Bianco at Brighton Fringe Festival
By Rosie Murphy
Bianco by NoFit State is a health and safety-defying display of human acrobatics set in the Big Top on Hove Lawns.
The award-winning show demonstrates an abundance of elegant yet athletic gymnastics, with an often awe-inspiring affect.
Set to the tunes of a impressively versatile four-piece live band, the performance combines dignified displays of endurance with energetic and humorous pieces set in swim suits.
Read the rest of this entry »
By Tom Groom
Intergalactic gets a little bit brought down-to-earth
Album info
Release date: October 1, 2012
Producer: Muse
Label: Helium 3, Warner
Fact: The album is based around the 2nd law of thermodynamics which states that no system can exist while maintaining endless growth.
8/10
Not many artists describe their latest work as a ‘christian gangsta rap odyssey, with some ambient rebellious dubstep and face-melting metal flamenco cowboy psychadelia’, but then again not many artists are Matt Bellamy. Though Bellamy’s obsession with corruption and anti-politics may not be healthy, it sure makes for some heavily ambitious music, demonstrated on the band’s sixth meteoric album. ‘The 2nd Law’ begins with the Devon-born frontman quoting that ‘policies have risen up and overcome the brave’, which pretty much sums up the political angle of the album: they don’t like politics. The head-banging, bombastic, overdriven riff of ‘Supremacy’ has a rising effect reminiscent of the band’s famous ‘Knights of Cydonia’ breakdown, and also the more politically-driven ‘Uprising’ from 2009’s ‘The Resistance’. Despite claiming this album was going to be ‘more personal’ and that there would be ‘a few love songs’, I don’t think Bellamy could resist the temptation to try and start a mass overhaul of government with the first song on an album. Political slamming first – love songs after. Electrically driven ‘Madness’ is the first example of the latter; a smooth, almost hypnotic tune (the “ambient rebellious dubstep” discussed earlier), with a bassy background and a crescendo-like finale, as more elements of the song come together, culminating in an earth-shattering note capable of melting insides to goo in no time at all. Some fans may not enjoy this side of the album, and indeed it does seem that the superstars have gone soft in one or two of the new songs. However, I am sceptical you will find more emotion in a song than is present in ‘Follow Me’, a collaboration of sorts with electric artists Nero. Matt uses his newborn baby ‘Bing’s’ heartbeat as the intro for crying out loud, and the song itself is a powerful message to his son, one that he need never be afraid as long as Dad’s around. While the beat to this tune may not feel out of place in a nightclub, Muse make the sound their own in a typically Muse way, as Bellamy produces more of his outstanding vocals to fill the song to the brim with raw emotion.
A highlight of the album is the groovy ‘Panic Station’, which draws inspiration from funk artists such as Stevie Wonder and Chaka Demus. Chris Wolstenholme starts to ‘slap de bass’ for the first time in Muse’s grand history, and the distortion usually found on Muse’s electric guitars is toned down to create a funky clean sound, reminiscent of that found in Wonder’s ‘Superstition’. Again, this is like nothing we have heard from Muse before, but it is this new direction and these new sounds that make this album great. Back to the emotional, passionate side of the album and soft-rock ballad ‘Explorers’, during which Bellamy states his worries about the planet being ‘overrun’. The song is slow and peaceful, so fans of the hardcore first albums may be feeling a little disappointed, or even angry, at Muse for ‘softening up’ on this album, but altogether each song contributes to a greater aim and a more complete album.
One thing many Muse fans will have been anticipating is the emergence of bassist Chris Wolstenholme as a lead singer for the first time in the bands’ history. The Devonian takes the main stage on ‘Save Me’ and ‘Liquid State’ – both of which are also written by Wolstenholme – and while he may not have the powerful range of Bellamy, the songs he offers up are full of emotion. ‘Save Me’ documents a little about his battle with alcoholism and Muse fans will be pleased to know the bassist nails the vocals and makes this song one of the best on the album.
The 2nd Law comes to a crashing end with a two-parter – ‘The 2nd Law – Unsustainable’ and ‘The 2nd Law – Isolated System’. The former is a further example of Muse’s ambition and willingness to reach an audience previously untapped by their brand of prog-rock, as the other-worldly group attempt to make their very own ‘dubstep’. The track begins, however, with an orchestral build-up similar to that in the ‘Exogenesis Symphony’ trilogy of the previous album. Then Matt crashes in on a heavily distorted guitar, sliding up and down the fretboard to produce the back-and-forth bassline commonly found in dubstep tracks, all the while belting out another spine-tingling note guaranteed to make anyone go weak at the knees. It is a fitting finale to perhaps their most far-fetched, aspiring album yet.
By Tom Groom
The Little Shocks are a teenage band incarnated in the heart of Chichester, the outcome of shifting line-ups in an already-existent band. A bombastic, guitar-driven, post-alternative indie sound gives this band it’s edge, and reminds you in part of a young Arctic Monkeys, with a little bit of Fratelli’s thrown in. The band consists of frontman Tom Herrington, Lead Guitarist Rob Brown, Bassist and backup vocalist Harry Caiger and manic drummer Elliot Jones, who I caught up with to interview about his band’s promising rise of success.
