qmunicate issue 90 • 27/10/11 • www.qmu.org.uk

Does this look racist to you?

Inside: Art School Anguish • WestGAP • Niki

& the Dove Interview

Cultural appropriation and the stereotypes that

are still ok

Hello again. I can’t believe it’s already time for the second issue of qmunicate. The first few weeks of term have flown by! In this issue I’m just going to give you a little run down of what’s been going on in our committees and with the Board of Management.

The Events Committee is now closed with a whole new team in place for this semester. You’ll

see them running around at Quids organizing the cartoons on the screens and sorting out your music requests. They’re currently working hard to organize a huge Hallowe’en night, with £100 prize for the best costume, so get planning! The night will take place on Monday the 31st, so Hallowe’en itself. I couldn’t be more excited, I’m like a big kid...

Our Campaigns & Charities Committee have chosen their charity of the semester. The QM will be raising money for WestGAP, who are an anti-poverty community group run by and for people in the West of Glasgow. It is a very worthy cause and the committee are working hard to raise as much money for them as they can. As well as this we are currently getting ready for another ‘tache growing Movember! Men all over the world will be donning some upper lip fluff for the whole of November to raise funds which support research and education into male specific cancers. We will again be competing against GUSA, GUU & SRC to raise the most money, so if you want to join the QM’s team you can find us on the Movember website, http://uk.movember.com/ by searching for Queen Margaret Union.

The Board of Management have been rather preoccupied with how Freshers’ Week went. We’ve spent a while going over the ins and outs of the week, and we want to know what

View From The Top

Contents3 • View From The Top

4 • Diary Dates5 • Dundee Gone Dun It; Scots Wha’ Gay

6 • When is a Tory not a Tory?; Art School Anguish

7 • Reds Get the Blues; qmunicuts8 • Cia Jackson

9 • From the Ground Up - WestGAP10 & 11• Your Culture Your Rules12 • Keeping Live Comedy Alive

13 • Branching Out - Niki & the Dove Interview

14 • Live Music15 • Recorded Music

16 • Film 17 • Arts & Culture

18 • Tech 19 • We Saw You

20 • The Cartoon; I saw you; Credits

you thought about it. We’re currently running a questionaire to find out what was great and what was less so about your Freshers’ Week. So if you’re a first year student you can fill it in at http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/661325/Queen-Margaret-Union-Freshers-Week-Survey You can win free entry to our clubnights for a full year, so it’s worth typing in that lengthy URL...

If having lengthy discussions about Freshers’ Week and other QM related things sound like something you’d like to get involved with, our by-election will be coming up soon. As well as having the opportunity to run the union, you learn loads of new skills, have a great laugh and even be eligible for the odd perk. Board Meetings are open to all members of the Union, so if you want to find out a little more about the Board of Management before you run for a position or just want to see how decisions are made come along to one of the fortnightly meetings, the next one is on the 7th of November.

So that’s pretty much all for now. Please feel free to come and visit me in my office on the third floor if you have any questions or feedback. I do enjoy a good chat!

See you soon,Kirsty

4 • qmunicate

Diary Datesnews

The Queen M

argaret Union does...Movember is coming. That time of year when men put aside their dignity and attempt to grow some upper-lip covering to raise money for, and awareness of, prostate cancer.

At the University of Glasgow the QMU, GUU, GUSA and SRC are all going to be competing to see who can raise the most cash, and who can cultivate the best moustache. Each student body has a team, and each team is looking for members to join.

Ellie Munro, the Campaigns & Charities Convenor of this fine Union, is the QM’s team captain, and says the following about the importance of Movember: ‘despite my hopefully obvious deficiencies in the moustache-growing department, I am proud to be captain of the QMU’s team. 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in

their lifetime. This year alone 37,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed. It’s an issue that affects a lot of men,

but a lot of men don’t necessarily know about it. The money raised will go towards research

into the disease and other cancers affecting men, and increasing awareness amongst

men of their existence and warning signs.’

If you would like to donate your face and join the QMU’s team, go to www.movember.com, register to join a team and find Queen Margaret Union. And as if doing

good things for a good cause wasn’t enough to persuade you,

every team member will get free entry to a special Movember Quids on

Tuesday 1st November.

The cross-campus Starting Shave-Off will be on 1st November in Jim’s Bar.Movember

The Whole Month of November - Everywhere

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bwnpq_regular_grayscale.pdf 06/09/2011 14:55:52

Do you like Wednesdays? Do you like big things? (lol) Do you like 8pm? Then you’ll love the QMU’s Big Wednesday Night Pub Quiz at 8pm every week. Hosted by the legendary Chizzy and Sir James, the B.W.N.P.Q. is packed full of cash prizes, hilarious games and banter of the highest

degree. Since the success of the enormous £500 quiz during Freshers’ Week, Jim’s Bar has been mobbed every Wednesday night since. For your chance to win the ever increasing jackpot (this week sitting at £160), take part in uproarious challenges and embarrass yourself utterly and totally.

With the film round getting even more elaborate every week, you never know what to expect. Contemporary movies such as Harry Potter, Twilight and 500 Days Of Summer have already been conquered, not to mention classics such as Full Metal Jacket, Platoon and Apocalypse Now. Maybe your personal favourite will be the next to be interpreted by our thespian geniuses. Come along this week to find out...

The quiz is based on the popular, family friendly board game Trivial Pursuit, where wit and intelligence are put to the test. With Geography, Entertainment, History, Arts, Literature, Science, Nature, Sports & Leisure rounds on the cards, you’re bound to know something. So grab your flatmates and head down to the quiz with a pen, a sense of adventure and a funny team name that puns on the word quiz... ‘quizzy rascal’ or ‘quiz in my pants’ anyone?

qmunicate • 5

Dundee Gone Dun ItDundee University introduces 3-year Honours course for budget students

Dundee University have recently said that from next year, they will offer three-year Honours courses as an aid to students who perhaps can’t afford a four-year course. This is a bigger deal than you might think.

In Scotland, the norm is a four-year Honours course, something which is internationally recognised and acclaimed. There may well be virtue in a three-year course, but the primary concern in offering these degrees is cost, and it is this which has alarmed some sectors.

The principal of Dundee University, Professor Pete Downes, has said, ‘By offering competitively priced three-year programmes, which of course mean a year’s less extra costs in living expenses such as accommodation, and combining this with very high academic standards, we think we have a very attractive offer for students.’

However, the fact remains that these three-year degrees will not be of the same academic level as the current four-year degrees. This is

seen by the UCU as a major threat to current degrees. ‘This will undermine the Scottish four-year Honours degree and inevitably dilute the quality of Honours degrees,’ said a spokesman.

Recently, Dundee University raised tuition fees for Rest of UK (RUK) students to £9,000 a year, capped at £27,000. It seems counterintuitive to be offering lower quality degrees in order to be seen as a cheap option, while simultaneously raising fees to the maximum amount.

The university seems to be moving further away from being a centre for education, and closer towards being a business offering a service. This will surely lead to greater inequality; poorer people getting a worse education, while the university still benefits; getting some money out of those people, rather than none at all.

Dundee University may well believe they are aiding students by offering these three-year Honours degrees, but it is difficult not to suspect them of cynically limiting the options

of to those who wish to gain a better education, but cannot afford tuition fees for four years. Dundee doesn’t care if you can’t afford £27,000, they’ll happily take whatever you can.[Bryce Johnston]

news

Following the recent opening of a consultation regarding same-sex marriage, Nicola Sturgeon has told the BBC that the Scottish Government ‘tend towards the view that same-sex marriage should be introduced’. Fantastic news, especially considering that just last year Pope Benedict XVI described it as one of the most insidious and dangerous challenges confronting today’s

common good. England and Wales have made a similar move, with the government endeavouring to legalise gay marriage by 2015. In last year’s Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, 61% voted in support of gay or lesbian marriage. Plus, the Scottish Youth Parliament have launched a campaign titled ‘Love Equally’, gaining the support of some religious groups; namely the Pagan Federation, Quakers, Unitarians, Liberal Judaism and Metropolitan Community Church. Their petition gained over 2000 signatures in just a month and this show of public support encouraged the Government to push forward its consultation.

