February 2015 - ISSUE 5
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Bobby Lashley The Maine 2015’s Hottest New Shows
DErren Brown: MIRACLE MAN?
Are The Prodigy really as important as Blur and Oasis?
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Editorial
David Garlick Editor / Design david@vulturehound.com
Michael Dickinson Film Editor
Welcome to the latest issue of VultureHound Magazine. This issue’s cover star is Derren Brown who spoke to
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us about his upcoming show ‘Miracle’. The interviews continue with two great bands; Navites and The Maine, as well as TNA World Champion Bobby Lashley, who spoke with Shane Bayliss about WWE, TNA, John Cena and CM Punk amongst other things. We have some great features as well, looking back at the 25 years of The Simpsons with ‘25 Years of Cromulence’, and ask if the Prodigy
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Kimberley Bayliss Live Editor kimberley.bayliss@vulturehound. co.uk Sam Hawxwell TV Editor sam.hawxwell@vulturehound.com Sarah Carter Deputy Music Editor sarah.carter@vulturehound.com
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GUEST PLAYLIST: FRED DURST
Limp Bizkit’s FRED DURST shares his Guest Playlist with VultureHound 1- Intro by The xx 2- Dominos by The Big Pink 3- Got Nuffin by Spoon 4- Rollerdisco by Black Moth Super Rainbow 5- Catform by Rogue Wave 6- Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National 7- DLZ by TV On the Radio 8- Believe E.S.P. by Deerhoof 9- Jump In The Pool by Friendly Fires 10- Let Me Come Down by 120 Days 11- Huggin & A Kissin by Big Black Delta 12- Where’s My Mind by Pixies
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A Day To Remember- Nottingham Rock City
A Day To Remember
Photo: Kimberley Bayliss
SPEED ROUND! What we’ve been MATT DAVIES listening to Artist: Catfish and the Bottlemen Song: Hourglass Album: The Balcony Chosen by Bradley Lengden (Music Writer) Artist: Flying Lotus Song: Dead Man’s Tetris Album: You’re Dead! Chosen by Murray Somerville (Music What would you like to be Writer) remembered for personally? Being a nice person. Artist: Marika Hackman How long do you spend in front of Song: Bath is Black the mirror? Album: Love in the Future Two seconds! Chosen by David Garlick (Editor) Favourite swear word? Fuck! Artist: Tenacious D Worst thing you’ve ever put in your Song: Beezleboss (The Final mouth? Showdown) Probably a mushroom. Album: The Pick of Destiny Who would you like to hear cover Chosen by Sarah Carter (Music Writer) one of your songs, and which song? The Black Eyes Pea’s cover ‘The Art Artist: Jose Gonzalez of American Football’. Song: Heartbeats Super-power? Album: Veneer Erm.. to not get sick! Because Chosen by Kathryn Fisher (Music Writer) nothing is worse than being sick! What would you name your Artist: Moose Blood autobiography? Song: Swim Down “How the fuck did I end up this way?” Album: I’ll Keep You In Mind, From If you could only ever play one Time To Time venue for the rest of your career, Chosen by Michael Dickinson (Film Editor) what venue? Woo.. The Nova Theatre in Virginia Artist: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross USA, it’s got a basketball court Song: Like Home upstairs! And a hot tub! Album: Gone Girl OST What would your porn star name be? Chosen by Michael Dickinson (Film Editor) Erm it would be.. Denzel Jones. One album for the rest of your life, Artist: The Lemons which would it be? Song: Chubby Checker ‘After The Eulogy’ by Boy Sets Fire. Album: Hello, We’re the Lemons What was your first car? Chosen by Mareva Lindo (Music Writer) A Vauxhall Cavalier hatchback! What song never fails to make you happy? Erm… Oh shit. Erm. There are way to many. Way too many. ‘Fairytale of New York’ by The Pogues.
Funeral for a Friend
Natives
Nati With the release of their debut album Indoor War in 2014, British five-piece Natives perfectly encapsulated everything we love about “pop-punk”. Having done so in a mature way that many others struggle to achieve, they’ve surely made their following release a hugely anticipated one. We caught up with the guys as they’re currently hard at work on their second release, something which certainly makes them one to watch in 2015.
Words: Mitchell Bell
ives February 2o15 VultureHound 07
Natives
So you’re in the studio with your 2nd album at the moment, has the title been decided on yet? Hello! We do have a provisional title and I don’t think it will change but until it’s all completely finished there’s always a chance so until then I’m not gonna let the cat out of the bag!
How does this album differ to your debut album, Indoor War? How would you describe the sound in comparison to IW? It still sounds like Natives but this album is very different to Indoor War. We strongly feel that there is no point in us makwing a new album if it doesn’t do anything new. We’ve used lots of different instruments on this album so sonically it immediately sounds different. In particular there are lots of influences from world music which I think give the album a slightly tropical / tribal feel. I’d say compared to Indoor war it has more depth, detail and feels quite cinematic
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What themes are you exploring on this album? Would you class it as a reaction to your time as a band up until now/ anything specifically or a new chapter for Natives altogether? We’ve never really written lyrics like a diary of the band. This album is based on a story I wrote after we recorded Indoor War. Whilst touring that album we met people who had formed friendships through our band; People who had come to our shows alone and met other people who’d done the same and formed genuine relationships which eventually went way beyond just going to our shows together. They started a community called The Tribe. This to us is really powerful, we love the idea of there being a place where people who perhaps feel a little like outcasts can fit in and that’s where the inspiration for the story came.
What have you done differently when recording this album compared to Indoor War? The main difference is that most of
the ideas on Indoor War were written in a room together, jamming and playing in a live environment and so naturally that album in places sounds like a live band. These songs weren’t written with us all playing together in a room so it made no sense to try and make the recordings sound that way. This time we’ve written in the studio, approaching the process like we’re composing soundtracks to the story. We wanted to treat the album and the live show as two completely separate things because you listen to albums through speakers or headphones and that’s a very different experience to hearing live music at a gig and we don’t want to make either one of those things detrimental to the other by trying to make them both sound exactly the same. Another big change is our attitude towards the music. I think last time we felt pressure to try and make things sound a certain way and that our band fitted in a box whereas this time there are absolutely no limits or rules, we’re just writing the music we want to write. We’re also spending a lot more time on it than before. We started coming to the studio for a week at a time back in May and then moved during
November to start working on it full time. We’re still here now.
I saw you were exploring the world of samples with this release, can you tell us any more about your use of samples and how this idea came about? It stems from that same idea of making the album and live show separate things and realising that just because your band comes from a rock background you do not have to make music which sounds a certain way. We’ve been recording live drums and then processing them and turning them into percussive loops and samples to help build the songs. We’ve also experimented with vocal sampling which is common in hip hop, so recording Jim singing short phrases and then using samplers to manipulate those recordings into new melodies and hooks.
What would you say are your top 5 influences for this album and what were you listening to a lot of before heading into the studio and during your time in there?
This is always tricky because I think whatever you’re listening to you’re always subconsciously taking some sort of influence but these are the albums / artists which we listened to the most before and during in the studio time… (sorry but there’s 7 not 5!) Paul Simon – Graceland. Anything by Michael Jackson. Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow Coldplay – Viva La Vida & Mylo Xyloto Imagine Dragons – Night Visions Vacationer – Gone Fall Out Boy – American Beauty / American Psycho
It personally feels like the “Alternative Rock” scene in the UK is undergoing a bit of a rejuvenation with more acts starting to approach old ideas in a new way (such as the recent success of Neck Deep). Are there any upcoming bands that have stood out for you that you’d recommend to our readers? I helped my friend Mark sign a band called Youth Club to his label and
they are well worth checking out. I’d also recommend RDGLDGRN and Ghost Beach. I’ve got to say I’m not completely up to speed on the Alternative Rock scene but I actually think rock is a bit stuck in the dark ages where sometimes people follow the same patterns and are obsessed with retreading old paths. There’s seems to be a feeling that rock bands need to sound a certain way and I don’t think that’s a good thing. It’s similar to the film industry where Hollywood seems obsessed with sequels and remakes rather than encouraging new ideas which can move the industry forward. All of my favourite bands do something new with each release and that’s the kind of band I want Natives to be.
If you could pick any artist in the world that’s about right now to tour with, who would it be and why? Imagine Dragons. I’ve got to pick a huge band because obviously we want to play to as many people as possible but also I don’t think Imagine Dragons are put in any sort of box, they’re just a huge band that writes great songs. I think we could learn a lot from touring with them.
