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[subculturecreature]

Ennui.

Work hard, son. That way, when you’re older, you can enjoy a big house and a family; a house and family far away from the city noise. A place where you can live blissfully.

Peace and quiet is a phrase that has always made me feel somewhat anxious. It defies our existence doesn’t it? We aren’t quiet. We aren’t peaceful. Post-war living centred on peace and quiet. The pursuit of the nuclear family embodied peace and quiet. Peace and quiet was the baby boomer generation. Now there’s us; the millennials.  

I grew in up in suburbia. My mum and dad wanted peace and quiet. As a teenager I was victim to the very peace and quiet my parents yearned for. I was mindlessly angry; I could never really coherently articulate any reason as to why I was angry. Which I think is called teenage angst, right? Now I’m older, less angry, and perhaps wiser, I can observe that it wasn’t something that was making me angry, full of dirty teenage angst, and deeply in-love with punk rock music, it was the void of something. I struggled to find meaning in my life, which made me turn to other mediums for meaning; mediums such as music, politics, and films. The peace and quiet which made me angry gave way to artistic creativity. The nothingness of suburbia conspired something within me.

What I’ve just explained is a concept I never believed there was a word for. This was until recently when a close friend of mine was speaking to me about the word ennui. Being a word I had not touched before, I felt equally intrigued and stupid. Hearing his opinions on it and discovering the exact description, I believe it perfectly encapsulated a feeling I didn’t quite understand in my younger years - the word enabled me to articulate a feeling that I felt bewildered by, but very thankful for.

In recent years my love for suburbia has grown. Up until my discovery of the word ennui - being the cynical bastard I am - I believed it was some sort of mild form of stockholm syndrome. But that’s not true; the dissatisfaction of suburbia made me want more, and perhaps made me think more. Which is a feeling I’ve really learnt to appreciate as I’ve grown older, even more-so with my discovery of the word ennui. Although it sounds silly to say, without suburban nothingness, I don’t believe I would be the person I am today; I don’t believe I would want to write; I don’t believe I would have such a deep love for all types of music; I don’t believe I would such great appreciation for the beauty of city centres. To put it simply, the feeling ennui that shadowed my teenage years made me who I am today. 

Ennui: a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement

From my experience I’ve learnt that ennui is a very complex notion. One that can make you feel good and bad. One that can fill you both with prosperity and anguish. Regardless of this, I don’t believe it’s a term that should be seen in negative light - despite the negative description you’ll find if you’re as uneducated as me and have to resort to a dictionary. When you next find yourself in a state of ennui, I’m sure your mind will explore to bigger and better things than what exists in your immediate proximity. In great human spirit, you will reject the boredom that you’ve fallen into, and in-turn, explore the wonders of human brain in hope of a more stimulating existence.

Without suburban ennui, suburban anger, suburban angst, whatever way you want to see it, we wouldn’t have some of the creative greats we have today. During the recording of Bon Iver’s first album Justin Vernon isolated himself in the woods, far away from the city noise. He strived for the feeling of ennui so it could conspire something within him. A lot of people, as they get older, would prefer to live within the peace and quiet of suburbia, especially when they have a family. No teenager wants suburbia. And I don’t think suburbia wants teenagers. But the two together, despite what it seems, do seem to exist harmoniously in the long term. I love what the feeling of ennui did to me. It defined me.

In my current way of thinking, I don’t believe I will ever want to move back to suburbia. The feeling of ennui is not something I aspire to. However, it isn’t something I will ever detest. And although there are probably many teenagers out there now on the verge of an existential crisis - much like I was - I’m sure as they get older, they will grow fonder of that feeling of listlessness and lack of occupation. As hopefully it will inspire them, like it inspired me.

This article was specifically written for a 50 copy publication surrounding the concept of ennui. Said publication was crafted by Ryan Wooding, a London based graphic designer - you can find his work here: http://ryanwooding.co.uk/

[subculturecreature]

High-Flying High-Fivers Fall

There’s no kidding; high fives are probably the biggest thing to ever emerge out of humanity’s social existence. A simple high five can make our day. It can give you exactly the right amount of confidence, reassurance, and pride in what you are doing that you resultantly excel beyond all imagined expectations. To most, the high five is only a positive thing. However, to a silenced minority the high five represents a dark chapter in our social existence. A silenced minority that I’ve now decided to vocalise.

The high five, as I said, is a fucking universal social norm. It’s deep ridden in every nook and cranny of our lives. To explore its inherent evil entirely would take years. Considering this, I’ve decided to explore a section of society where the high five runs deep and thick: The National Basketball Association.

For years players of the NBA have basked in the glory of the high five. They have – despite the ethical implications - used the high five for a drug-like confidence boost in order to drain free-throws, drain long twos, and even damn well drain threes. We, the spectator, and they, the players, have abused the power of the high five whilst good hard-working people have suffered. Now readers, I know you must be thinking: ‘High fives? Ethical implications? What’s this guy smoking?’. Let me tell, my dears.

Missed-high-fives have ruined games, ruined careers, ruined franchises, it’s even ruined lives. And this is only in the NBA. A missed high five has an unfathomable impact on people’s mental well-being. Such an impact that I ask you now: is it really worth it? Is a good sound high-five worth more than a man’s life? I - and I know I will be a minority here – I… I say it isn’t.  

Rarely does the NBA address missed high fives, rarely do players apologize for missing high fives, and rarely does the unwilling receiver of missed high fives return to their former confident self post-missed-high-five. I say now is the time to expose this dark and ugly area of the game we love. I say now is the time to take a horrific, but needed, journey through the devastating consequences that missed high fives have caused in recent history. I say now is the time for change. But change does come at a cost: I’m warning you, if you’re soft soul, or if you’re underage and without parental supervision, stop here and only read the last paragraph, because it damn well gets ugly.

