SPAGHETTI JUNCTION: THE SUMMER ISSUE

Your Official Students’ Union MagazineThe Summer IssueMay/June 2010

DiscoverAt Birmingham City University a world of opportunity awaits you.As a postgraduate student at Birmingham City University, you can specialise in your

field or change direction with a range of flexible, industry accredited taught and research degrees that could really make your career soar.

innovative teaching and research

• Over a hundred postgraduate and professional development courses to

choose from

• We have won awards for research excellence

• Our postgraduate applications have risen by an incredible 36 per cent in 2010 (April)

• We are accredited by a wealth of

professional bodies

• We pride ourselves on offering some of the

most up-to-date, industry led courses in the UK

So why not study your postgraduate degree with us and become part

of our exciting success story?

W: www.bcu.ac.uk/postgraduate T: 0121 331 5595

E: [email protected]

BCUCS051 Post Grad Spaghetti Junction Ad.indd 1 7/5/10 09:11:55

Editor-in-chief: Kat [email protected]: Laura Townsend

[email protected] Editor: Joe Taylor

[email protected] and Features Editor: Katie Fox

[email protected] and Entertainment Editor: Chris Smith

[email protected] FRONT

Union News 24Spaghetti News 30

Student CultureFestival Guide 4

Style Hunter 6Coping with exams 8

Student of the month 13Ethical Buying 14

Smoothie recipes 19Cookery Corner 20

Arts and EntertainmentLocal band profile 36

Kate Nash live review 37CD/DVD reviews 38

Spaghettiscopes 42

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hello folks and welcome to our delightfully colourful and jam packed Summer Issue. With the holidays fast approaching and the weather getting ever so slightly warmer, we’ve tried to cram as much summer themed loveliness in for you as possible. Being the generous little nuggets that we are, there’s just about everything to get you through the holidays as mister sunshine finally shows his rather dashing shiny face.

From our fabulous festival guide to help you wade through that thigh high mud, to a wide range of projects you can volunteer

SPAGHETTI JUNCTION 3

On the cover: Katie Bennett, a first year illustration student

‘I was inspired by all gorgeous weather that were having and for

the amazing summer ahead.’Bust out those sunnies.

for during your time off, and how to save the pennies on buying your finds ethically, it’s all crammed into this dainty little package to help spread the summer love.So as it’s our last issue of the year, I’d like to bid you all a fond farewell for now and I hope you have a simply wonderful summer full of evenings in the local beer garden, dodgy strap marks and sitting on your best pair of sunglasses. So until September, adios amigos!Laura TownsendEditor

DiscoverAt Birmingham City University a world of opportunity awaits you.As a postgraduate student at Birmingham City University, you can specialise in your

field or change direction with a range of flexible, industry accredited taught and research degrees that could really make your career soar.

innovative teaching and research

• Over a hundred postgraduate and professional development courses to

choose from

• We have won awards for research excellence

• Our postgraduate applications have risen by an incredible 36 per cent in 2010 (April)

• We are accredited by a wealth of

professional bodies

• We pride ourselves on offering some of the

most up-to-date, industry led courses in the UK

So why not study your postgraduate degree with us and become part

of our exciting success story?

W: www.bcu.ac.uk/postgraduate T: 0121 331 5595

E: [email protected]

BCUCS051 Post Grad Spaghetti Junction Ad.indd 1 7/5/10 09:11:55

It’s time to stuff your mate’s car with disposable bbqs and your fave tipples and head off to a festival! Don your wellies and sunnies

and don’t forget to do the sundance because festival season is upon us and here at Spaghetti Junction we’ve got the lowdown and a list of bare essentials!

Download Download is returning to the East Midlands with rock headliners AC/DC, Aerosmith and Rage against the Machine, with the organisers hailing it as a ‘mammoth 5 day rock event’.When? 11th-13th June (campsite open 9th-14th)Where? Donington Park, DerbyTickets: Available from www.livenation.co.uk between £170 and £180

T in the Park T in the Park has delivered an almighty lineup. Headliners across the three days are Muse, Eminem and Kasabian but maybe you’ve also heard of Jay-Z, The Black Eyed Peas and The Stereophonics? I thought so. When? 9th-11th JulyWhere? Balado, Kinross-Shire, ScotlandDon’t miss: The posh ladies’ loos. Two words. Hair. Straighteners.Tickets are sold out but the BBC and Radio 1 offer extensive coverage.