The new legislation hopes to avoid compromising the beliefs of some religious groups, whilst giving others the right to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. Religious groups will have the right to refuse to perform the ceremony, and if a religious group has consented, an individual practitioner will still be able to decline involvement. This constitutes

huge progress in gay rights. Same-sex couples can currently only undergo a civil partnership, performed by a civil registrar, not on religious premises. Glasgow University Chaplain, Reverend Stuart MacQuarrie, supports this move, commenting that he ‘would be happy to conduct same sex ceremonies’, but that ‘the University would also recognise that not all religion or belief positions or denominations would share this view’. If same-sex marriage is introduced, Scotland will be taking a significant step. Not only will same-sex marriage be able to take place, same-sex marriages carried out in other countries will also be acknowledged as legitimate. So far, these countries are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa and Sweden. The SYP have stated simply that they think that two people who love each other should be able to get married. This consultation seems to be a step towards that. [Beth Mullen].

Scots Wha’ GayQuakers & Unitarians amongst supporters of new marriage legislation

6 • qmunicate

news

When Is A Tory Not A Tory?Conservative leadership candidate plans revamp of Scottish centre-rightMost Scots don’t seem to care at all for the Tories, judging by election results at least. Following their dismal performance in the Scottish parliamentary elections the leadership of the Scottish Conservative Party is currently up for grabs. Four candidates are running: the relatively right-wing Jackson Carlaw, who has few major policies, but is opposed to further devolution; former justice of the peace, Margaret Mitchell, who is similarly opposed to further devolution; the moderate Ruth Davidson, who is supported by both current leader Goldie and Prime Minister David Cameron; and finally, the contentious Murdo Fraser.

Fraser’s main policy if elected is to disband the once-popular Conservative Party of Scotland,and reform it into a new centre-right party under one of many proposed names (examples being: The Caledonians, which sounds like a sports team; Scotland Forward, which appears

to have been suggested by someone’s 12-year old child; Scottish Reform Party, which could be more accurately applied to the SNP; Scottish Unionists, In my opinion the best of the proposed options). The new party will sit alongside the existing Tory Party in Westminster in a permanent coalition relationship, similar to the CDU/CSU relationship in Germany. Fraser’s proposal does have some powerful support within the UK-wide party, notably Michael Gove, Normal Tebbit, and Sir Malcolm Rifkind. Yet it has also received criticism from many, not least the other 3 leadership candidates, and David Mundell – the UK Conservative party’s only MP elected to a seat in Scotland.

Judging by the Conservatives’ record in Scotland over the last couple of decades, it’s a reasonable assumption that if the centre-right is to gain any ground whatsoever in Scotland then this move is probably their best bet. However some of Fraser’s measures to appease

the English Tory leadership, such as his pledge to maintain the Conservative Party whip in Westminster, may need to be rethought or outright dropped before the Scots consider a new centre-right party to be a valid alternative. That being said, the idea of detoxifying the somewhat tarnished image of conservatism (note the small c – meaning belief, not party) in Scotland could be a positive step for a party currently looking very shabby in Scotland. [Charles Westerman]

Art School AnguishBuilding work at Glasgow’s School of Art proves to be a headache Work began to completely overhaul the Glasgow School of Art’s campus after the traditional Degree Show street party ended in June. Three buildings have been condemned opposite the Grade A listed Charles Rennie Mackintosh building on Renfrew Street, and are to be demolished and rebuilt in a £26.3m contract to be completed by Summer 2013. The buildings awaiting destruction housed the departments of Interior, Product, and Jewellery Design, Visual Communications, and Textiles. The majority of students and staff involved with the relocated departments now reside at Glasgow Skypark, an urban office and studio Complex a mile away from the previous site.

Another result of the ongoing work up at Garnethill is overcrowding. Despite the relocation of some studio space to Glasgow Skypark students are having to fight for space in the main campus. The usual lofty spacious, light soaked studios GSA students have become accustomed to in previous years have had to house up to twice as many students as usual according to some sources. As well as

traditional studio space being carved up, art students are being forced to use makeshift studios in places more used to be treated as offices.

The cramped conditions have become so bad that when q m u n i c a t e visited Garnethill to review Mobile Solutions, the latest exhibition in the GSA, we observed that students were using space in the middle of the exhibition hall to carry on wuth their work, forcing exhibition goers to squeeze past them.

Adding further pressure on these cramped workspaces is the fact that more first years were admitted this year than in previous years. Yet there has been no increase in funding for most

departments, despite the GSA raising fees for RUK students to £9000, beginning 2012-2013.

Questions are being raised the about the efficiency of demolishing the old art school buildings, especially considering nearby buildings may restrict work. Summer 2013, and a £26.3m budget may be too optimistic.[Joseph Nelson]

The iconic facade of the main Art School building

R.I.P. Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Party?

qmunicate • 7

news

qmuni cutsThe gossip column that

doesn’t know any good goss. Don’t tell ‘em we told you.

Reds Get The BluesDe-selection of Labour councillors causes upsetAsk the students of Glasgow to give their adopted city a political colour, and arguably, the majority will say ‘red’. Glasgow has a reputation of being a worker’s city, we have the lovely shipyards and the associated ‘Red Clydeside’ to thank for that. But history aside, this reputation is well-founded in the twenty-first century, with all seven of Glasgow’s MPs, and four of its nine MSPs, of the Labour persuasion. Glasgow City Council’s current make-up is dominated by Labour, but the party’s selection process for candidates in the May 2012 council elections has caused alarm after it was revealed that almost half of its existing 47 councillors may be deselected. In this period of political instability at national level, many are questioning whether this attempt to bring in new faces in order to better take on the SNP may have the opposite effect.

Ian Davidson, chairman of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee at Westminster, and Labour MP for Glasgow South West, has been vocal about his anger towards his party for ‘purging’ many hard-working councillors. Davidson opposes what he calls the ‘circular firing squad’ surrounding his party’s established councillors. In addition, Davidson has not been shy in suggesting ulterior motives and foul play have been at work, which has only served to fuel the SNP’s claims that Labour is breaking down within Glasgow, with the SNP council whip Graeme Hendry claiming ‘the chaos reflects the lack of local leadership.’

With Ian Davidson apparently considering whether or not to stand for deputy leadership of the Scottish Labour Party, his statements,

while bold, may lead to his name being blackened for speaking out. By defending these few local politicians, he may have alienated the rest of his party. An official Scottish Labour spokesperson has defended his party’s actions, by saying ‘being a Labour councillor is not a job for life, and party members in Glasgow…want change.’ While being a councillor may not be a job for life, there is something in the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ that may ring true here. The political landscape of Scotland has changed, and while it would be foolish for Labour to presume their current local level success will continue, it may turn out to be unwise to assume that an overhaul within the city council will solve their problems. qmunicate tried to obtain reactions from a number of Labour councillors about the issue, but not one responded to our inquiries.