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25 years of cromulence
the simpsons: 25 Years of Cromulence Images: Š Fox / Matt Groening
Words: Robert Stimpson was the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (“A Visit From St. Nicholas”, Clement Clarke Moore) – but down at the greyhound racetrack a desperate father clad in a Santa Claus costume was trying to save a Christmas on the verge of collapsing. With his son in tow, they pinned all hope on a 99-1 last minute entry called Santa’s Little Helper. The father bet all of his pitiful earnings from working as a mall Santa in a last bid attempt to gather enough money to buy presents for his family. The dog comes in last. In the car park outside, when things cannot get any worse, this father and son witness the dog being disowned by its trainer and decide to adopt it. Christmas is saved, the family is happy and The Simpsons has never since been out of our lives.
T
A staggering 27th season is in production at the time of writing. As a brand, The Simpsons is a phenomenal achievement of unwavering ability. The popularity of the show exploded almost immediately and merchandise was churned out accordingly. In 1990, “Do The Bartman” topped the music
This comes with an artistic crux, though. The Simpsons is a TV show, it is created and honed and put forward for public consumption. At the very least, a story of note needs to be told every week and the conundrum is that the longer a TV show endures, the weaker the stories must eventually become. And yet, even here, The Simpsons is, yet again, a world apart. From the aforementioned first episode until the culmination of season 9, The Simpsons was one of, if not the, best television shows there has ever been. This was not just a cartoon, it was a universe brimful of deep, relatable and hilarious characters. Springfield was as real a town as any of our own. The story telling was satirical, emotive and rooted deeply in the lives of the public who tuned in religiously. It seemed that every 22 minute weekly offering was
a triumph over mediocrity. But, of course, the quality waned. The fact that it was sustained for 9 seasons is a grand achievement on its own, to even fathom sustaining an original show for 27 seasons (and counting) is impossible. Indeed, those nine seasons are presumably the good grace that has kept it alive until this point. It seems too easy to pin all of the blame on the advancing years thinning out the show’s originality, even though it is factor. Perhaps more important are the social changes that occurred in that time. The first generation of young people who grew up with the show had a markedly different childhood to those who followed them in the onset of the 21st century. This second wave were raised with technology at their fingertips, the internet available at every opportunity and the subsequent loss of intrigue and innocence that can come with it. They are harder to impress, harder to shock. The Simpsons slide coincided with these changes in the audience, and those at the helm took the decision to alter their angle. With younger V
On December 17th 1989, episode one of The Simpsons aired on Fox. Twenty-five years later, it is still with us, for better or for worse, having become a cultural touchstone and entertainment juggernaut. The list of accolades is seemingly endless, but the crowning achievements are perhaps the ones that require no statistics or percentages. The Simpsons is now the longest running American scripted primetime television series. Not just animation, not just sitcom, but in all of television.
charts in numerous countries. The brand proved its worth again in 2007 when The Simpsons Movie grossed over $527m worldwide. It’s easy to see why Fox is so keen to continue with a show that has been, and continues to be, so profitable.
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25 years of cromulence Cash as a Space Coyote?
attention spans diminishing, and with competition like Family Guy rising in popularity, the characters became a little colder, less palatable. Homer changed from bungling but well meaning oaf into a loud, cretinous moron. Bart’s pranks and jests lost their spiky innocence and became simply spiteful. The standard of the stories slackened, and the themes therein veered away from the lives of the people in Springfield and became outlandish, bombastic and things just became inconceivable. The roots became rotten, and the tree couldn’t be saved. Unlike other shows that knew when to pull the plug, The Simpsons was just allowed to run and run. Nothing can possibly taint the golden era of the show, those first nine seasons, but the 25th anniversary is more of a murmur than thunderous applause. New stories about The Simpsons seem to invoke more of a warm glow of nostalgia rather than a clamour for the current production. Looking back isn’t always conducive to being productive, but in this case it seems wholly relevant to appreciate The Simpsons for what it used to be –
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a cultural phenomenon. It would be pointless to offer up a top five episode list here, there are just too many to choose from. Instead, here are five episodes that exemplify the finer elements that used to make The Simpsons what it once was. The advancement in animation on The Simpsons is apparent over a very short time. From the crude drawings at the very beginning to the style that became the norm, it never seemed particularly revolutionary on a technical side to an untrained eye. But, every now and then, the writers would take a huge leap and throw out something truly unique. The episode “El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer” is a pinnacle of this riskier style. Homer’s hallucinatory encounter with a Space Coyote spirit guide (voiced by Johnny Cash, no less) having eaten some Guatemalan insanity peppers is a trip into beautifully depicted surrealism and the psychedelic courtesy of some bold, uncompromising artwork. Upon awakening, the trip sends Homer into a what-does-it-all-mean life crisis that only Marge can haul him out of. Did I mention Johnny
Before guest stars were crow-barred into episodes without any rhyme or reason, The Simpsons could introduce fleeting characters that would help define the show. They didn’t always need the crutch of being voiced by a huge superstar to make this so, either. The prime example comes in “You Only Move Twice” where Hank Scorpio is introduced as Homer’s new boss and super-villain head of Globex Corporation. In his short introduction to The Simpsons universe, Scorpio shows himself to be a philanthropic, generous boss who doesn’t believe in walls, knows some great hammock places, and who didn’t even give you his coat. On the other hand, we see him delivering a video threat to the United Nations, destroying the Queensboro Bridge, seizing the east coast of America and, finally, at the episode’s denouement, buying and then gifting the Denver Broncos to a nonplussed Homer. Quite the introduction. All of this was voiced by Albert Brooks. Certainly a worthy name for some, but by no means as glitzy as others. And yet, the episode itself, and the legend of Hank Scorpio, stand far taller than the majority of the more fawned over guest star appearances. Faultless storytelling was perhaps the bedrock of the golden age of the show, and possibly the most sublime story in that period was “Marge Vs. The Monorail.” It starts with the now famous Flintstones parody opening with Homer proclaiming ‘he’s about to hit a chestnut tree.’ Having fined Mr. Burns $3m for dumping nuclear waste in a park, Springfield is at loss for how to spend its sudden windfall. Marge’s suggestion of fixing Main Street is spectacularly
shot down by Lyle Lanley, a sleazy monorail salesperson voiced by the vital talent of Phil Hartman, with one of the show’s stand out song and dance numbers. The story itself is a straight forward one of investment gone wrong (something that Springfield is rather good at, according to the final scene), but it is the sheer wealth of jokes and one liners along the way that make the episode so memorable. It is truly an outstanding feat in comedy writing. The sign that a creative force is at its zenith is when the remarkable is made to look effortless, and that is exactly what “Marge Vs The Monorail” is.
Parody is a difficult skill to master, but The Simpsons continually spoofed anything and everything to great effect. This is best witnessed in the episode “Cape Feare.” The 1991 remake of Cape Fear was still fresh in the mind when the episode first aired, but it parodies a host of other horror and suspense movies along the way, such as Psycho,Friday the
13th Part III and A Nightmare On Elm Street. In the hands of such skilled writers, these familiar ideas were cast into something that felt entirely new. Perhaps most importantly of all, though, is Sideshow Bob’s brilliant turn. He is never again this blunt or bloody: he wants to kill Bart Simpson, plain and simple. This in turn sets up two of the episode’s finest moments, namely Homer bursting in Bart’s room brandishing a knife to offer him some brownies, before returning seconds later wielding his new chainsaw and hockey mask. Add in Sideshow Bob stepping on nine consecutive rakes, Homer completely unable to fathom
his new identity as Homer Thompson, and Bart’s last request to have Sideshow Bob “sing the entire score of the H.M.S. Pinafore”, this episode easily sits in the lofty reaches ofThe Simpsons cannon. Two more of the more prevalent themes in The Simpsons that went in differing directions after the golden era are flashback episodes and a
genuine feeling of warm-heartedness. “Lisa’s First Word” from season 4 is the perfect depiction of this. There have been numerous flashback episodes since with very mixed results, and very rarely has an episode ended on such a heart melting note. The flashback offers all the fun of seeing familiar characters in a different setting without compromising standards. We see the family purchase their home with money raised from selling Grampa’s home on the promise that he won’t be put in a care home, the moment of introduction to the Flanders family and the infamous TV tray, and Bart’s first viewings of Krusty and Itchy and Scratchy. Picking up on his son’s new love for this TV clown, Homer makes a horrendous attempt at a clown shaped bed, drawing the petrified reaction of “can’t sleep, clown will eat me.” It all ends on a wonderful note, though, as Homer, fed up of Bart and Lisa’s fighting, takes Maggie upstairs to put her to bed. He hopes that Maggie never says a word because “the sooner kids talk, the sooner they talk back.” After Homer has left the room, Maggie removes her dummy and utters the word “daddy.” The moment is so gloriously real, and illustrates just why The Simpsons rose to such a place of prominence. When the family centred episodes were exhausted and other characters had run their course, a decline was inevitable if continuation was called for. Cancellation still isn’t in sight, and as the episode count and the number of killed off characters gets higher, the only hope is that another movie offering as good as the first might cause another wave of reflection and nostalgia. When the past was this good, who needs the present?