Latitude If you’re after more than just great live music Latitude has everything from comedy to

poetry as well as appearances from Florence and the machine, Vampire Weekend and Laura Marling. When? 15th-18th JulyWhere? Henham Park, Southwold, Sunrise Coast, Suffolk (That’s all one place believe it or not!)Don’t miss: The RSC. What other festival boasts live Billy Shakes’ performances?Tickets: Available from www.seetickets.com £155 for weekend camping.

By Bethany Palfreyman


V FestivalIf you’re local to our beloved Birmingham City University, Weston Park in Stafford is your nearest festival site. To celebrate its 15th Anniversary, V Festival has provided a corker of a line-up. Headliners are Kings Of Leon & Kasabian but other big names such as Florence & The Machine and The Prodigy are set to appear over the weekend.When? 21st-22nd AugustWhere? Set over two sites: Hylands Park, Chelmsford & Weston Park, StaffordshireDon’t miss: After-hours events. Have a scout around and you’re sure to find a film showing!Tickets are sold out but broadcasts from the Hylands site can be caught on C4 and E4.

Bestival Bestival brings a whole new world to the Isle of White over 4 days. With an eclectic mix of artists chosen by the founder; Radio 1 DJ, Rob Da Bank and the creative and wonderful visions of Mrs Da Bank, Bestival 2010 is sure to be a treat! Headliners include Dizzee Rascal & The Prodigy but also keep your eyes peeled for Rolf Harris & his didgeridoo!For a full artist line up check out www.bestival.netWhen? 9-12th SeptemberWhere? Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of White – if you’re going by car don’t forget to book a ferry crossing!Don’t miss: Buttercup cakes tea room. With china teacups & waitered service it’s the perfect stop for a much-needed brew & a little over-indulgence! Tickets: Still available from www.ticketline.co.uk/ £150 weekend tickets or £140 for all you bargain-hunting NUS card holdersIf you can’t make it, tune in to 87.7FM and have a bop around the garden!

Also not to be missed:Isle of Wight Festival from 11th to 13th June and Glastonbury, the world famous shindig, from the 23rd – 27th of June.

Own list of bare essentials: Ticket (Keep it handy) - Tent (fancy that!) - Sleeping Bag - Loo Roll - Hand Gel - Wet Wipes (The closest you may get to a shower) - Toiletries (Your mates will appreciate deodorant after several nights in a tent) - Dry Shampoo - Bin Bags - Torch (Finding your tent in the dark is not so easy...) - Jumper (Even if you’re lucky to get the sunshine the nights are chilly!) - Sunglasses - Wellies & Raincoat - Comfy shoes (leave the heels. They’ll only get stuck in mud) - Bottles of water - Snacks (Pop tarts are a good alternative to dry cereal!) - Trolley (if you’re stuck on the car park that’s miles away from the campsite...you’ll thank me for this. Speaking from experience!)

Good to know : -Thieves might have the cheek to have a rummage in your tent while you’re having a bop around a field so it’s best to keep all money and valuables with you.- Most festivals offer mobile phone charging or lockers with sockets.- Glass isn’t allowed so bring cans & plastic bottles. If you’re a wine drinker some clever person thought to put wine in a carton! Available from all good supermarkets!

By Bethany Palfreyman

6 SPAGHETTI JUNCTION6 SPAGHETTI JUNCTION

Student Culture coping with examsdesign by Johnny Casio

Student Culture coping with exams

BIRMINGHAM CITY STUDENTS’ OFFICIAL WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

£1.50: Heineken Bottles / £1.50: Becks Bottles / £1.50: Coors Light Bottles / £1.50: Sol Bottles / £1.50: JD & Mixer / £1.50: Vodka Red Bull / £1.50: Vodka & Mixer / £1.50: Archers & Mixer / £1.50: Reef Bottles / £2.00: WKD

4 Universities

6 Rooms

2,400 Students

Music for all!