Phil Jackson’s surprise departure from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 has been explained by a forage of excuses; Kobe Bryant was unhappy, Phil wanted more money, the owners didn’t like the amount of control Phil demanded, Slava Medvedenko wanted Phil’s parking space, Laker’s front office refused to make their in-office brownies vegan for Phil’s dietary requirements, ridiculous off-beat fact. All of these excuses wrong and simply there to hide the horrible truth. During a time out late in the 2003-2004 season Phil Jackson was congratulating his players on a good period of game; fist bumping Fisher here, high fiving Shaq there. All was well and jolly. This was at least until Phil met the absence of Kobe Bryant’s deadly hand (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nZT3vyiHSs). In the moment it didn’t seem much. People say ‘a missed high five? Meh, it’s fine. You’ll move on. It’s only a high-five’, and to those people I ask: have you ever experienced the emotional turmoil of a missed high-five? Have you ever tried to kiss your children goodnight post-missed-high-five? Do you even have children?  No you don’t, and I hope you never will. From the very moment Kobe denied Phil Jackson a social norm, in doing so, making himself the superior, the alpha, the controller, well… well good ol’ Phil lost all control of the team. He had to leave. It was only a year later after much damage control when Phil gathered the courage to return to that locker room; he was a new man… he was able to high-five again. He was able to live again.

Phil Jackson’s a strong man, a winner, a father. He was able to recover from that scenario and do great things. Things like raise a family. God I want children. Unfortunately, not all are that strong. Some are, but not all are. People often forget about role players and bench players in the NBA. They contribute little rather than steer teams to wins. They’re expendable. These players have often much less support, and thus, must have the highest levels of confidence to succeed. What happens when a role player gets rejected in a high five? You don’t want to know. But you will, because… well because this is an article about it.

Ronny Turiaf (A.K.A, The Ron Tonne) was once a decent prospect in the NBA. He was even on post-missed-high-five Phil Jackson’s roster. However, even zen-master Phil Jackson couldn’t predict the hellish future in front of Ronny (AKA The Ronassiance). I’m sure if he could, Ronny would be in the NBA to this day.

A long time ago on a court far away Ronny was a great high-fiver - a free throw average of 87% forced him to be. He had no choice. It was obvious doing those times that Ronny was a man who loved high-fives. After one game he was even quoted as saying ‘I love high fives’. He had drained 35 out of 39 free throws that night. What a man he was. This was all until 2012.

Well now the informed reader must be saying something like ‘hey there, mister. Now I may be wrong, but wasn’t 2012 the year Ronny got a ring’, and to them I say: please have children. From 2012, despite his ring, Ronny’s career only went downhill as he bounced from team to team at most being a 12th man. How could a decent prospect fall to that after winning a championship? One would think the only way was up. Wrong. One missed high-five sunk the very tyrant that was The Ron Tonne.

Let’s explore the moment Ronny got struck by the remorseless power of a missed high five (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBNegwJMeZE). After a successful possession - which the great Ronny Turiaf ran - obviously ecstatic with his team mate, Bosh joined to Ronny celebrate. Having an average game at best, Bosh went looking for the high that Ronny was running off; he wanted the rush. It was in that moment that both tried to high five (you’ve got to realize that poor naïve Ronny couldn’t get enough at this point)… both missed. It was a failed high five on both sides. Nothing quite so tragic has happened in the NBA up until that point.

Over the proceeding months Chris Bosh had the assistance of his loyal entourage to recover. Bosh was a superstar, Ronny was a role player. Ronny had no one and nothing. It was in those months Ronny declined. He turned to heavy drugs. He became romantically involved with his mirror reflection. He campaigned for Kony 2012. He even had several stints in jail – it’s rumoured he passed the time by replicating the noise of the high five. Clap, clap, clap, they say. One superstar, one burning star, one missed high five… two stories.

By now you must all understand the high five as an unforgiving evil in the world, and you’re probably thinking whether it’s really worth it. We all openly accept the highs of a high five, but when we are faced with the taxing lows, our thinking is changed. I understand. It’s easy to ignore. Well, what if I told you that the future for the high five could be all positive and no negative?

D’angelo Russell has taught us a lot about basketball since he entered the league. He revolutionized the game in his first year with stat lines of 14.3 points per game, 7.2 assists per game, 0.8 steals per game, 0.2 blocks per game, and 0.08 broken marriages per game. So good he kicked Swaggy P off the roster and his engagement. Incredible for a rookie. And now, in his second year, he is only teaching us more.

During this year’s pre-season D’lo achieved the unimaginable. He took a traditionally two man job that required the full backing of both parties, and stripped that back to one. He changed everything. He high fived himself (https://youtu.be/cAftV4Qpz_M?t=16s).

D’lo’s changed the game. We no longer need two people to high five. We can high five ourselves. But what does this mean? Will human relationships cease to exist? Will the price of gold decrease? Will you become a parent? We don’t know, and I hope we never will, as not knowing is the beauty of life.

[subculturecreature]

Idles

This short article is about the band Idles, and why the band, Idles, are better than your mate’s band that are playing a gig next week that you should totally come down to.

Nowadays bands have to do more than sound good for you to listen to them. They have to capture your interest and hold it for longer than a minute, which seems to be increasingly difficult within the ADHD inducing society that we currently live in. Modern mediums for communication with fans have increased all bands outreach, no matter the size, which is obviously a good thing for achieving such a cause. However, rather than imploring bands to become more creative with their outreach, such mediums have implored bands to fill this brilliant new forum for communication with oversaturated bullshit. Oversaturated bullshit which more often than not does the complete opposite to capturing my attention, if anything, it deters it.

These mediums that I speak of are obvious things such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, stickers in your local drug club, you know, millennial stuff like that. The majority of emerging bands that use these platforms to advertise their music, do so in the most generic way possible; they post similar looking tour posters, sell similar looking merchandise, and regurgitate almost word-for-word identical messages such as ‘come down and see us at – insert dead end venue we’ll play regularly without making any progression for years to come until we inevitably split up – tonight, guys!’. It really kills me. In fact, if I see another band post a group pic of themselves on the top of Cabot Circus car park I’m pretty sure I’ll kill myself.

Despite all these bands spewing this sterile nonsense, which evidently gets them nowhere, it seems only more and more bands doing the same thing are popping up. For me, it’s an unfortunate sight to see so many people squander such good opportunities for creative expression, and in result, squander opportunities for new fans. Especially when some of these bands have genuinely good music.