TG: What made you initially decide you wanted to be a musician?
EJ: I used to go to gigs all the time from the age of 11 after playing football from an early age. I picked up a bass first, but I was no good, so I got a cheap drum kit instead. It was all a bit random really.
TG: Who are your idols as drum players?
EJ: Chad Smith, Dave Weckl, Mike Portnoy, Dave Grohl and a bit of Travis Barker, people compare my style to him sometimes.
TG: How long have you known your fellow band members? And how did you meet them?
EJ: I’ve known Rob since I was about 5 years old and I was in a band with him a few years ago, we gig’d around Bognor. I met Tom and Harry in November last year on a music course at college.
TG: How did you guys decide you wanted to be in a band?
EJ: They (Rob and Tom) were already in a band for around a year, but the line-up always changed, and they never wrote much music. They asked me in November last year and Harry joined us in February after a couple more changes.
TG: So how long have Rob and Tom been doing it?
EJ: Since about February last year together
TG: Where do you see yourself and the band in 6 months/ a year?
EJ: Hopefully if everything pulls through we are looking to play some reputable Brighton venues over the next six months or so. We are looking to book a tour for the summer next year, but we’ve got lots planned in between the two, but that’s secret!
TG: That sounds awesome. Your Facebook page, facebook.com/TheLittleShocks, tells me you’re unsigned, have you had any offers yet?
EJ: We haven’t as of yet, but playing at Coalition turned some heads in the right direction. We have things to work on and get better at, it’s something to look forward to as and when it happens. We need to show everyone what we’ve got over the next year.
TG: I, regrettably, couldn’t make it to your Coalition performance, but I saw it on YouTube, you were ace. When’s the next gig?
EJ: It was nuts man, we are doing a minibus every time we go for a fiver each. We are at the Exchange in Hove on the 17th of November and we are waiting for dates from the Prince Albert and the Hope in Brighton.
TG: Who, in your opinion, are the main influences on the band?
EJ: It’s hard to say really, but others say Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, The Strokes; these are the main ones people compare our sound to. People say a lot of different artists, we all like different stuff so the music and songs are influenced by lots of music.
TG: It’s good that way because you can get the best of everything. What would be your dream gig?
EJ: Yeah man we’ve got some hard-hitting tunes, some have grooves and funky melodies, it’s a nice mixture. Our dream gig would be without a doubt supporting the Arctic Monkeys! Realistically, if we work hard we want to try and get on one of the big festivals next year.
TG: Either of those would be awesome. What’s the best gig you’ve played to date?
EJ: Coalition without a doubt, we blew the roof off and got a good reaction from the judges and other Brighton venues afterwards. Looking back on it, that’s one gig we will remember forever, no matter what happens.
TG: It looked pretty manic from what I saw! You hear a lot of crazy stories about rock and roll guys doing stupid stuff, what’s the craziest time you’ve had personally or with the band in the time you’ve been playing?
EJ: (chuckles) The most rock and roll moment of my life was playing in a mankini with a former band for our last gig. I think as a band, the funniest one was Rob’s birthday, we had a gig that night and he was trollied. We need to have a big night out together when my passport arrives.
TG: I saw pictures of that gig. How difficult has it been to get gigs and attention in a music scene dominated by pop groups?
EJ: Round here we have done well because there’s not much music that’s like ours. At Coalition we were the only band of our kind, so we just have to keep writing massive tunes like we have been, still lots to come over the next few months.
TG: In my opinion, you should keep doing what you’re doing. You have nearly 500 fans on Facebook now, that’s quite a landmark! How useful has the internet been in promoting what you’re doing?
EJ: The main thing is going to bigger places and writing bigger and better songs, it’s all in the name of fun. Facebook especially helps massively – we are looking into other methods including a website in the new year.
TG: I guess half of it is not losing sight of who you are as a band. Do you have any pre-gig rituals?
EJ: The boys are fat fuckers, they get as many kebabs as possible, I just chain smoke! Other than that we just get as pumped as possible.
TG: One more thing, if you could meet any one of your musical heroes, who would it be?
EJ: I want to meet Chad Smith, then my life would be complete. From the band’s perspective, it would be the Arctic Monkeys or Alex Turner for sure.
By Tom Groom
Judgment may not be the revelation the first Gears game was, nor may it be as rounded as it’s predecessor Gears of War 3, nor does it have the campaign intensity of the franchise’s second instalment – but what it has over it’s 3 bigger brothers is innovation. Epic Games, minus lead developer Cliff Bleszinski, have had to create a game to re-energise the Gears saga, one of the most-loved game series’ of the 21st century. So, where to begin. Let’s start with the campaign.