EVERY WEDNESDAY, 10pm-3am@ RISA, BROAD STREET Tickets: £3 adv / £5 door

Advance tickets from Bar 42, Village Inn & Lounge... or online at www.birminghamcitysu.com

SPAGHETTI JUNCTION 11Design by Johnny Casio

A better, brighter Future!The BTCV is a national charity that’s been running for just over 50 years now, celebrating their 50th anniversary last year, with the Mayor coming down to Saltwell’s nature reserves to have a big party which included the good old craft of willow weaving! The main aim of BTCV is for a fairer, brighter future. This is an organisation for anybody, regardless of age or ability; anyone can come down and get involved. Conservation work doesn’t all have to be about getting your hands dirty (even though I think that’s the best bit!) there are loads of other areas such as promotion, marketing and office duties.The BTCV are currently working on a project called the Carbon Army - a force ready to tackle the issues surrounding carbon emissions. Their mission is to work towards a more environmentally friendly future by getting out there and making changes ranging from tree planting to litter-picking. Their next plan of action is to entice people into growing their own food, showing that it’s actually not

that hard to have your very own self-sustainable food source. BTCV is looking to make a bigger profile in Birmingham and you could be a part of it. One

aim is to get local nature reserve status for 30 acres of neglected woodland in Sparkhill; this could happen if enough people come together and help to make the change.

You can get involved and help uncover and utilize the base core, go into the fresh water ponds and help clean out the old duck weeds or even get in-

volved with making Bee and butterfly islands.The BTCV needs people from Birmingham to take control of this site; the

natural resources down there are amazing, from fresh water fish to a broad range of birds and other wildlife. Not only will you be making a change for your

environment, you’ll learn new skills, be an active part of the community and have the opportunity to come together with like-minded people who love and respect

Mother Nature.Be the catalyst for change, you can be the solution and the example. By making lifestyle

choices that serve the laws of nature, yourself and our earth you can be an inspiration to friends and family. To get involved visit www.btcv.org or contact Stefan Lewandowski, a senior

project officer, directly at [email protected] for more information, lets unite to make a difference!One person, one idea, one change, one world.Sharon Kaur

onservation rojectDesign by Adam Wilkes


12 SPAGHETTI JUNCTION

BONKERS DoES...

CIRCUSFRiDAY 21st MAY at BaR 42

OFFICIAL BONKERS PRE-BAR CRUNCH @ HARE OF THE DOG - DRINKS FROM £1.25BIRMINGHAM CITY SU & HARE OF THE DOG - MAKING YOUR FRIDAY NIGHTS AFFORDABLE!

DRiNKS FRoM £1.50 SOFT DrINKS FROm 75p

SeND iN THE CLOWNS!

FRiDAY 28th MAY

SouThern CoMfoRt £1.50

All NighT+ MiXer

EvERy FrIDAY at BaR 42


DRiNKS FRoM £1.50 / SOFT DrINKS FROm 75p

FRiDAY 4th JUNE

2-4-1 CockTAiLS All NighT EvERy FrIDAY at BaR 42


DRiNKS FRoM £1.50 / SOFT DrINKS FROm 75p

BONKERS GOeS aLL...

WORLD CUPFRiDAY 11th JUNE at BaR 42


DRiNKS FRoM £1.50 SOFT DrINKS FROm 75p

SHOW YOUR COLOURS!

So what is A Crafty Beer? A Crafty Beer is a monthly social event for craft people of all shapes and sizes. So whether you knit, sew, draw, make jewellery or do anything crafty; come along and share your talent with like-minded crafty people... all within easy access to beer!It’s about building on Birmingham’s creative talent andcommunity; these already exist in Birmingham but A Crafty Beer gives people from all creative backgrounds the opportunity to meet, network and socialise together.

Whereabouts is it held? We run monthly events at The Victoria on John Bright Street (a pub just out of the city centre). These are usually on the third Wednesday of the month and we recently held our first Craft Fair at the same venue.