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y g di o r P e h T
as tant r o imp as y all e r EY H ARE T ? r u l B r o Oasis
Lengden | Words: Bradley
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The Prodigy Liam Howlett’s recent claim that the dance giants should be considered as important as the Britpop icons is definitely a big claim, there’s no doubt about it. Without a doubt the two most important bands in the whole Britpop era with an endless back catalogue of tunes that have shaped, defined and influenced a generation. But where do The Prodigy actually rank in the discussions of the most important bands in the last few decades? Oddly, for a group that have had so many number 1 hits, tracks like “Firestarter” that has been without a doubt heard by just about everyone on the face of the earth. They appear to go relatively unspoken of when discussions of these iconic bands ensue. As well as being one of the few artists of their kind to have stood the test of time. One would have to go some distance in finding a group that has brought dance music to such a colossal spectrum of people on the sort of levels and platforms that they have. How many other dance acts have had four consecutive number one albums in the UK? It’s near impossible to fault their 20+ year career. They’ve experimented, pushed boundaries, not once allowing themselves to become stale. incorporating endless styles of dance music into their work. They recently criticised the current dance music scene in an interview with The Guardian, stating “Producers are too safe, they rely on being retro. It’s fucking bollocks. There’s no pushing forward anymore.” Is it this stigma of a lot of modern dance music being recyclable that
blinds us from seeing just how important The Prodigy were in the 90s and still are now? It shouldn’t be, it would be unfair to put them even remotely near the same bracket as modern dance music, purely on what they have achieved. Even huge fans of modern dance music would find it hard to pitch many modern acts up against the Essex behemoths. Think of it this way, how many of these modern acts will still be considered so important in 5 years? Never mind 20. The Prodigy became almost a gateway group into dance music, many who listened to just guitar or rock music, myself being one of them, they bridged that gap between genres thanks to the utilisation of heavy set punk guitar riffs in tracks like “Voodoo People”. Something which hasn’t been done with such success by anyone else. Personally, no dance track has ever made so much an impression on me as when I first heard “Omen”. I’m sure it’ll be the same for many more. Previously I had no interest in that
sort of genre, I had been brought up on punk music, but it completely changed the face of electronic music for me, and for a whole generation. There was a chaos about it all, an energy that was so similar to punk, it was like nothing else that had come before, it appealed to so much more than the genres typical demographic. When you put all this sort of information together, it’s genuinely perplexing. Blur only had one more number one album so why are the group seemingly missing from this bracket? It’s a glaring omission, for a group that without a doubt not only shaped & defined a single genre, but more importantly changed the way that everyone else looked at dance music. An impression that hasn’t been replicated since. The Prodigy have just released their fantastic single “Nasty” from the upcoming album “The Day Is My Enemy”.
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interview
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We spoke with The TNA World Champion
Bobby Lashley Words: Shane Bayliss
T
This is your first time on the TNA tour in the UK? Yes it is!
Are you looking forward to experiencing
the TNA crowds in the UK?
good crowd then the show should be that much better.
Oh yeah, absolutely. We know that we do some really big numbers out here, and we have a great fan-base who I think are ready for us and we are ready to come down a do it.
Dixie has announced that the first show in Glasgow will feature a Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for title which you will then defend in Manchester on Friday night, is that correct?
There are a few British guys on the roster, and a few that have probably been out here on the TNA tour before. Have they told you what to expect? Not quite, all I know from the few people that I did talk to is that it is going to be a really live crowd. Which is the best thing I could here, because we go out there to perform. We are looking forward to it, if it’s a
Yes, that’s what is supposed to happen.
In your mind is there anyone you’d like to come out of that match and end up facing? You’ve had a recent rivalry with MVP and V
his Thursday the annual Total Non Stop Wrestling Impact tour rolls back into the UK, with stars such as Bobby Lashley, Kurt Angle, Matt Hardy and others putting their bodies on the line for the entertainment of the British fans. Prior to the tour hitting the road, we were lucky enough to catch up with current TNA World Champion Lashley and chatted all things TNA, MMA and a little bit of Bobby’s former life at another certain wrestling promotion.
February 2o15 VultureHound 17
Bobby lashley the Beat Down Crew, so anyone you’d like to be facing on Friday night? No, not necessarily I think anyone that comes out of the match, will be a worthy opponent. I’m ready for whoever comes out of it, I think that the way that things have been going whoever comes out of that is going to be a little bruised up and beaten up a little, but they’ll still be ready to fight Friday night.
Last time we saw you on TV in the UK you’d just had a Street Fight with MVP, is that a rivalry you think is going to continue for a little while? I have no idea, I hope it stays for a little bit and we can do something with it and it has some legs in it because it’s a very interesting thing going on. So if we can prolong that for a little bit, and build something out of it then I think we’ll get a really big pay-day out of it.
You are now on your second run with TNA, are there any matches or rivalries that stand out to you as your best?
Lashley 18 VultureHound FEBRUARY 2o15
I think all the matches with Bobby Roode have been incredible, everything we’ve been doing has been going great so I would but those at the top.
I was reading an article on the creative side of thing within TNA, and the amount of input that the roster get compared to the WWE. Do you have a lot of room from expression,
I think we have a little bit, but at the end of the day if that’s not the direction they want to go in then those ideas aren’t necessarily going to fall on death ears but it isn’t going to be reciprocated as much as you might want. But they are always open to hear what we have to say, but if it isn’t in-line with what they’ve got going on they’ll let us know, but there is always a good open line of communication that start with.
You’re current rivalry has just led to you
turning from heel back to a face, as a performer do you prefer one or the other because arguably you can get a stronger fan reaction as a hell but obviously it is a negative reaction. Or do just aim to feed of the crowd either way? I feed off the crowd either way, I think my style is that I fight so if I fight a good-guy then it is going to look a little heelish, and if I fight a bad-guy the crowds going to like you a little more. So to me it is either way, whatever works.
Moving outside of TNA, you have your MMA
career. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on CM Punk entering the MMA world, and how you think he’ll do having personally experienced both. I think he’s going to do great, I think the guys going to go out there and show the world that he deserves to be there, I think he’ll put in the work to be there and he’s going to show everyone that it’s his time.
Carrying on down the MMA route, you were schedule to fight in Bellator in February which you’ve had to pull-out because of injury, is that V
and are your ideas welcomed in TNA. Is that the case? Do you have much freedom in creating and developing character?
February 2o15 VultureHound 19
Bobby lashley something that is still on the cards and just a case of you having to recover? Yeah, yeah we’ll definitely have that fight sometime down the road. We just have to fix things with me, I’m not in too bad a shape. I’m already back in training, ready to look at booking the next fight.
There are a few wrestlers such as Brock Lesnar, who have done both wrestling and MMA but focus on either one or the other. Whereas you seem to do both at the same time, does that make it more difficult? Wrestling has to take it out of you on, and then you’re going away and doing the MMA thing. Are you in a more difficult position than other fights? Yeah of course, it’s easier for some people when they have one thing going on but I just don’t have that liberty right now. I have to do what I have to do and make the best of it, and have been up until this point and I don’t feel I need to slow down I need to keep going. I have plenty of time to train, and Dixie is really good in allowing me time to train and do what I need to do so I can keep doing it all right now.
Onto the user generated questions, so these are questions that have come in through our website and twitter.
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What is the TNA locker room like compared to the locker room in the WWE? We have a very collegiate locker room right now, we are all working together we all have a common goal of making things better, and making the crowds just as enormous as possible. Since we just moved to Destination America in the US, we are just looking for Destination America to piggy back with us in order to blow this thing out of the water and think right now with everyone on the same page we’ll see some successes coming up this year.
Someone would like to know what your experience in Ohio Valley Wrestling was like, when you were wrestling under the name Blaster Lashley. OVW, it was great! It was an opportunity to learn, and being but in a camp like where you can just learn full time is a blessing in itself?
Paul Heyman was famously sent down to OVW in a creative capacity, did you spend any time under Paul at all? Heyman when he was writing for my last run in WWE, that’s where I really learnt a lot and we became really good friends. We spent a lot of time together, and we were able to sit down and talk and just get to know each other and it was just easy to write for me because he took that time to figure out who I was, and that was the one thing that I took from him. We aren’t all actor, we are sports performers and that’s what he understood. He said “I’m not going to write a character and have you perform, I’m going to figure out who you are and do it the other way round.” so you walk into the role of being you, so that was a cool thing I learnt from him.
Carrying on down the Heyman route,
Anti-Valentines someone on our forum was interested to know what your thoughts on the original plans for the December to Dismember PPV Elimination Chamber were, as it is rumoured that they were changed quite late in the date. I have no idea, I heard all kind of rumours after and people were bitching and complaining, I stay away from the politics. I don’t read dirt sheets, I just do what I supposed to do. They came to me and told me what they wanted my involvement in the match to be and that’s all I went by.