In more local political news, Hillhead will be holding a council by-election on Thursday 17th November, after SNP Councillor George Roberts sadly died last month. The political implications of the result may be significant, giving the major parties an indicator of the feelings of Glasgow’s West End. Should the issues surrounding Labour become more divisive, they may lose their opportunity to claw back a seat, although this admittedly may not be of the highest priority to a party with a 29 seat lead over the SNP in the City Council. However, the SNP will surely be trying to up their game and attempt to replicate their success at Holyrood in Scotland’s largest city council. Labour has work to do if it wants to ensure that the city of Glasgow remains securely within its red glow. [Laura Thomas]

New research suggests that the famous Dutch artist Vicent Van Gogh didn’t kill himself, but was accidently shot by two teenagers he’d been out drinking with. Van Gogh and the boys were allegedly playing cowboys in a wheat field when Van was accidently shot. Definitely

sounds like the Illuminati to me.•

Two Stornoway women have been in court over custody of a cat. Called either Smudge or Ocsar both women claim to own the cat. Mrs Macdonald, one of the supposed owners, claims to be ‘heartbroken’ without it. Her dog Hamish was also said to be ‘inconsolable”’without the

cat the curl up to sleep with. Awww•

An occupation of George Square started Saturday in solidarity with the ongoing occupation of Wall Street in New York. At time of going to print at least 50 people were camping overnight. With the recent weather, the occupiers are no doubt wishing corporations could restrict their greed to the

summer months.•

A new Chinese centre has opened in Glasgow University in the John Mac building. It aims to spread awareness and understanding of Chinese language and culture. Named the Confucius centre, the development is in cooperation with China’s Nankai University and in part funded by the Chinese government. Will China’s infamous human rights record be on

the syllabus?•

Glasgow Warriors Rugby club have decided not to renew their lease of Firhill Stadium and to relocate to Scotstoun Showground. The club will leave in June 2012. Firhill’s owners, the West End’s proud football club Partick Thistle now face a serious problem in making up the

lost income.•

Stuart Ritchie, president of equal opportunities employer, GUSRC, has managed another gaffe. He was caught ‘liking’ a Facebook status proclaiming ‘British jobs for British workers’ after which the same user commented ‘BNP! BNP! BNP!’. The update in question was the result of an unwitting student leaving their account logged in in a public place resulting in an event commonly referred to as ‘frape. We can only assume a simimlar situation was

responsible for Ritchie’s mishap.

8 • qmunicate

features

There are lots of things in life that I’m fond of. Caffeinated drinks, cuddles, lipstick, racy novels, Adam Levine’s naked torso…It’s an extensive list and whilst I wouldn’t call myself a modern day Maria von Trapp, I’m pretty confident that I could work it all into a song if I tried hard enough. I’m not sure how it would scan, but one thing’s for certain: I could easily get myself banned in China.

Renowned worldwide for its heavy-handed policies regarding censorship, the Chinese government recently set what I can only imagine to be a new record, by banning an extensive list television programmes and songs deemed to be “vulgar” and capable of “endangering national cultural security”.

The first of the government censor’s unfortunate targets was the lovely Matt Smith, alias The Doctor. China already restricts and jams the signals of satellite broadcasts, including those of the BBC, but it appears that Chinese children will never know the delights of hiding behind the sofa from the daleks. According to recent statements from the state censors, television promoting time travel is “frivolous” in its approach to history, however the murmurings of critics not subjected to the Great Firewall of China suggest that shows such as Doctor Who could pose a reasonable threat to the Chinese government.

When not battling aliens, The Doctor has met with various famous historical figures and been featured prominently in key world events, some of which have been rewritten as a result. This very notion of rewriting history reportedly encourages audiences to envision an alternative present…Personally I find this

ridiculous as it suggests that those subject to censorship haven’t already imagined a different government. Lord knows I envision kicking Nick Clegg in the balls sometimes, and we won’t talk about what I’d do to Cameron, lest I am censored for being a sadistic, twisted individual.

Fantasy and science fiction aren’t the only victims of China’s Great Cull of Culture. Further awkward whispering was caused mid-September when it was announced that the women’s singing contest, Super Girl wouldn’t be returning to screens. Chinese officials claim that the X Factor-inspired show was breaching national broadcasting laws as it was “allowed to run for too long”. However, rumours suggest that the show’s home, Hunan Satellite Television was proving to be more popular than state-run television, and perhaps more disturbingly, that the western-style voting for the contestants made government officials increasingly uncomfortable.

The show is to be replaced with state-approved shows with “higher moral values”. And while I probably wouldn’t lose that much sleep if

Colum Fraser

STV chose to ban Simon Cowell’s orange mug from our screens, I would mourn the loss of the opportunity to laugh at all those deluded X Factor contestants. Given that Super Girl allowed entrants aged between the ages of 4 and 89, as well as encouraged women of all backgrounds to enter, it’s perhaps fair to say that censors have undone any good the show did for women.

Time travel and singing contests weren’t the only threats to national security. Songs not submitted for government approval before being posted online for downloading also faced the chop. Although this is a move supposedly against piracy, the fact that the songs in question have been described by officials as “vulgar and in poor taste” is somewhat suspicious.

Whilst I wouldn’t want to explain to my nephew what Katy Perry means by “ménage à trois”; banning songs that promote equality and acceptance such as Lady GaGa’s “Born This Way” is a step in the wrong direction. Although, those fortunate enough to be selected to receive calls at 3am during which I drunkenly warble, “Baby I was born this way!” would probably welcome a GaGa ban. As to why the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” wound up on the list 12 years after its release is anyone’s guess.

As I write, I can’t help but feel grateful to live in a country where I can watch what I want, envision killing Cheryl Cole and sing vulgarities to anyone I please. Absurdities aside, I’m also relieved that our own government is too incompetent to ever attempt such measures…but if they ever want to start, I have a list they may find helpful.

Our resident Whovian discusses China and the murder of Cheryl Cole

“It appears that Chinese children

will never know the delights of hiding behind the sofa from the daleks.”

Cia JacksonYou voted her here,

You deal with the consequences.

The views expressed above do not necessarily reflect those of the Queen Margaret Union or qmunicate or the People’s Republic of China.

qmunicate • 9

features

If there is one word not accepted in the offices of WestGAP it is passivity; as fund raisers, as advisers, or simply as open ears, the Partick based anti-poverty charity consider ‘pro-active response’ as something of a mantra. For over 10 years WestGAP have been fighting to dispel the myth of the solely ‘affluent West End’ and give a helping hand to the scores of people living in poverty in the West End community.

Community is another of those all pervasive words for West GAP. It is run solely by locals, some of whom have had direct experience of living in poverty, and there is a real feeling of ‘giving back’, of demonstrating that help can come from everywhere, not just behind an official’s desk. The number of houses in the west end of Glasgow currently having financial difficulties enters the hundreds.

And those that use the WestGAP service seek advice on everything from dealing with landlords, to easing bill repayments, to seeking benefits. One of the most beneficial elements to West GAP is that they continually offer aid to any and everyone who is in need, there is no castigation against the unemployed or restrictions on the advice offered.

The poverty experienced in other areas of Glasgow cannot for a moment be regarded as any less severe or damaging. Much was made of the startling figures that nearly 63% of Glasgow’s East End children are living in poverty, and in 2008 the constituent totals for Glasgow for households in relative poverty were 5% higher than that of any other Scottish city. For this reason, WestGAP have always regarded themselves as a model, and in time would aim to see an ‘EastGAP’ and similar centres opening up throughout Glasgow.

The importance of locally run charities has been the subject of heated debated since the 90s, when a clear shift towards a more ‘professional’ aesthetic for charity emerged. The effect of bigger business charities to small charities has been significant, as seen in a 2005 survey conducted by the Charity Commission. The findings show that, of over a thousand interviewed, 63% tended to trust charities more if they’d heard of them, and 41% directly trusted big charities over smaller ones, even if they weren’t fully aware if what they were supporting was a ‘charity’ or a ‘charitable organisation’. With more nationwide, forcefully promoted campaigns by bigger charities over the last decade, it’s often hard to see the importance and dedication of a smaller community based charity.

To see WestGAP in all its blazing glory you need only go to its offices or talk to anyone who has

received advice from them. Paul MacGlaughlin, from WestGAP said that they pride themselves on being able to ‘go a bit further’ than just those services provided by general citizen advice centres. Which is why recent restrictions to the service, due to financial restraints, were such a damaging blow to volunteers and users alike.

