Posted by Jonathan on Tuesday 27th July 2010 10.52am
On the Roni Size/Represent lp Represent the opener railing says "there is something in the format, something you have never heard before"
Still, the digital is not as fun as the analogue version. You never get the snap, crackle and pop which makes each and every record a unique flavour. As well, the artwork is bigger. CDs are sterile and MP3s are even less meaningful.
Of course none of this is relevant, appreciating the music is so much more important. All formats are equal, but some are more equal than others.
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Posted by Robbie Wojciechowski on Monday 26th July 2010 12.36pm
Among Latitude’s blend of art, comedy, theatre and music there were a few definite things that shone through. On the musical side of things, while being let down by The XX on Saturday, Sunday morning brought around the brilliance of small time band The Antlers, playing the same arena, at only 2 in the afternoon. Their set invoked little crowd reaction, but as far as band capability, musicianship, performance and outright music go, they were streaks ahead from alot of the others. With 3 albums and 2 EP’s under their belts they aren’t a new band, but their latest record ‘Hospice’ proved to be one of the best of 2009, playing hits from mainly the latter, they started off my Sunday perfectly.
A second band that really impressed me were Girls, headlining the Sunrise Arena on the Friday. Their neatly titled record ‘Album’ is truly a source of remembrance. Their influencers speak outright in their music, both tinges of Elvis Costello and Mr. Presley are very poignant. Crowd favourite ‘Lust For Life’ sent the crowd crazy, shrouding the band in a blessed singalong. Their rhythmic charms floated around the sunrise arena, the perfect venue. Small and intimate and set in the middle of the woods, but still large enough to bring a good crowd and supply good sound. A real Latitude moment.
Jonsi was a huge highlight of the whole weekend, though we missed half the set, the half we did see was utterly unbelievable, my ears being massaged with the best 20 minutes of live noise ever. Playing material majoritively from recent solo album ‘Go Do’, the Icelandic singer let his backing band really take a centre role in the performance, letting them guide him through each track effortlessly. All of the lovingly charmed tracks came together well, to evoke a stunned crowd.
Darwin Deez would have to be my last surprise highlight of this year’s latitude, though quite new to the scene, they commanded their audience at the Sunrise Arena with absolute confidence. Combining both their songs and synchronised dance moves, the band quickly had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Introducing all to the likes of their ‘Springdance’ and tracks such as ‘The City’ and ‘Bad Day’. Everyone seemed to walk out content at the performance, and ready for a great finale to Latitude 2010. I know mine certainly went off with a bang..
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Posted by Jonathan Nicholson on Monday 26th July 2010 11.44am
This is fiction!
Oh, what a day. It is not that much fun traipsing around the streets and shops of Glasgow, but sometimes there is no choice. For some like model Sarah T'Syen it is not the chore that others find it. Her copper and emerald eyes glisten to the jealousy of diamonds. They are what Belgian musician boyfriend Nicholas De Morgan "treasures the most".
Talking fashion all day is going to be interesting fun and delightful, almost whimsical. Apparently fashion is a celebration of form and beauty. An appreciation for fashion goes hand in hand for an appreciation for anything else that is delicate. Some would even say fashion is a fine art in of itself.
Her career has experienced many ups and downs "but things seem to be going much better these days. I am a lot more steady and more importantly I am focused on what I should be doing". Having a sharp, keen and tasteful eye is always an advantage in this profession and many of the rags are rejected by her. Still the courtiers of these places scuttle around to bring her more for her to try on.
A trip to Starry Starry Night reveals more. "I am working for a fashion designer in Antwerpen, where I'm also studying. I really like it there too, all the buildings, all the shops. It is a wonderful place". The designer she is talking about is of course Mr. Daniel Hercule. "He is a great designer and I like him, but because he is old and cranky he can sometimes be a real arsehole. No no, I do not like it when he is cranky. I do not like it all". She suddenly folds her arms, pouts and stamps her foot as if to say that is the final word on the topic and no more questions about him are even dreamt of again.
"There is nothing here except moth eaten coats can we try somewhere else?"
"Sure, there is a neat little boutique just round the corner and they will probably have something of your taste there".
Commanding a weary entourage, with little thought for their footwear and its compatibility with cobbles, the march to the next boutique commences and only halts for a brief time outside a bric-a-brac store, "there is nothing interesting, come".
Now sitting down on Byers Road with cup of latte in hand "It was really lucky how I got discovered. It was at a fancy dress party and I met him, he said I looked really good and he gave me his business card and I had a free afternoon and said I should come over and try a few clothes. Christophe Anon, his photographer took a few snaps and it went on from there. Just goes to show that you should be aware of everyone".
It is difficult to disagree with someone as headstrong as Sarah, she is always asserting herself. "Put that cigarette out, it is bad enough with the car fumes". The smoker might be a stranger, but since he has to be there he willingly submits and stubs his 25 pence in the ashtray. Now the cigarette crippled and bent back over itself spills its last vestige of life out. The smoke becomes thinner and thinner as the tobacco gets cremated and the fire eventually becomes extinguished.
The people who are helping her choose the very best of clothes are here friends. "It is exciting to travel and when you can visit your best friend, it makes it even more wonderful. The publicity work can be annoying sometimes and so it is nice to get it out of the way, escape the country, that is what I thought until my agent gave me the bad news, but still, it is fun sometimes. I went for a drink last night. Thankfully I am not famous enough for people to recognize me when I walk down the streets, it was quiet and nothing really happened, thankfully".