During a promo with John Cena you called him “Mr Hype-Man” was that a scripted comment, or was it adlibbed moment. We didn’t have any script leading up to that, I don’t think I’ve ever been handed a script so it was just when you are having an argument you say different things, and at the time that’s what I believed.
TNA seem to have quite an open policy in terms of wrestlers doing independent shows,
What’s the worse thing you’ve ever put in your mouth? There was this dish over in Thailand that I had, which was like cold squid in some brown gravy. It was horrible!
If you could have a super-power, what would it be?
with Bobby Roode even putting the title on the line at one of Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore shows. Do you have any plans for independent shows or anything like that? Or are you fully focused on TNA? No, I’ve done a lot of independents. I’ve got one in Qatar in a couple of months, I’ll look at the time and if I have it open then I’ll always consider it, and it I don’t have the time then of course I won’t do it. So I just play it by ear, but I do take booking when they are available.
Qatar sounds quite interesting, it doesn’t seem to be the most wrestling centric country is it quite a big in Qatar? It’s pretty big, and they put together some great shows and they get a lot of people coming to them. I like Qatar, and they guy that runs the promotion is a really good guy so I’m always open to work when he calls me. Many thanks to Bobby, for talking time out of his busy schedule to talk to us,
Invisible.
PLAYLIST Compiled by Gemma Hirst
When My Baby Left Me -Furry Lewis She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd Snuff - Slipknot Remember Yesterday - Skid Row Matilda - Scott Walker Jagermiester Love Song Psychostick Ancient History - Set It Off People In Love Make You Feel Sick - Drenge Flavour Of The Weak - American Hi-Fi Love Sick - Sleigh Bells I’d Love To Kill You - Katie Melua Die Die Darling - Misfits So Common, So Cheap - Blood For Blood If You Hurt Me - Small Factory
be? Staples Centre
What would you name your auto-biography? You won’t believe this!
If you could only ever wrestle in one venue for the rest of your career, what would it
And finally, what was your first car? Honda Prelude
February 2o15 VultureHound 21
Tv shows that should return
Shooting Stars This show has been cancelled, brought back, cancelled again etc... the BBC seem to prefer to spend their money on easy comedy... like Miranda. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer made the most confusing yet brilliant game show ever, it was warped, but it was so unbelievably funny I spent most of my nights wetting myself watching it.
Scrubs And I’m not talking Scrubs where they were in the medical school and Zach Braff only had a bit part, I’m talking bring JD back as a full time character again. Scrubs is one of my favourite television series ever, and yes the ending was beautiful, but I still miss it and want it back!
Minder (rebooted) I made a post about this earlier in the year, and I still strongly believe that Shane Richie and Lex Shrapnel should make a return as Archie Daley and Jamie Cartwright. There only was ever one series, and it was f**king brilliant! If Channel 5 can afford to bring back Big Brother, it should definitely have enough to bring back Minder.
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2015’s hottest new shows 2015's HottestNew New Shows 2015’s Hottest Shows
With 2014 comfortably behind us and the year starting anew, Vulture Hound takes a look at the new shows being prepped for what will hopefully be a triumphant 2015.
12 Monkeys Following in the footsteps of Fargo, 12 Monkeys is the first of two programs on this list that seek to recapture the magic of an old cult classic. Syfy’s 12 Monkeys updates the brilliantly disturbed Terry Gilliam original where a man is forced to travel back in time to stop the release of a plague that wipes out seven billion people. However, time travel takes a toll on a person’s mental stability and it will be fun to stretch the protagonists decent into madness over a full six episodes.
Westworld Westworld is the second of these shows that are bringing a science fiction classic to a millennial audience. Chris Nolan’s brother Jonathan directs his second pilot after the intriguing but flawed Person of Interest. The series is based on the 1973 thriller of
Words: Lee Hazell
the same name, written and directed by suspense master Michael Crichton. Described as “a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin,” Westworld, named after the fairground of the future, aims to look at how humanity will get its kicks when it can use and abuse inorganic lifeforms for its own amusement.
War + Peace The BBC have decided to adapt a doozie of a novel with this lavish and star studded version of Tolstoy’s epic. There Will Be Blood’s Paul Dano plays opposite the newly announced Cinderella and will be joined by Stephen Rea and The Young Ones’ Adrian Edmondson; it has also been picked up by notorious Oscar hunters The Weinstein Company for distribution in the US. The story (in case you’re out of step with your 19th century Russian literature) tells of how Russian society is forever changed by Napoleon’s failed invasion through the tangled lives of its aristocracy.
Words: Lee Hazell
iZOMBIE After the success of The Walking Dead comic books that wouldn’t have been touched by the networks with a ten foot barge pole have suddenly become gold dust to executives. The next show based on a graphic series set to make waves is iZOMBIE by Chris Roberson and
Michael Allred. It’s a detective show with a difference. I’ll let you take a moment to figure out what that difference is. Did you get it? Yes, in this show the detective is a zombie. Olivia “Liv” Moore (Liv is like Live, get it?) becomes part zombie after unwittingly attending a feeding frenzy. Now she must eat one brain a month to maintain her humanity. Good thing she’s a medical resident at a coroner’s office. Now she’s got an unending supply of brains all belonging to unsolved murder victims. Also, she has visions of that person’s past life when she eats their brains. So she clears her conscience by solving their deaths. All falls into place doesn’t it?
Dig Jason Isaacs has played a plethora of TV tough guy detectives in shows such as Awake and Case Histories. Now he plays an FBI agent who is on the case of a two-thousand year old mystery in the heart of Jerusalem. Filming was taking place in that volatile part of the world until it had
Tv shows that should BE CANCELLED
to be relocated to New Mexico after it became apparent that continuation would pose too many safety risks. Like death.
Empire Dynasty for the Hip-Hop nouveau riche. If that doesn’t wet your beak you’re a hard heart to please. Created by Precious’s Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson, this drama has Oscar nominated talent all over it (I wonder if any of them would get those nominations today?). Terrence is the patriarch of Empire Enterprises and former drug dealer. He finds out he has ALS and starts choosing a successor. But complications arise when his ex-wife, who has been serving time for the drug dealing they were both doing, gets out of jail. Now if you’re still not interested please leave this publication and never come back.
Schitt's Creek You’d only move to a place like Schitt’s Creek as some kind of sick joke. Well then, Johnny and Moira Rose must have a hell of a lot of disposable income because they haven’t just moved there, they’ve brought the whole town. Forced to integrate themselves into the rural Canadian community, this school-of-fish-out-of-water provide us with plenty of opportunities to laugh at the arrogance of the super-rich and fantasise about their downfall. Featuring the talents of Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara this has already been getting rave reviews in its native Canada.
Big Bang Theory YAWN. It was good at first, I will happily admit that but now? I can’t even watch it, it bores the tears out of me, and I’m sick and tired of the same old gags and Sheldon has lost his funniness as an awkward lizard looking person. As I said, yawn.
The Simpsons Bit of a controversial one this, I can feel Matt Groening getting angry as I type it. Yeah it’s been a fun, what 25 odd years? But after the movie it should have been stopped, killed off and left on a high. It’s a shame that show is getting left to be one of those tv programmes that carry on until they get cancelled because of viewer lackage.
Countdown I hate this show so much and it should have never been aired. It makes my teeth itch whenever it’s on, and it’s about time it got cancelled, the joke has gone on too far now. Seriously C4, cancel it. Now.
Words: Sam Hawkwell February 2o15 VultureHound 21
DERREN BROWN
“I am often dishonest in my techniques but I’m always honest about my dishonesty” Derren Brown
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oon to be hitting the road with his new (and lengthy) tour ‘Miracle’, is wonder inducing- mind controlling- channel 4 superstar Derren Brown! Here’s a few things he had to say about the upcoming show..
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Early days, but what can you tell us about Miracle? Not much yet. The way my schedule works is that the title and poster are decided and the tickets go on sale before I’ve the slightest idea of the content. It’s always a bit disarming having people tweet pictures of their tickets they’ve saved up for when I have no idea what’s going to happen after I walk out on stage. I do have a sense of the overall sweep of the show - ‘Miracle’ refers to the miracle of life. That’s probably about all I can say for now. It’s an evocative title and will provoke reaction from religious groups. Was that intentional? Not in the slightest. If someone’s upset by the word ‘Miracle’ then that’s not my problem! How provocative the show will be, or if it will even concern religion, I don’t yet know. Maybe a bit. Infamous was received with universal acclaim from press and audiences alike. Any pressure?
