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Jan 09 Issue 194

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Hollie Price interviews:

FRANZ FERDINAND

T

hese days, the life of Franz Ferdinand is made up of a dirtier, darker dancefloor of sex , dreams and 70s inspired disco. Or this is only what their forthcoming album would have us believe.

The boys from Glasgow described the theme of their last release, ‘You Could Have It So Much Better’ (2005), as “adolescents having sex for the first time”. Their forthcoming album ‘Tonight: Franz Ferdinand’ sees a dark and fragile exploration of their first experiences of love entwined with a little bit of dancing about and pretending that it doesn’t matter really. Alex Kapranos defines it as a “dirtier, night-time vibe”. Franz are looking back on love from their pedestallled position in the music scene and they go on to describe ‘Tonight’ as “pensioners having sex”…hmmm, well maybe.

Like ‘Ulysses’, the lads' first single released this year, their album is made up of dreams and climaxes, as if the band are meandering through their past days in a dream-like fashion."‘Lucid Dreams’ has that climax, that moment where it really comes up. The lyrics and the music of the album have an ethereal, dream-like quality…but different types of dream. ‘Lucid Dreams’ is kind of a fevered, frantic, fuzzy semi-nightmare of a dream whereas ‘Dream Again’ is a much more positive, relaxing harmony".

But don’t you worry first-album fans (we all are and don’t argue), because it’s not like the boys are steering clear of the disco with all this talk of dreams and serious things. “We’re staying on the dancefloor but we’re doing it in a different way. We like the dancefloor. The first and second record seemed original and fresh when they appeared but they became a bit ubiquitous just after they were released so we wanted to try something a bit different”. So get on those dancing shoes yeah…“because it’s a dangerous place, the dancefloor”. “We’re all fans of disco and 70s music…the technology we used, like the sonics, is really informed by the 70s homemade microphone set-up”.

But Franz don’t set out to write pop classics like ‘Take

Me Out’ every time. “You don’t think of any song in terms of ‘right, let’s write the big single now’; it’s just like you write another song…certainly you can see that there’ll be some songs that Radio One’ll like more than others, I don’t think Radio One’s gonna play the 8 minute version of ‘Lucid Dreams’ as readily as they’re going to play ‘No You Girls’, but you don’t think in these terms when you’re writing…you’re just thinking this is turning me on right now”…Right then, good times.

Current Franz single ‘Ulysses’ contains the line “You’re never going home”. Alex explains that Ulysses is a “great tale and you can still empathise with this character, thinking he’s never going home.

There are always times in your life when you feel like that, especially when you’re in a band…you can be like where the fuck am I? Am I ever going home to that life that I used to know?

If you let that get you down, it’ll be a disaster”. And there’s a darker side to Franz’s new release: “That song’s actually about how you can consider yourself to be a hero but then actually realise that you’re not”.

‘TONIGHT: FRANZ FERDINAND’ OFFERS MORE GRIMEY, PENSIONER SHAPED SEX...

In a long tradition of Glaswegian bands, Alex doesn’t mind dwelling on the lad’s hometown and its mixture of talents and sounds : “I love Glasvegas, they’re a great band. They seem to be continuing a tradition of bands from Glasgow that sound nothing like each other and that’s the sound of Glasgow to me. Mogwai sound nothing like us, we sound nothing like Belle and Sebastian. To me, the bands from Glasgow are quite contrary. As a band, you should look around and about you and decide what you don’t want to be. We wanted to be at odds with what was around us”.

Franz have learnt their lessons from the bleak world of the music scene and Alex has no sympathy for bright young things “acting like pricks”. “Sometimes it is repetitive answering the same questions, like ‘Where did you get your name from?’ but you just tell them and don’t be a prick about it”. And Franz’s progression past all them scenesters allows them to bypass genres. Paul speaks up: “We listen to a wide range of stuff, I tend not to dwell on what genre it is.

I don’t know if it’s something about getting older and not belonging to a peer group that all listen to the same music” so not in the ‘scene kids’ then yet boys...

The new album is a dream-like rambling tale of life as Franz knows it. “’No You Girls’ and ‘Katherine Kissed Me’ are both songs about kissing someone for the first time, trying to show how we recall big emotional things in our lives depending on the circumstances in which we recall them. ‘No You Girls’ is like you’re telling the story to your friends down at the pub and you kinda become the hero of the story and everything’s a little bit more glamorous than it actually was, whereas ‘Katherine Kissed Me’ is recalling exactly the same event and remembering how emotionally fragile it was and how vulnerable you felt, and maybe it wasn’t as quite rewarding as you thought it’d be”.

‘Tonight: Franz Ferdinand’ offers more grimey, pensioner shaped sex and tender adolescent disco moments than ever before. But the band make being the dirty old men of the indie-disco-post-punk-ish world look pretty classy. And you still would. “When we first started playing, there was just a lot of formulaic pop around” but there is no formula for Franz Ferdinand and their dank, dreamy world of first kisses, pints at the pub and an all manner of things being lost and wandering about is the place to be.

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features- wherein vision tackles the biggest issues in music... new year revolutions...

flying solo...

“What’s the purpose of a guitar solo?”

A

real solo. Not a solo of eight bars, normally following the second rendition of the chorus, where the guitarist gets a small chance to surpass the prominence of the vocalist. Of the Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton variety.

The sort where the guitarist dominates a large section of the song. Where they carry the listener away from what they know and into a realm that they never even considered possible. In essence, the type of guitar solo which can only be found by looking at music that probably features in your parents’ LP collection.

Photo by Jan Weber

The fact that the question can, and over Christmas really did, arise demonstrates how much technology and vocalists have come to dominate popular music. Guitar, or worse still bass, solos in popular music seem largely to be considered self-indulgent wranglings which hinder the marketability of a band. Interest in bands tends to be based not so much on their musical merit but rather on the level of extent and scandal of members’ extra-musical activities. Even in bands which are heralded for their musical progressiveness, few listeners can name more than one individual in the spotlight - the lead vocalist. In manufactured pop outfits where all members are vocalists, however, all names will likely be well known as all have to be able, and willing, to attract attention. However, if a band is actually going to be a band and not simply live support for a singer, it is critical that the other members are given the chance to demonstrate their, often quite prolific, skill.

Solos have always formed a key component of music by giving musicians the space to demonstrate their talent and understanding of the specific nature of their instrument. On any other melodic instrument, or even a classical or jazz guitar, talented soloists are revered for their skill. Guitarists in popular outfits, on the other hand, are normally considered to be boring the audience if their solo lasts more than a few bars. Even in popular music, a great DJ can mix tracks and beats for an entire night or a vocalist can be listened to for a whole gig without receiving the damning inditement of ‘tedious’ normally ascribed to a guitarist who becomes the centre of attention for a few minutes. If listeners are unable either to sing-along or head-bang (or preferably both), then enjoyment, the fundamental meaning behind all music, is considered lost.

The wide variety of music in which the guitar has long been adopted as an instrument-of-choice is both a result, and a cause, of its tremendous versatility. Whilst it can easily fill the roles of chord-playing vocal support, quirky riffs and leading brain-crumbling metal, it also has the potential for so much more.

It is high-time for guitarists to again embrace every facet of their instruments’ character and restore the guitar to its rightful place of innovation and fusion of styles and techniques.

Quite simply, the guitar can push the parameters of not only guitar music, but all music. It can take the mantle back from technology and absorb the best of both, possibly reconstructing many of the perceived givens in music as we currently know it as it has done before. It just needs to be given the room to do so.

BY KATE MISSENDEN

A

lthough it’s the nearing the end of January and we’ve already reached week three of the spring term I think we can all agree that the year is still young. With the New Year comes an opportunity for change, and within the Vision music team we have seized that chance and set down a few resolutions for 2009:-

1) As of 2009 we promise to give folk a chance. No longer will we pour scorn upon dirty shoes and an unkempt beard; that prejudice has been left firmly in 2008.

2) As of 2009 we promise to stop bad mouthing the emo kids. If they want to look daft and listen to My Chemical Romance then that’s their misguided call; live and let live!

3) And finally, as of 2009 we promise to ask around dark alleys and dingy clubs to see if there was anyone who might be able to ‘sort out’ Scouting For Girls.

They won’t be so lovely after we’ve finished with them.

I think that we can all agree that the world of music journalism will be a better place thanks to these radical changes. But it wasn’t enough, we couldn’t stop at just self-improvement; we realised that there are so many problems within the music world and 2009 could be the year to fix them. We only have one more year left of the decade; do we really want to look back and cringe, as we do with nineties? No, of course not! If the music industry simply followed the sage advice of the Vision music team we could salvage the credibility of the ‘noughties’…

Mark Ronson needs to get out from behind the music desk.

I’m sorry to have to be the one to break it to you Mark but you’re only a pro-

ducer. We know that the 2003 release ‘Here Comes The Fuzz’ wasn’t a huge success but at least it was musically credible; 2007’s ‘Version’ just seems lazy: all the songs are covers, it’s overly reliant on guest stars and seems obsessed by the horns section. In 2009 we’d like to see you create some original music or at least just stop re-hashing old classics.

model, it-girl and socialite lay-about tried their hand on the turntables. With all the celebrities busy emptying the dancefloor instead of buying expensive drinks it's no wonder we’re in the midst of a recession.

Razorlight must dine on humble-pie.