What can we expect to find?

It’s something different to do on a Wednesday night, it’s free and even if you don’t learn anything you’ve had a beer with your mates. A Crafty Beer is for anyone who is or wants to be creative. We have all sorts of people coming to our events, from stu-dents to yummy mumies to professional and semi-professional craftspeople and artists. We regularly have complete novices turn up who just like the idea and they end up learning something completely new and meeting people who they would never usually meet.

How did you come up with the idea?

I was sat at the bar in the Vic (not unusual) and I was doing some sewing; a friend was drawing, anbother person was knitting and I just got thinking about how there are so many creative people in Birmingham, but no informal places for them to meet. There are organised events and elitist gatherings but nothing casual just to bring people together now the crafty population is growing. These difficult economic times have changed many of our personal habits; from where and how we spend our money on socialising, to how we dress, furnish our homes and give gifts.

Postgrad student Katie Moran, 26, has earned this issue’s prestigious ‘Student of the Month’ title for setting up A Crafty Beer - a monthly craft fair bringing together

Birmingham’s creatively-minded folks. Katie, a former drama student, is currently studying MA Events & Exhibition Management at City North campus. Her interests include beer, the theatre, comedians, bands and sewing.

Katie MoranStudent of the Month

Written and images by: Katie Fox Designed by: Lucy Fellows


Student Culture where to go on

design by Johnny Casio


Student Culture where to go on


As glimpses of sunshine begin to peek through the grey clouds hanging over Birmingham, we’re reminded that the summertime isn’t all that far away.It may not seem like it now, but we’re on the homestretch. In no time, all your work will be handed in, the dreaded exam period a distant nightmare and you’ll be stuck wondering what to do next.

Sure, for the first week or so you’ll feel on top of the world. You’ll find yourself dizzy with the excitement that your university responsibilities have been cut off for what seems like forever. But after the honeymoon

period passes... admit it, you’re bored aren’t you?Unless of course you’re one of these annoying people who’ve been planning

their summer since last year; you’ve got so many activities lined-up that you’ve forgotten to add in the part where you kick back, relax and soak up some of that rare British sunshine!For those of us who aren’t so organised, the task of filling up all those summer months with things to do may seem a bit daunting. NEVER FEAR! Here’s a selection of ideas to get the cogs in that head of yours turning.Get a Job!Yeah you heard me. The fact of the matter is; you’re probably broke. You frittered away your April loan on beer and a new must-have (didn’t-really-need-to-have) summer wardrobe and now you’re paying the price aren’t you?Okay, so you may be back at Mummy and Daddy’s house, basking in freshly-prepared hot meals and free rent but what about the rest? How are you going to pay for all those days out and holidays with your mates? Well, if your parentals are minted then you’re sitting pretty I suppose but for the rest of us, we’ll be sat inside with sour faces.It’s not all nine-to-five hours and hard labour though; oh no! Some jobs can actually be quite enjoyable. Think about what you’re interested in, maybe the degree you’re studying for; now’s your chance to enhance that CV of yours.With all this free time, now’s your chance to carry out that work placement you forgot about too. Some companies like to take students on for longer internships; so you might find some great work experience providers to work with that you otherwise wouldn’t have had chance to in that reading week you had.

Many companies offer temporary summer work and placements, so look around and see what’s available in your area. That way you won’t

be tied down when it comes to going back to your studies.Take a Road Trip


Now you’ve got some cash burning a hole in your back pocket, what do you do with it? Take a road trip of course! The road trip is a time-honoured student tradition and has all the potential to be unforgettable!Forget paying through your teeth for expensive flights and train journeys; all you need for a road trip is a bunch of mates, one of which should have a decently-sized car in working order and a driving license, preferably. Then all you need to do is split the

petrol costs- simples.Once in awhile, we all get the urge to spontaneously take off somewhere;

however, the road trip does require a little planning...Okay so first off, you need to know where you’re going right? Talk it through with your mates over a few beers. You need to all agree on