At this point I should probably say this article isn’t here simply to criticize these bands in a shameless attempt to make me feel better about myself and my life achievements… obviously. I actually have something to say. Right now there is a band that’s utilising these mediums amazingly. In result, they have caught my keen interest, and if they haven’t caught yours already, I’m sure they will soon.  

Idles are a fucking great band. The music they release, the way in which they release it, the videos that accompany such music, the merchandise they release, the website they have; everything they do, is at a top-level. For me, they are proving that metaphorically screaming ‘fuck you’ is a better marketing approach than generically copying every other local band.

In most cases, especially in Bristol, good bands go unnoticed because of how, as I mentioned earlier, oversaturated the online scene is regarding music. This is mostly because these bands that go unnoticed don’t have the required combination of good music and good marketing that bands must have nowadays. Idles are nailing both of those areas. Their sound, which is almost annoyingly raw, is wonderful. How a band can sound so energetic in recordings is beyond me, but perhaps that is the raw element to the music. Their lyrics, which are the perfect combination of English charm and an English I-hate-everything attitude, are great. And as I’ve mentioned, the way in which they distribute their music, is nothing short of genius. Every single one of their videos as creative as the last, and every single one as effective, ingraining their sound and overall aesthetic in your mind for days to come until you predictably come back for more. You can see all these traits for yourself by watch Idles’ ‘Well Done’ video which I will post a link of at the bottom.

Whilst it’s a beautiful sight to see, all Idles have really done (besides make fucking great music) is reflexively look at the music scene in Bristol, and done something different to everyone else. I hope the aftermath of their – in my opinion – inevitable success will implore more bands to act more reflexively when it comes to their band’s writing, marketing, and general approach.

If Idles keep this consistency up the sky is the limit, unlike the situation for most other Bristol bands, whose limits is apparently the top of Cabot Circus carpark.  

 You can check Idles out here: http://www.idlesband.com/

And here’s the video I spoke of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=7Oxqf_15k0w

[subculturecreature]

Tulip’s Nipple

Something’s happening in Bristol at the moment, and it seems to be happening quite drastically. For years Bristol’s unique spirit has arguably been slowly eroding as it’s been hit by sporadic waves of gentrification. And at this moment in time, it feels as if we are being washed over by a tsunami. Gentrification is a hot term that everyone has found quite trendy to use at the moment: most use such the term with disgust, usually along the terms of discussing how the city is losing its spirit as they slowly consume their £5 ironically named pint at the newest trendy self-referential craft beer venue in desperate attempt to make themselves seem as cool as possible (but hey, all they’re doing is talking, I’m doing an article so negative about gentrification it should be called an arti-cool). This is what I identify as one of the main issues with gentrification; it conspires a moral crisis in most of us. We all inherently disagree with the process of pricing out the locals and giving the city a more clean aesthetic, much like that of places such as London, however, we don’t inherently disagree with the lifestyle that waves of gentrification wash ashore. It’s not as if these new burger joints, these new craft beer places, these new trendy cafes aren’t being frequented by the majority of Bristol, in fact, these places are most often packed.

Stokes Croft, Kings Street, North Street, the list could go on and on; these are places that are drastically different to what they were five years ago. In the past, these places had character, and that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m saying they don’t have character now, but they’ve certainly lost something. I understand that character is a very abstract term to use when describing a venue, street, or even a whole area, however, for clarification, what I understand character as in this situation is: a venue, street, or area has lost what it stood for.

When I was younger Stokes Croft was a utopian paradise for the social crusts of Bristol. It was a place where the magnificent and unpredictable occurred. In my opinion, this was Stokes Croft’s heyday. The characters within Stokes Croft were what the place itself stood for: inclusivity. And I’m not saying that when you go to Stokes Croft now you aren’t going to see the same characters that were once there before, but rather than these characters seeming as part of Stokes Croft, they now seem like bystanders in a scenario that doesn’t necessarily involve them. And this is all in the spirit of gentrification. A specific example of this is The Croft – For those who are unacquainted The Croft is a music venue that used to stand where Crofter’s Rights now stands – The Croft used to be the very heart of Stokes Croft. It was there for the locals, and aligned with the inclusive spirit of Stokes Croft as any could enter, not be judged, and have a good time. But unfortunately, The Croft preferred to serve pints of beesting over the micro-brewed Tulips Nipple, so it just had to go. Crofter’s Rights couldn’t stand for less than what it claims. Its birth was not in the name of the rights of the locals, its birth was in the spirit of gentrification. And in the process of catering to this new crowd of craft beer crazy zombies, it alienated the real people of Stokes Croft.

From what I’ve so far you must assume that I have very negative feelings towards these establishments that serve mouth-watering burgers, thirst-quenching craft beer, and to-die-for cakes (everything has to have a hyphen now doesn’t it?), however, I don’t. I like these places, they serve me well. I frequent them. This is where the unsettling moral crisis comes in: I can go to Crofter’s Rights, have a pint, watch a cool music act, grab a bite to eat, all-round have a good time, and yet still leave having a very anxious attitude towards gentrification.

All of this leads to my concluding point: is Stokes Croft now a dystopian nightmare in comparison to the utopian paradise it once was? Hell no. Stokes Croft is fucking nice now. And that is the problem. I both simultaneously love and hate gentrification. It makes me enjoy more, whilst also inducing more hate in me. However, is catering to this wave of craft-beer-loving-zombies really worth the alienation of the longstanding locals? I don’t know. At the end of the day what’s happening is a catch 22 situation; however, the majority of us do need to consider if we’re losing more than what we’re gaining. We’re gaining a more attractive lifestyle, sure, however, in doing so, we are increasing rent prices, cost of living, and, in my opinion, stripping places of their character. Which raises a secondary question: are we, the frequenters of these establishments that have emerged due to the waves of gentrification that I have mentioned as bad as the enforcers of such waves? I personally don’t think so, but that isn’t the objective truth. There is an argument to say we are as bad.