Should Johnny Borrell elect to sit back and cast an introspective eye over his Glasvegas need to cheer up. relatively short back-catalogue then We know that it's grim up in Glasgow perhaps he may not so keen to extol himbut surely Glasvegas must have made self as a song-writing prodigy. Asides enough money now from ‘Golden Touch’ to move down to (a song only slightly England., if they hate above average) what Scotland so much. It's right has this man one thing to write misto promote himself erable songs but with as some sort of songa critically acclaimed writer? Whether it’s album, sell-out tours his overblown (and and all the teary-eyed groundless) arrogroupies they can gance or even his handle surely they toad like aesthetic. must be able to crack I can honestly say, a smile now. But no, without exaggeraCheer up mate... it might James Allen’s wretchtion, that Johnny ed turn on comedy Borrell makes me never happen! quiz Nevermind The violently sick. So in Buzzcocks proved that the spirit of the New even in a room full of Year we’d like to sugcomedians the despondent front-man gest that Razorlight spend a little less can’t even raise a chuckle. Come on blowing their own horns and little more Glasvegas, at least you’ve had a better time learning the art of modesty and year than Dirty Pretty Things! perhaps practicing the whole 'musician' thing.

Soulwax to start writing their own .

Pink needs to calm down. songs again.

Its been at least five years since Any Why is this girl so angry? With pugMinute Now was released and although face, peroxide hair and an unlistenable the ‘Fucking’ Dewaele Brothers have album she is no treat for the eyes or since given the world a plethora of defin- the ears. Since her chart-topping single itive remixes (in the form of 2ManyDJs), ‘Get the Party Started’ Pink seems to we are beginning to miss their original have lost the fun from her life, perhaps electro-rock tunes. Perhaps in 2009 they she has been working too hard. Here at may deign to produce another classic to Vision we know how to relax and we’d rival msterpiece 'E Talking'. like to share some of those tips with Pink: next time you feel like cutting We need to end the cult of the celeb- down a tree or screaming a newly-weds rity DJ. perhaps you could just have a nice hot Why is Peaches Geldoff bath with a glass of wine and a decent more qualified to be a book. It would do you a world of good.

DJ than you or I? This is a trick question, she Scouting for Girls to leave the charts isn’t. Even the fella in alone.

Ziggy’s is better than In fact just leave us all alone. Just go. her (and he plays the Cha Cha Slide every week). This year it seems that every

BY JOSEPH MCDERMOTT

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FRANZ FERDINAND Tonight: franz ferdinand - OUT NOW

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Joseph McDermott LILY ALLEN

I

t seems that so many bands are producing their masterpieces first and tailing off ino obscurity. First Razorlight, then the Kaiser Chiefs, so are Franz Ferdinand destined to follow the tragic path?

Straight from the start Franz Ferdinand seem keen to prove themselves as a vital and relevant act; the album refuses to rest on the laurels of 2004’s eponymous debut and as a result the listener is treated to a fresh and exciting record. Drawing heavily on the vibrant disco-pop of the 70’s and the darker synth-beats of the 80’s Franz Ferdinand have created an album as mysterious and chaotic as it is dark and delicious.

The hushed verses and frenzied chorus of new single ‘Ulysses’ mirror the record’s smooth mix of subtle art-rock and catchy, riff-heavy anthems; radio-friendly crowd pleasers (‘No You Girls’ and ‘Bite Hard’) mingle perfectly with the intelligent synthrock of tracks like ‘Twilight Omens’ and ‘Can’t Stop Feeling’.

The album gains momentum right up until the pivotal climax of eight-minute epic ‘Lucid Dreams’: the track is split into two halves, the former typical of Franz Ferdinand and a latter half that sounds more akin to Justice that the Glasgow art-rockers.

Its surprises such as these which ensure the band’s prominence, though they don’t attempt to escape their previous image Franz Ferdinand are not afraid to take risks. ‘Tonight: Franz Ferdinand’ is not quite a masterpiece but it is spectacularly close.

✰✰✰✰✰

JOSEPH MCDERMOTT

'The Fear' OUT NOW Lily Allen is back: emerging from the haze of her party days darker and wittier than ever.

‘The Fear’ places the bouncy pop of ‘Alright, Still’ firmly behind her and demonstrates a more intelligent and thoughtful side of the controversial singer.

Brilliantly written with the perfect marriage of clever parody and a catchy synthesizer; ‘The Fear’ is a smooth, original and very cutting satire of the modern celebrity.

Morrissey

'I'm Throwing My Arms Around' OUT NOW Morrissey is known as, amongst other things, a lyrical genius and his latest record is once again testament to his sterling reputation. Simple but poetic lyrics are enhanced by musical director Boz Boorer’s lush and sweeping instrumentation.

Unsurprisingly the track uses bitter lyrics to taint sweet melodies with typical Morrissey aplomb; as lovably self-important and pompous as ever ‘I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris’ is perfect for those of us who wished that 2006’s ‘Ring Leader of the Tormentors’ would never end.

MILEY CYRUS

'FLy on the Wall' OUT NOW

LADY GAGA

BON IVER BLOOD BANK EP

THE FAME OUT NOW

OUT NOW

A

weird mix of Katy Perry meets Madonna; Lady GaGa’s ‘The Fame’ provides all you’d really want from a pop/dance album, if you’d even want a pop/ dance album that is. It’s full of bouncy dance infused songs accompanied with ditzy lyrics about boys, money and dancing in clubs after having had a few to many. You won’t find anything quite as catchy as her current single ‘Just Dance’ and if you listen to it throughout it all sounds remarkably similar but there are a few gems. ‘Brown eyes’ and ‘Again Again’ are the only real proof that she’s actually a decent songwriter and not just processed pop, but these are suffocated by the rest of the albums auto-tuned vocals and annoying reused synth beats.

‘Just Dance’ and possibly ‘Poker Face’ are the only songs that would make it onto your pre-lash play list and will undeniably be hits on club dance floors. The electro vibe and catchy choruses are ideal for drunken nights but you’d probably need to detox your ears if you listened to the whole album on a sober walk into uni (that’s if you managed to survive the whole album). Basically, it won’t cure cancer, save the world or the economy, but it gets you to stop thinking and, well…just dance.

J

ustin Vernon, better known as Bon Iver, seemingly came from nowhere last year, when his lonesome, heartbroken debut 'For Emma, Forever Ago' was released to huge acclaim. Recorded during a wintertime stint alone in a log cabin in Wisconsin, the record provided a moving account of his personal journey.

'Blood Bank' is the first Bon Iver release since 'For Emma, and as such is the first not to rely partly, for its effect, 'on the context of its recording. The new songs are similar in style to what came before; the title track marries oblique romantic lyrics with haunting backing vocals, and the shorter 'Beach Baby' is simpler, a familiar sparse arrangement led by Vernon’s falsetto.

'Babys' is the most openly optimistic Bon Iver track yet, lively piano chords providing a backdrop for hopeful words about the mating season. 'Closer Woods' is an oddity, the same four lines repeated over and over, auto-tuned to provide a strangely affected a capella track, in the style that Imogen Heap used a couple of years ago.

It might lack the collective power of his album, but 'Blood Bank' brings four consistently very good songs together, showing promise for whatever Vernon may produce next.

✰✰✰✰✰

✰✰✰✰✰ RACHEL KNOX

✰

PETE BURGESS

This is the third single by bouncy pop-starlet Miley Cyrus since she completely shed her previous ‘Hannah Montana’ image.

The Disney actress has fashioned a very profitable niche in the teen market pleasing everyone from young children to childish young adults. ‘Fly on the Wall’ is more a chaotic effort than the instant classic ‘See You Again’; a quick tempo and distorted guitar riff lend this track an Avril Lavigneesque rock theme. Although the record lacks originality it’s definitely fun, just don’t expect to be able to remember the tune once the song finishes.

Glasvegas

'Flowers and Football Tops' OUT NOW The track opens with the miserable wailings of downhearted Scotsmen: so far so Glasvegas. Nagging, whiney lyrics tarnish an otherwise pleasant melody; the song only manages to plod on for just over three minutes and doesn’t seem to go anywhere. My overriding impression of ‘Flowers and Football Tops’ was bleak and dull: a negative comment to most but judging by the previous Glasvegas releases that seems to be the sound they’re going for.

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Zomby

THE NEXT BIG THINGS...

The next giant of dub-step Maverick producer Zomby is the name on everyone's lips with fast, dirty grime.

AND ONE YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED...

Islands La Roux Eccentric indie-rock Brilliantly quirky and endlessly inventive... a typical product of their Montreal background.

Electronic synth-pop Fantastic English electro-duo named after the front-woman's distinctive red hair.

HOT CHIP

FRANK TURNER

robert wyatt and geese ep

love, ire and song

OUT NOW

H

ot Chip’s EP is a collaborative re-recording of four songs from ‘Made In The Dark’. Their chosen maestros are Robert Wyatt, they describe him as “the godfather of the experimental psych-prog world”, and ‘Geese’, aka Emma and Vince from The Elysian Quartet. The first track ‘Made in the Dark’ is probably the least changed: it keeps the main lyrics though has gained a couple of backing singers. Softly and slightly out of tune they repeat the chorus after Alexis, bringing the awesomeness of the song slightly back down to earth. Wyatt then brings in his characteristic jazzy vibes with a trumpet that plays with the melody in the background, if it’s possible the song becomes even more nostalgic; I can see the trumpet player on his window sill staring at the moon.