the location, especially the driver, who may not fancy driving all the way to Italy- as fun as that may sound to everyone else.You need to know how much money you’re each going to need. Will you be staying overnight? What are you doing and is it free? Going to a beach may not cost you anything, but if you’re going to Alton Towers for instance, you need to add it into your budget.Remember. Bring some snacks, some tunes, some good buddies and you’ll have an awesome trip. Don’t forget that the journey is part of the fun!Go to a FestivalI’m not going to say much on this because we lovely people at Spaghetti Junction have already prepared a fail-safe Festival Guide for our readers this issue.There are plenty of festivals to choose from for all musical tastes. Just remember to accompany like-minded folks or you may run into some arguments about which bands to see.And if all else fails...If the Great British weather lets us all down once again, get yourself on Ryanair’s website and book a cheap flight to, well,

anywhere.

By Katie Fox

Designed by Ned Wilson and

Joe Taylor


The tastes of summer

Last issue we brought you cheeky cocktail recipes so this time around we generous little nuggets thought why not bring you the taste of a lovely bit of summer sunshine!

Each recipe makes 2 to 4 scrummy drinks, just whack those ingredients into a blender and whizz around until nice and smooth, bon appétit!

The strawberry lemon surpriseYou’ll need 2 x 150g pots of strawberry yoghurt, 500ml lemonade, 400g frozen strawberries.Once blended, garnish with a fresh strawberry and voila.The Hawaiian ShakeMix 100g pineapple cut into chunks, 100g mango, 1 sliced banana, 2 scoops vanilla ice-cream, 200ml milk. To add that extra je ne sais quoi, decorate your glasses with fruit and whip out the cocktail umbrellas.

The cheeky raspberry refresherBlend 800ml cranberry juice, 5 x 15ml vodka, 250g frozen raspberries, 3 small scoops of raspberry sorbet.Sit back, relax and enjoy the taste of alcoholic sunshine, a cosy hammock is highly recom-mended too.

The Caribbean zingerGrab 425g of pineapple chunks, 250ml pineapple juice, 4 x 15ml of Malibu, 6 scoops of vanilla ice-cream.This is the taste of the Caribbean at it’s best to brighten up any typical English driz-zly summer’s day.

By Laura Townsend

Design by Adam wilkes

Have a student project, society or event you want to feature in Spaghetti Junction or on our website?

Your Students’ Union can help out.

Contact your Communications Officer, Kat Higgs (in advance!), at [email protected] and we’ll see what we can do!


The tastes of summer

Last issue we brought you cheeky cocktail recipes so this time around we generous little nuggets thought why not bring you the taste of a lovely bit of summer sunshine!

Each recipe makes 2 to 4 scrummy drinks, just whack those ingredients into a blender and whizz around until nice and smooth, bon appétit!

The strawberry lemon surpriseYou’ll need 2 x 150g pots of strawberry yoghurt, 500ml lemonade, 400g frozen strawberries.Once blended, garnish with a fresh strawberry and voila.The Hawaiian ShakeMix 100g pineapple cut into chunks, 100g mango, 1 sliced banana, 2 scoops vanilla ice-cream, 200ml milk. To add that extra je ne sais quoi, decorate your glasses with fruit and whip out the cocktail umbrellas.

The cheeky raspberry refresherBlend 800ml cranberry juice, 5 x 15ml vodka, 250g frozen raspberries, 3 small scoops of raspberry sorbet.Sit back, relax and enjoy the taste of alcoholic sunshine, a cosy hammock is highly recom-mended too.

The Caribbean zingerGrab 425g of pineapple chunks, 250ml pineapple juice, 4 x 15ml of Malibu, 6 scoops of vanilla ice-cream.This is the taste of the Caribbean at it’s best to brighten up any typical English driz-zly summer’s day.

By Laura Townsend

Design by Adam wilkes


Welcome back food-fans. We’re upgrading a bit now, I’m not letting you get away with being slobs anymore, and instead, I’ve hatched a plan. I figured that since most of our favourite foods now come pre-packed, frozen and oven-ready, it’s time to bring some of our old favourites back from the freezer and into the mixing bowl.