[subculturecreature]

The Poor: The Bad and The Ugly

I want to talk about the poor. No, no, no. Seriously! I want to talk about the bloodsucking poor. It seems those parasites have been gathering the courage to ask us - the rich - for more money recently, which I personally think is disgusting. I mean, we hand these people jobs, homes, cars, we even hand them some of our culture, and well now they want money. Disgusting. For years we’ve ran as a great country - well, we are in Great Britain aren’t we? We must be Great, the whole world agrees to call us it.  Anyway, as I was saying, for years we’ve ran as a great country. And now the poor want more? Why? If you want more you should earn it. Do you remember in 2011 when all those people protested about the student fees? That was a primary example of why the poor will never be rich; they aren’t civilized enough. I seriously think those protests affected around, 10 investments in low income areas. If you can’t even write a petition, how will you ever have the ability to organise your finances well enough to become great! Seriously, the poor set themselves straight back to the unions there. Idiots.

America – the global powerhouse. The great guys over the pond. The home of prosperity and pride. The guys who really helped identify who is great and who is bad. Obviously the bad not having the dreams, skills, or personality to be great enough to become rich within society. Well those guys, they got it real bad over there as well. No, no, no, I’m being serious! Their guy’s poor are as uncivil as ours. I promise you. Well, that good guy Malcolm Christie, you know the guy that ran to be GOP’s front runner and then tried to be Donald Trump’s VP but kind of failed at both? He’s a great guy. Trust me. Well, the great guy that he is, he came out the other day and vetoed a $15 minimum wage bill pushed forward by New Jersey Democrats. Well obviously, Christie! Seriously, what more could the poor want? It’s sickening. I don’t really understand what the Democrats over there are trying to do, well, the majority of them anyway. At least we got the great lady that is Clinton soon. She’ll really mix it up. I mean I don’t agree with everything she says – she does like to acknowledge that there’s a 1%. I mean, fucking duh, Hilary. If there wasn’t a 1% how would we function? You think the 99% could run this country? Have you seen how they conduct themselves? Still, she’s better than that tree-hugger Obama. But, anyway, back to our good guy Malcolm Christie. Malcolm Christie, in the process of stopping the $15 minimum wage bill, simultaneously earned my sincerest respects as well as earning my deepest jealousy. In America; the great country that it is, well, there you can kind of just ignore the uncivilized poor. Here, in England, we sort of have to listen. And that really bums me out. Seriously, trust me, if you had to listen to the poor for at least an hour a day you’d go mad! I’m seriously considering some medication, or maybe just some ear plugs. Ha! They’re so whiney! It’s insane! I don’t get them. Like, as I said earlier, if you want to be rich; become rich, idiots! We’ve set it so you can. Look at Kate Middleton. She was as poor as, well, as the homeless people on the streets I think! William’s really sorted her out though. She’s pretty civilized now.

Have you seen those guys Finland? The idiots. Those guys have put forward a plan to put all idiots on a decent man’s income in 2017 and 2018. Seriously, these chumps think you can civilize the poor by, I don’t know, letting them participating within civilization or something. Idiots. I’m not even joking. They are actually planning on giving 2000-3000 idiots who are already on unemployment benefits – I mean if you’re an adult and on that, haven’t you kind of messed your life up already? – a basic income of around 600 euros a month. Their intentions being that if you give any old idiot some money that they can defy their natural instincts, and become a solidified member of society. They say money will help with social inclusion. Seriously, I don’t think these guys really understand how to become richer! They must think like the poor! Ha! I mean, have you seen the economic disparity over there? Tiny! Losers! They tax the rich high, and the poor low, and then, even after their rich have given all their money to society, they give that money to the poor! I don’t understand how we can exist in such close proximity to these moocher loving losers – how they can see us, run as a country, and not take influence. They must be blind or something. Social inclusion. Disgusting. I don’t want the poor ruining my hard earned luxuries.

Seriously, the poor are getting out of hand! First we had those idiots the Green Party in the general election suggesting a £10 minimum wage. £10?! You’ve got to be kidding me. And now we have our very own tree-hugger, Corbyn. Don’t get me started on this guy, Corbyn. Seriously. This guy talks like he’s lives with those idiots on the street. I mean, he wants to drag the Labour party right back to the 80s doesn’t he? Just when I thought I was starting to get along with those guys, he takes them straight back. You remember Blair? Great guy. He really got it. I don’t know why or how, but, he just got it. And didn’t he look great on a camera? Seriously. Great guy.

I just don’t know anymore. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know how these parasites became so damn entitled. They really need to learn that they can’t just have my riches! I just hope we actions of people like Malcolm Christie can spread over here. I’m really scared about the future of the rich over here, I mean, if the poor get any closer to us we may as well join with those idiots in Finland. Do you lot seriously think the poor could do the job I do? Really? You think those uncivilized bloodsuckers could last a second doing what I do? No way. No way in hell.

[subculturecreature]

Youth EP Release Show

First of all, I’d like to establish that this article – an EP Release Show review for the recently released Youth EP – might be slightly obscure and hard to follow if you’re used to normal release show reviews, however, all I need is your trust and willingness to see through my erratic review, if I get that then all will be well. I promise I do have points to make, it just may not seem that way at points, but I do. But hey, now we’ve established that I have your trust and willingness, I can do anything really can’t I? I’m untouchable. I could spend the next 500 words speaking about the great value of huge fast food chains or something ridiculous like that.

On Saturday the 20th, before I arrived at the release show, I got a £5 Subway lunch deal; now, I thought that £5 lunch deal was going to be the best value experience I received that day – and yes, I do consider a Subway £5 lunch deal an experience – however, this release show pleasantly surprised me. The three bands I saw played way beyond their status, and perhaps should’ve all been on a bigger stage than that of the Louisiana’s, however, maybe the small stage was what added to the greatness of their sets. I’ve always thought a lot of bands thrived off intimacy. This experience, that only cost me £4, was an undeniably enjoyable experience, and arguably was much better value than my pre-show meal. Who would’ve thought? A little show tucked away at The Louisiana better value than a Subway lunch deal, which, if you ask me, is pretty damn good value.