The focal point of the Judgment campaign is Lieutenant Damon Baird, a cocky, blond-haired young Gear who, to his credit, has an impeccable record with the COG. Him and squadmates Augustus Cole (ex-Thrashball player and fan-favourite), Garron Paduk (a badass ex-UIR fighter with a grudge against the COG) and Sofia Hendrick (a by-the-book pro still in training for the Onyx forces) are charged by Colonel Ezra Loomis with treason, theft of military technology and cowardice. The story is told through the narrative of Baird, with his witty insights shedding light on the situations he and his squad faced in the build up to their ‘war crime’. While the story may not have the significance or impact of those games before this in the series, it gives the audience a chance to hear a little bit more about the background of Baird and Cole, albeit with less of the latter.
I’ll get straight to it, if you’re looking for longevity – look somewhere else. The main campaign took me and a mate between 3-4 hours to complete, while the ‘Aftermath’ unlockable section (where we see what Cole and Baird got up to in their Gears 3 absence) took little over a hour. However, it does have it’s upsides. The new ‘Declassified’ options offer interesting alternatives to the action in this game, whether its killing numerous locust armed only with a pistol or dashing through an area before a Hammer of Dawn strike incinerates your ass. This adds to the intensity of the battle, as does the new semi-random Locust spawn system. The enemies you encounter change every time, so you never fight the same baddies twice. One attempt could see you facing innumerable pesky Wretches, while another could see you piling clip after clip of Lancer ammo into a stubborn Boomer. The Gears Judgment campaign also incorporates features of the game’s cornerstone seller – Horde mode. Something will happen, such as an order comes through to hold the fort, and you are told you have a certain amount of time to prepare and set up defences before facing waves of Locust, something entirely new to the Gears campaigns. The visuals are just as, if not more than, stunning as Gears 3, which is one of the most beautiful third-person shooters I have ever played, and the cinematic cutscenes are mastered to perfection.
The game’s multiplayer is totally unique in the series too, with game modes such as Free-for-all and Domination being introduced beside fan-favourite Team Deathmatch. These game modes are all self-explanatory and have featured in many multiplayer games before, but is the addition of the new ‘OverRun’ mode that makes this game’s online play so different. A combination of Gears’ trademark Horde mode and Gears 3′s Beast mode, you and a team of four others play as both the Locust and the COG. While on the COG’s side of the fight, you and your team set up defences to hold of the opposing Locust. The new class system in this game mode makes the battle very balanced, if a little in favour of the Locust. As members of the COG, you can choose to be: an Engineer (Baird) , who holds a blowtorch for repairing fortifications and an automatic turret; a Medic (Sofia) with a stim-gas healing grenade and Sawed-Off Shotgun; a Scout (Paduk) who grips his trusty UIR semi-auto sniper the Markza and spot grenades, which tag enemy Locust; or a Soldier (Cole) armed with a grenade-firing Booshka and ammo handouts, which come particularly in handy during the final stages of your desperate defence. Locust forces include a Ticker, Wretch, Grenadier, Kantus, Mauler, Serapede, Corpser and the all-new ‘Rager’ – a Locust with a bad attitude you won’t like when he’s angry.
There is another new mode – ‘Survival’, but I’m not entirely sure what it’s there for. It involves you playing as the COG as you would in OverRun, but holding off against 10 waves of Locust without ever changing sides. So I’m sure many of you will be sticking to OverRun. All-in-all this game is a breath of fresh air to the Gears series, and exactly what it needed. The worn out third-person shooter needed this invigoration to pick itself up after the exhausting completion of the Gears story arc, and Judgment fully pays the bills.
Overall rating: 9.2/10
Bellamy playing his signature custom ‘Glitterati’ Manson electric guitar
By Tom Groom
For a man like Matthew Bellamy, abnormal is normal. The Devon-born Muse frontman started out his musical life by figuring out the Dallas theme tune and playing it on the piano for his brothers’ friends’ amusement. He then decided, at 11, he wanted to buy a guitar after seeing a recording of Jimi Hendrix’s famous fiery jam at the Monterey Pop Festival. The rest, as they say, is history. He and fellow Devonians Chris Wolstenholme and Dom Howard have gone on to produce 7 studio albums and sold over 10 million albums worldwide.
Bellamy, who never ‘had a dream of becoming a rock star’ didn’t have a normal upbringing – his mother and older brother used a Ouija Board to contact the dead and his mother also cursed him for breaking a mirror which led to his parents’ break-up. He says of the incident, “It was ok at home, middle class, we had money – until the age of 13. Then, everything changed, parents got divorced, and I went to live with my grand mother”. His father was George Bellamy, member of a band called the Tornadoes who were the first UK band to get a number one in America. Bellamy however, is normally not one for the spotlight, especially when out in public with wife and mother of his child, Bing, Kate Hudson. This prompted a bizarre stunt in which Bellamy wore a Tesco carrier bag over his head.