Originally working on a 5 day service of drop-in advice centre and appointments, operations had to be scaled back to two days a week. ‘Fighting to keep the doors open’ has obviously had a negative effect on the service WestGAP can offer and to those who have dedicated their time to the charity. As a part of ‘going further’ WestGAP are dedicated to training and developing the skills of volunteers so as to eventually improve the service, and have all involved feel like they are giving and receiving in equal measure.

The clearest set back in West GAP’s fund-raising is their staunch rejection to proclaiming support for political authorities; they are, above all, dedicated to taking action to combat the concerns of the community over trying to convince people to support those who promise to take action.

The shame of their limited availability today is something that should concern all members of the West End community, if not simply in supporting others, then to guarantee that if a day should come then the doors will be open and there will be someone on the other side with a cup of tea handy, a sympathetic ear and a plan to help.

The WestGAP was recently chosen to be the QMU’s official charity for this semester. This means all money raised by general QM fundraising this term will go directly to the charity. Look out for ways in which you can help throughout the term.

The charity was chosen by the QMU’s Campaigns and Charities Committe, headed by our vey own Ellie Munro. If you would like to get involved, email E.Munro@QMU.org.uk or, show up on Mondays at 5pm on the third floor of the QM. The Committee is open to all and we enourage you all to get involved as much as possible.

Alice Stearn talks to the QM’s new charity of the semester.

From the Ground Up

10 • qmunicate

features

Wandering down a chilly, rain-soaked Buchanan Street in pursuit of the latest fashion, you wouldn’t expect to be greeted by an abundance of people bobbing through the crowds sporting Native American headdresses. However, if the latest catwalk trends, festival performances and hipster parties are anything to go by, this could potentially become a reality. It seems that Glasgow should brace itself for Brad Pitt returning to shoot a new Western film in George Square, or perhaps the more likely notion of yet another annoying and surprisingly offensive fashion statement. Picture the scenario; you’re enjoying a messy bomb and a dance on the Qudos dance floor, when a fellow inebriated party-goer hands you an impressive feathered headdress. In what could be described as a drunken effort to relive childhood Cowboy and Indian games, or simply the actions of an intoxicated and confused student, you’re inevitably going to place the thing on your head and strut your stuff like a lunatic.

But, as with the vast majority of the actions of a drunken student, this too carries negative consequences. You may not have to deal with an irritated flatmate or raging hangover (if you’re lucky), but Native American and Aboriginal communities are becoming increasingly angered as the absent-minded use of some of their most sacred and spiritual symbols is increasing. It is easy to wonder how a style of headwear from the Plains tribes of

North America has become to a hipster what a matching two piece tracksuit is to a Glaswegian ned. Many attribute our interest in Native American and Maori culture to ‘a curiosity and sensationalism about the unknown’. This interest dates back to Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the so-called ‘savages’ in the New World. But as these tribes were discovered five hundred years ago, you’d think the fascination

would have worn off. Yet in the last few months, headdresses

have been worn by the likes of Karen O from the Yeah

Yeah Yeahs, Ke$ha and supermodel Giselle. Former boxer Mike

Tyson decided that he loved tribal patterns

so much that he got one permanently etched on his

face. His face, for goodness sake!  Recently Peaches Geldof and Paris Hilton sported Native American inspired outfits…and if that’s not offensive to your tribe, I don’t know what is.

Native Jaclyn Roessel points out ‘I wonder whether they understand that [its] a living culture…there are women today who wear outfits with these designs because they mean something’. Unfortunately for Jaclyn, it is difficult to imagine Paris Hilton writhing with guilt over her actions. And perhaps even worse for Jaclyn, it isn’t even just celebrities controversially mixing trend with a twisted for tradition. During festival coverage on TV there always seems to be a headdress clad girl in the crowd, waving like there’s no tomorrow

on the shoulders of her struggling, red-faced boyfriend.  

Some blame could be attributed to the fashion Illuminati.   Recent editions of Vogue magazine in Russia, Germany and Spain featured models wearing Native American Headdresses and garments. Native American Dominique describes it as ‘really annoying to see fashion editorials with naked white women in headdresses’. It seems that there are certainly objections to wearing something traditionally reserved for their most skilled warriors by those who haven’t earned them.

It’s easy to presume that there is little harm in dabbling with a bit of fancy dress now and then, but for many this isn’t the case. The reproduction of tribal items such as feathered war bonnets or Aboriginal patterns for tattoos is viewed by lots of Native peoples as cultural appropriation. This means that in their copied form, the items take on a distorted and inaccurate meaning which could be seen as trivialising, or at least detracting from their true symbolism.   One such Native who disapproves of the use of cultural items is the anonymous writer of mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com. This blog highlights how much hurt mimicking such cultures can cause, emphasising that ‘Being a Native comes with a history of decidedly un-trendy events, such as the cultural genocide of an entire continent…and the eradication of entire tribes and their cultural traditions.’ With this view, wearing a feathered war bonnet seems as inappropriate and disrespectful as when Prince Harry caused anger through dressing as a Nazi. Or more

Appropriate behaviourWhy you should think twice about dressing as Pochahontas for Halloween

‘Recently Peaches Geldof and Paris Hilton

sported Native American ‘inspired ‘outfits…and if

that’s not offensive to your tribe, I don’t

know what is.’

1. Most indigenous communities are dependant upon the selling of traditional art and jewellery, so boycotting all forms of indigenous jewellery would in the end do more damage than good.

2. This does however not translate as ‘everything goes’ - some things have a cultural

value which makes them unwearable by people outside the community; in particular, traditional clothes, war bonnets and religious regalia.

3. Furthermore, when buying an indigenous piece of jewellery it is important to buy said piece of jewellery from a recognised

indigenous artist; buying a dream catcher made in Taiwan, or a Saami wristband sold by H&M is still an act of cultural appropriation.

4. If what you’re wanting to buy doesn’t have a clear description of who made it, where it’s from, and its cultural significance, just don’t buy it. Much safer.

Hipster Dos and Don’tsA basic guide to not offending, paraphrased from Johann over at the Selchie Warrior blog. Read more of his thoughts at selchieproductions.tumblr.com

qmunicate • 11

features

accurately if he’d perhaps worn the striped pyjamas of an Aushwitz prisoner. The difference being that while the negative symbolism of the Nazi swastika and the associated attempted genocide is painfully clear to most, the importance and hidden pain surrounding the war bonnet hasn’t been as widely documented or understood.

This is largely why the cultural misappropriation of Native tradition continues. We are generally simply unaware of why it could be considered inappropriate to copy it. However there are a variety of reasons as to why such a seemingly innocent action could be interpreted negatively. Another blog against the misuse of Native culture, nativeappropriations.blogspot.com, outlines the offence caused from the perspective of a Cherokee named Adrienne. In describing why you shouldn’t mimic her culture, she tells how wearing a headdress or even simply war-paint feeds an image ‘perpetuated by Hollywood [which] bears minimal resemblance to traditional regalia of Plains tribes’ and stereotypes 500+ tribes into one entity. This notion of stereotyping is problematic to many Natives. Basically, dressing as ‘a Red Indian’ is tantamount to blackface, relying on a mixed bag of stereotypes to reduce an entire race to a couple of feathers and some warpaint. And even dressing up as a specific historical character such as Pochahontas is unlikely to let you off. The very idea that First Nation peoples are just history ignores the large and vibrant Native communitires in existance today..The aforementioned idea of the ‘cultural genocide’ of Native culture also plays a part in explaining the potential upset wearing headdresses can cause. Colonialism and the subsequent diminishing of Native culture in the

United States forced Natives into subordination. The sight of a non-Native wearing one of the few remaining remnants of their culture thus seems insensitive and a cruel reminder of the past.