The reason I stated that this review was going to be somewhat erratic is because I don’t hold my knowledge of music, or my ability to articulate to specifics of why music’s good to very high regard. So, instead, I will compare each act to the specifics of a certain movie, and why that certain movie was enjoyable. In other words, I’ll embarrassingly try to conceal my, which can only be explained as underdeveloped, musical opinion in obscure metaphors. And this is why I need your trust and willingness, however, as I said, I do have a point. At this point I’d quickly like to say that I missed the first band that played, and I can only apologize for that. To the first band (that I saw). Towers were great. Towers, for me, were the 2011 movie hit Crazy, Stupid, Love. Crazy, Stupid, Love burst its way into our hearts with its great cast, and with its uncanny knack to take a film that has been done to death, and do it with style. Such levels of style made it feel like it was the first time you were watching a romantic comedy, and that sensation made it one of the more enjoyable films I’ve seen in a long time. The film made me feel refreshed, and ready to appreciate the little nuances in romantic comedies that makes them great. It did this through clever dialogue, great on-screen chemistry, and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who are, let’s all admit it, the most likeable actors in Hollywood? And as I said, for me, this is what Towers were. They played a certain type of music I have heard many times before, but they did it with undeniable style. It all felt very fresh and alive. And, to be honest, the only criticism you can have of bands that sound like other bands is that they don’t feel fresh and alive. They had the cast, they had the chemistry, but most of all, they had the end product. I’d seriously recommend listening to Towers. They’ve re-opened my eyes to the world of alternative indie, a world I thought I left a long time ago. But as I said with Crazy, Stupid, Love, the way in which they took an overdone genre and made it alive, opened my eyes to the great little nuances of said genre.

Towers were followed by Doppelganger. Doppelganger’s set was really fun, but somewhat predictable. However, in the contexts of their set, I don’t think should be considered a criticism. The predictability of when song was about to go crazy, with a phrase I’ve always tried to avoid, swinging guitar riffs, is what made it enjoyable. In American Psycho Patrick Bateman calls Phil Collin’s new music – in comparison to Genesis’ works – much more enjoyable, but in a more narrow sense. Although I am not comparing Doppelganger’s set to other music, I believe that quote is just too apt for what I want to say. I’d compare Doppelganger’s set to Michael Bay’s Pain and Gain. Michael Bay’s Pain and Gain was a predictable but great movie. The predictability, as usually the case with Michael Bay movies, is where the greatness is laid. The explosions, the fast paced action cuts, the tongue-in-cheek cheesy dialogue, we expect all of these things from a Michael Bay movie, and that’s why we enjoy them, because it fits perfectly within that certain genre. And that’s why I feel the comparison works, what Doppelganger were playing was, in my opinion, predictable and not exactly ground breaking, however, this didn’t stop the crowd enjoying it. Doppelganger arguably got the best reception with their high octane set, and Michael Bay is one of the highest grossing directors of the last decade. There’s a place for it. If Doppelganger continue to play their ‘enjoyable but in a narrow sense’ music and enthuse crowds nationwide, they sure will have a bright future.

Now to Youth. At this point in the night I thought I was a lucky fella. I had turned up relatively late, but still essentially seen two whole sets, and two whole good sets at that. However, it turned out not to be luck, and rather be bad time keeping. Due to this, the headliners, the EP releasers, the host…ers, had to make due with a three song set. This was a real shame as many had attended on their behalf, however, in many regards it could’ve acted as a benefitting circumstance for the Youth lads; they got to blast out their hits and then leave, in turn, leaving the crowd wanting more.

Although not obtaining a world changing sound, Youth were definitively the more niche band of the night. With a much more stripped back sound to that of Doppelganger and Towers, one would think Youth would have quite the task following such sets, yet, it seemed to work well. However, rather than it working well as fate of chance, it most probably was down to Youth opening the set with their fastest and most intense song, and then following that with their slower more stripped back songs. I’d compare Youth to that quirky, independent sort of film that has potential to a box office success, but then isn’t. However, it does become a cult hit and is celebrated by many. Youth’s sound, which has hard to ignore parallels to artists such as Ben Howard, certainly has the potential to take the world by storm. It isn’t quite there yet, but that isn’t a bad thing. I think the cult hit potential sound that Youth have right now is great and very enjoyable, however, they glaringly need time to grow as band. And when you can thoroughly enjoy a band’s set and be in awe of the music they’ve presented, however, still feel like the band are nowhere near their peak and have room to grow, well then you’re in for a great time. Being an avid fan of music my whole life, I can say this is sometimes the most enjoyable thing with being a follower of a band; you listen to their first release and like it, and then the band take a couple of years to play and write, then they release their second album or EP, and you love it. You can hear the progressive strides the band has taken, and you can somewhat be part of that. Youth are about to embark on a journey, and I’d seriously recommend joining them now, then you can be that cool hipster person who knew them before they were big… and who doesn’t want to be that really cool guy? Check out the bands here: https://soundcloud.com/towersband https://www.facebook.com/Doppelgangermusic/app/204974879526524/ www.youthbanduk.bandcamp.com

   And although I didn’t see this band, I’d still recommend going to check them out:

 https://www.facebook.com/mutantthoughts/app/2405167945/

[subculturecreature]

#POGBACK

This summer something has seemed a little off in the sporting world. Transfer fees have gone up astronomically, even for average players, a la Andros Townsend who cost Crystal Palace thirteen million, which is probably around seven million more than he should’ve cost, but hey, who wouldn’t want that little starlet who knows no more than looking down and sprinting? However, it isn’t the fees that have been making me feel somewhat unsettled, it’s been the coverage in build up to the fees that has: Paul Pogba has just joined Manchester United, arriving from Juventus in what seemed like the longest transfer saga of all time. From the beginning of summer there has been rumours of what Pogba’s next destination was going to be – this has implored newspapers, websites, tweeters, bloggers, and TV stations to constantly report on the man and his life, whether it be about which city he’s holidaying in, or what he is eating for breakfast. The latter not even being an exaggeration; I actually saw a news story discussing what Pogba ate for breakfast and how this was going to influence his next move. Yet, the main thing I’ve noticed from this ubiquitous cover of Pogba’s transfer is that every time stories appear, the man has been decorated in the latest Adidas gear (which you should totally pick up. I mean it’s been on TV all summer. It’s totally the best, how couldn’t it be, it’s been on TV ALL SUMMER). This is what has unsettled me, maybe I’m cynical, but to me, it seems like brands have become the biggest dictator as to what happens within the sporting world, not the clubs, not the managers, not the players, and definitely not the fans, and they do this for their own benefit, not ours.