Matt is known for his extravagant vocals and guitar manipulation, and is probably the main reason for Muse’s success in the category for Live awards. What other people may see as incessant wailing, fans hear as g#5 in all it’s glory. What others see as guitar wankery fans hear as beautiful rock melodies. Muse aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and neither is Matt Bellamy. His capability of reaching such extremely high notes with relatively little practice can be attributed to the fact that a doctor once told him he had unnaturally small vocal chords according to bandmate Dom Howard, speaking at Route du Rock 2001. His beliefs in the supernatural and conspiracy theories lead many to believe he’s just a nutter with an axe, but there is an intelligence to the man, who holds an honorary doctorate in music from the University of Plymouth.
The 5ft 7in frontman (named Sexiest Man in the NME Awards 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013) tied himself down in 2011 to actress Kate Hudson, with whom he had his first child Bingham Bellamy, whose heartbeat was recorded and used on a track from The 2nd Law, ‘Follow Me’. Despite his experiences with shrooms and alcohol in his younger years (and the latter during an interview with NME in 2011) the rocker has settled down, but still continues to play with Muse. Speaking about his experience with drugs Bellamy said, “I’m not afraid of seeing something horrible. It’s a way of connecting with yourself in a way that you can’t normally do”. However he always avoided ‘hard drugs’, and described a flat he moved into with a drug dealer aged 18 as a ‘scene from Trainspotting, white powders and mirrors and tin foil everywhere”. Matt holds the world record for most amount of guitars smashed on a single tour (140 during Absolution Tour) and can also say the alphabet backwards. He is one of rock’s most celebrated and strange celebrities, who continues to be able to sell out a 75,000 capacity Wembley Stadium.
So while Bellamy may not be the stereotypical rock star, there is something different about him, a kind of odd charm that doesn’t really coincide with the style of music he plays. Behind the brash, falsetto-belting dancing-around-the-stage exterior, there is a complex and intelligence to Matt Bellamy rarely viewed from the outside. Often though, shades of this bizarre brilliance filter into songs, such as the self-composed 13-minute three-part ‘Exogenesis Symphony’ featured on Muse’s 5th album, ‘The Resistance’. The Symphony is composed by Bellamy, and according to him, “It is a story of humanity coming to an end and everyone pinning their hopes on a group of astronauts who go out to explore space and spread humanity to another planet”.
Not many people can predict what Bellamy is going to do next in his life as he continues to rise higher and higher with Muse. He once said he would like to ‘play a gig in space’ and also ‘in the constellation of Pleiades’ – a star system that (according to one of his favourite conspiracy theories) aligns with the Eygyptian and Cydonian pyramid systems, so be on the lookout for tickets to those gigs. For now though, him and Muse are beginning the second leg of their world tour in the UK, playing a host of stadium shows over the summer. Grab tickets if you want to experience being in the presence of one of the most fascinating men in rock.
By Samuel Peace
It’s a rare occurrence when the film and game industry cross paths, one which usually doesn’t bode well for either side. Surely it would be easy to turn a game into a film? Just take the script, hire some good actors/actresses to play the characters, and use CGI for the environments and any other unrealistic feature. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as that because games focus on what makes their entertainment so popular – the gameplay – thus leaving the story to play second fiddle (or sometimes no fiddle at all). While some games might make for good films (BioShock, Uncharted, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare etc), these have never come to pass. Instead producers chose more recognisable franchises some of which have little to no story at all (for example the recent Battleship movie based on the board game, or the infamous Super Mario Bros film in 1993 which was nothing like the games). Disaster after disaster has led to very few game to film adaptations as movie makers become less willing to put their reputation on the line. However, this has not deterred Walt Disney, which is famed around the world for its animated classics. They wanted to build bridges with the games industry, write them a love letter so to speak. So the concept of Wreck-It Ralph was born.
The idea for the motion picture actually goes all the way back to the late 1980s when arcade gaming was in its prime. However many redesigns saw it pushed further and further away from release until plans were finalised in the mid-2000s. During the production stages, director Rich Moore (best known for his directing roles in a number of The Simpsons and Futurama episodes), said in an interview with MCV that he didn’t want to base the movie around an existing character. He said: “There’s so much mythology and baggage attached to pre-existing titles that I feel someone would be disappointed.” He believed this was a reason why so many movies based on video game franchises typically failed. Instead his vision was to create a fake gaming icon so that he could have the ultimate freedom without the worry of tainting another gaming property.
The plot revolves around the main character Wreck-It Ralph (voiced by John C Reilly). But instead of being a generic game plot (where the main character is a hero and has to save the world from the bad guy), Ralph is actually the bad guy from the start! He plays the main villain in a fictional arcade game called Fix-It Felix Jr. which as you might have guessed has a hero called Fix-It Felix (voiced by Jack McBrayer). The game pays homage to the original Donkey Kong, an arcade classic which saw Mario (known then as Jumpman) try to ascend a series of platforms in order to rescue a woman named Pauline from the grasps of the giant gorilla. Donkey Kong’s role was to stop Mario by rolling barrels down to try and knock him off. In Fix-It Felix Jr. Ralph stands atop a skyscraper and chucks debris down to try and knock off Felix whose aim is to fix all the broken windows while ascending the building.