At least the meal she has is simple and perhaps shows the rebellious streak inside of her. A curry take out from the local Indian restaurant. "I hope people at home do not find out about this. This food is not so good for the figure, but it is a nice treat once in a while so I indulge every now and then". It is at this point we part from the model and leave her to get on with her career. This is not the last time she will be seen though. Having already made her debut at Paris Fashion Week and she will be making her debut at London and Paris fashion week this year and it is easy to see why many fashguns will be turning hot.
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Posted by Paddy on Monday 19th July 2010 09.50pm
Glasswerk Ireland has finally gone all techno and social! The Facebook page has been set up and is steadily gaining more and more fans but we are greedy and need more!
Facebook is the quickest way to get all of the updates and the most current news!
[link]
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Posted by Jonathan Nicholson on Monday 19th July 2010 01.32pm
Mary Schmich, in an article for the Chicago Tribune, wrote a poem meant for consumption of advice in 1997. It is not until 1999, this poem is discovered by film director and producer Baz Luhrmann and turned in to the song (Everybody’s Free To Wear) Sunscreen. The record dispenses all kinds of advice from the optimistic to the pessimistic. However, there is one piece of advice that rings and persists in the memory, “travel”.
With this in mind it makes sense not to be a stick in the mud and engage with the wider world. The choice is quite simple, pick a city which can be got to in a couple of hours and which is worth visiting. These rules strike out anywhere other than the European Union or North Africa, even on a plane, Greece is out of the question. Also, this had to be done within the United Kingdom, the rules of the Job Seekers Agreement mean; if you travel outside of the UK you will lose some or all of your allowance. Understandable, but the feeling of limitations easily pulls the excitement down. Of course some readers might think that, one could always get a job and yes that is true, but life is never that simple with at least five applicants for every job. Still this is no reason to stop dead in the tracks. Birmingham, England’s so-called second city is the destination.
The income from Job Seekers Allowance is £103.46 and after a rent of £50 per fortnight, £22 for weekly bus tickets leaving just over £30 to play around with, some of the less fortunate have to pay for food with this amount of money, resorting to the emergency loan system to pay for anything urgently and unexpected. Anyway, a return trip to Birmingham would only cost £8.50 and leave £6.50 from the weekly budget for food, drinks and whatever else. Not exactly enjoyable, but it is better than nothing.
The excitement builds up as the Adventure day approaches. Final checks are made. The camera battery is charged up, the memory card cleared of any unwanted pictures. A reasonably sized travel bag is chosen and filled with a packed lunch, journal pen and some reading material for if the boredom becomes too much. It is impossible to think of anything else might be needed, but time is tight and there is a need to head for the bus.
As the air brakes of the coach give their usual hiss to relieve the tension on the wheels, the journey is off to a crawl as the streets of Manchester are chewed up at a pace comparable to a snail’s. Each lamppost on the roads and motorways progressively, passively and repetitively pass at a pace not much quicker but more consistently as entertainment is a world blurring at 60mph, magazines, newspapers, iPods or a book about the history of the environmental sciences. Some are going for a big night out with friends others are going to meet friends, others simply graduate from the university and there are many other reasons to travel.
Awkwardly and wearily the coach sneaks in to the city and its side streets away from the main drag. This is something that a purposeful walk to the nearest tourist map would solve. Seeing the sights is always a must when you first go to somewhere new. Art galleries and museums are not the most fun places to be when there is so much else to explore so they were quickly off the list of things to do.
However, the people of Birmingham are kind, benevolent and hospitable. The fact that they are quick to be of help is not usually a trait talked about, when it comes to Birmingham the typical conversation often centres on their thick heavy drawl. This is not the only accent to pervade the streets as Caribbean tones are distinguishable to those with a keen ear. With the sun and the clouds moving a pace it is hardly to see the graduation gowns flutter earnestly in the wind. Still, the warmth of the city grows and seeps through even to the coldest of marble statues. In this case it is a bull surrounded by a wealth of busy but hesitant shoppers.
As the day glides on through, it is obvious that a well earned rest is in order. Cafes and restaurants act as a refuge from the stresses of shopping as well as presenting an opportunity to spend those, as one old lady put it, “really annoying bits of change”. A charity box might be preferable, but there are very few of those in the chains of shopping malls dwelling in such affluent areas.
As the heavens open, St. Martin’s church is the most immediate shelter from this transient storm. The harsh pews offer little in the way of comfort, but the quiet offers sanctuary for the mind and allow contemplation to happen, spurring people from thought to action rather than dull aches in the physical world. It is closed before the offices though. This is not a criticism, but the reality that there is only so much time that can be offered. The sombre who have not had enough time to reflect, pour out on to the streets and with the pains of hunger and an unlikely turn of events mean that Burger King will do for a further rest and bite to eat. Again a place where stories are exchanged with the classics of shopping exploits, love and other general tales all happening over the cool, but slightly littered floor of black and white parquet.
The sun rejoins the deserted shopping area. Only a few stragglers are left along with some salespeople who are determined to sell piece of mind. What now happens as evening descends to make the rounding off nearly complete is a short in distance but lengthy in time journey back to where this adventure began. Circles have almost been a theme of the day. There are lots waiting to go their own way and countless more arriving in the bustling metropolis. Even the young and upcoming film directors of today and tomorrow have to make haste out of a city that can offer them no more. A remarkable feast would always come to a disappointing end that can, at least for now, not be repeated.
The journey back to Manchester is mundane and as predictable as the journey in the opposite direction as the soporific hum of tyre on tarmac combine with the efficient rattle of bus engine. Until Manchester there is very little to enjoy as dark takes over the light and what light is left are the florescent glow of nightclub entrances and the sparkle of the clothes.
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