As rumours were heating up and as we were all seeing more of Pogback… you’d think that was a spelling mistake or a typo or something wouldn’t you? Nope. It sure wasn’t. That was just Manchester United’s multi-million social media team’s finest work. #pogback? Seriously? That’s the best you could do. Why does everything have to be branded or have a hashtag now? And if you’re going to brand or hashtag it at least think of something a bit better than what sounds like it could’ve been from an MUFC fan twitter account ran by a bunch of ultimate team loving keyboard warriors. Anyway, that’s not the point. As we were seeing more of Pogba…ck (HA! GET IT! IT’S HIS NAME AND HE WAS ONCE HERE BUT HE LEFT, BUT NOW, BUT NOW, HE’S (pog)BACK. GET IT? HA! THE GUYS ON TWITTER WILL LOVE THIS) Adidas released an advert which involved the man himself telling us to ignore the ‘blah blah blah’ and enjoy the talent which he has to offer. I found this a little bit funny, a little bit interesting, but I found it mostly soul destroying. I’m sure many thought this advert was great. A little tongue in cheek moment from a conglomerate relating to the many who were following and enjoying such transfer stories whilst also relating to those who were sick of such stories. All of this was just too coincidental for me, I don’t want to sound like no conspiracy theorist, but when’s there is as much money as there is involved in football now, I am sure brands control what happen, and for me, that’s exactly what has happened here.

This transfer saga has been dragged out and priced (is Pogba who recorded mostly the exact same stats as James Milner last year really worth almost one hundred million?) by Adidas; the reason being that it gives a priceless amount of exposure to their new products and the new face of their company Paul Pogba(ck). I am truly aware this may seem farfetched, but as a self-proclaimed cynic, it’s impossible to ignore. When the transfer was announced at around 1am - such a time can only be explained my Manchester United caring more for their Asian and American fans than their British fan base - they released a brilliant #pogback video. Don’t we all miss the days when a transfer announcement only a breaking news message scrolling at the bottom of Sky Sports News for around 5 hours whilst they reported how badly Sri Lanka were destroying Scotland at cricket? Anyway, this #pogback video, I know, the #pogback really doesn’t get easier to digest doesn’t it? No matter how hard you try, it really doesn’t, it’s just too hard to swallow. As I was saying, this pogback video had emphatic zoom-ins and dramatic music, mainly focusing on Adidas’s newest boots, Adidas’s newest footballs, Adidas’s newest tracksuits, and finally Pogba modelling Manchester United’s Adidas kit. Believe me, if you haven’t seen it, it’s the sort of production you’d expect from a Michael Bay film trailer, not a football transfer. For me, this video mostly confirmed what I’d expected all summer; that Adidas had orchestrated the whole thing for endless exposure to products and to propel their newest star as one of the biggest names in football.

I mean, I guess we had to start expecting stuff like this as more and more money entered football, but now it’s really in full swing, it doesn’t make it easier to digest because we expected it. For me, most of the realness, apart from the 90 minutes on the pitch, has left the game. Everything feels artificial now. You can argue this brand sovereignty of the sporting world stretches beyond football as well, with rumours such as Kevin Durant being influenced by Nike to make the move to Golden State Warriors in an effort to undermine Under Armour. Steph Curry, the leading man of Golden State Warriors obviously being sponsored by Under Armour. I know these things can easily be ignored as one can make the argument that such a swelling of money is increasing the amount of entertainment that we, the spectators, are receiving, but for me, as I said earlier, this particular one was hard to digest. 

Unfortunately we now are living in a world where most sports are controlled by brands. Paul Pogba’s transfer has been a prime example of this. But hey, fuck it, we got Paul Pogba in the Premiership now. Which I’m totally stoked for, but the medium in which he came, damn, that really sucked. Maybe next time a transfer saga like this breaks out we can all restrain ourselves and not care about whatever star involved is eating for breakfast.

[subculturecreature]

Pokemon Go.

An addiction has been unearthed. Over the last week in England, and a few days before in America, Australia, and New Zealand a game has emerged; such a game has captured the interests of a hell of a lot of people. Whether people feel positive or whether people feel negative, it seems like everyone is feeling something about Pokémon Go. The simple but brilliant game that involves the player walking around the real world (I know! THE REAL WORLD!) and attempting to catch 1st generation Pokémon has certainly caused a stir. I believe this to be because of two reasons, one: people mostly hate change, and this game seems to be changing the streets of which it has graced. And two: the game proposes a thought invoking social juxtaposition.

In one sense Pokémon Go implores those who usually wouldn’t venture outside with no reason to do so, to indeed, do so. However, it simultaneously encourages those, and other types of people, to become increasingly emotionally attached to their phones. Whilst one could consider this a valid criticism, I don’t’. In current times where most will use any excuse to light up their face with the flicker of a notification; if one of those excuses forces you to go outside that must be good, right? And not only does Pokemon Go implore one to go outside, it also implores one to take in the city. To refuel on Pokeballs, potions, revives, and if you’re lucky, incense, you must visit Pokestops. Pokestops are situated at unique landmarks within the city where you are, village where you are, field where you are, wherever you are really, there are Pokestops at what Nintendo deem unique landmarks. With features such as this I find it hard to criticize the game: it is imploring, as I said earlier, people who usually wouldn’t go outside without reason to go outside, whilst also encouraging these people to see landmarks of the location in which they are that they may have not seen before. The other day I had absolutely nothing to do and I had no money – so I opened up Pokemon Go and went for a walk around the city and found some new really cool things. I don’t think an app that encourages such actions should be considered bad in any way.

I personally love Pokémon Go, well actually, more I love the idea of Pokémon Go, and what the game is forcing to happen around me. I would love it fully, but every time a rare Pokémon is nearby me they disappear, which is then followed by me being consoled by an admittedly cute, but low level Pidgey. Which doesn’t upset me too much. Really, it doesn’t, it’s fine. I mean all my friends have caught rare Pokémon like Hypno and Magmar, you’d think I’d at least come across a Lickatung or something, ah, it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. I’m fine. Anyway, as I was saying, this game is great for a lot of reasons, and bad for very few.