‘Whistle For Will’ is given an emphatic orchestral beginning complete with symbols and deep drums that continue right through the song ready to morph into a Beatles-like fade out; it’s all drums and whistling. Here Wyatt also joins in for some singing, ‘Will’ gets a bit of South London twang, contrasting to Alexis’ soothing voice but it definitely works. With the last two songs ‘We’re Looking For A Lot Of Love’ and ‘One Pure Thought’ ‘Geese’ joins the team bringing some tribal sounds with what sounds like a kora, unusual in Hot Chip but somehow it goes, tapping into their trance like tendencies; there’s even some yoga-like ‘ohms’. The overall effect of the songs is different but Hot Chip’s unmistakable melodies keep us tied to the originals; nothing’s lost but a bit of dreamy spirituality is gained.

It’s strange, but then Hot Chip are strange and, like them, it’s all good.

✰✰✰✰✰

SOPHIE HILL

H

OUT NOW

aving toiled away for years playing toilet-circuit gigs for a cult following of devoted fans, Frank Turner is finally beginning to achieve the plaudits he so richly deserves. It’s rare to find a singer-songwriter who isn’t instantly signed by a record company after one decent tune, and it’s even rarer to find a talent as impressive as Frank's to be ignored by the mainstream for so long.

Finally though, this injustice has begun to be noticed. Radio 1 have picked up on the radio-friendly ‘Reasons Not To Be An Idiot’ and fans of intelligent story-telling lyrics and heart-wrenching acoustic strumming have begun to take note. Of the many highlights, the country-tinged ‘Photosynthesis’ is a jaunty ‘fuck you’ to a world desperate to conform and a campfire classic. ‘Long Live the Queen’ is an infectious ode to a lost friend that combines optimistic and poignant lyrics with a tune so merry it could make any funeral enjoyable. And ‘Substitute’ demonstrates Turner’s knack for poetic and frank lyrics with the line: “if music was the food of love, then I’d be a fat romantic slob”.

Perhaps Frank’s relative obscurity up until now is due to the fact he’s not particularly handsome, he’s almost in his thirties, and he’s not a drug-riddled rockstar. Instead, Frank has perfected the nice guy persona and stuck to his true punk credentials by ignoring any clichéd fads and scenes, writing melody infused masterpieces about love, life, and friendship. Fingers crossed, the world is finally ready for some honesty.

✰✰✰✰✰

JIM NORTON

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COLDPLAY LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA 10-12-08

I

touched Chris Martin’s arm. What more can I say? (the music editor has clarified that I should write more than this). So I will. It was a rather kack day to start off with to be honest. I was ill, poor, with an essay due in two days time and the train I had booked to Liverpool was an hour and a half late, which was worse considering for no reason I had booked the 6.30am train from York arriving in Liverpool ten hours before the concert was about to start. I also forgot my glasses, arrived at the venue with my friend and found that I was sitting in row ZZZ by the disabled toilets and the ‘industrial size portion’ burger bar. The opening acts were also rather terrible and awkward… I thought my £42 ticket + £2.75 booking fee would be wasted.

But then Coldplay came on. Starting off with their epic song ‘Life in Technicolor’ (drums, riffs but no actual lyrics), they then broke into ‘Yellow’ with more than 100 inflatable yellow balloons dropping into the audience below. Never a more angelic sight had been seen by my own eyes (apart from maybe any future boyfriend).

I’ve never been to a concert when all of the songs

that followed on from each other were pure gold, none of which were filler. ‘Politik’ was edgy and brought back into the song, ‘Vida La Vida’ was incorporated with loud bangs of a nearby church bell and ‘Lovers of Japan’ were accompanied with millions of confetti. The only dud records were classic songs that had been adjusted to new versions, such as a weird electro version of ‘God Put a Smile Upon My Face’ mixed with ‘Talk’.

These songs followed the age old trick of ‘If it’s not broke, why fix it?’

Half way through the concert I wanted to go for a wizz, only to find a rather robust security guard was blocking my entry. The band then disappeared from the stage, walked down the side of the arena to the back and then performed a simply beautiful acoustic edition of ‘Green Eyes’ and ‘Death Will Never Conquer Me’. That’s when I reached out and touched Chris Martin’s arm. I can die happy now.

SCOTT BRYAN

The Waking Hours FIBBERS

After a perhaps excessive interlude that may have been designed to build up anticipation, but merely allowed me to load myself up with some more pre-Gallery drinks The Waking Hours took to the stage. Although their appearance might suggest they are a band of disparate influences the band soon put any doubts to the back of my mind with a performance that was tight and a cacophony of unity.

Nottingham New Years Eve Countdown

H

Y

ork University isn’t exactly known for producing quality bands, so the prospect of seeing one headline a night at Fibbers didn’t immediately fill me with anticipation. For a wet Thursday night the venue was surprisingly full, perhaps hype

NOTTINGHAM

igh Contrast, Shy FX, Annie Mac, Kissy Sell Out, Rusko, Scatch Perverts… sound like a dream line up for perfect New Year's? Yes, yes it does. That and a handful of pills and you're away. FUCKING FLYING. [Vision in no way condones the use of pills for none medicinal purposes--ED] Nottingham’s indoor festival, which consisted of six arenas in three clubs where fifty DJs took us on a pulsating journey of drum and bass, dub step, reggae, electro and breaks, ensured we were literally plunged into 2009, taken down to its grimiest depths by the thumping bass.

Kissy Sell Out dominated the upstairs of Stealth nightclub from 11.30 onwards, getting blood pumping, while the turntable madness of the Scratch Perverts kept the buzz of Rescue Rooms nightclub alive. Their creative tight, dense mixes vibrated through the club as ‘Watch the Ride’ scaled from bouncy hip-hop to drum and bass destruction.

After Nu:tone and Logisitics warmed up the euphoric crowd in the main hall of Rock City nightclub, drum and bass DJ High Contrast’s quick, clever and energetic mixing style tore us through the countdown and into the new year with his infectious repertoire of mega hits.

The wobbling bass of Rusko’s 2 am dub step set in Rock City’s basement got to such sinister depths that the mighty Highness Sound system speakers blew. The sub shattering bass was just too powerful to be contained. He later teamed up with Tomb Crew to thrust us into the early hours of the morning with a combination of swooping spacey synths layered with laidback reggae verses.

Finally Annie Mac’s brought us to the cheerful hour of six with her take on High Contrast’s remix of Adele’s ‘Hometown Glory’. Her frank declaration of being ‘absolutely fucking shitfaced’ perhaps set the tone for the whole of 2009. It was a brilliant end to a fantastic night of quality music mayhem.

had been developing behind the band that I was unaware of. The support: The Blueprints and The Station Club were raucous, pulsating groups who managed to shake the skinny jeaned audience out of their January examination blues with a short set of energetic, jangly new-age Indie rock.

The set began with a hook driven song whose simplicity allowed the clean vocals and power to immediately engage the now suitably inebriated crowd. Although not overly technical, distinctive drums and sometimes painfully honest vocals raise the band above the ever more depressing mire of standard Indie blandness. Although brief the set suggested that the band has enough potential to grace bigger stages and entertain larger crowds.

ANDY NICHOLS

THE FUTUREHEADS york duchess 20-12-08

I

t’s not been a great year for the British class of 2004. Those cited for great things seem to have disappeared into the abyss – take your Hell Is For Heroes, your Von Bondies et al, while those who traipse on ditch their muso credentials for elaborate pompous pop catastrophes – see Razorlight and the Killers.

So therein lies the perplexing notion of The Futureheads – not sure whether they want to write chart pop gems or stick to their 4-track Mackem roots, they seem to create a little of both – but far from patchy crossover albums they have created a consistent quality which they translate onto the stage with a great deal of energy and personality. The crowd in the packed out Duchess is a mixed bag of sports jackets and rolled up sleeves, showing the diverse nature of their fanbase. Despite the York

date being the last on the tour they give a lively and joyous performance, preceeded by a typically ADHD boosted set from spiky feedback swashed art-pop upstarts Johnny Foreigner.

Their tales of debauched nights and vinyl collections gracing the city for the third time in six months, they seem now to be a certifiably safe bet for big things in 2009.

Overall the night was enjoyable, marred only by one too many impatient calls for ‘Hounds of Love’ and one too many terrace chants. An encore of old material including a spasmodic rendition of ‘Carnival Kids’ and a jubilantly festive Christmas cover appeases for the minor quibbles and everybody leaves happy. No signs of The Futureheads succumbing to the curses of their 2004 siblings just yet.

JOE MILAM JENNY MCLARNEY

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♥ MUMFORD AND SONS VISION

s

HOLLIE PRICE TELLS YOU WHY: They’re in the music business. And that’s all folk…(s) Possibly one of the tweest of the twee names for the last couple of…well… months now (even if they don’t have a ‘Noah’ or his ‘whale’ in sight), Mumford and Sons wanted their name to sound like a little musical company: “we spent a bit of time working on the story now and we wanted to be a bit like a family-run business vibe, like a paint brand or whatever”. And they make looking like a haphazardly thrown-together familial four-piece look like a pretty cheerful, and - let’s face it - a little bit tweedy, life. And it’s like they’re extending their family-run business of making music already: Ben Lovett (keyboards and organ) has been “helping to record seven songs in two days for our friend Peggy Sue, I’ve got two days off from Mumford and Sons so I’m trying to get this done. It’s stressful but it’s nice hanging out with the girls”. They don’t call him Ben Lovett ‘Bloody Loves it’ for nothing ladies…“well, I guess I just like to have fun…but I work pretty hard too”. Hmmm.