The problem is Ralph is fed up of being the bad guy and not getting any recognition. He is finally pushed over the edge when Felix is given all the credit for the game’s success and has a party thrown for him (Ralph not invited) to celebrate the game’s 30th anniversary. When he crashes it, he is quite simply told that bad guys do not deserve recognition and he would need a medal to be a good guy and a winner. Determined to get a medal and prove his worth, Ralph decides to ‘game jump’ – which is to enter another arcade game via the hub where all the games connect (the power supply). His quest to find a medal is, as you would expect, not straight forward and there is plenty of entertainment right until the end.
The first half of Wreck-it Ralph is by far the best. With real life game cameos galore and an interesting plot, there really is something for everyone. One of the more memorable scenes (which was in the trailer) saw Ralph in a ‘bad guy’ support group which was attended by some of gaming’s most iconic villains such as Bowser (Super Mario games), Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog games) and Clyde (Pac-Man games). There are so many other subtler references too which help bring the world to life. With all these famous faces it was important that the main fictional characters were made to feel authentic too so they wouldn’t be outshone. Both Ralph and Felix deliver on this part with mannerisms and abilities akin to the classic characters we all know and love. They are later joined by other fictional cast members including the fantastic Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman).
Unfortunately the second half of the film falls into the stereotypical Disney ‘be yourself’ trap with predictable results. There are not many game cameos or references that have not already been seen either, as the story focuses more on the development of our main fictional heroes and villains. However, it’s the chemistry between them, which manages to save the film from drowning in mediocrity. Each persona is vastly different from one another and makes for some interesting combinations. While the plot contains some foreseeable twists and turns it still manages to round off nicely with a Mario Kart like race mixed with an alien invasion.
Despite some shortcomings, Wreck-It Ralph manages to capture the real essence of the classic arcade era. It has some truly wonderful references which will appeal to both young and old audiences. The main cast of fictional characters are the stars of the show however, and would not be out of place in the real world of gaming. Moore’s experience with The Simpsons is exhibited with a great range of humorous gags and along with the art style makes the film feel more like a Pixar production than a Disney studios film, which is for the best. While not perfect it is definitely the best film/game crossover ever made, and that alone is worth seeing.
Rating: 8/10
MCV Interview: http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/interview-wreck-it-ralph-director-talks-bringing-games-to-film/0110639
By Samuel Peace
The seven year long wait is over as the next evolution in handheld gaming has arrived. The successor to Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) has finally been released overseas following a Christmas release in its native country Japan. Dubbed the PlayStation Vita (Latin & Italian for ‘life’) it provides gamers with everything they love about a home console, but combines it with the benefits of a handheld device. Fans and industry professionals alike have been longing for a new power house which can replicate experiences which were only possible on a TV. While Nintendo dominate this market, they have failed to capitalize on it by focusing all their efforts on innovative gimmicks rather than technical progression. The Vita has seized this opportunity to give people an alternative, which for all the tech geeks out there is a joy to behold.
Boasting a 5-inch multi-touch OLED screen capable of showing 16 million colours, a 2GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore CPU, 512 MB RAM, 128 MB VRAM, and a Quad-Core SGX543MP4+ for graphics, it is a beast of a machine. For those of you unacquainted with technical specs it just means you pretty much have the power of the PlayStation 3 but in your pocket. Following on from the impressive insides we also have a great range of external components. These include dual analogue sticks (a first for any handheld device), a unique rear multi-touch pad, a front and rear camera, six-axis motion sensing (three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer), three-axis electronic compass, and the usual array of buttons. This provides consumers with not only a home console quality experience, but also new and exciting ways to play. Developers will also enjoy coming up with ideas using all of the unique features.
Considering the punch this device is packing, you would expect it to be the size of a brick or an Xbox 360’s power box. To my surprise however, it is a sleek and stylish gadget which wouldn’t look out of place in James Bond’s arsenal. The shape is similar to that of its predecessor the PSP (not the flop that was the PSP GO). Its dimensions are also quite similar as the Vita has a width of 182mm (170mm on the original PSP 1000 model), a height of 83.5mm (previously 74mm) and a depth of 18.6mm (from 23mm). The increase in the width and height helps to offer a better cinematic experience similar to that of consoles; this will ensure that your 16:9 widescreen display needs are catered for. Despite the slight expansion, the Vita weighs pretty much the same as the original PSP 1000 model; in fact it’s slightly lighter. While the PSP weighed 280grams, the Wi-Fi only Vita comes in at 260grams, but the 3G/WI-FI model is 279grams.