Finally there is the symbolism of these cherished articles. As Maori tribes had no written language, all their communication and history was conveyed through carved designs on bone, shell and wood. These pieces, now marketed to the masses, were originally some of the most revered elements of Maori tradition. Now they seem like just another fashion accessory. A similar story is seen in Native American culture through the feathered war bonnet. In her Native Appropriation blog, Adrienne highlights that the feathers hold ‘deep spiritual significance’ and are only awarded after much endeavour in sacred ceremonies. In addition, she points out only men are allowed the privilege of wearing the headdress. She describes the fact that so many females are absent-mindedly using the garment today as ‘an act of utter disrespect for the origins of practice’.   It isn’t difficult to see her point. People wouldn’t be too impressed if trendsetters adopted Sikh turbans or a Jewish skullcap as the latest must have item.

However, there are some Native people who seem to have no issue with the use of their culture for fashion purposes. Native American Michael Lazarus supports of the use of his culture’s emblems for use as mascots in sports teams. Lazarus views baseball team names such as the Tomahawks and the Redskins as ‘reflecting [his] great country’s history’ rather than the stereotypes so many others believe. He adds that another team’s mascot, a leprechaun with his hands in a boxing position, ‘[isn’t] considered insulting (to Irish people) while a Native American mascot wearing a feather is

instantly labelled a problem’, thus insinuating that he believes political correctness is a major cause of the tension. However, Native news site indianz.com views such mascots as ‘depict[ing] Native Americans as tomahawk chopping savages…and/or buffoonish old-Hollywood stereotypes with feathers sticking out of their heads…horrific.’ Although it seems Lazarus is willing to ignore such stereotyping under the view that ‘Americans need reminders of the original inhabitants of these lands’. It is clear that Native Americans have much pride in their identity, yet have just as much diversity in opinion too.

It seems that the use of Native symbols in fashion can be described as a double-edged sword. It’s true that the appearance of headdresses, tattoos and native style jewellery on celebrities (or just your everyday hipster) draws attention to Native Americans and other similar communities, but the question is, is the cultural misappropriation worth it? For Native Michael Lazarus, it seems that any attention drawn to Native Americans is a reminder of the country’s history and heritage, seeming beneficial despite misinterpretation of the symbolism. However, for fellow Native American Adrienne, the use of her culture by wasted hipsters and partying socialites is about as joyless and irritating as an episode of Emmerdale. For those who think like Adrienne, misusing items such as the feathered headdress contributes to an offensive stereotype and is an insult to the suffering their ancestors endured – a major faux pas. I doubt that as Christopher Columbus stepped on American turf for the first time, he really envisioned his discovery of the New World descending into a Looney Tunes style scuffle between boozed, naïve hipsters and angered Native peoples. [Lucy Gardiner]

5.  If a member of an indigenous community from whence your piece of jewellery comes is offended by your wearing of it, take it off. Simple as that, don’t argue about it, just respect their opinion.

6. Never buy anything that has a religious undertone with the intent to wear it as a

fashion statement. Madonna has already done all that can be dine with religious iconography.

7. If someone in a native community gives you indigenous jewellery as a gift, that’s fine. Duh.

8. Never question the price of an indigenous piece of jewellery - you’re paying for the

time someone spent on creating the piece of jewellery that you want to wear, and the associated costs may be far higher than mass-produced tat.

9. If you’re buying from a second hand source, it’s always worth asking for details on who made your jewellery.

12 • qmunicate

features

Keeping Live Comedy AliveColum Fraser looks at whether the panel show

has helped or hindered comedy

Standup comedy was born – through years of entertainment, culture and skill – from the music halls and theatres of mid-20th century. British and American television may well have killed it in two short, fast decades.

Good standup comedy is, undoubtedly, an art – indeed a very fine one. From the whimsical musings of Bill Bailey, through the observational comedy of Ed Byrne, to the caustic satire of Bill Hicks, good standup is the result of years of writing, testing, failure, success and progress. That’s probably one of the few times you’ll find the latter pair in the same sentence. So why do we only very rarely see sixty-minute live sets on the television?

Look at the most successful primetime comedy on television and you’ll very quickly have the same image burned onto your retinas: two teams of two or three people sitting on the right and left hands of one – very scripted – host.

Like most people, I enjoy the pompous satire of Have I Got News for you, I do find 8 out of 10 Cats vaguely amusing – as long as Jimmy Carr isn’t being downright offensive – and QI is both a very interesting and entertaining format, but you can see how it banished the standup from TV and the public consciousness. You are being presented with between 4 and 6 talented and often very funny individuals, the majority of whom are more than capable of holding their own – alone – on stage in front of a room packed with people for an hour.

But on TV, they don’t get an audience, they get Jimmy Carr, Dara O’Brien and whoever has the misfortune to week present Never Mind The Buzzcocks this week. And they don’t get an hour, they get until the end of the first tenuously-linked, rushed and exhaustively rehearsed joke that comes to their mind – in the mild offchance that they aren’t interrupted, usually by the lightly steaming pile of ego that is the week’s host, or whatever Z-list celebrity the show’s producers have managed to shoehorn into the lineup, seemingly just to make up the numbers. In few places is this as obvious as in Mock The Week, which rather

weakly pretends to be a standup competition, however the emphasis remains on short, snappy one-liners, and timed, condensed comedy.

Even shows like the Comedy Roadshow can only ever prescribe the same old kind of timed, clipped and convenient laughs, with a personality like Michael Macintyre or Jack Dee screwed onto the front of it to draw in everyone that cannot be bothered actually going out and finding comedians for themselves. Additionally, they often only feature folk you’ll have seen before (on a panel show) and sometimes even feature the same jokes you’ll have seen a few nights before.

So why is the telly full of these game shows? How did we let this happen? Probably because we can’t be bothered. Probably because a ten-minute joke involving Diana’s funeral and a giant inflatable E.T. – as hilarious as it may be – takes a whole lot more time from your busy evening than watching Rob Brydon say something fairly mundane, in a funny voice that sounds a bit like a man in a box. The majority of people who flop down onto a couch on Friday evening to watch the comedy aren’t looking to pay that much attention, at least not for more than thirty seconds. They’re looking instead for a quick fix. They want an easy laugh, then they want to go bed. Steve Jobs, rest his soul, nailed it once when he said "When you're young, you look at television and think, there's a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you realize that's not true. The networks are in business to give people exactly what they want. That's a far more depressing thought."

What can you do? Leave your house and watch

some comedy. As funny as they are (and they are), panel shows draw from a pool of moderate- to high-level comedians who cut their teeth in the local Stand and rarely sleep once all the way through festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe and Glasgow Magners. Hell, until then, you can find that sweet original comedy hit on Youtube, in Fopp or most local venues (like the QM, in fact) for cheap, or free. And just like your mum always said, you’ll find having worked for something always makes it that much more rewarding.

Catch someone on their way up at, say, the next Comedy in Jim’s, and leave those at the top of the TV chain to stagnate in their staid hackery. You won’t regret it.

qmunicate • 13

features

Swedish duo Niki and the Dove and their gothic tinged electro pop graced the King Tuts stage as part of the NME Radar tour, and I managed to catch up with them directly after their set. The band only officially formed in 2010, before that devoting their attention to composing music for the theatre. Not the background one would expect from your average ‘NME championed’ band. But then not much about Niki and the Dove could be considered ‘average’...

Being a two piece with such a huge sound, the band make heavy use of samplers and loopers. As Niki & the Dove’s more masculine half, Gustav says ‘we’ve always been inspired by sounds not necessarily from strings or piano keys. With sampling you can do whatever…like this sound (beats table) you can record this and sample it. For example we had a leg of a chair as a bass drum in one song.’ A band that finds music in everyday life then it seems....’It sounds quite pretentious... but it’s true.’