Toad in the HoleOmnomnom. One of my favour-ites. Actually, probably one of my favourite things in the world, full stop. It’s stupidly easy to make, and infinitely better when it’s freshly made than when it comes frozen, trust me. It’s worth the effort, and it’s a great excuse to splash out on some decent sausages, rath-er than the (admittedly not bad, but not great either) value kind.

Caramel ShortcakeAgain, omnomnom. One of those things you indulge in once in a while and wonder why you don’t eat it every single day of your life. But, you don’t have to buy a lame prepacked Asda version, oh no. It’s pretty easy to make a big slab of it yourself.

Toad in the Hole

COOKERY CORNER

SPAGHETTI JUNCTION 21SPAGHETTI JUNCTION 21

Toad in the Hole

1.Fry up the sausages; any method works, but you can cook them in the oven at 220˚C for 5-10 minutes in a shal-low tray that you’ll use for the toad in the hole, with the lard or butter. Basically, you just want to brown them a little, so play it by eye.

2.While they fry, you can make the bat-ter. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the beaten eggs and half the milk.

3.Draw in the flour gradually from the outside, and beat with a whisk. And I meant beat it. The more air, the fluffier and generally better the end result will be; if it you under-beat it, it’ll basically just be flat and burnt; bad times.

4.Pour in the other half of the milk and beat until the mixture turns smooth. Throw in the herbs if you have them.

5.If you didn’t cook the sausages in the tray, heat the tray in the oven with the butter or lard. Pour the batter over the sausages, and bake for 40-45 minutes, again at 220˚C. Keep an eye on it, and basically make sure all the batter is cooked. Then, eat.

Ingredients-8 Large Sausages-25g lard, or butter if that’s too much effort-100g plain flour-2 eggs, beaten up a storm-300ml milk-Mixed herbs if you have them; about one spoonful-Black pepper

IngredientsFor the Shortbread: -150g butter -100g caster sugar -275g plain flour -100g plain, milk, whatever chocolate. Get inventive!

For the Filing: -100g more of butter -100g more of caster sugar - Around 30ml golden syrup, but honey will do -1 large an of condensed milk

1.For the shortbread, mix up the but-ter and the sugar in a big ol’ bowl, and gradually sieve in the flour and beat up. Pour into whatever tin, deep tray or make-shift cake-tray you can find and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180˚C until it’s all golden and lovely.

2.When it’s done, leave it aside to cool. For the filling, throw all the in-gredients into a saucepan and heat gradually until all the sugar dissolves. Now, I don’t want to treat you like chil-dren, but remember how damn hot sugar is. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

3.Bring the mixture to the boil, and keep it there for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat, let it cool for a couple of minutes and then poor over the slightly cool short-bread base. Let that mother set.

4.Now, for the finishing touches. Melt down the chocolate and spread over the shortcake. Add some sprinkles or something as a treat, because the little details are what makes it special. Bless.

Toad in the Hole Caramel Shortbread

Written by Ben HarrowDesign & Photograph by Lucy FellowsBackground by Joe Taylor


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28_03737I_Birmingham_DPS_210x148.indd 1-2 07/05/2010 13:11


Thought all elections were over and done with for the year? Think again! By the time you read this, the Union would have already elected a new Education and Welfare Officer for next year as well as four part time officer positions. Why have we done this? Gish Abeyratne, who was elected as Education and Welfare Officer for 2010-11, has resigned from his position. This also means that his current position, Representation and Campaigns Officer, is empty and the Union will now be

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May 2010Your Official Spaghetti Junction Union Update

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE...SHOCK BY-ELECTION! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Visit www.birminghamcitysu.com for more Union News!

We are recruiting for outgoing, enthusiastic students to join Freshers Crew 2010 and make a real difference to the lives of thousands of new students.Freshers Crew 2010 is a voluntary position and gives you the chance to pass on your experience and knowledge to all the new students. Being part of Freshers Crew 2010 means you will be rewarded with entry to the Freshers Events!Download an application form at www.birminghamcitysu.com and return it any Union reception or to [email protected] by 12pm on May 30th

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The Summer Tournaments kicked off on May 5th with Netball tournament held at City North Sports Centre. Rugby Team was our crowned winner. Next up was our first ever Touch Rugby tournament at which ‘Gimmean isco’ emerged victorious. The Basketball tournament was another huge success with a mixture of skilled teams and individuals turning up to join in the fun.