Because of the similarities in shape, size and weight, this handheld marvel feels reminiscent of its fore-bearer. It also shares the same shiny black finish which gives amateur detectives the chance to play ‘who violated my Vita?’ The analogue sticks are a nice change as they resemble the PS3’s but on a smaller scale. These improve over the single flat circular nub/pad that the PSP and 3DS have as they feel more precise and easier to manoeuvre. My only worry is that because the Vita doesn’t have handle grips (like a PS3 controller) and because the analogue sticks are smaller and have a slippery convex design, it could be quite difficult/uncomfortable keeping grip of it (or keeping your thumbs on the sticks) during long periods of play (or when you have a sweaty hands). This might not be an issue for everyone however, and handhelds are designed more for on-the-go play than marathon sessions.
For many people one of the main attractions of the Vita was the enhanced graphics, so I am pleased to say that the OLED screen is beautifully vibrant and particularly dazzles when you play games as stunning as the Uncharted series. The stereo speakers and headphone support complements the visuals while other standard gizmos such as the touch screen, cameras, buttons and sensors all perform as well as they should. The rear touch pad on the other hand is a much more prominent and unusual feature. It is still too early to tell how useful it will be in enhancing the numerous Vita experiences, but already we are seeing it used in different ways. Most are gimmicky or are just used in mini games while the odd one or two work quite well at offering a new way to play (such as touch shooting in Fifa).
As the main multi-touch screen on the Vita offers such precision, Sony has decided to do away with the XMB which is present on the PSP and PS3. It now offers a sleek and innovative user interface reminiscent of the iOS on the iPhone. Now the screen is filled with bubbles which all represent different apps for services and games. Many of these apps consist of your standard PS3/PSP services such as friends, messages, trophies and store etc, but there is a big push for online and social connectivity this time round. Some of the services on offer include Facebook, Twitter and Skype all of which help to keep you in touch with other people (though they have to be downloaded through the store). Sony has also incorporated its own social app called ‘Near’ which utilises its built in GPS. This is very similar to the 3DS’s StreetPass app which allows the system to connect to others who are nearby. I found it a bit confusing, but it’s nice to see how many people near me own Vitas. It also allows you to send and receive gifts from certain games and compares games/scores, which I guess is nice if not a little bit pointless.
For physical games Sony have decided to ditch the PSP’s cute UMDs and have changed to small SD type cards akin to Nintendo’s DS and 3DS. One of the main things which irk me about the Vita is that the memory cards are so restrictive. The system no longer supports the PSP’s memory stick and memory stick duo. Instead it favours its own PS Vita Memory Card. The main problem is that it doesn’t allow for any other third party memory card or SD card. This means Sony can get away with charging outrageous prices for memory as players have no choice but to buy their cards. One example is the 32GB Vita card which costs £60 on Amazon. £60!? I could buy a couple of newly released games for that price. On the same site, there are third party 32GB cards for as little as £15. To make matters worse, only one account can be linked per memory card. While this made sense on the PSP at the time, technology has progressed far enough today to allow for multiple accounts on a multitude of gadgets.
There is no doubt plenty more to discover about the Vita as it begins to evolve and create an identity for itself. It has a plethora of great features most of which are making mostly the right noises. Competition is even tougher now as the rise of smart phones, which can host a variety of games for a small cost, calls into question the viability of a dedicated gaming handheld. However Sony has created a machine which can produce quality content not possible on any other handheld device – something which true gamers will want. There is still plenty of potential to unlock and with the PS4 on the horizon it will no doubt play a vital role in connecting with it. The Vita is exactly what the industry needs, but with any console success is only as good as its library of games, so we will have to wait and see if the Vita can deliver on that front.
By Samuel Peace
Of all the many wonders in the world today the only place children want to go to is Disneyland. I often dreamt of going when I was younger but my parents couldn’t afford such a luxury. I would boil with envy when my friends told me of their magnificent adventures with Buzz Lightyear, Indiana Jones, Mickey Mouse and more. “I’m going for the third time this summer holidays” one would say, “Oh really?” I’d reply with gritted teeth. As I grew up the child’s fantasy land became less appealing, and the thought of going to a foreign country never crossed my mind. I had many great holidays around England and was quite content with staying on home soil. However, soon after turning 18 I was on a plane heading towards Disneyland Paris.
My grandparents decided to treat me and my family to a holiday in the summer of 2009. Originally we had planned to stay at a deluxe villa in the south of Spain. The very thought of a hot tropical scene with beautiful, naturally tanned Spanish girls got my heart pounding with excitement. Seeing the pictures of the proposed villa just made it even more enticing. Therefore a sudden change of plan in order to limit travel time and to please my younger siblings left a bitter taste in my mouth. For me the Disney plane had flown into the sunset and left me behind many years ago. There was little excitement to be had except for the prospect of visiting Paris. Everything soon changed though as walking through the entrance of the park woke my inner child.