This leads to a discussion about the very nature of influence and its origins; Niki & the Dove are clearly of the opinion that a band’s influences are not limited to musical ones. Charismatic frontwoman Malin says ‘as a band now it’s more about the books we’ve read or something we play with in the studio like a sample. Or even the landscape or environment we’ve spent time in.’ We go on to talk briefly about the other bands on the tour: S.C.U.M and Wolf Gang. ‘On a tour like this we’re not really working with them to be honest... we’re only playing on the same stage. Most of the time it’s like we’re little islands.’ Despite a sense of isolation from other bands, Malin and Gustav maintain the importance of having an eclectic music taste. ‘It’s very refreshing to change the type of music you listen to…so refreshing to listen to classical or jazz. There are a lot of good acoustic/electro bands of course, but you don’t listen to them

too much in case you start thinking ‘how did they do this?’.’

2011 is turning into a big year for Niki and the Dove. ‘Straight after the NME tour we’re back to the studio to record two songs for the album, released in March. Then supporting Hurts on their tour at the start of November.’ Hurts, whose debut album sold nearly a million copies, is a great support slot for the Niki and the Dove, their music being quite comparable; good catchy pop music but with hidden layers adding complexity. ‘We always strive when we’re in the studio to get the ‘kick’ from it’. Actually we’re satisfied when we’re standing in the studio jumping up and down and screaming. But it can be very hard work going down there. The two songs we still have to do are the two oldest and we still haven’t got them right... We don’t have that joy yet, it’s not working. We have about five versions; they’re not good.’ Gustav’s perfectionist tendencies with regard to recording might explain why their songs are so complex; melodic, polyphonic but never alienating to the listener.

With the music scene so clogged with endless new bands coming out, I wonder if the guys consider unique musical identity important. ‘You can’t think like that. You don’t sit and think how we’re supposed to be or how we’re supposed to sound. When we write a song, the song takes control itself; it takes its own ways.’ Malin sits up here and chimes in; ‘Also, I think

musical identity is something you grow into. It keeps changing because you want to explore, you want to keep changing and reinventing yourself. Hopefully we will have a dynamic process going on in the band for a long time, but you can never tell. I just don’t want to be static.’

Talk now turns to their new EP The Drummer, released on the 10th of October to a positive

critical buzz, and rightfully so. The songs have serious hit potential

without ever sacrificing the band’s different approach to electro. ‘It’s a big thing for us. Nowadays

it’s really hard to get the opportunity. To get the labels

on your side... But on this they were with us, so today we’re happy.’ Gustav sits back, looking satisfied, with the air of a man who knows he’s on the edge of success. ‘We’re really proud of it. The EP contains instrumental tracks. People thought that was weird but we fought for it.’ And that pretty much sums up Niki and the Dove. They don’t care if you think they’re weird and they fight for their art.

Look out for the new album come March. and their supporting Hurt slots from November. [Jessica Secmozsvy-Urquhart]

Niki and the Dove tell qmunicate how they ‘just don’t want to be static’.

Branching Out

‘We had a leg of a

chair as a bass drum in one song.’

• qmunicate

The African and Caribbean Centre 07/10

14

audience. After several line-up changes and temporarily disbanding in the 90s, the band came back with the album Roots Controller in 2002 and have been touring steadily ever since.

The first thing that hit me on entering the venue was the pungent aroma of a certain controlled herb... However, all distractions became irrelevant as Misty took to the stage, albeit about an hour and a half late. The live mix was hard to fault, especially impressive given all the instruments battling for attention; trumpets, trombones, keys, guitars. Everything

Misty In Roots

Seeing a band with a career spanning four decades, who pioneered a genre of music largely unknown to the British public but who now have drifted into relative obscurity is a strange experience. Gigs like these are usually in some odd venue in the arse end of nowhere and elicit looks of angry confusion from taxi drivers. They tend to have an average audience age of 45. However, if you’re willing to try something a bit different, they also tend to be absolutely fucking incredible.

Misty in Roots began their career in London in the early 70s, a time of great racial disharmony in the capital (in fact, founding member Clarence Baker suffered a brutal assault at the hands of police officers whilst protesting against the National Front. Misty’s gigs still feature an anti-Nazi league stall). Legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel was a great proponent of the group and championed their first album Live At The Counter Eurovision, making him one of the first prominent DJs to bring roots reggae to a white

MazesCaptain’s Rest 09/10

Having briefly listened to Mazes in preparation for seeing them live, I felt optimistic that their upbeat, jangly 90s indie sound would translate well to a live setting. Their recordings consist of warm vocals and bright layered guitar melodies juxtaposed brilliantly with grungy distortion, and – rather refreshingly – they actually sing, and make the effort to write interesting, layered guitar melodies as opposed to haphazardly strumming at chords.

Unfortunately, as is so often the case, Mazes struggled to replicate their impressive sound to a live setting. Despite enjoying their recordings, I was, at times, a little bored throughout Mazes set. I am not, however, certain that the band can be held entirely accountable for my lack of enthusiasm. It seems as though people continually laud small, “intimate” venues such as Captain’s Rest as being the only way to see proper live music, yet in certain instances, the

line dividing “intimate” and awkward can be crossed, making for uncomfortable viewing.

The crowd remained pressed against the back wall, and so, mid-way through their set, the band beckoned for us to move closer to them, doing little to ease the tension in the room. Perhaps had Mazes played to a slightly larger crowd, in a slightly larger venue with an actual stage, they would have been better received; perhaps their energy was not fully realised in a

room of little more than a dozen people. Then again, I also believe that truly great musicians should be able to captivate an audience no matter where they play.

In fairness, every now and then I would be roused from my bored, day-dream state by a glimmer of melodic goodness or a clever hook, but in spite of these brief moments of promisIe I wouldn’t rush back to see them any time soon.

reviews

Live

was perfectly audible and the musicianship superb.

The set list seemed to stick largely to their newer songs, which lyrically varied from the socially aware (arguably even more relevant in the wake of the recent civic unrest all over the country) to the old school Africa themed lyricism which permeates the genre. Highlights included Cover Up, an impassioned call to arms against instiutional racism and violence.

Front man Walford Tyson seemed coy at first but as the night wore on and the Red Stripe flowed he loosened up big time. Towards the end he took to spinning on one leg delivering his vocals with obvious passion. His impassioned stage prescence was just one aspect of an impressive picture; every member of the band (and there were at least ten) danced along to the grooves for the whole duration of the set. This, coupled with the outstanding noises bursting out the speakers, made this a gig to remember. [JM]

Worth a listen, but not the most exceptional live act I’ve ever seen. The banality of Mazes has made writing this review challenging; I’d love to articulate this more eloquently, but I feel I can say nothing more than that this band was entirely mediocre. Hopefully as their fanbase exapands and they get a few more albums under their belt, they can move their live show to a venue more suited to their sound, or even just fill up a smaller venue. [AS]

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qmunicate •

Albums

Singles

Recalling the tempestuous genesis of the immensely

popular Found Songs, Icelandic musician Ólaf Arnalds latest venture has mirrored that effort: one song created and recorded each day for a whole week. The result, Living Room Songs, is a disarmingly beautiful and poetic endeavour characterised by enduring paradox: at once moving and cold; passionate and restrained, listening to it feels at all times as though you’re on the precipice of something exquisitely insufficient, an unconsummated ecstasy. The album is resonant of the bleak, glacial melancholy of Arnalds’ homeland, a theme that seasoned fans will know permeates the music of many Icelandic musicians. But so

raw and organic is Arnalds’ music that, rather than stories, his music evokes images, often fleeting and unexplained. Whether it’s the album’s opening song, Fyrsta, a requiem that plays sorrow at its most achingly beautiful and recalls grey skies; running through the dead meadows of Lag fyrir Ömmu; or sitting under the shivering blossom tree of the gently epic ‘This Place is a Shelter’, it’s impossible not to be moved, to find yourself detached from the world beyond your headphones, a world that for duration of the album becomes alarming unnecessary. Living Room Songs is certainly the most wondrous creation of Arnalds’ career thus far; beautiful and sad and affecting, this album is a promise of what true talent, if left uninterrupted, can produce. [DS]

Olafur ArnaldsLiving Room Songs

Being new to Owen’s music, I wasn’t sure what to expect

from Ghost Town. In the end, I was left not really knowing what to think. On one hand, the songs were easy to listen to, the mellow acoustic style had an Iron and Wine feel to it. On the other hand, at the risk of sounding cliché; all of the songs sounded the same. The phrase “if you’ve heard one you’ve heard them all” springs to mind when listening to Owen.