Earlier this morning I was surfing the world wide internet, when I came across an artist who had used Pokemon Go to showcase his street art. He did this via a few of the games features which I will try my best to explain now: At Pokestops, the bases located at unique landmarks when you can top up on items, you can also place lure modules. Lure modules basically make an extraordinary amount of Pokemon generate by the Pokestop where they are placed, therefore, people playing the game will go to that area, to you know, catch a mew or a fucking pidgey or something. The artist that I mention had found a Pokestop with a big blank wall. He did a huge chalk Gyrados mural (picture at bottom of article), and then placed a lure module on the stop so players would stop by, catch Pokémon, appreciate art, leave. For some, occurrences such as that won’t be enough to make people staring at their phones constantly justifiable, however, for me, and I’m sure for a lot of people, it is. What Pokemon Go is doing, is creating a unique, inclusive community. A community which promotes being outside, promotes creativity, as seen with the artist and moral, and promotes the further enslavement of all pidgeys, to round it up, it promotes more good than bad.  

Now is a time where they are many things to be angry about. I have explored a few of this things in my previous articles, however, Pokemon Go should only be on the minds of the people that think highly of it. If you don’t like Pokemon Go, then simply don’t like Pokemon Go. When I don’t like something insignificant to the point of anger, I usually ignore it, and maybe that’s what you should do if the game is infuriating you. In the last week, I’ve seen more people on the streets of Brighton than ever before. My thought simply is: In an age where they are endless excuses to stay inside, maybe one to go outside should be celebrated, not ridiculed. I love only being able to catch Pidgeys, I really do. I love those little things. I love being destined to a life of Pidgeys, seriously, I’m fine. Really, I am. Pidgeys are great. Maybe you should download the app, see the city, and a catch a rare Pokémon for yourself!

[subculturecreature]

Glastonbury. EU.

Prior to the commencement of this year’s Glastonbury Music and Arts Festival I’m sure many thought it would be one of those years that flies by and is somewhat remembered as a weekend of drug fuelled haziness rather than a weekend of eye-opening wonder. I believe this to be because of the sub-par headliners, that in reality could be V festival headliners, and because of the greater importance of events outside of the festival. This isn’t to undermine the entirety of the Glastonbury line-up, it simply wasn’t as good as most years. However, there were positives. For one it was nice to see Glastonbury’s acknowledgement of grime only increase with the Sonic Stage’s Friday line-up almost exclusively being grime acts - and also on the same day to see Skepta alight the Pyramid Stage. Skepta’s somewhat against the grain set seemed to confuse old faces and excite young faces, only to then confuse those once excited young faces when he performed a song released prior to the success of That’s Not Me (that song being Ace Hood Flow). The festival also hosted Grime’s close friend, Craig David; Craig blessing the Festival with his brilliance that seems to come in decennial waves. Surprisingly, His ADHD inducing set which was mainly comprised of hit choruses quickly blended into one another was a personal highlight of mine. Glastonbury also continued to impress with its DJ presence; the cream of the crop for me was seeing Seth Troxler return to possess his audience with funk-house beats.

Despite all of these minor positives, Glastonbury simply failed to deliver on the major this year. However, that isn’t what this write up is about. This write up is about a topic that has been overdone and spoken about so much that many are sure that it doesn’t even exist anymore. Glastonbury is an ‘arts festival’: it is one weekend in a year where artful acts congregate and display their works to the mass public; in reality, it should be no more than that, however, it is. There is something magical about Glastonbury, and I’m not quite sure what it is. I think the vagueness of the magic is what makes it beautiful: no one can quite identify it, yet, we all feel it. That’s right, it’s another write-up about the ‘magical air of Glastonbury’. If such a topic was once a delicious juicy steak served medium rare, it is now being served tough and well-done nationwide as all believe they have a unique take on something on a topic that is extremely ambiguous and arguably doesn’t even have much depth. I don’t believe this write-up to be any different or better than any of those others that I have just referenced, however the difference here is that I am not talking about the magic itself, I am talking about the importance of this unique, ambiguous magic on a what should be considered a disastrous week for Britain. For me, this year’s Glastonbury shouldn’t, and won’t, be remembered for the music, it will be remembered for the awe striking sense of solidarity that emerged and inspired all when the painful results of the EU referendum rolled in.

At a point during Glastonbury Festival (due to the important events outside of the festival) it felt as if we, as a nation, had annihilated the longstanding liberal air of Britain in the passing of an evening. We are out. We are fucking out. We have turned our backs on something great in a feeble attempt to cultivate a sense a national identity, a sense of national identity that one can almost safely say only racists believed was gone. Let me paint you a picture: It was 5am on Friday morning at Glastonbury when I heard about the EU result. I was walking back to my tent after a night in the Block 9 section of Glastonbury. The news acted as a tsunami of bad news washing me away from my Utopian paradise and planting me in the harsh realities of a Brexit-ed Britain. One would think in such a circumstance that the magical air of Glastonbury would’ve been tarnished, that everyone there would’ve lost their unexplainable niceness, that acts would’ve lost their care-free energy on stage, that Glastonbury, as a festival, would’ve had it spirit destroyed and made as damp as the floor that we walked on. That wasn’t the case. If you speak to anyone who has attended Glastonbury in the past most would say that the festival’s ‘magic’ begs the best of human spirit, and that’s what I saw first-hand there during this time of despair (well, despair for 48.1% of the country anyway). In a time of disenchantment, disillusionment, and disenfranchisement, we felt, well, at least I felt, a sense of solidarity, a sense of solidarity that spoke to me with such power that I am still feeling a sense of rejuvenation to this second.