They’re not really a Mumford and his sons.

“I wouldn’t say Marcus was the Dad, we’ve settled on it that if anything we’re four brothers and Marcus is the oldest Mumford brother, well kind of ”. That’s sorted out that one then. The twenty/twenty-one year olds are formulating folksy melodies like ‘Roll Away Your Stone’ like nobody’s business, even getting a couple of mentions on that good ol’ institution, Radio One…So it doesn’t really matter if their name is technically not true. Ben underlines the fact that they're tighter-knit than your grandma's scarf: “Yeah, I went to school with Marcus when I was eight and the others went to school together”. It all sounds a bit lovely really.

But they don’t dress to impress.

They may be down with the music kids but “if anything...we’re just a little bit shabby”. You probably wouldn’t bring them home to meet your mum. Renowned for an eclectic dress-sense of corduroy elbow patches, baggy country pantaloons and pork-pie hats, the lads are…pretty much strangers to fashion. Not up for a bit of Borrell skinny action? Or the old Kings of Leon pointy-shoe and crucifix combo then? “I don’t think any of us have been shopping for years, and we definitely don’t go shopping together”. They’re not the scenest kids of the bunch.

They’re not the only ones banging out tunes on the banjo and dancing around dingy pubs in the big old city of London town. They’ve got a little help from their friends.

And not bad friends they are, already set up with the bright young Folk Set of today, Mumford and Sons are frequently associated with the others of their creed, Laura Marling and the Noah and the Whale lads. “We used to play gigs with them down at a pub in South-West London but we’re always getting asked about them, we’re not in a ‘scene’…we don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves but at the same time, it’s nice to find other guys who play the banjo or the double bass in the middle of London...it’s just lucky that they’re our friends”. But the road ahead is bleak for the Mumford massive as the tour will be the “first time without our friends”.

They’ll be getting out of their folk-flavoured fissure in the music scene… one of these days...well soon.

Ben: “I don’t really like the word ‘scene’. It kinda points towards being a bit fake”.

Yeah so it’s nice really, they get to play their slightly sad songs and dance about a fair bit with their folksy friends. And nothing else is required for the Folk scene.

Except maybe to be young and beautiful and an 18 year-old prodigy like Marling... but y’know, every ‘community’ (as Marcus likes to call it) has its entry requirements. Too right. Wouldn’t want any old riff-raff in your ummm ‘community’.

They even like a bit of Jay-Z, from time to time.

“We all like different things, we were loving Jay-Z and Kings of Leon at Glastonbury, we like a bit of the mainstream sometimes”. So Mumford and Sons might not even be copying from the same folksy page as Marling soon enough: the boys are also getting ready to add a little bit of jazz and country to their decidedly blues/ rootsy influences. Winston (banjo, dobro) is “really into his country music” and appears to be planning “a hip-hop-country revolution, it’s definitely well… umm unique”. Whereas Ben and Marcus have been frequenting the jazz clubs of London of late, who’d have thought... they’re thinking about mixing things about a bit already. Ben says of the music scene these days: “It’s thriving. I don’t know if there’s really an 'art of the album' anymore but people seem to be a lot more up for trying different types of music. It’s just not the same as the Nineties, when you could just be force-fed music...”

"WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT COLDPLAY REINCARNATED AS HILLBILLIES..."

They’re that little bit cheery, despite all the love and loss and stuff.

Not up for being defined as a band so early in their friendly folksy days, “we’re definitely not Coldplay reincarnated as hillbillies..we’re just trying to find our feet”. Their album should be recorded by Autumn and will be another one for fans of ‘The Set’ - “All our songs are about love or loss or friendship” - sounds a bit like White Lies but Mumford and Sons are in a little London-shaped league of their own down there.

And Five Years Time is a long way away.

“We have NO plans to split up ever”. Well that’s a good start then. “Our music’s all about honesty. As long as the songs stay honest, we’ll keep writing them” and songs like ‘White Blank Page’ will have you weeping away and wishing you got to play the banjo and sit next to good old L.M. at the pub. Aah well, this is a chore left up to Mumford and Sons and all their whimsical music-making business, and to be fair, it seems like they’re make a good job of it.

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Slumdog Millionaire Dir. Danny Boyle

J

amal Malik (Dev Patel of Skins fame) has reached the final question on India’s version of Who wants to be a Millionaire? He’s one question away from an unprecedented 20 million rupee windfall. But he's a slum dwelling call centre assistant, and slum dwelling call centre assistants don't win 20 million rupees.

How, proposes the film in its opening stages, has he managed to get this far? Did he cheat? Is he a genius?

Is he lucky? Or is it his destiny?

The premise may seem unbelievable, (how often do people get past question eight or nine in our version of the quiz?), but director Danny Boyle has imbued the film with a sense of reality through believable character arcs and stunning shots of the real India which serve only to augment the enjoyment of an amazing story rather than slow the film down.

The Reader

The story of Jamal’s life is shown through flashbacks as he explains to a police chief the incredible story of how he knew the answers. We see him at three stages in his past: a young child in the slums; a street child who has to resort to a life of pick pocketing to survive and as a young man, finally working in an honest job. The performances by each of the actors playing Jamal are undoubtedly fantastic but it is far from being a one man show. Impressive performances by the children and young actors playing Latika, the object of Jamal’s affection, and Salim, Jamal’s morally questionable brother, make not caring for the characters an extremely difficult task.

so much more than a few ups and downs on a rigid track. Thanks to an amazing script, fantastic direction and truly award-worthy performances, seeing this film should be at the top of everybody’s to do list.

Tom Mcdermott The perfect cure for... Anyone questioning whether happy endings really exist.

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It is a very rare occasion when a film can truly be said to be a real “rollercoaster experience” and in all honestly the phrase doesn’t really fit Slumdog Millionaire.

The rich mixture of comedy, excitement, tension and amazing visuals in the film accounts for

Sex Drive

Dir. Sean Anders

Dir. Stephen Daldry

D

ue to the overbearing importance of the Oscars at this time of year, it sadly becomes impossible to venture into the cinema without a hint of scepticism that perhaps all of the hard hitting drama we are viewing is merely just a ploy to fall into Uncle Oscar’s lap. Such is the case with The Reader, the film adapted from the award winning and Oprah Winfry endorsed novel by Bernhard Schlink.

It certainly has all of the supposed ingredients for a golden statuette, telling the tale of a 15 year old boy, Michael (David Cross) living in Heidelberg in the 1950s who has an affair and eventually falls in love with a woman in her thirties, Hanna (Kate Winslet). Later, studying as a law student, he comes across her again, except this time she is standing as the accused for her part played as a guard in the concentration camp in Auschwitz. As an adult (Ralph Fiennes), Michael is troubled by aspects of Hanna’s case and how he is now supposed to relate to her.

Some will view the film’s shoehorning of the atrocities of the Holocaust into a story about a controversial (and explicit) relationship between a child and an adult to be a direct plea for Oscar consideration.

Somehow it works though, with both halves (and they are very distinctly different) of the film echoing and tying into each other. The Reader, however, was never meant to be a “Holocaust movie"; if anything it is “post-Holocaust” as it questions the forced ignorance of a whole generation, just as Michael must question his blissfully ignorant relationship with Hanna.

Cross conveys the awkwardness and boyish immaturity of Michael wonderfully but it is Winslet who undergoes a transformation, both physically and emotionally. By the end of the film it is hard to recognise her wizened yet frightened face and it is in this characterisation perhaps that the film works best.

However, it also sets itself up for a fall; since the film is so concerned with detachedness and questioning, it can be hard to find a character to warm to at all in the movie, since they all appear so introverted and unable to reach out to each other. There are other minor faults, (even Winslet’s slight german accent doesn’t make up for the fact that this is based on a german book yet played with English speaking actors) but ultimately The Reader’s main faux pas is not that it wants to look serious for Oscar season, but rather that once it has decided to be serious, it doesn’t know quite what to do with itself.

Laura Cress The Perfect Cure for...

Anyone who still doesn't think that Kate Winslet is way overdue for an Oscar win

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ex Drive certainly proved to be a highly amusing evening out, but if you’re looking for the next evolution in teen-based comedy then I’m afraid you’ll find the premise of the film is nothing new. Drawing on the now ‘age old’ style of American Pie and the always amusing Road Trip, Boat Trip, and any other kind of trip you feel like taking, Sex Drive follows the tale of 18 year old unlucky-inlove virgin Ian (Josh Zuckerman ) who is looking to lose his virginity before college.

S

To make the plot a little more ‘complex’, in order to pop said cherry, Ian has to drive 500 miles across the country with his two best friends, the smooth talking Lance and girl of his dreams Felicia, to meet his internet date Ms. Tasty. But the plot thickens: in order to reach his goal, Ian has to steal his testosterone fueled older brother’s car which just happens to be his prize possession. Along the road, the gang encounters Amish farmers, abstinence carnivals, prisons and much more, and this is really where the comedy begins.

After a reasonably unpromising start, the film really picks up, throwing in totally random sections and some classic performances, such as Seth Green’s Amish farmer with a passion for sarcasm. And let’s face it, what American teen movie would be complete without a cameo from Fall Out Boy, some topless girls and several misunderstandings about sexual orientation. All these basics lead to some great snappy one-liners, mainly from Ian’s lothario best friend Lance, and a hilariously OTT performance from James Marsden (the older brother), which takes a not unpredictable but still very funny twist at the end.