So although the songs were good in themselves, by the end of the album I was bored by what sounded like the same guitar part, and the vocals that had sounded quite beautiful at the start had become whiney. The lyrics are heavily metaphorical, and at some points it feels like he is trying too hard to sound deep it turns into a bit of a mess. [BL]

OwenGhost Town

Wild beasts return with their latest single Reach A Bit

Further, taken from their third album Smother, the follow up to 2009’s sublime, Mercury nominated Two Dancers. Like its predecessor, Smother has garnered critical praise verging on the ecstatic and of all the songs it has to offer, Reach A Bit Further is among the most exciting and haunting.

Though a slow burner at first, after a few listens, it’s hard to deny that there is something quite refreshing and distinctive about the band from Kendal. Offering creative and often poignant lyrics, singer Thorpe doesn’t disappoint with his shivering falsetto, blended delightfully with band mate Fleming’s fragile vocals. Singing an honest account of the highs and lows of love, it’s difficult to shy away from the achingly tender and compelling lyrics. Soothing vocals are merged with soft drums and the simplistic yet sublime use of guitar and gentle synths. If Reach A Bit Further is your cup of tea, I cannot recommend their latest album enough. [MB]

Wild BeastsReach A Bit Further

Kathleen EdwardsSidecars

15

Katherine Edwards who is soon to be supporting the

legend that is Bon Iver on his European tour this year has released her new single entitled Sidecars. Though relatively unknown (despite being around for a fair wee while as a singer/songwriter) it seems she is set to change this with her catchy new song. Perhaps this is due in part to her association with Bon Iver, who also produces much of her latest album.

Although relatively short at just over two minutes, Edwards entices you with her soft vocals and upbeat sound from the very beginning; you’ll find your hand continually reaching for that repeat button. If you’re into infectious and happy go lucky artists such as Joy Williams or Brooke Waggoner then Edwards is slightly similar, if, in my humble opinion, not quite as memorable. Despite that, the single is a decent listen and hopefully she won’t be remembered as ‘that girl that supported Bon Iver’ because really, she’s quite good in her own right. [MB]

reviews

Unsigned Corner Check out Glesca four piece Pronto Mama and their trumpet driven math rock: prontomama.music@bandcamp.com

Clement Marfo & The FrontlineOvertime

A seven-piece band from south London, Clement Marfo & The Frontline fuse hip-hop with rock, grime and pop, leaving me wondering what genre this actually is. Overtime (ft. Ghetts) has the beat of a song by Plan B and the vocal sections remind me of Linkin Park, although it would be unfair to compare either of them with such garbage as this.

Of the six tracks on the single, I thought the original was the best. If, like me, you despise dubstep you will hate the aptly named Cruelty remix. I’m not a fan of grime, but if I was I might enjoy Clement Marfo & The Frontline. So if you’re a fan of BBC 1Xtra, you will like this single, but as someone who tries to listen to as little hip-hop as possible, I can’t help thinking that Overtime reminds me of Jon Lajoie’s WTF Collective without the comedy. Not for me then. but maybe those with more of an urban orientated taste will like this. Out to download from iTunes on November 14th. [JC]

acefbl

• qmunicate

reviews

Not being a big fan of fantasy films, never mind a romantic fantasy film, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as I prepared myself for Midnight in Paris, however I am pleasantly surprised to report how refreshing and charming this film was. Set in Paris we see a couple, Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams), take very different journies. Gil is a very romantic character who is swept away by Paris, from the start of the film we see his interest and love for the city especially as he talks of Paris in the 20s. We learn of his regret at not staying in Paris when he was younger and fulfilling his dream of writing a novel. Instead of the tourist spots, Gil wants to walk the little streets of Paris in the rain, while Inez can’t wait to get back to Malibu, spend money and go dancing with Paul.

Without giving too much away, Woody Allen’s approach to the transformation of the film towards fantasy is subtle and renovates an idea which has been attempted by many others, however without any cheap gimmicks and

Midnight In Parispsychedelic screenshots. He creates a smooth transition into a world that allows the viewers a delightful insight into the lives of notable figures such as Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), Zelda Fitzgerald (Alison Pill) and Pablo Picasso

(Marcial Di Fonzo). The film is created with sophisticated wit and charm and while at first I was hesitant to see Owen Wilson as the lead in this movie I must admit he brings likeability to his character and approaches the comedy with a subtle tone. As well as Owen Wilson we see great performances from Kathy Bates who plays Gertrude Stein and Corey Stoll who plays an enticing Hemingway.

As far as the romance in the film goes, a few relationship outcomes might be quite predictable, however there are twists and turns along the way that keep us interested as we follow the journey of Gil Pender and his love affair with Paris at midnight. Overall this movie is easy and enjoyable to watch with intelligent humour and takes a creative approach in exploring the longing for a past that might not have existed.

[Kayleigh Smith]

The film opens with English (Atkinson) being recalled from his training in a Tibetan order of monks to the newly commercialised MI7 – sponsored by Toshiba. Whilst the whole commercialisation thing comes off initially as a just for laughs point, it is upheld quite well, being shown in many of the more active

Johnny English Rebornsequences (the tag-line ‘We spy for you’ even appearing on an MI7 parachute). Without spoiling the ID of the main bad guy – it’s a plot twist – his right-hand man, Slater, is a brilliant performance by actor Burn Gorman (probably best known as Owen from Torchwood). Now, as anyone who’s paid attention to marketing

knows, English’s mission is to prevent the assassination of the Chinese premier, and he’s helped along by rookie agent Tucker, played by Daniel Kaluuya, and psychoanalyst (and later love interest) Kate Sumner (Rosamund Pike). Characteristically, Atkinson delivers the role with his usual comic effect, and slightly higher-brow comedy than is normal nowadays, and the supporting actors, though a little more serious, are equally good.

So, Johnny English Reborn is, first and foremost, a little confused about what

genre it is trying to be. For a lot of the film, it switches between being a serious spy thriller movie, à la James Bond, and being an out-and-out comedy, not dissimilar to its predecessor. Whilst a blend of genres can work quite well for some films, in Reborn, it just comes across as a little schizophrenic. Don’t get me wrong here, the story line and the acting (certain actors especially) work perfectly fine, despite certain predictable plot twists, and the film is generally good, but it would help for it to fit into a more defined genre. Without spoiling anything, a major plot twist at the end is pretty obvious from as soon as it can be – and frankly, I feel the film would have been improved without it. The eight years we’ve waited for this sequel may seem like a long time, but overall, the film is a good one, though it is not by any length without its flaws.

[Charles Westerman]

16

Film

qmunicate •

reviews

17

If there’s one thing a hipster doesn’t like to be reminded of, it’s his intrinsic mainstream-ness. Nothing will throw off a bespectacled, cardigan-wearing indie kid off his off-beat strut by reminding him how similar he is to neighbouring style-plebians. A hipster can be destroyed by informing him that his favourite band were played on Radio 1 or alternatively, you could send him to the preview night of a modern art exhibition, where he’ll feel out-hipstered by all the Level 14 hipsters with their bicycle sculptures.

The latter was the method used on me as I was tasked to check out a new exhibition at the Glasgow School of Art. The exhibition, MobileSolutions, looks at contemporary designs placed in communities to inspire, solve and bring together people.