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Words: Kimberley Bayliss
It’s always the same pressure, and no pressure. If you try to ‘top’ your previous work all the time, you just go mad and the work suffers. It’s important to keep rooted in the present – what do I feel is worthwhile? What do I want to say? What would be fun and amazing for a few thousand people trapped in a room with me? – while keeping an eye out for what you’ve done before so you’re not repeating yourself
DERREN BROWN Two things. The performance of the show is a delight every night. No matter what sort of a day I’ve had, it leaves me feeling fantastic. That’s all to do with the adrenalin, and making sure when I write the show that I’m not putting anything in there I won’t actually enjoy doing on the night. Secondly, I have my days free to read, write and take photos. This is a big thing for me. I lived ten years in Bristol when I got started, with nothing but the odd magic gig to take up my time. I miss some of that, now that I have a lot of contractual responsibilities to keep me very busy almost all of the year. So having my days free to pootle is fantastic, and the fact I’m in a different city each week keeps it always interesting. I like moving about, and I like being with the pals I tour with. What’s been your ‘best and worst of times’ on tour?
untowardly. Other than that the brief is always the same: over-deliver. Infamous was seen as your most ‘personal’ show to date. Can we expect an autobiographical ‘voice’ in Miracle? Maybe. I think it will be more philosophical. I can imagine bringing in more of the thinking I find interesting and worthwhile,
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although like a good stand-up you have to use yourself as a means of deflection otherwise it can become preachy. Infamous did touch on that area of saying something hopefully worthwhile and at the same time remaining vulnerable. That’s a powerful combination , I think. This is your 13th (!) year on the road. What is the enduring appeal for you?
Best may have been going out with my Leica last year and discovering street photography. Worst is any period when I get run down. I do everything to keep in good health and rest my voice, but sometimes of course it and I get tired. It’s a funny thing – I feel the whole show through my voice. If it’s strong, I feel the show has been strong. If it’s crackly or weak, I feel the show is the same. I’ve had to abandon signings after shows now to make sure it’s always in the best possible shape. That worked last year, it made a real difference. You’ve started seriously taking photos on tour and a selection is currently on display at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery. What was the initial inspiration? I’ve always had an interest in photography but it was the Leica
camera I bought that changed everything. Leica invented the compact 35mm camera and the design has barely changed since they did. It’s very simple and discreet and you feel you understand it in a way that you never do with other digital cameras with their endless pages of menus. Then once I got going, my experience of being out and about on the street changed from one of keeping my head down to feeling open and connected and very interested in everyone and everything. That’s a very lovely feeling. And without provoking a mass vomiting, the point of street photography for me is about finding those moments of beauty that exist in the relationships between people and their environments, so it couldn’t be any more of a pleasure to do. Even if the pictures are terrible and don’t reflect any of that, the process is a huge delight. Are you planning to take more photos on this tour? Yes – I’ll be editing a book I’m writing on happiness and taking more pictures. Can’t wait! Alongside your photos is a new collection of paintings, which appear to signal a more ‘internalised’ view of your subjects. Would you agree? How would you express any developments in your art? Actually that came from taking the sorts of photos I do; generally people don’t know I’m photographing them so they’re not looking at the camera. In portraits though, it’s standard for the subject to be looking at the viewer, and taken for granted that that makes for a more intense connection. But I wanted to have them looking away, in private
moments of reflection or interest, and I quite like the result. But I hadn’t painted for two years before them, so sometimes returning to painting after a long period just naturally brings with it s desire to do something a little different. Your new book on happiness… Is this still a work in progress? Yes. It’s another source of huge pleasure. I think I’m at my best when I’m getting my head around a subject. The ideas I’m finding and exploring for this book through my own reading are very rich and I’m in no rush to finish it. I imagine I’ll be handing it in for publication at the end of 2015. Can you tell us of your future TV plans? Can we expect to see more specials on Channel 4? I took a bit of a break this year, so didn’t do any specials for TV after touring other than the broadcast of Infamous. I have a few plans for next year but as ever, can’t really say… Looking back over the years, do you have a favourite TV special you’ve done?
is a very childish thing at heart: the quickest, most fraudulent route to impressing people. And it’s based in dishonesty. So you have to work harder to make it have artistic merit or relevance. To do anything genuinely original with it you can’t only be thinking about tricks. Penn and Teller are a good example of having a bigger agenda while remaining true to their job of producing the strongest magic they can, and it makes their work great and keeps them, at 59 and 66 respectively, consistently fresh and interesting.
Apocalypse and Hero At 30,000 Ft. The fun of setting up and executing what were essentially huge practical jokes, and the impact the shows made on their protagonists’ lives, made them my personal favourites. I’ve remained close to both of the guys involved and they continue to do well. Do you think the magic genre can continue to break boundaries? Of course, but it depends on the clear vision of the performer. Magic
February 2o15 VultureHound 27
Ric Rawlins Discusses new Super Furry animals book
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ic Rawlins spoke to us about his brand new book Rise of The Super Furry Animals,
Can you give us the pitch behind the book? Yes! It’s basically a story about communication. SFA really emerged during the same phase the human species started using mobile phones en masse, and they documented the revolution in their uniquely proactive and psychedelic fashion. So one the one hand, the book is kind of examining why they had this passion for communication. On the other hand, it’s just a slightly bananas documentary! They’ve had such an ambitious and creatively brilliant career it’s been a pleasure researching the studio sessions, the monsters, the army tank, the surround sound concerts and all that. How did you get the chance to document the rise of one of Wales’s greatest rock groups? I asked them! We were at a soundcheck in Kentish Town, and I told Gruff I wanted to write something similar in style to The Doors movie – just a chaotic and weird-boned version of the truth. The band were really helpful and I interviewed them over about a four year period, along with Pete Fowler, Alan McGee and a few others. Super Furry Animals did some really crazy stuff when promoting the band. Can you give us a taste of the insanity that lies within?
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The original idea for the music video to Golden Retriever was that they would dress as yetis and worship a 50ft Fire God on a giant iceberg… but their record label said it was “uninsurable.” There was also a plan to convert an Aircraft Carrier into a mobile nightclub and sail it into waters of “no national jurisdiction” so they could have Furry Weekenders! The ideas that didn’t happen are as brilliant as the ones that did. When interviewing them for the book, how did they come across? Very patient, keen to help and… mostly scratching their heads a lot. Some of the book depicts conversations that happened 20, 25 years ago, so sometimes you have to just get a feel for the temperature of the scene and use creative license to get it into that “filmic” mode. What’s your favourite personal experience with the band? The personal conversations are always fascinating, but it’s hard to beat seeing SFA live. Most people who like them have seen the band twenty times or more, because it’s such a mind blowing endorphin rush. My favourite gig was Glastonbury 1999: most people who were there remember the van driving into the moshpit, but I just remember it being really sunny, upbeat day and getting to hear songs from Guerrilla, which was and remains the best summer album ever. Anything you had to cut out that you
wish you could have kept in? Not really! The book is primarily about the journey from their time in Welsh language indie scene to Mwng, and the themes that join them up, so if anything the publishers asked for more book – they wanted stories from the Rings-Dark Days era too, so I was requested to go there a little. What have you got coming up in the near future that you’re excited about? The free launch party at Rough Trade East on 19 Feb should be great: Pete Fowler’s going to DJ and there will be booze. More generally I’m going to be a dad in April, so that’s pretty brilliant… and I’m putting out my own album called ‘Submissions’ under the name The ADK shortly. It’s a classy sci-fi pop record.
Finally where and when can we get our hands on this book? I’d go to your local, high street bookshop! Amazon has a deservedly tarnished reputation so I’m in two minds about promoting them, but that said – I’m a hypocrite because I use the bastards all the time! If you want to take that route. | Words: Lee Hazell
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Words: Mitchell Bell
interview
The Maine o first off, tell us about your upcoming album American Candy; How did the process of recording differ from the previous albums?
Sooner than later for sure! Early spring.
American Candy is the first album where we went back and used a producer that we have already on a previous album, Colby Wedgeworth. He worked with us on the album Pioneer a few years back and we work so well together that it just seemed like the right move to work together again. It was also the first album where we used all our own recording gear. We rented a house in Joshua Tree California for a month and just worked all day and night. It was a great time.
I think the main goal on this album was to make a happy uplifting record. Not that I thought the last couple have been “more of a downer”, I just think there were a few songs that could make it seem like that. American Candy is more of a short, kinda get to the point album. We wanted people to feel like it flew by and want to just start it over right when it was done.
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When can we expect to see material from the album?
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I know it’s difficult but how would you describe the sound of The Maine now compared to previous releases?