Although the jokes are crude, they are all the better for it, and besides, what else can you expect from this genre of film?

Sex Drive definitely makes for a enjoyable night out, but its not a must see at the cinema. This kind of film would be just as good watched with your housemates on DVD, as it really triggers a lot of banter! It will be a good while yet before this kind of film does anything particularly new, so for now we may as well buckle down and enjoy the comforting crudity and cringes we all know and love.

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Annie Duffield The Perfect Cure for...

A rainy afternoon

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Vision'S%Top 5....

Cinematherapy:

The Healing Powers of Film The late great Swedish auteur, Ingmar Bergman once said: “No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul.” But can this idea really be applied in a practical sense? Can beaches really help you to cope with the death of a loved one? Can When Harry Met Sally help you through a tricky relationship? Can Raiders of the Lost Ark help you to overcome arachnophobia? A growing number of therapists who use ‘cinematherapy’ argue that the emotions that people feel in response to situations in these films (in ‘reel’ life, if you will) can actually help them to deal with similar situations in their own lives.

Birgit Woltz, a German born psychotherapist and marriage counsellor who lives in Oakland, California is arguably the world’s most famous cinematherapist. In her book E-Motion Picture Magic: A Movie Lover’s Guide to Healing and Transformation she describes how in 2002 she decided to use cinema in her practice almost on a whim: ‘“I had led therapy groups and I love movies, so I thought, why not put the two together?” The intention was to create a therapy group for people who love movies but with the emphasis on discussing the issues raised by the films rather than their artistic merit. The first three films that the group watched and discussed were Sliding Doors (which deals with relationships and intimacy issues), Groundhog Day (which explores issues of feeling stuck in a rut) and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (which deals with eating disorders and being in a codependent relationship). From these first few group sessions, Birgit Woltz’s cinematherapy grew and she has since written a number of articles and a book on the subject and has a regularly updated website. (www.cinematherapy.com).

Cinematherapy is exactly the kind of thing that many otherwise open-minded and intelligent people are so quick to dismiss as yet another example of an American, new-age, self-help fad. It should be noted then that the idea of using stories (especially performed stories) in order to help deal with emotions is not a new one. In many ways it is merely an expansion and continuation of the Ancient Greek idea of catharsis at the end of a tragic play which Aristotle claimed helped to cleanse the mind and help to release pent up emotions. Certain contemporary psycho-analysts have attributed this to the ability of plays and films to appeal directly to our emotions rather than our intellect thus preventing the instinct to repress.

Obviously, a trip to your local Odeon is no substitute for a psychotherapist or psychiatrist and Woltz acknowledges this on her website stating that cinematherapy cannot be used to deal with severe emotional problems or severe depression. However, it is fascinating and often moving to read the testimonials on Woltz’s website and see how people’s experiences with films have helped them in such different ways from helping them to cope with a past trauma to inspiring them to take their lives in a new direction.

Charles Rivington

Experiment With...

I

s it Casablanca? Is it An Affair to Remember? Is it The Notebook?

Well, to paraphrase Amy ‘insert tired and insensitive drug/horse joke here’ Winehouse, ‘No! No! Hell no!’ The greatest romantic film of all time is in fact Harold and Maude.

Directed by Hal Ashby (who was later responsible for the magnificent Being There), the film follows Harold Chasen (Bud Cort), a rich Dir Hal Ashby and idle twenty year old with an obsession with death. Harold spends his time performing a series of disturbing - but hilarious - mock suicides and attending funerals of people he didn’t know, much to the dismay of his conservative mother (the hilarious Vivian Pickles) who just wants him to settle down and get married. It is at one of these funerals that he meets Maude, a vivacious, car stealing 79 year old who also goes to funerals recreationally because of her love of ‘the whole circle of life’. The two quickly become friends and Maude begins to teach Harold to embrace life and ‘L-I-V-E, Live!’.

Harold and Maude wasn’t particularly well received by critics on its release in 1971, many of whom deemed the film tasteless due to the age difference between the two leads (even though the physical side of their relationship is never shown, only suggested). This was perhaps in part due to the film’s marketing at the time which played up its black comedy and seemed to ignore its core love story.

This was a mistake because although frequently hilarious (particularly in the scenes in which Harold attends a series of blind dates that have been organised by his mother), what makes it such a beloved cult film are its more heartfelt moments. The two leads have such subtle and unusual chemistry that their age difference begins to feel immaterial and it’s Maude’s offbeat words of wisdom and ever-important messages of tolerance and anti-war that she so frequently imparts to Harold that will stick with you long after the film has ended.

The film also features a fantastic Cat Stevens soundtrack including two songs written specifically for it, Trouble and, the song which manages to encapsulate the film’ s message so perfectly, If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out. All in all, Harold and Maude is a timeless gem that will continue to charm and inspire people who stumble upon it for many decades to come. Watch it and then buy copies for your friends!

FIlms To Look forward to in 2009 1. Watchmen Dir. Zach Snyder

06/03/2009 With the fraught legal battle between Warner Bros and Fox having finally come to an end a couple of weeks ago, Zach Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s sprawling, multilayered graphic novel about angst ridden, not-so-superheroes has at last secured its place on our screens.

The novel was the most groundbreaking and complex example of its genre but will the film even begin to match its genius? Will it be the new Dark Knight or the new Fantastic Four? Geeks everywhere wait with bated breath to find out... CR

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Dir. David Fincher

06/02/2009 It’s going to be interesting to see if David Fincher of Fight Club fame has the talent to turn his hand to a story different from the gritty urban alienation he knows so well. But with his trusted partner in crime Brad Pitt along for the ride you can bet this strange tale of a man getting physically younger as he grows up will be a winner. LC

3. Inglourious Basterds Dir. Quentin Tarantino

21/08/2009 Inglourious Basterds - the long, long, long awaited Tarantino WW2 adventure film.

Starring Brad Pitt as the head of a crack battalion of Jewish-American soldiers whose sole aim to kill as many Nazis as possible. What could go wrong? TM

4. Vicky Cristina Barcelona Dir. Woody Allen

06/02/2009 After over ten years of false alarms, disappointments and not-quite-theres, the film described by American critics as Woody Allen’s real return to form finally hits our screens next month. As ever the great man has assembled a fantastic cast and his Mediterranean meditation on love and sex stars Penolope Cruz, Scarlet Johannson, Javier Bardem and the actor to watch out for, Rebecca Hall (who was recently nominated for the Bafta for ‘best newcomer’). CR

5. Sherlock Holmes Dir. Guy Ritchie

20/09/2009

Charles Rivington

The perfect cure for...

Ageism.

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law taking on the classic duo, throw in some of Guy Ritchie’s edge and this could be a cracker!

Not convinced? Trust in Downey Jr., there’s no part he can’t pull off in style. AD

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radioVISION

radio blah blah...%

TURN ON...

In his last column SCOTT BRYAN takes a look at the world of local radio, why it is all the same and why is it utter shite?

...TURN OFF

Fuck it. I am giving up this column. I can’t really get round to writing this anymore. I know that Vision is only out every four months now - that's if we don't get stopped by the censors (must not mention Visiongate must NOT mention Visiongate) - but apparently I have a degree and I am too busy to write this. Plus I have two subeditors who constantly nag me to write this page who deserve this more than I do (it takes two people!) and the only way I can write a successful column is if I am blind drunk in the journalist office singing along to the Smashing Pumpkins and downing White Strike.

So goodbye, I may wander into the depths of Lifestyle or go fucking crazy and write for Nouse, but this will be my final look into the media world for a fair while. It's been a pleasure. A time-consuming 2:2 earning pleasure.

Hollyoaks has managed to triple its amount of exciting scenes by having three dramatic fights in one week instead of the usual one! Yes!

Thus today it is RadioVision. I haven’t looked at the radio before on this page (well I know it is TV) so it is the RadioVision instead for one issue only. Have you listened to commercial radio? Have you twiddled that knob and given it a try? I know that it isn’t quite intended for our age range but, my god, is it crap. The names are always pretentious like ‘Intense 107.2’ or ‘Castrate 103.9’, but the main edgy DJs are generally awful and untalented, thinking that they are studs when in fact they are 45 years old and bald with three children, playing music that’s been watered down to fit in under three minutes. The songs comprise mainly of the wonderful lyrics like these: Savage Garden (‘I want to stand with you on a mountain, I want to stand with you in the sea’), Kylie (‘La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la’) or Deseree ( the epic ‘I don’t want to see a ghost, that’s a site I fear most, I’d rather have a piece of toast, watch the evening news’).

Apparently, Justin has always felt protective of Hannah, and when he sees her new beau Matt flirting with another girl in the SU bar, he is furious. Unable to hold back his rage as Matt continues to purposely irritate him, Justin lashes out and a fight breaks out between them. Unfortunately for Hannah, she receives a badly aimed punch from Matt and has to be rescued by Ash.

Fall into a coma - why not? If that is not worse then the adverts follow on. Yes, a company needs money, but three minutes of inane advertising from AmbulanceChasersRUs, broken windscreen replacement services and dictorial governmental health services (reinforcing the message ‘don’t-let-your-kid-inhale-while-drivingover-30-smoking-weed-without-wearing-a-seatbelt’) do not help. Then there is traffic and/or travel from Sally from the ‘Radio-Copter’.