Post referendum result roll in acts continued to display their arts to the mass public, the festival didn’t stop, the acts didn’t worsen; in fact, most acts benefited from such results as they performed with a sense frustration, a sense of frustration that most festival goers were more than willing to join in on. For me, the week of the referendum should’ve been the most depressing week in Britain’s recent history, and I’m sure if I wasn’t lucky enough to be at Glastonbury, it would’ve been. However, the magical air that I mentioned earlier (yes, the overdone tough tasting topic) was a saviour for me. Such magic demonstrated to me, how within what seems like a right wing country heading towards isolationism; there is openness, there is progressiveness, and there is a bright future, however, you must enact it yourself. It’s easy to feel disillusioned right now, and it’s even easier to be angry right now, in some situations perhaps anger is even needed. However, what Glastonbury demonstrated to me, and what this write up is also somewhat about, is that change comes from bottom up. for example, If my tarnished inner spirit could’ve been rejuvenated in the matter of hours due to music, solidarity, and human spirit, imagine what we could achieve as a country if that unique festival magic extended outside of Glastonbury. We the people have the power to enforce change - one must not feel disillusioned, one must feel invigorated, otherwise times will only worsen. 

I was fearful regarding writing this piece. I was scared of relying on clichés and eventually producing an uninspired piece which contributes nothing new to the world of writing. I’m sure many will think that I have indeed done that, however, what I witnessed; that rejuvenating sense of solidarity, simply needed to be talked about. I will hold that feeling of solidarity with me for years to come and whenever I am feeling disillusioned I will think of it, and it will once again rejuvenate me. Glastonbury festival is an amazing place where amazing things happen, even when the headliners are dire. 

[subculturecreature]

Orlando. Disillusionment. Trump. Guns.

I want to start this article by expressing my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the Orlando shootings. It’s hard to comment on what happened inside that nightclub in the early hours of June 12th because the actions that occurred were entirely outside of the boundaries of what I consider human nature. Therefore, due to the sensitive nature of the topic and my lack understanding of how one human could inflict that upon a community, a community that demonstrates some of the best qualities of human nature: qualities such as pride, confidence, and progressiveness, I will not talk of the specific event, but rather talk of disillusionment within America.

America: the contemporary home of disillusionment. I am not an American, I am an Englishman. However, I did spend ten weeks in Southern California in 2013. Within that period, I attempted my best to come to grips with their conflicting culture; being in Southern California that was somewhat easy, as down there, it seems that no one is angry and it seems all are invigorated by each surf they get. I’m aware that reading that it may seem like a generalization, however, it is not - literally everyone surfs there, it’s quite an amazing sight. Outside of Southern California it seems to be a different story: this can be seen with the rise of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Such a campaign honed with the slogan ‘Make America Great Again’. ‘Make America Great Again’: Sounds enticing doesn’t it? Back in 2008 Donald Trump said if he ever was to run for president he would do it as a Republican. His reasoning being republican voters were/are easier to manipulate. That is exactly what he has done with this slogan, he has utilized an air of disillusionment within contemporary America.

Trump’s victories within the Republican primaries demonstrate that the majority of disillusioned right wing America believe that they were once great, but they no longer are. Whether this is because of the ever-growing presence of multiculturalism, or whether this is because of dire financial times that America has had to withstood within recent years (which was because of banking greed, not waves of immigrants, not gun regulation, and definitely not a democrat president), or whether it be because of increasing public pressure on gun control, or maybe it was even because of the TV show Mad Men showing them how great life used to be (who doesn’t want to be able to be drunk all the time and show no respect towards woman, right?); they now believe they are no longer great. And I believe this to be the fundamental thing wrong with America; they measure greatness against what they once was rather than what they can be. And when a country wants to return to a way of life that existed before notions such as globalisation and multiculturalism, a time of bigotry and ignorance, you are going to have conflict. It seems that the majority of these disillusioned people that are voting Trump believe that the righteous way to live is to live by the Constitution of America, and that is a scary thought.

If Trump is to win the general campaign (with the backing of the disillusioned crowd), gun regulation will only decrease and the risk of more events in the same vein as the Orlando Shootings will increase. The supposed righteous way to live will prevail and more and more with have their rights infringed upon. Right wing America will celebrate in jubilation as a certain strand of religion is ostracized from American society. If this is the course to be, I for one am not excited to spectate the process of America becoming great again.

[subculturecreature]

The European Championships

City centres have taken a dramatic turn over the last couple of days; we’ve all started seeing less t-shirts and more lions, well, I certainly have anyway. This can only mean one thing: the euros are here. Despite being an English born lad, I was a late bloomer regarding football. My earliest memory of sincere interest regarding football is the Euros of 2004. Due to this, it is a tournament I hold close to my heart, and one of the main reasons I detest Cristiano Ronaldo. Anyway, I digress.

The tournament that is supposed to host Europe’s best footballing nations (despite Holland not being there) brings a certain excitement with it, a certain excitement that implores middle aged men to expose their bloated beer bellies. However, this is an excitement I can side with. This is because it offers two very enticing notions: one being community cohesion, and the second being friendly nationalism.

In this day and age, especially in England, one can argue that it is considered bad to be nationalistic. I certainly know that when I see a house decorated with St. George’s flag my brain thinks one thing: racist. The euros, or any major tournament, such as the World Cup or the Olympics, affords us, as a nation, an excuse to be proud to be English. I am by no means nationalistic, I consider myself a supranationalist, however, when it comes to football I found myself reciting the famous words of Fat Les over and over. This makes me feel happy whilst also making me feel sad. Whilst it’s nice to us unite as a nation as we cheer on 11 lads chasing a ball, it’s a shame we can’t be nationalistic all year round without being considered racist. I understand this isn’t always the case, but it mostly is.

As I write this Wales have just beaten Slovakia, Gareth Bale scoring the first, and Hal Robson-Kanu scoring the second. Bale a few days prior said the department that England will never beat Wales in is passion and support, I understand this as nationalism, and perhaps he is right. We are somewhat ashamed of ourselves, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it makes us strive to be better. Now I won’t conclude this piece with suggesting a societal overhaul in which we can find a way of life in which we (us looney lefties) are allowed to be nationalistic, instead I argue that we should enjoy the next month (well, 10 days knowing England’s luck regarding football) of nice, friendly, acceptable nationalism whilst the Euros are on, because that’s what makes it all special, isn’t it?