Personally it feels like your sound has progressed from a more poporientated feel to a very mature real rock and roll sound over the years. In a way it’s the reverse of what a lot of bands tend to do where they start off heavier and end up going
down a radio-friendly pop route. Did you notice this happening/was it a conscious decision and what was the thinking behind it? We never really plan what records are going to sound like. It just happens. We have a million different influences coming out of all five of us so when we get in a room together they all start to poke their heads out. I think the earlier stuff shows our age, just fun pop tunes. As you get older you want to prove yourself that you can be a great band, so you try more. You write the 8 minute weirdo song cause why shouldn’t you? We are artists and supposed to be experimenting. Some bands can get afraid of making the wrong move and no one will like them anymore which holds them back, but that’s just not us. What would you say are some key songs/artists that you listened to a
The 90’s has always been a huge influence on us because thats the time period we grew up. The Rolling Stones are my favorite band of all time. A band called the New Radicals put out the best album of the 90’s (in my opinion) & we definitely referenced that more than once. I think the word “groove” got thrown around a lot. Most of the songs have a nice groove going on. I’ve had the pleasure of catching you on tour in the UK plenty of times, can we expect the touring for this album to be as extensive as that of Forever Halloween? We hope so! We toured a lot on Forever Halloween. I don’t expect that to change for this record. We were fortunate enough to be able to play across the UK a lot over the past couple of years. What would you say have been some of your favourite shows as a band and what makes them so special? I think when you play any city for the first time, it’s always going to be amazing. You have no idea what the show will be like and it always seems to blow your mind. It’s impossible to name just a few because at this point we’ve played a ton of great shows. If the energy is there it always gets a great spot stored in my brain somewhere. You guys have been together for 8 years now and still seem so tight as a unit and a group of friends. With most bands undergoing some member changes or break ups/ hiatuses by the time they reach your level, what would you say has
kept you guys going and still giving you that motivation to keep making music with your friends? Yeah 8 years is a long time! I think the most beneficial thing for us is when never give ourselves enough time to really think about what’s happened in the last 8 years. It’s gone by so fast and we’ve experienced so much together it always kept us tight. There also aren’t any egos. I feel like in most bands there is always that one guy who just becomes a dick and that really separates a band. We always try to keep each other in check and stay positive when things get a little crazy. It’s not always sunshine buts there’s never been a really stormy day either.
Thanks for taking the time to chat! Our new album American Candy will be out this spring – we can’t wait for you guys to hear it!
Reviews
If you could tour with any band in the world right now, who would it be and why? Wilco. I just want to watch them every night. Wilco or The Replacements for the same reason. Finally, what are you listening to right now that you’d recommend to our readers? The Kooks new album is super rad – so much dance going on its hard not to move your butt while you listen to it. In my opinion, The War on Drugs put out the best album of last year, I still can’t get enough of it. Ryan Adams also put out a great album last year. I just bought a record last night from a band called Title Fight and it’s really cool. I feel like its hardocre The Smiths. Cant go wrong there. Spoon also put out a kickass record last year. So much great music is out there right now just gotta go find it.
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lot/inspired you with this release?
Reviews
Jupiter Ascending
Director: The Wachowskis Stars: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne
ast year John Carter from Mars was translated onto the big screen with a disastrous reception. That style of Space Pulp adventure was seen as outdated and confined to the realm of retro camp curiosity. If you want to watch a film like that just wait fifteen minutes and ITV will run Flash Gordon again on one of its eight-hundred channels.
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Jupiter Ascending would have been slapped with the same label, but unlike the self-serious John Carter, Jupiter Ascending actually manages to entertain and amuse. Even if the results weren’t quite what the film makers were expecting. The dazzling space opera is the latest offering from Andy and Lana Wachowski, who are still being described as the makers of The Matrix, despite that film being sixteen years old. I don’t think
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their next poster will say anything different. Mila Kunis stars as Jupiter Jones (how’s that for a name straight out of a 1930’s comic book?), as the reincarnated heir to the planet earth. The current owner (Eddie Redmayne) is part of a backstabbing clan of interstellar moguls who remain immortal by harvesting the planets they own and turning their inhabitants into out of space Oil of Olay. She is saved from an assassination attempt by Channing Tatum’s Caine Wise, a human wolf hybrid looking to regain his standing in the galactic legion. So begins an adventure film that’s big on spectacle and low on substance. It isn’t a total dud of a film, but it doesn’t feature the tight storytelling, the instantly recognisable iconography, or the universal subtext of their most famous effort. They
still feel like directors who used up all their best ideas on their first film (The Matrix was their first film idea for them to direct as well as write. Bound, although made first, was something they made to prove they could be trusted with such a big budget). Most of the good comes from the sumptuous eye-candy. Once the action leaves the commonplace dwellings of the planet earth each set seems like it was made with enough money to keep Queen Elizabeth up to her eyeballs in hats. Every prop, every costume, every cgi vista is a feast for the eyes. Unfortunately, it seems your eyes are the only thing that Jupiter Ascending is interested in feeding. It certainly isn’t your ears. Hilariously clunky dialogue makes you laugh much more than the jokes do; whether it be Sean Bean talking about how bees recognise
intergalactic royalty or Mila Kunis promising not to grumble about the DMV. The few moments of actual humour seem out of place in a script so concerned with the humility of its heroes or the fate of the universe. It also occasionally tries to extend its grasp beyond the melodrama of Flash Gordon and tries to do some world building ala Star Wars, but it seems so stagy it feels more like the prequels than the originals. The whole film has the feeling of a theme park attraction but the best parts are the scenes where you feel like you’re walking through an interactive movie set, not the scenes where they put you on the rollercoaster. The Wachowskis zoom in too close to the action, disorientating you as the viewpoint zooms to and from characters. It also suffers from that curse of the current Hollywood Blockbuster: choppy editing and hyperactive camera work. It’s so hard to make anything out that afterwards you get more of a feeling that you’ve just seen an action movie, rather than a concrete memory of one. There is fun to be had in the films bright and colourful look, the energy given to each scene, and watching Eddie Redmayne thoroughly enacting the rule of ham. But anyone hoping that this, all too rare, original Hollywood creation would match its inventiveness with coherent and well-crafted storytelling, is going to come away disappointed. | Lee Hazell
The Interview
Directors: Evan Goldberg + Seth Rogen | Stars: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Randall Park
arely has a film in recent times caused such a storm as this bromance fuelled comedy about an assassination plot on North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un. Directed by Evan Goldberg, The Interview is the story of talk show host Dave Skylark, played by James Franco and his producer Aaron Rapoport, played by Seth Rogan, who are granted an interview with the most notorious and secluded man in the world. The CIA, led by Lizzy Caplan, decide to use this opportunity to have the hapless couple “take out” the supreme leader.
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After an initial decision not to screen the film following a string of threats from an activist group, Sony has since decided to give The Interview a full release in Britain, following a limited theatrical release in America, finally giving people a chance to see this highly contentious satire. With the controversial aspects to one side, the film is in fact an unremarkable run of the mill typical Seth Rogen flick. It would be a lie to say that there aren’t laughs because there are plenty to satisfy movie-goers. There are numerous jokes in the film
that work well such as the North Korean dictators’ love of Katy Perry and Margherritas, as well the early scenes with some nicely worked celebrity cameos from Eminem and Rob Lowe . There is also plenty of chemistry between the films two leads, starring in their second film together after 2008’s Pineapple Express. Rogen gives his role a sobering sense of reality compared to Franco’s energetic, outlandish role which often tips over into outright ridiculous and silly. Sadly the film is guilty over indulging itself too heavily for large chunks with the sense that there are times the actors are having more fun than the actual audience. There are numerous elongated scenes that could be cut in favour of much more needed character development, with Lizzy Caplan particularly given a thin role and mostly having to spend her screen time dictating events behind a desk at CIA headquarters. It seems therefore anti-climactic that a film that generated such hysteria and attention leaves its viewers with an underwhelming forgettable film. | Liam Gillespie
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Reviews
The Babadook
Director: Jennifer Kent Stars: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman and Daniel Henshall
gothic, haunted house fantasy for the modern age, The Babadook crept its way into cinema screens in 2014 to much applause and strong word of mouth.
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William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, claimed it to be one of the best horror films he had seen in years - a strong recommendation as any. It’s story involving a mother and son being plagued by the ghostly presence is a horror troupe as old as the genre itself but one that still seems popular with audiences judging by the popularity of films such Insidious and The Conjuring. The film begins as a nightmarish lullaby as we see the accident that robs Amelia (Essie Davis) of her husband then literally float away to land on her bed and begin the living hell that seems to be raising her child Samuel (Noah Wiseman).