Once I listened and I swear the person went: ‘Well there isn’t that much to report but it is the autumn now so expect a fair few tractors around and some congestion near the Botley interchange. If there is, give us a call’…

'THE ONLY WAY I CAN WRITE A SUCCESSFUL COLUMN IS IF I AM BLIND DRUNK IN THE VISION OFFICE SINGING ALONG TO THE SMASHING PUMPKINS DOWNING WHITE STRIKE...'

OK, perhaps I am starting to dig into it a little bit much. I’m not suggesting that we should do away with local commerical radio. They are important! For example BBC Local radio only started because in case of a nuclear holocaust and London was reduced to a smouldering hole in the ground, local news and information would still be able to be broadcasted from a local distance, meaning that death is in the most relaxing way possible. Now that’s a service.

Now it’s just a question of whether Justin has deeper feelings for Hannah. Since its Zac’s birthday next week, his sister arrives in town to join in the celebrations, however she isn’t pleased to find out Zac has always denied ever having a sister. For revenge she’s quick to jump into bed with ladies man Archie. Like any big brother would react after finding his sister in bed with the sleaze of the town, Zac throws him out of the bed and in his rage he even punches Archie!

Further to this they represent modern local society in a blatent way . They can inform and entertain at a local level (one local radio station in the Lake District has a weekly sheep auction each week), they are only round the corner from your newsagents (one guy I knew from the newsagents worked at a local radio station) and if you need them for anything, they are bound to answer by the third ring.

Also if I want to have a promising career in the media (and let my just state here The Scott Bryan Show on URY 1350AM and ury.york.ac.uk) I have to start somewhere, and I might as well start by playing Celine Dion and Westlife, as well as having an on air debate about the listeners' favourite dog. Now that’s a service.

So that’s it. I dedicate to this to my sub-editors Sophie and Sophie. Personally I get them constantly confused. Once when I didn’t give Sophie an article to write about, she yelled at me on the Gallery dancefloor about how unacceptable this was and how much she disliked me because of it.

I felt incredibly sad, I then sent a long and grovelly email explaining the situation, which I sent to the wrong Sophie.

They deserve this column a lot more than I do..

As for new characters, Hollyoaks plans to bring two more blonde bombshells to join the cast. For fans of the ‘Hollyoaks Later’ that aired in December, Melissa, Dom’s love interest in the episodes, will hopefully bring love back into Dom’s life.

SOPHIE WALKER

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GAMES GAMING GREATS FROM 2008 Vision's veteran gamers Aston Ramsden and Rob Sienkiewicz share their favourite games from the last year.

Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)

SuPer Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)

The end of a brilliant (albeit complicated) story told alongside phenomenal gameplay, blurring the line between films and games. This game is pure genius, awesome fun and probably the best looking game of 2008.

One of the best games to play with three friends and pound the snot out of each other.

Grand Theft Auto 4 (PS3, XBOX 360, PC)

Fallout 3 (PC)

Causing havoc has always been the priority in GTA games, the newest entry in the series builds on that with meaningful characters, a huge lively environment and a story that does more than just fill the gaps between missions. Awesome.

An outstanding RPG with a bleak post-apocolyptic setting.

Apollo Justice (DS)

Pixeljunk Monsters (PS3 Download only)%

Playing as a defence attorney seems like a terrible idea for a game, but somehow it works.

Interesting take on the tower defence genre (with awesome co-op play) has given me more hours of fun than most full priced games. Easily the best thing on the Playstation Store.

FAR CRY 2 (PC%PS3%XBOX360) Far Cry 2 is a new shooter from Ubisoft Montreal, sharing very little other than its name with the original. You fill the shoes of a malaria stricken assassin sent to Africa to kill ‘The Jackal’, an arms dealer supplying both sides of an inevitable civil war and just generally causing trouble.

The game features a beautiful open world which you can traverse on foot or in various vehicles; fun for a while but long distances can get tedious later. The GTA style mission based gameplay and the buddy characters who help you out keep the game interesting, but the constant hunt for malaria medication gets irritating and the random fits often come at the worst of times.

The AI plays a big part too; sometimes you will be flanked, sometimes run over and every now and then you’ll find that the bush you were hiding in has been set on fire!

An online multiplayer mode is also included (no split-screen, what the hell!?), which is fun for a while but there are much better, more popular, online games out there. Being able to make your own maps adds some novelty to it but not enough to trump the likes of Call of Duty, Left4Dead or Resistance 2.

If you like first person shooters, you can’t go wrong here. The story mode is solid, engaging, fun and pretty deep. Just don’t expect much from the multiplayer.

boom blox (Wii)

B

oom Blox is a collaboration between EA Games and Steven Spielberg, but it’s quite a long way from the likes of Schindler’s List and Jurrasic Park. The premise is simple: knock down a tower of blocks by throwing balls at it. It may be simple, but it’s far from easy. Once you get to grips with the controls, which are very intuitive, getting into the game is very rewarding.

The puzzles are devilishly tricky but rarely frustrating, which is a difficult line to walk, and there’s a good deal of variety in the challenges presented. As well as throwing balls around, you can shoot, explode and grab blocks to collapse towers, and each is fun in its own way.

The game does have multiplayer support, but this is where I feel the game is slightly weaker. Many of the choices are turn based and, whilst it does mean you can share remotes, this makes the game too slow to be exciting. However for single-players, there is a lot of longevity and replay value. It has a lot of features including some premade setups, which I found very useful indeed. The editor is pretty fun to play around with – I opened it up to have a look and wasted three hours!

With so many games out there labelled ‘gritty’ and ‘realistic’ (usually because they only feature various shades of brown and grey) it’s refreshing to see something like Boom Blox. It falls into the same category as Wii Sports or WarioWare, in that it’s just plain silly fun. It also makes good use of the Wii controls, which is good to see from a third party developer. Boom Blox is a game with a lot of charm, and strangely addictive. Plus it has lots of appealing primary colours.

Rob Sienkiewicz

Like games? Want to write about games? Email vision@yusu.org!

ASTON RAMSDEN

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the twilight zone

Vision escapes into the wonderful worlds of fantasy fiction, and discovers that there's more to fantasy than vampires and werewolves.

2

009 is the year of the fantasy genre, of this I am certain.

Even if books don’t get you excited, the overwhelming influx of fantasy/ sci-fi films and television shows is unavoidable (though for me Buffy the Vampire Slayer never can or will be beaten). The main player however is undeniably Stephanie Meyer’s epic Twilight Saga and the recently released film adaptation.

The film is good. The books are better. It’s an old argument but in this case a true one. It may seem tweenager orientated, and I can understand the scepticism of others but it really does appeal to all generations. In an age of sweaty Gallery grinding and one night stands, the understated love story of Edward and Bella stands as a symbol of old fashioned romantic ideals. With the story of a vampire boy falling in love with a human girl, Twilight has the same attraction as an Austen novel but at a level accessible to anyone over the age of ten.

Oddly, the main pulling power of Twilight lies in the fact that the happy couple are not allowed to have sex (until the fourth book!). The focus remains purely on sexual tension and chivalric romance, with the odd vampire attack or werewolf fight thrown in for good measure. True, the reason for this does not rest with any chastity belt morals but instead with the fact that Edward may accidentally bite Bella if he gets too excited, but the poetry is there nevertheless. The writing is simple, the action constant, but it is the relationship between Edward and Bella that reigns supreme.

Santa kindly bestowed the final book in the quadrilogy upon me and promptly finishing it by the end of Boxing Day I have to admit I was thoroughly satisfied. The story moves on significantly in this final instalment which is written as three books in one, for the first time not all from the perspective of Bella. Some of the plot twists left me a little uneasy (the vampire/human hybrid baby for example), being such a divergence from what preceeded but they were undeniably necessary for a satisfactory conclusion.

Being now able to hold the entire story in my mind I take full responsibility for recommending the series to you wholeheartedly. It may be childish but it’s addictive.

If vampires don’t quite get your blood racing (blood…vampires…geddit??) there are plenty of other stories falling within the fantasy spectrum. If lycanology appeals I would recommend the infinitely trashy and equally fantastic werewolf novel Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klaus. Also translated to big screen version (very poorly) in 2007, it tells the story of a werewolf girl torn between her love for a human boy and desire to be human, and her loyalty to her pack. The novel is a heady mix of addiction, violence and desire that leaves you feeling a little post-coital.

Not all fantasy books however necessarily feel the need to deal with attacks on humans and animalistic sex (though these are the best). Authors such as Tolkien and Pratchett, instead of distorting one aspect of the world we know, have created whole other unrecognisable universes simply through the genius of their imagination. Pratchett’s Discworld brings stories of witches, wizards and criminals into being, all grouped together upon the mysteriously flat Discworld, drifting stoically through the universe balanced on the backs of four elephants stood on top of a giant turtle. Tolkien’s Middle Earth needs no explanation given the huge success of the films but I would honestly recommend the books in their own right. There is an excess of description that hints at a certain indulgence on Tolkien’s part, however this does not detract from the magic of the world he creates but instead benefits the vastness of the scope. If you have a spare month then they’re worth a look.

Fantasy novels are not as unappealing as their reputation and though there is a definite element of escapism when reading such a book it does not mean that everyone who has read Robert Jordan feels the need to dress as a

wizard in a fantasy role play society. It is perfectly true that some stories are concerned with the fate of a protagonist called Kahlen or Crog or Quinn and their epic quest to rescue the Book of Shadows or the Seeds of Time or Red Globe of Destiny, and yet to restrict observation to these stories alone would be an injustice to a genre whose main feature is diversity. Disregard fantasy and you are disregarding the much loved J.K.Rowling and Phillip Pullman.

