The Man over the following years.

And then everything went crazy, and she earned the accolade of being the world’s most incompetent driver. Her court appearances for reckless driving have been so frequent that it could have been turned into a sitcom (an idea perhaps?) And then there was that time she inexplicably started a fire in a stranger’s driveway. Oh, and she threw a bong out of

the window of her apartment. If that’s not a disgraced child star, I don’t know what is.

Her Twitter account has become its own entity, and has bemused and, perhaps amused viewers for years. From insulting virtually every celebrity ever (looking at you, Rihanna), to making bizarre allegations and accusations towards various people, she has become an inadvertent advertisement for the banning of the internet.

Please ignore my foolish cohorts’ views on disgraced child stars, it’s quite clear that they are all wrong. Amanda Bynes is the most successful

of all at being unsuccessful. If you can think of something disgraceful, Bynes has probably done it at some point. When she’s not mowing over pedestrians or tossing bongs out of windows, maybe she’s at least a little normal. One can only hope.

po —the teletubbies Shane Hannon

Macaulay Culkin? Lindsay Lohan? Justin Bieber?

There are solid arguments to be made for all of the above as the most disgraceful child star in history.

All have managed to throw away their exceptional talents with consistent moments of madness, but in truth they are saints compared to one fluffy creature from Teletubbyland.

Why Po you might ask? Isn’t she the youngest and cutest little one of the lot? Well yes, if you find a six-foot tall, attention-seeking, Cantonesespeaking walking television cute. The sad truth about Po is that she is more disgraceful of a character than one could possibly imagine.

According to psychologists, being around

the colour red for too long leads us to becoming irritated and ultimately angry. Po’s inherently sarcastic and self-centred attitude would indicate that this is indeed the case. Po is the Teletubby who sleeps at the side of the bed so that she can sneak away and eat some Tubby Toast while her so-called ‘friends’ are sleeping. Ever heard of sharing Po? Robbing bitch.

Po loves cute stuff and enjoys playing on her scooter, or as she calls it, her “cooter.” Her disgraceful lack of English would make you shiver – putting on an act of cuteness simply highlights her disregard for those with dyslexia for Dog’s sake!

The curly red circular aerial on Po’s head is as useful as a chocolate kettle; a disgraceful waste of Television Company funds if you ask me. Perhaps the antenna would come in handy if that baby living in the Sun were to zap her back up to oblivion where she’d be more welcome.

I’m sure the show’s creators completely intentionally gave her a name one letter short of a colloquialism for excrement. What a disgracefully manipulative little thing Po was. Good riddance, and don’t let the custard hit you on the way out.

Eh-oh!

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parallax student photojournalism

A student attending the March for Choice in Dublin city centre

Roisin Mcnally Contributors were asked to submit photographs under a number of headings including portraiture, family members working and subjects appearing in black and white, with the only restriction being that it was taken by a student of UCD. The work here represents the first step taken by the University Observer to expand its coverage and promotion of photojournalism.

This work will develop into the future and will cover the life of students, news and current affairs as well as developing personal projects that can be published across various media.

Harsha vardhan

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Arianna Stewart

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to get involved, email design@universityobserver.ie.