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Samuel’s a precious young scamp who loves his magic and enjoys an over active imagination, going so far as to create a surprisingly well crafted catapult to fend off invisible ghouls. Amelia is tired. Worked to the bone, starved of attention and increasingly given to bouts of insomnia she is slowly unraveling. One evening at bedtime Samuel finds a lovely looking, bespoke popup book called The Babadook on his shelf. What begins as a witty cartoon about a mystery specter unnervingly turns into a threatening warning declaring that once you’ve welcomed him in that you can’t get rid of The Babadook… Things become worse after Samuel is suspended from school for violence for acting out when no one believes in The Babadook meaning that Amelia is now essentially trapped in her house with her son with only the kind elderly neighbour and loveable family dog for
company. Both mother and son seem to lose hold of their sanity once The Babadook has been welcomed in, seemingly eating away at their very souls until they can finally confront the beast from within and purge it in a final showdown. The formula for The Babadook is one that has been seen many times before. What writer/director Jennifer Kent has done here though is what the best horror stories do - created an allegorical tale. As much a story about dealing with grief and losing a loved one as much as it is an old fashioned spook story. The atmosphere teeters an impressive tight rope between the real world of suburban houses and concrete roads and the dream land of the pitch black shadows. Everything in Amelia’s home looks like a stylish but more subdued
version of Tim Burton’s home furnishing catalogues. Each item and lick of paint is chosen with precision to envelop us in this fantasy world. Often if you find yourself paying attention to the set decoration and in this case sound design it often means there’s something fundamentally wrong with the story. In The Babadook’s case though it helps to flesh out what could have been another run of the mill ghost story. Some viewers may find a lack of jump scares an issue when compared to recent horror films. What the film does achieve though is an overriding tension and dread that comes from the sum of its parts. Never knowing if the young boy Samuel is possessed of the murderous spirit or going through some mental health issues, whichever way it turns it has one of the most unnerving faces shown on screen in a long time. Essie Davis too is the picture of a woman torn down by grief, quick to anger but still with signs that she yearns to love and be loved, it’s a heartbreaking performance. A performance that raises Amelia out of just being a terrorized victim in her own home. Fans of haunted house tales will find much to reward in The Babadook. Viewers who have experienced a profound loss in their lives may find it hard to watch at times but maybe re-affirming. That’s what the best horror films and, indeed, cinema should always strive to do. | Michael Dickinson The Babadook is available on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital platforms on Feb 16, 2015 via Icon Film Distribution.
Down Dog
Writers: Andres Dussan, Simon Nye + Lawrence Tallis | Stars: Jason Durr + Nick Moran
own Dog is a light hearted comedy from the writer of Men Behaving Badlyabout a sex crazed father who tries to reconnect with his son when he believes he is dying. The film starts with introducing you to Frank (Jason Durr) and shows you the place that he works and the lifestyle he leads. He works in the adult sex toy market and also leads a very wild (highly sexed) lifestyle. The beginning sees him on a night out with his boss, to me it conjures the image of a lower budget version of The Wolf on Wall Street with the antics they get up to. Mainly lots of alcohol and hitting on women. Low budget it may seem but it certainly does highlight just how much they like to party.
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You then learn that Frank has a son and is therefore neglecting his fatherly duties. This opens up into the main storyline. After being told that he is going to die, Frank decides that he needs to reconnect with his son. This sees Frank try and bond with him by teaching him how to hit on girls and get their attention. Frank does however soon realise that he is not as great at it as he first thought and after bonding he starts to re-evaluate the time he has left.
The storyline is slightly predictable, mainly due to the fact that is is clear that Frank’s ex-wife wants him back and you can see that it is going to be a bad boy turned good plot, but that being said there are some very amusing moments. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the comments that Bill, Frank’s boss (Nick Moran) comes out with. OK yes he has a very sexist attitude and is a complete idiot but he is funny and some of the banter and in particular a fight that happens between them is quite funny. Dylan Llewellyn plays the part of Sam (Frank’s son) very well. Chetna Pandya plays the part of Lizzie, a troubled rebellious teen with ease. She is Sam’s friend and Bill’s daughter. In her scenes with Bill all they do is argue, as he constantly slates her, yet she somehow manages to keep her cool and make him look stupid. Overall, it comes across as relateable to anybody who has been in situation where their parents have been divorced, but throws in some nice comedic elements to show that it isn’t always that bad without making it a farce. | Michael Dickinson .
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Reviews
Funeral for a friend
Chapter and Verse (Album Review) uneral for a Friend have changed a lot since their humble beginnings in Bridgend, South Wales. High pitched banshee wailing from Seven Ways to Scream Your Name was quickly replaced by actual singing for Casually Dressed and Deep In Conversation; more solid song-writing came through for Hours; mainstream melodies infiltrated Tales Don’t Tell Themselves; a crash back to reality shattered any recollection of Memory and Humanity. Though, lest we forget, the band has almost entirely changed. Drummer Pat Lundy is the latest to exit rock music’s Sugababes.
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Luckily for fans, there’s a reliable trend. If an album doesn’t quite reach expectations, all you need do is wait another 24 months and they’ll be back with an alteration that hopes to be more to your
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tastes. So, for those disappointed by 2013’s Conduit, this is here as consolation. Though, try to keep your hopes low. Contrary to the established order, this is along the same lines as its predecessor. While its name alone does act as a commentary for the fan-base that have given new meaning to ‘loyalty’, Stand By Me for the Millionth Time is a risky one to open with. It’s highly unlikely the microphone broke and they couldn’t be bothered re-recording, but what we get is essentially someone shouting down a tunnel and intermittently walking closer so their words are clearer. Rather than a gentle (or as close as they get) introduction, it seems confused by mono and stereo settings. On the subject of clarity, there are two that threw that idea right out of the window. Pencil Pusher and Modern Excuse of a Man are clearly
angry; guitars, bass and drums are played with what can only be genuine rage. However, decipherable lyrics are sacrificed in favour of “ffghahaghhafafghh”. It’s fortunate that (1) there are strong tracks to counteract these and (2) they’re not solely reliant on poetry and relevance anyway. Not that they’ve gone massively up in the world, but Hilary Clinton makes a guest appearance on this album. Okay, it’s a clip from a speech regarding equal rights for women and she’s almost definitely unaware of this addition to her CV, but it’s still some high profile stuff. As is obvious, the accompanying song is in the same vein. “Born with a dick doesn’t mean I’m a misogynist” would happily resonate amongst the Tumblr community but, as it would be verging on a miracle if they heard even 10 seconds of the album, it’s unlikely You Should Be Ashamed of Yourself will become an
anthem for the cause.
Rhythm and melody was discarded from their music pre-Conduit. It’s more of a ‘shout and hope for the best’ scenario. Yes, the music can seem choppy, as if they recorded a rehearsal rather than the finished product, but it’s necessary to keep more or less in time with the adopted vocal style. If Matt DaviesKreye were fully utilising his actually very good singing voice, then the whole thing would be a complete mess. Despite flaws, the album is enjoyable, just heavily dependent on setting. Here are 11 tracks ready for a sweaty, small gig. They are not perfected for your iPod. Yes, the mood will strike you and there’ll be a need for some politics and general anger, but not usually while out for a walk with the dog. It’s a shame Donny wasn’t about Doncaster but that’s a target for, presumably, 2017. ‘1%‘, clear winner of best track, has been floating about on the internet for a month if you can’t wait to tease your eardrums. | Zoe Williamson
Fall Out Boy
American Beauty/American Psycho (Album Review)
ince returning from hiatus in 2013, Fall Out Boy have cemented their position as one of the heavyweights in modern rock music. Tours for them are now a case of making their way around the world, almost to wherever they please. With that in mind, 5th studio album American Beauty/ American Psycho seemed like it would be more about protecting Fall Out Boy’s name and how far they’ve come, rather than getting bigger. However that doesn’t mean this album isn’t capable of kicking things up a notch further for the Chicago 4-piece, as it appears to be one of their better releases.
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The album opens with the trumpets of Irresistible, which was recently given its live debut at their intimate London show. This sets the tone for the album and what can be expected effectively. Patrick Stump’s huge vocals, a tasteful use of electronics and bassist Pete Wentz’s bold lyrics. Less than a minute in and we’re already met with hard-hitting lines such as “I love the way you hurt me, it’s irresistible”. Up next are two of the biggest tracks on the album, singles American Beauty/American Psycho and Centuries. Both of
which show how FallOut Boy have almost perfectly crafted a sound that’s punchy and rock enough to fill arenas, whilst simultaneously having the pop and electronic elements to get considerable radio play. After the full force of these singles, things are slowed down nicely for the catchy whistling that accompanies The Kids Aren’t Alright. The second track off the album to make its live debut at their recent London album release show, it’s full of both catchy melodies and emotion, something that translates incredibly well live. Pop-culture references ablaze, the energy shoots straight back up for one of the most memorable tracks on the album, Uma Thurman. Cleverly using a sample of 1960’s TV show “The Munsters”, this is a track that sums up Fall Out Boy’s new sound perfectly. Almost every element on this album that makes up the music of Fall Out Boy has it’s own place in this track. Although this album follows in the footsteps of 2013’s Save Rock and Roll, with electric guitars taking a less prominent role, guitarist Joe Trohman still has room in this track to show off the incredible talent this band possess. V
Need something to slow it all down and provide a break from rage? Good news! There’s less than 2 minutes of an acoustic respite with Brother. That’s all. One minute and fifty-three seconds. Make the most of that. The song itself is shorter than a few of the titles. By the time you’ve said “You’ve Got a Bad Case of the Religions is my favourite but After All These Years… Like a Lightbulb Going Off in My Head is weak”, your conversational partner will have finished revelling in the acoustic/ raw passion infusion before you’re halfway through the sentence. Perhaps because it is so juxtaposed, it truly stands out as one of the best efforts in this compilation.