This said there is a definite helping of guilty pleasure to be gained from reading a fantasy novel that takes itself particularly seriously. And the worrying thing? You find yourself taking it seriously too.

t s i l t i h y s a t n fa In need of some more inspiration? Here are our top tips from the fantasy genre.

SPOTLIGHT

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GAMES

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Sebastian Faulks

Douglas Adams

Vintage 7.99

Mass Markets 6.99

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The series has since branched off into books, TV shows, films, comic books and a range of printed towels. All of these incarnations are different, with Adams retuning each one, but they all follow the same basic plot. The five books, printed between 1979 and 1992, follow Arthur Dent, an unlucky earthling, who is swept off the planet by Ford Prefect just before its demolition, and sets off on a mission for the ultimate question to the meaning of life.

Throughout the novel Engleby neglects to tell us he is at Cambridge, and we are left to guess from his highly detailed accounts of places and streets. This definitely leaves the reader questioning this man’s motives, which only increases when Engleby begins to take an unhealthy interest in Jennifer Arkland, a happy, intelligent and attractive girl who pays him little attention.

When his latest obsession mysteriously disappears and he is left holding her diary, we become abruptly aware of the power of the narrators manipulation on us and events begin to take on a dark twist. Up until this point the reader can almost sympathise with this harmless loner. Cracks begin to show when Engleby confesses to frequent memory loss, and the memory of picking her up on the night of her disappearance returns to him. The question left to the reader is, is this man capable of such atrocities, or is he as much of a victim as Jennifer Arkland?

The fifth book, Mostly Harmless, was published in the early 90s. A collection of Adams’ unfinished and unpublished works entitled The Salmon of Doubt was compiled in 2001 as memorial, the author having died in May of that year. But now, eight years since the compilation and almost sixteen years since the publication of Mostly Harmless, another sequel is in production, this time in the hands of Eoin Colfer.

The Irish author of Artemis Fowl – described as “Die Hard with fairies” is writing a sixth book in the series, And Another Thing, due for release next year. Adams himself once stated that Mostly Harmless seemed a “bleak book”, and spoke of a more upbeat finale to the series. Eoin Colfer intends to write this final book, though he is adamant that he is not trying to be Douglas Adams – rather, writing as himself with Adams cast of characters.

Reactions have been mixed. Adam’s widow has been in support of the project, giving the new author her blessing, but some fans have condemned it, with a Facebook group of 193 urging people to boycott the book. With the book enjoying such cult status, could such a sequel be accepted? Colfer is obviously believes it can, claiming that he is “bloody determined that this will be the best thing I have ever written”.

Having previously read Human Traces I was expecting something pretty dark and clever, and that’s exactly what I got. Although it was often an intense read it was also an amusing one. My only criticism is that it was quite a flaky read in places, and was in danger of being a little too subtle.

Hannah Belcher

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Victoria Lovegreen tells you what to do with your unwanted tomes

Walk around with them to look intelligent: This idea is for the true posers at heart. Walking around campus with a huge pile of books is certainly one way to draw attention to yourself as a smart and conscientious student, impressing, or panicking fellow seminar-goers. This depends on the books of course, and a flaw could be engaging in conversations about the unread literature you are clutching.

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LISTINGS

he Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy first reached audiences on BBC Radio 4 in 1978. The series was originally intended to chronicle a different end to the world in each episode, until Douglas Adams –reportedly – recalled an idea he had formulated whilst drunk in a field, and instead wrote the story of Ford Prefect, a roving reporter for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Engleby begins his story in the 1970s whilst studying at Cambridge University, where we are given an account of his early school days. Growing up in a traditional English boarding school, Engleby coldly describes the bullying he was often subjected to and his only escape: stealing. This soon leads to an obsession and his fragile mental state begins to unravel.

place

CULTURE

Engleby

ebastian Faulks has taken a daring step with his latest novel, taking the reader deeper than his previous novels. Faulks opens the door into the mind of the eccentric and aloof Mike Engleby, forcing you to step into a world which often leaves you feeling uneasy and perplexed. Full of satirical humour and psychological undertones, this is a raw representation of a traditional English education, and its effects on one man.

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INTERVIEW

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forth and be fabulous!

BEAN REAPING THE HARVEST In the last decade Richard Bean has taken the world of theatre by storm. This hot new playwright’s witty black comedies tackle up to date political issues in an interesting and provocative style. His most successful play, the award winning ‘Harvest’ has made its way to York’s Grand Opera House this February and is a must see for any Orton fans or indeed anyone wanting a good nights entertainment. Jenny McLarney catches up with the playwright to get an insight into Bean and this critically acclaimed comedy.

So Richard, what inspired you to become a playwright? Why did you make the leap into this completely different profession?

The play has said to show ‘true Yorkshire spirit’. Do you agree? Would a Yorkshire audience relate to it more than a London one?

Well it’s certainly about a kind of strange Yorkshire resilience. I mean it’s the history of the Harrison farm over 100 years and they go through a tough time and I suppose in many ways they are showing what Yorkshire people consider to be ‘Yorkshire spirit’. I don’t quite know what that is, but the Harrison family are certainly attacked from all sides and they stand their ground. There’s always an outsider coming onto the farm and trying to close them down and they just survive, survive, survive. In that sense it’s not really about Yorkshire spirit, it’s more about human resilience.

The play tackles a wide range of issues, for example there’s two world wars, attempted rape, terminal illness, commercial failure all formed under this comedic script. What main topic do you want the audience to come away talking about?

Well I used to work in industry, I was an occuIt is essentially a tragedy told through a comedy, that’s probably the style I try pational psychologist and I did that for about and work into most of my plays, if you take the jokes away they are tragedies.

20 years. In the end I just kind You need to have comedy to keep the audience entertained of burnt out, I suppose and I really. So I started doing stand up comedy would like " I'm not a poet and I don't do that kind of sensationwhich I did for about 6 years. to think the alist drama. So comedy's probably the only tool in my Of course when you do stand up you write your audience has own jokes nowadays, you don’t pay someone to do that. So it bag, thats what I use." engaged with the got me into the whole thing of writing and I ended up writfamily and felt ing jokes for BBC Radio 4, the £60 a minute kind of stuff. So I that they were with scratched along on that for a couple of years and started writing plays. them in their struggle. If your rooting for the underdog for two hours you can have quite a good time if you laughing at he same time.

Some of your plays such as ‘Toast’ draw on your past, is ‘Harvest’ similarly taken from your own experience?

So do you find comedy is an effective way in to portray more sinister themes?

Yeah, ‘Toast’ was my gap year really, instead of going round Thailand and sitting on a beach and doing whatever you do I Yeah, I guess it is but it’s the only spent a year in a bread factory. It doesn’t sound thing that I can do, I’m not a like a lot of fun but I did have a lot of fun. It’s poet and I don’t do that kind of very useful for me to just be immersed in a differsensationalist drama. So that’s ent culture. ‘Harvest’ is an East Yorkshire farmprobably the only tool in my bag, ing play. My parents are really country people, my that’s what I use. Other people can do what they like.

" You can only write what you've got in your head anyway." mother’s a daughter of a farm worker and so there are a lot of family stories in ‘Harvest’ actually. The first scene draws on a story of my great, great Uncle Tom, who was a big hairy tough Yorkshire man.

The only time he ever cried was when they took his horses for the First World War. So yeah it’s one of those family oral histories but there are lots of other stories within ‘Harvest’.

Your one of the few new playwrights that have been commissioned by the National Theatre, The Royal Court and The Bush in such a short period of time. Are you not surprised that your plays haven’t been taken up by the West End? It’s not a thing I really think about to be perfectly honest, there’s a certain type of play that works in the West End and I don’t write those kinds of plays. I mean ‘Harvest’ would never go to the West End because it’s too large a cast so it would be an expensive play to do. If it happens, it happens but I’ll never sit down and try and write a play for the West End. You can only write what you’ve got in your head anyway.

Would you ever consider TV or Film for your plays?

Yeah I’ve been asked by television companies to do version of the plays for TV and I’ve often been paid and done a good job by their standards but they’ve never been made. It’s a tough and different world TV, again you have to really sit down and write specifically for TV, which I don’t particularly want to do.

Your new play ‘England People are Very Nice’ is out this year. It also covers a large period of time. Do you find it an effective technique to illustrate the history behind the troubles?

Yeah I do very much, I think if you’ve got a period of time change in the play then it tends to deepen and make the issues feel more profound and you can see patterns of human behaviour developing. In ‘England People are Very Nice’ it is about four waves of immigration into Bethnal Green. You can see some patterns repeat themselves. It’s almost like the laws of human behaviour with regard to responses to immigrants and immigrant’s responses to indigenous aggression. You can see the same thing repeating with mass population so yeah certainly, time makes themes more profound.