The gloriously decorated buildings, giant floats and mascots made it feel as if you were actually in a Disney cartoon. There was so much going on that I didn’t know where to start. While most theme parks are just giant fun fairs with lots of rides, this place seemed different. The magical aura of the classic childhood fairy tales was present. The park was separated into zones with each one focusing on different notable franchises. It was great to see the attention to detail with each area being designed in certain ways to make it feel like you’re in the world of that film. But while I was impressed by the aesthetics, I was still yet to be convinced by its attractions and other offerings. That was until I went on an adrenaline train they called a rollercoaster for the first time and nearly shat myself with how thrilling it was.
The first one I tried was based on Indiana Jones and saw us sitting in a mine cart whizzing in and out of caves with plenty of drops and sharp turns to keep you on your toes, so to speak. The rush I got from the ride was fantastic, I had felt as if I had been on a wild adventure. The one down side was the loop the loop part which made me feel disorientated and a bit queasy, but other than that it was great. With my excitement boiling over and my passion revitalised, I couldn’t wait to go on some more rides. Most of my family were not keen on these heart exercises, but my little sister was accustomed to them despite being 6 years younger. Another one we went on was some indoor space shuttle rollercoaster (probably Buzz Lightyear). This was even better than the Indi one as it launched nearly vertically at a phenomenal speed. It felt like someone had stuck a rocket onto it. It then began rushing through a tunnel of darkness with neon lights circling as if you were going through a time warp on Doctor Who. Although these rides lasted all of but a few minutes, the experiences live on forever in my mind.
On our travels through the fantasy worlds we encountered a variety of wonderful things, some of which weren’t even Disney. There was a set of Hollywood, a set of London, an American trailer cafe, shops with all sorts of goodies (although they didn’t allow non Disney brands so most shops were the same), the Statue of Liberty and much, much more. There were a few shows on too including a live stunt/action performance and a wild west arena spectacular. Although I’d been to stunt shows before, this one stood out because it was like watching a movie being filmed on a Hollywood set. There were crashes, fighting, shootouts and explosions galore, it was utterly exhilarating. The western show was more of a story and revolved around a person called Buffalo Bill. It had some good live animal acts, but I didn’t find it as engrossing as I’d hoped it would be.
During our visit we stayed at an offsite hotel which had a direct bus link to the park. The staff there were nice (one of the French waiters actually wanted England to beat the Netherlands in a football friendly which was on!). The rooms were basic and did the job, but the food service was excellent. Of course being in France meant I had to have Croissants and Pain Au Chocolates for breakfast, as you’d imagine such delectable food was difficult to endure. The best part was the daily hot chocolate which was divine, needless to say I have not tried one as nice since. We ate out at many places, but the most memorable was a place named Pizza Planet. This restaurant is a replica of the one found in the Toy Story films. It has the same giant logo, the same robot guarding the door, the same three-eyed aliens in space rocket grabbing machines etc. It was an awesome and surreal experience.
We stayed for a week in total, but only went to Paris once. Although it was marvellous and the Eiffel Tower was remarkable, I did not feel the same sense of joy or excitement as I did at Disneyland. Looking back now, it was not only my best holiday by far, but it was also the most fun I had in years, and to my surprise my heart was pounding again, much like with those Spanish girls who are still waiting for me.
By: Alex Scott
Music is the purest of all expression. In an age where artists are chewed up and spat out faster than a Wrigley’s Spearmint, it’s a notion you could almost be forgiven for forgetting. Less and less it becomes about aesthetic, replaced instead by the thirst for survival. Message alone won’t shift records, after all.
By Mary Stevens
What could be more efficacious for aficionados of the English language than an evening with Mr B the Gentleman Rhymer? He is the chap who raps in the most eloquent English of the Queen, reminding us of our rich popular musical recent past. Last night his parlour in the Prince Albert was a hot and sweaty one, crowded with Brighton’s finest groomed moustaches, elegant coiffeurs – and a few shaggy beards and tattoos who had sidled in possibly seeking sartorial guidance.
While we attended the arrival of Mr B, a bunch of blokes who appear to have spent rather too much time watching retro television on YouTube warmed us up. Despite their moderately shabby appearance, Dream Themes delighted the assembled throng with rocking renditions of antiquated TV theme tunes.
Most of the audience really should have had no idea what they were listening to – the Rockford Files, Brookside, the A Team, Dallas and The South Bank Show to name a few dead serials. Were the shadows of recognition flickering across youthful faces a sad social indicator of much time wasted on TV Gold or the sign of a fully rounded cultural education?
Immaculately groomed, Mr B then graced the stage brandishing his banjolele, in complete command of the DJ hitting it with his backing tracks, and enunciating clearly. He is a man singularly responsible for demonstrating to the chattering classes that the street sounds of ‘hip hop’ can be rendered palatable to the drawing room.
We were guided on a hazy journey through the disparate 90s youth that, it seemed, has informed the development of chap hop. The unfortunate fate of a chumrade is charted in Songs for Acid Edward, and a poppier medley, Sherry Cakes and Belly Aches – samples Soup Dragons, Blur, Primal Scream and other iconic Brit-ish tunes. The throng are provoked to cut shapes like its 1995, only a bit more genteel.