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The next unforgettable song comes in the form of relationship-themed Fourth Of July, with a hooky chorus of “It was the fourth of July, you and I were fireworks that went off soon”. It’s a tune that would surprise many if it’s not being replayed on the radio for weeks following the release. However the standard of the songs on this album will give DJ’s worldwide a hard time deciding which of the electro-rockers tunes should be pushed to the top of the A-lists. However as AB/AP draws to a close, songs gradually start to stop grabbing you and demanding attention so much as blending into each other. Although still technically good, towards the end it feels like Fall Out Boy packed their punches into the first half of the album with the less arena-worthy material following. A common theme for this band, if you look back over their sparkling repertoire of singles and number one’s, the majority of their famous singles fall into the first half of their albums. However this should not take away from the fact Fall Out Boy have indeed created plenty of tracks to rival those previous “famous singles” such as My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark and Thnks Fr The Mmrs. With a slightly more clear direction of where this band are taking their sound, you can expect to hear a fair share of these songs get their time in the spotlight as Fall Out Boy embark on a huge US tour this summer and the UK in October. | Mitchell Bell
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Twin Atlantic
Oceans (Single)
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K, guys. This song is super sad, so brace yourself.
I recently reviewed Twin Atlantic’s ‘Hold On’, a more upbeat, punchy sound from the band but this new single ‘Oceans’ shows a whole new side of these darling Scots. These lyrics are as well crafted, as they are painful. Understandably about being lonely and, well, sad. Beautifully executed and without need for heavy drums, this song is produced in a highly pleasing way. Lead singer Sam McTrusty gently lays his vocals over the soothing sound of violins and soft percussion. Specifically speaking, the lyrics in the beginning of the choruse below are by far my favorite I’ve heard in a very long time: “And I’m making visits to the sea for visions of you and me and when I get there I will row oceans between me and my home…” I’m not sure what inspired this song, but it sounds like what being emotional and pensive should sound like: undemanding, multifaceted and intrepid. Don’t let me sway you one way or another. Watch the captivating at VultureHound.com | Jaclyn South
Alice & The Lovers Hotfoot (Single)
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hile listening to Alice & The Lovers the band plants seeds in your mind like distant memories of girl groups past. You’re reminded of post punk pioneers, new wave suffragettes, even Motown legends. They combine sultry harmonies with a sleazy rock sound as dirty as a pair of Converse worn in a thousand sweaty venues. They take the often clean cut sounding and sanitised (by today’s standards) melodies and combine them with tantalising provocative lyrics. In Mother’s Bedroom they flirtingly skirt around the taboo and in Fucked Up they sing the title in the same way a 60’s group would croon the word “Baby.” Alice’s voice has a bittersweet hush to it making each song seem hazy in its own way, like it’s the first song being heard after the alarm wakes you up in the morning. It would be a pleasant way to wake up though, gentle and soothing, reassuring and familiar. In fact, she may be taking the moniker Lovers slightly too literally. Alice & The Lovers release their debut single and EP Valentine on Valentine’s Day. | Lee Hazell
Phantom Runners Laserbeam (Single)
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rio Phantom Runners bring the listener right down to a state of total relaxation.
Their new single Laserbeam is a song that will you put on cloud nine after a stressful day at work. With its many layers of guitar it is like a musical answer to your favourite chocolate bar. Three beautiful boys from Brighton have created Laserbeam for your enjoyment and pleasure of music. It is just so soothing to listen to that all your worries and problems in live will go away. It lifts you up and drifts away into this state of bliss, just close your eyes and take yourself to a perfect picture of paradise and turn on the track of Laserbeam. What is wrong about that? It is really nostalgic in comparison to some of their other tracks that are more upbeat – kick off your converse and dance in the kitchen like no one is watching.
Bleach Blood
London In The Rain (Single)
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leach Blood have got one hell of a good quality about them. Even when their songs are supposed to be depressing, they still sound uplifting. This may sound oxymoronic, but actually it is one of the key traits behind being a pop band. If your music can exorcize someone’s pain, and simultaneously cheer them up, then you have the magic formula to great pop music. The video itself follows frontman Jamie Jazz through the streets of the titular city followed by rain a cloud. I know that it sounds too cheesy to be anything other than cheap, cliched tripe, but they use practical effects that give the video a handmade quality that dismisses any notion of SyFy channel grade CGI. Also, the fact that it is a real world object that constantly pours water on Jamie’s face is probably why he looks so convincingly miserable. Bleach Blood’s debut album, All The Sides Of A Circle is released on 2 March 2015 via Transmission Recordings.| Lee Hazell
Doldrums
Hotfoot (Single)
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n explosion of noise right from the off, these huge crashes of electronic samples set up this huge eccentric, surreal convergence of synths, drums and who knows what from all angles. There’s a measured chaos about the track, intertwined between these onslaughts of in your face style snippets of sound are these more mellow, ethereal vocals that compliment the madness in a brilliant way, only to provide a stepping stone for the madness to ensue once again. In a period where the electronic music scene is undoubtedly becoming more and more saturated, making it harder for anyone to stand out without doing something special, ‘Hotfoot’ is something that is completely fresh, something that sets itself apart from most something that definitely possesses that “something special”. | Bradley Lengden
Either way most of their tracks, including Laserbeam is left stuck in your ears but because it is such a nice song you just don’t care. If you ever need a pick me up, I suggest listening to Laserbeam. | Gemma Hirst
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Seafret
Oceans (Single/Video) arry Draper lays down a bedrock of simple, soothing guitars where Jack Sedman’s anguished vocals can rest. The track aches with loss and longing, it reaches out over its theoretical ocean; during the chorus it sores, extending out an impossible distance to find someone it still cannot grasp. The picture of yearning the music illustrates is picture perfect.
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The video, starring Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, follows her character coming home to find a note on the side of the table. This simple act builds a mammoth amount of context. Just using a few simple words they paint a picture of childhood loneliness and work dragging a parent away from her child. Maisie’s face looks so lost and forlorn it paints her character effortlessly and creates sympathy without resorting to self-pity. She finds an old handmade superhero costume in her wardrobe, the kind a loving mother would make for a child, she takes this brightly coloured ensemble out with her into the town just to feel her mother is near. Her vulnerability is palpable when she knows she will be ridiculed but refuses to feel shame. The empathy of you feel for her combined with the heartbreak of the track cuts deep and hits every nerve on the way down. | Lee Hazell
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The Vaccines
Handsome (Single)
ondon’s The Vaccines have kept us waiting a while, since 2013’s release of the Melody Calling EP to be exact, but new single “Handsome” was certainly worth enduring that barren year and a bit.
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The first single to be released from forthcoming third album “English Graffiti”, Handsome reminds us of just why so many people were cramming themselves into tents up and down the festival circuit back in 2011. Full of the energy and exuberance we’ve come to expect from Justin Young and co, this song seems likely to set the tone for the year to come. Handsome is accompanied by the hugely entertaining video in which the band take on the roles of kungfu vigilantes in what Young describes as a “Bubblegum ode to cinema” (Buffy re-boot anyone?) | Jonathan Jones
Darlia
I’ve Never Been To Ohio (Single) lackpool rock trio Darlia have finally revealed the much anticipated I’ve Never Been to Ohio from their forthcoming mini-album Petals.
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First debuting the song during a gig with Wolf Alice in Cardiff late in August, a live recording of the track was uploaded to YouTube, receiving masses of attention and leading to endless requests for the song to be released. Now that a studio version of the track is now out, I can safely say that Darlia have really outdone themselves this time. This song is concrete evidence of Darlia utilising new and interesting layers in their sound, with twinkly synth sounds accompanying the pounding drums, dirty guitar and driving bassline throughout the song. An almost whispered verse creates a tense, haunting atmosphere…then the thunderous grunge-pop chorus arrives with Nathan Day gruffly announcing that he’s never been to the US state of Ohio. It’s almost certain that this is a song that will A) be stuck in your head for weeks B) put Darlia firmly on the map of bands to watch in 2015. | Junior Cobbinah
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Amon Amarth, Huntress & Savage Messiah The O2 Academy, Oxford – January 23rd 2015
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