Jenny McLarney

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What Not To Miss...

swinging back to the sixties

T

...At York Castle Museum

hose of you tired of the doom and gloom of the current economic crisis would no doubt appreciate the opportunity to transport yourself elsewhere. What better way to deal with the recession than to live in the Sixties? Thanks to the ‘Swing Back to the Sixties’’ exhibition at the York Castle Museum, an era of counterculture is just a step away, and for the recession-friendly price of only £6.50.

york Art gallery stanley spencer exhibition

The gallery explores the themes of the Sixties through fashion, music, photography and everyday design. If you’re not interested in the fashions of Mary Quant or perusing Beatles’ singles, you can frolic towards the Sixties’ jukebox or have your photo taken with the World Cup as a life-sized cut-out of Bobby Moore. You can’t, however, land on the moon, although you can watch it on black and white TV...

" What better way to deal with the recession than live in the Sixties?"

LISTINGS

Themes of the Sixties

24th January to 19 April 2009 Free Admission An exhibition of works by one of the most famous British artists of the 20th Century will go on show in York for the first time in January 2009.

Music I can think of at least one good reason to embrace 1960s’ culture, that being the music. The rise of counterculture in the 1960s created a rising market for soul, pop and blues music, influenced by musicians such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix Experience, with Bob Dylan and Joan Baez following with their own styles of radical folk music. With the introduction of 45" singles came pirate, and later legal, radio stations. If you’re feeling nostalgic postexhibition, a good browse through the charity shops of York can uncover a wealth of 1960s’ vinyl, and, failing that, you can get "Artists found inspiration in food packaging, a lot of stuff from iTunes...

comic strips, science fiction and celebrity."

Fashion Bold colours and patterns, simply-cut styles and man-made materials were all used in abundance in the 1960s, making fashion more affordable and available to all. Mary Quant invented the mini-skirt, and the hippy movement in the late 1960s exerted a strong influence on bell-bottom jeans, tie-dye, batik fabrics, and paisley prints. Again, a frolic around York’s charity shops or a visit to Expressions on Walmgate is the ideal way to sustain nostalgia after the exhibition. It’s cheaper than high street stores too.

Art and architecture This was the era of Abstraction and ‘Pop Art’, with artists finding inspiration in food packaging, comic strips, science fiction and celebrity. New materials like PVC and plastics were used in interior design, and, in architecture, concrete was king. Hence, the concrete of York campus provides an ideal setting for Sixties nostalgia once you’ve left the museum...

The Home An end to post-war hardship saw a rising demand for the latest designs and brands of washing machines, fridges, freezers, cookers, food mixers, televisions, radios and record players. Banana Warehouse on Piccadilly is the ideal place to pick up some 1960s’ domestic nostalgia, including retro radios and record players. Have a search around and you’ll find Sixties’ furniture in abundance – perfect for attempting recreating the Sixties’ in your cramped student house.

RAG Week Week 5 (8-14th February) 2009.

Various venues.

The high-light of this term's Calendar, RAG Week is made up of seven days spectacular events, including York Come Dancing, Stock Market Crash event and the annual RAG Parade in the city centre. Not to be missed!

Television Television brought events from across the world into people’s living rooms - the 1966 World Cup and the 1969 moon landings can be found on YouTube!

Admission York Castle Museum is in the centre of York,

College Culture This edition of College Culture takes us far, far away from our Spork comfort zone to a place many of us never dare venture – the ancient land of Halipax.

The mysterious people of Halipax dwell in the swamp lands at the edge of the Spork curve. They are reported as spending much of their time in the drinking hole, the Old Charles, named after their former leader. King Charles, who led the Halipaxers in the great civil war that originally separated them from the people of the Spork mainland, is revered as the Halipax god, and is worshipped ny his people. Halipaxers rarely mix with the Gildrickers of Derwentasians, and tend to keep themselves to themselves being little known amongst their neighbours.

The distinctive houses of Halipax host odd and well-renowned drinking rituals. The punch mixed and drunk in these houses is known throughout the land as some of the most lethal and dangerous potions ever concocted. Their favourite ingredient, Vodcat, contains real kittens’ tails and is thought to be amongst the foulest tasting of all Spork potions.

The people of the Halipax swamps may not be greatly known by their mainland neighbours, but they are not to be underestimated. Their army is the largest of all the Spork lands and the continuing tensions between the Halipaxers and their neighbouring peoples may eventually lead to a re-invasion of the Spork mainland.

Jorvik Viking Festival Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22 February 2009 One of our long established festivals in York, celebrating York’s Viking heritage. This years festival will see hundreds of Vikings descend on the city and demonstrate battle and training routines. The city is also treated to a range of events including lectures, arts & crafts, encampments, river events on the River Ouse, story telling, and full-scale battle re-enactments!

SPOTLIGHT

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LOOK!

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music Chinese New Year Gala

Grand Opera House £10 7PM 30/1/09 Ox is no moron Listings loves a gala. All the cachet of a black tie dinner with all the rampant fanfare of a carnival. There’s nothing like a gala, except maybe a gymkhana, which is an equally excellent occasion. However, daydreaming about large events isn’t for everyone, so if you must join the useful information race, sack the rat and avoid cattle grids because the oxen have it in ‘09. He could teach a few of us a thing or two, being the symbol of prosperity through fortitude and hard work.

No victim of the crunch, the peer approved text Wikipedia tells us that the thought of credit cards and debt makes the Ox nervous.

Don’t drop your wallet in a field then. But again one digresses.

Back at the new year gala, there’ll be acrobatics, Beijing Opera, Kung fu and a lion dance.

Just be sure to go on the right day or you might find yourself trapped with Huge - The Ultimate Party Band who’ll be there on 31st.

Ultimate it would be. Think outside the Ox. www.grandoperahouseyork. org.uk

Battle of the Bands

Goodricke Hall £4 8PM Heats Wk 4, Final Wk 6 Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp drumstick BoB is back and its better than ever, if minimal research into BoB’s website archives is to be trusted. There’ll be 25 bands in the heats, including one with an interesting York inspired story behind its name. Listings won’t divulge here for fear of appearing partial and contravening charters, but also because it may want to secure the exclusive book rights.

Presided over by various head honcho movers and shakers in ((URY)), Bandsoc, YSTV and of course York University Courtyard Union, the winning band will be elevated to headliner status at Woodstock. Yeah, you and Jimi and Janis and the Grateful Dead throwing it down; it’s all “Hello York!” and age of Aquarius dawning. Sadly that can never be, just file it away along with meeting Barry White and winning the Quidditch Cup. If Guitar Hero's the closest you're ever going to get, play on. http://ury.york.ac.uk/bob

LISTINGS

more

Steve Coogan until 11/02/09 Leeds Grand Theatre £10 7:15PM

Plastic fantastic The jewel in Leeds Grand Theatre’s crown, this satirical operetta is the product of writer and broadcaster Armando Iannucci and composer David Sawer. It deals with an unhealthy obsession with looking young and beautiful at all costs and all set to music, just like My Fair Lady.

Its Heat, Nip/Tuck and Cher’s implausible visage with a comical mirror held up to them. All you soap suds will feel right at home with affairs, conspiracy, broken hearts and investigative reporting in the mix. Face off.

www.leedsgrandtheatre.com www.operanorth.co.uk

National Grad Recruitment

6/7 Feb Windsor Hall Manchester (formerly G-MEX)

Grad bag Hey there soon-to-be graduate!

Don‘t “sign on”- unless it’s a dotted line! There’ll be all sorts of lovely multinational companies vying for your attention and your 2:1. The event claims to answer the two $64,000 questions of our time, so if you’re concerned about finding a job or weighed down by debt then cross the Pennines and get a job, slacker! Or you could join the Ox race (the rat race is so 2008) and weave baskets, or watch Molly Ringwald films. Get a grip and separate the wheat from the chavs.

www.gradjobs.co.uk www.manchestercentral.co.uk

it's

Magic P and the

InnuendoS

Fibbers 13/02/09 £6 8PM

Practical Magic No one wants anyone to feel hemmed in by some Courtyard-style coup, but it is worth mentioning that Magic P were last year’s Battle of the Bands winners. Look how far BoB can lift you in its strong, influential arms.

Why, it's a yes: They wear fun costumes and hats and their MySpace slogan is “fancy a fiddle”.

Why its a no: Fibbers is, on occasion, poorly ventilated.

on the radar The Full Monty Week 5 Listings would greatly appreciate people keeping their hats on.

Viking Raid 2

the home front The Courtyard

Week 5 By now as much of a reason for celebrating as when the actual Vikings did it.

Courtyard The devil on your shoulder Sleep with one eye open and don't get thrown out on opening night. Oh, wait, too late.

Some bars are more equal than others It sees you when you’re sleeping, it knows when you’re awake.

What do you think the plasma screens are for? The Orwellian nightmare has been realised; you run around campus looking for a quiz, a comedy night, a TRU warmup (sinister at the best of times) - but everywhere you look packets of free ketchup hit you right between the eyes.

Your Doorsafe big brothers are watching.

York Come Dancing Week 4 More John Sergeants than you can shake your cha cha cha at.

Vision cannot be held responsible if activities described herein do not move you.

Scene is:

Scene Editor: Andrew Nichols Music Editor: Joe McDermott & Hollie Price Music Deputy: Kate Missenden & Sarah Stretton Film Editor: Laura Cress & Charles Rivington Film Deputy: Annie Duffield & Tom McDermott TV Editor: Scott Bryan Deputy TV: Sophie Walkes & Sophie Grencis

Games Editor: Jerome Josy Books Editor: Jenny Keogh Books Deputy: Miriam Hunt & Victoria Lovegreen Culture Editor: Zoe Stones Deputy Culture: Jenny McLarney & Stephanie Hood Listings Editor: Sophie Sabin