Things really get moving with a knee bending sing-a-long to ‘More Kissing in Porn, we’re British’, and delving deeper into musical history, and abroad, The Model, had every handy in the house in the air.
Gosh, it was very exhausting, and a nice cup of tea was well deserved by all. Everyone needed to take Mr B’s parting advice and head home for a jolly good kip.
by Mary Stevens
Where do you go with work weary adults, fractious under tens and grumpy pre-teens to celebrate a big birthday on a Brighton Friday night? The chip shop is a safe bet – especially when it’s ten minutes away – so we booked a table in Bardsley’s. Here four generations of fryers have been battering cod pieces since 1926. As a family business, they welcome all ages and tolerate the less than immaculately behaved – in the form of rampaging children and adults being very silly (whoops).
Tucked away east of London Road, in Baker Street, with no nonsense decor, this is a traditional take away come fish restaurant. Old favourites are on the menu – huss, saveloy, haddock and mushy peas, with specials including sea bass and salmon. However, it’s no fusty backstreet diner, and Bardsley’s is equipped to accommodate most dietary quirks. Vegetarians and the fish phobic are sometimes forced to join friends and family for food. While such behaviour is sometimes (in jest, we think) frowned upon by proprietor Roy, there are pies and burgers for those who pale at the sight of an ethically sourced prawn. On our visit battered mushrooms were on the specials board, and to satisfy calorie counters and coeliacs fish also comes grilled rather than fried.
Although it’s been a few years since Bardsley’s was BYO, we asked nicely and were allowed to take our own (champagne) and put it in the fridge. For hefty ‘nibbles’ plates of calamari and whitebait with plenty of tartar and garlic mayo quietened everyone down. Never mind posh olives, a glass of Bollinger with a gherkin chaser takes a lot of beating. Then it was burgers for fussy kids and fish phobes, while the serious connoisseurs of all things fishy selected the very special Bardsley’s platter. Recommended for (at least) two to share, this is an orgy of seafood. Bardsley’s respect their fish, all catches are carefully sourced and they are always happy to discuss the provenance. However, it’s Friday night and we’re hungry – so I have no idea where the huge shiny scallops came from – but they were actually awesome. The rest of the platter was filled with monster prawns, grilled sea bass, crayfish tails and a smidgen of crispy fried fish for balance. A plate of proper chips on the side and mushy peas made up our vegetable quotient.
Watched over by a mosaic of great grandfather Bardsley, fish, chips and sundries are served to friends and families of all ages with amiable efficiency. We went from tired and fractious to stuffed and content – even the almost-teenagers.
While cheaper chips are available, you’d be hard pushed to find better quality and quantity of seafood (and deep fried spud) – certainly not out there in that city centre – where binging on pedigree fish would likely be twice the price.
And, to top it all, they know where to put their apostrophes.
See Bardsley’s website here
By Henry Smith
I was first drawn to The Shadow of the Wind when a friend recommended it to me. I had never heard of the author Carlos Ruiz Zafon and I was eager to learn more. It struck me to learn that his main influences stem from 19th century classics, crime fiction and noir authors. I was intrigued to find out how Zafon could combine certain elements of these genres to weave a tale of drama, intensity and passion. Read the rest of this entry »
By David Hillier
One of the more heartening trends of the last 6 months is the plethora of great acts releasing albums that give no credence to the theory that people are no longer interested in the long player. The mainstream success of the likes of Alt-J, Everything Everything and Foals shows that there is still a hunger for the breadth and space that 180 seconds of finger-click just can’t provide. Although he (almost) certainly won’t experience sales to rival these three mentioned, we can certainly now include Olafur Arnalds, and his For Now I Am Winter record, on this list of artists.
Read the rest of this entry »
By Matt Berryman
Ever since the sixties, Brighton has been the alternative music hub of England. With the counter culture movement, many more people felt fully able to express themselves artistically, and Brighton provided the freedom necessary for many creative types to spread their wings in a city free of prejudice and intolerance.
But with the emergence of the digital age, clubs and electronic music seem to be the new rock and roll. Does this mean the death of the guitar era? And, if so, what will become of the instrument outlets of central Brighton? Read the rest of this entry »
By Lydia Clayton
As Britain’s biggest rock festival returns to end the summer with a bang, some of you may have noticed a slight change. Reading and Leeds has been one of the most anticipated festivals every year since 1971, hosting some of the biggest names in music over the last 30 years, from old favourites like Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses and Oasis; to newer acts such as The Arctic Monkeys, Linkin Park and The Killers.
By David Hillier
It might not feel like it, but summer is on its way. Honest.
As our limbs thaw out, the festival-minded among us turn our minds to what fields we are going to be rolling around in come the warmer months. Whether you want to see some great music, crack open a chemical suitcase or talk to strangers at dawn, there are loads of events across Europe that mean you don’t just have to go to Benicassim or Rock Werchter. Here’s some of the best. Read the rest of this entry »