Mobile SolutionsGSA, until 17/12

Mon–Fri 10.30am–4.30pm, Sat 10am-2pm, Sun closed

Well that was the idea anyway. Arriving at the gorgeous Mackintosh Museum, all that appeared to be in the room was the nicer remnants of a landfill, a smattering of busy art students, and so many hipsters that it looked like American Apparel.

The exhibits, of which there were few, ranged from odd (‘I love its abstract conceptuality!’) to downright shite (a bike and a VHS about it.’) Even the appetisingly named ‘Icecream Architecture’ exhibit, which entailed building card bricks to create a democratic space, fell flat. Somewhat ironically each box was emblazoned with the words “Do you cairn?” but judging by the sea of blank bricks, nobody did.

The only object of interest in the exhibit was the multitude of Art School students cluttering

up the gallery space trying to get on with their work. You may have read our news piece on students being relocated as part of the Art School’s renovations but to see people with easels actually in the middle of a preview event was thoroughly shambolic. If students need to cram their work around exhibits and carry ink printing transfers through crowds of people, you begin to question whether they might need some more space.

In brief, this exhibition is a lot of hot anti-mainstream air. If you fancy a free afternoon out then the Mackintosh Museum does offer amarvellous variety of art to enjoy but Mobile Solutions certainly isn’t part of it.

[Adam Sorice]

Having seen the trailers for this film, I went into the cinema with pretty high expectations – the trailer showed impressive stunts, some fancy wordplay, and airships. AIRSHIPS. It was therefore much to my surprise to find my expectations mostly fulfilled – especially on the swordplay front. The Three Musketeers is unashamedly an action film, though it has small elements of romance (mainly to drive the plot), and a small helping of comedy – almost entirely in the form of James Corden’s played-for-laughs manservant Planchet. I lost count of the amount of times the line ‘Shut up Planchet’ was used. On the note of actors’ personal performances, I thought that Orlando Bloom’s (somewhat stereotypical) bad guy – the Duke of Buckingham – was rather good, if slightly overdone.

The film, however good, is strongly reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean, especially the original trilogy – only with the occult replaced by somewhat anachronistic technology, slightingly handwaved with the phrase ‘Da Vinci invented it’ – an excuse I’m surprised isn’t used

more often. Whilst this isn’t nearly enough of a flaw to bring down the film’s quality, the twisting, turning maze of crosses and double-crosses is all too familiar to any fans of Depp’s famous series. Another minor criticism, one of the few I actually draw with this film, is that the monarchs mentioned (Louis XIV, and ‘King James’ – presumably James II) only coincided whilst Louis was rather older than he is portrayed - at 47 – which implies that the writers did not check their facts.

Also of note in this film are the 3D effects. Throughout most of the film, they were barely noticeable, except in the more panoramic shots (usually of the Tower of London, the Palace of Versailles, and the Cathedral of Notre Dame). That being said, the use of 3D effects on the

map scenes, distinctly reminiscent of the Total War games, was quite impressive - at least, relative to the normal use of 3D effects, which I’ve only ever seen work well in Avatar. Overall, a very impressive effort by director Paul W. S. Anderson.

[Charles Westerman]

The Three Musketeers

• qmunicate

reviews

18

I remember when my mother took my six-year-old self to an electronics store to buy me the drab, grey brick that was the original Game Boy. It was incredible; I could throw it in my backpack, and get my gaming dose anywhere. It was the birth of the handheld video game industry, as the masses know it, and one of the most innovative progressions in all of gaming history.

Fast-forward 20 years, however, and the story’s not quite the same. The Game Boy’s spiritual successor, the 3DS, has failed to capture that same consumer magic and it shows in the sales figures. Even after a 40% price drop in August, the system has still yet to attain the desirability of the original Game Boy or its older brother, the Nintendo DS.

In my eyes, the reason behind this (relative) commercial failure is Nintendo’s belief that simply adding an under-developed and under-performing gimmick, in the form of a3D screen, is enough to market it as an all-new console. Even though the console has a whole bag of other tricks packed inside, Nintendo’s strategy of pushing this gimmick at the expense of quality software has unquestionably backfired.

Of course Nintendo is not solely to blame for their declining successes in the handheld gaming market, smartphones have been spreading like wildfire and have the capability to run a vast multitude of games that span from basic, online affairs like Bejeweled to fully fledged games like Infinity Blade. My smartphone can even run simulators that can play games made for any console from the NES to the PlayStation 1. So is there still a future for dedicated handheld gaming devices?

I firmly believe that there is, but only if gaming and hardware developers take certain steps towards changing their approach to the market. The upcoming PlayStation Vita perhaps signals a readiness to change, the console is nearly as powerful as the PS3 and will come with 3G connectivity, social networking capabilities and both motion and touch-pad controls when it releases next year.

I believe that this is the kind of innovation that will revitalize interest in handheld gaming, at least among consumers who are interested in games that go beyond throwing multi-coloured birds at green pigs. In the meantime, though, I’m going to go back to collecting all 151 Pokémon on my smartphone and remembering the good old days of gaming, when I should be listening to the lecturer. [Eugene Zhdanov]

Portable gaming shows its hand

links

TechI don’t know about you, but a lazy day for me means watching some Buffy: The Vampire Slayer for the umpteenth time. I felt vaguely less ashamed about this when I heard some people do the exact same thing when it comes to Friends and other old-school programmes and it made me wonder: Why exactly do we enjoy watching repeats of old television so much?

To be perfectly honest, they’re both old shows and it’s not like there hasn’t been anything similar on television since they finished. (Some contemporaries might even be better!) Maybe it’s the fact that people tend to get attached to characters on television just as they might get attached to their otherwise annoying neighbour? Charismatic, well-written personalities do have a tendency to grow on people, even if they’re not aware it’s happening. Like developing a tolerance for utterly horrendous amounts of alcohol. Or a tapeworm.

And perhaps television repeats offer some variety of God complex. After all, having watched before means we already know what’s going to happen with the characters throughout the next seasons. We revel in the ability to look at a character and know something they don’t. (Dear Rachel, you will end up with Ross. Stop fighting it!) We’re even free to skip directly to the juicy bits of narratives, if we want to, and then back to the past. After all, wouldn’t we all just love to have the rewind, pause, and fast forward buttons in real life?

Either on television or from our personal collections of DVDs (or, God forbid, from the evil clutches of the piratical interwebs) I believe that some series become comfort blankets for people that offer the viewer an opportunity to escape reality and indulge in some halcyon nostalgia of the good old days.

While the perils of unproved pilots and quirky “off-beat” sitcoms may feel like too much for us after a long day of new information being fired at us (as if lecturers were provided with intellectual paintball guns and we’re sitting targets) the humble repeat will always provide emotional and entertainment stability to our knowledge-addled brains. [Adrienne Augelescu]

Stuck on repeat?

So Ronery - Like looking at pseudo-puppet dictators staring at shit? Well then this is the oddly-specific Tumblr for you.- bit.ly/dfqWy8

Perfect Apology - Need help when making ammends? Then watch this Fox News presenter elegantly ripping Chris Brown a new one and learn how to apologise correctly and cruelly.- bit.ly/qCBjKI

That’ll Do Pig - Snazzy website offering up tasty recipes and gorgeous food photography for those too lazy to cook. - spoonforkbacon.com

V-Who? - You remember Formspring? Yeah, questions got dull quickly. Now imagine that plus video. Any cooler? This site has YouTube personalities abound, be nerdy and start now.- vyou.com

IZ U OK? - Need a sassy black woman in yo life? Glozell is YouTube’s No.1 smack talker. - bit.ly/5eGRkY

Ur So Gay - With PC humour killing most good bender jokes dead, it’s up to the gay community to rib themselves. (We kid.) (A bit.)- clichgay.com

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