The Grand Finale of the Summer Tournaments will be our first ever Rounders tournament on May 26th at thepavilion. Starting at 2pm, this is your chance to get involved in a fun afternoon. So join us either on your own or bring your mates. And remember, all the tournaments are absolutely FREE!

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FREE Sports on Campus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Name Your BarWe asked you guys to come up with new name ideas for Bar42 and you did just that! We soon will be running a poll on our website with the shortlisted names. The suggestion with the most votes will become the new name! Think the name Bar42 should stay? Vote to keep it!We’ve also taken note of your opinions for the improvement of Bar42. Watch this space!

Freshers Crew Needs You!

Scratch Radio is Back!

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running on three Full-Time Exec until the end of term.The Education and Welfare Officer is there to ensure that all our students get the best possible academic experience at Birmingham City University. They are also responsible for promoting student wellbeing, running campaigns ranging from sexual health to preventing crime.At the same time, the Union has run elections to fill five Part Time Officer positions: International Students Officer, LGBT Students Officer,

Ethical and Environmental Officer, Millennium Point Campus Officer and Gosta Green Campus Officer. These part-time positions will be vitally important in ensuring the Union is able to represent all our students effectively, as well as helping lead the Union in becoming more environmentally friendly.Using the Union’s new electronic voting system, students were able to vote through the Union’s website.

Education and Welfare OfficerLaura HallCherie LysterBharat SakhujaInternational Students OfficerAbhinav ValechaLGBT Students OfficerLuke HeavenEthical and Environmental OfficerBen MilroyMillennium Point Campus OfficerSebastian Pascoe

The Candidates:

Find out who the winners are at: www.birminghamcitysu.com

Scratch Radio is back and this time it means BUSINESS! Based on Level 2 of the Students’ Union Building, City North Campus, Scratch is now broadcasting live online at: www.scratchradio.co.uk.Your student-community radio station has re-launched complete with a new look, new presenters and of course, a new sound! Scratch has also hosted a pub quiz down at Bar42 to promote the re-launch which was a huge success. As part of Media Groups, Scratch Radio is currently producing big plans for the next academic year,

especially around the Freshers period. Communications Officer Kat Higgs said: “Its great to finally see Scratch Radio up and running again, I’m so proud of the new team and all they have achieved in the last month!”To get involved with Scratch or Media Groups, contact: [email protected].

Stop Burglary Now!of burglary.According to Home Office figures students suffer over double the national rate of burglaries.The volunteers explained

to students the measures they can take to reduce the risk of being a victim and gave out crime prevention goodies such as timer switches. See www.nus.org.uk/thelock for further info.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Union held a successful anti-burglary action day on Thursday 13th May. Volunteers dressed up as burglars and spent the day talking to students about crime prevention and the risk


The Little Black BookWelcome to the little black book, the spaghetti bible of names you should know and look out for! Yes ok that’s all well and good, but with summer on its way and everyone pottering off home soon to the many corners of jolly old Britain, it’s a fat lot of use me giving you a guide to anything local. So what to write, what to write, but aha (cue light bulb over head moment) how about fabulous things lurking online that you can check out wherever you may be?

The wonders of the blogging world First things first it’s BlogSpot, the website that started all the hype over Tavi; the 13 year old fashionista who’s now always front row at every fashion week. What to check out - Freckled Nest at www.frecklednest.blogspot.comThe crafty blog of American Leigh-Ann Keffer, a self-taught artist whose blogging hobby turned into a full-time job, she shares everything about her creative life and even holds online craft workshops. Tried and tested, her cutesy ideas are perfection for decorating bland uni digs!Other blogs to lurk on: tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com, daintysquid.blogspot.com, [email protected], poppyfrench.blogspot.com, missindiedesigns.blogspot.com.Or why not create your own!

For all things like a pretty house in the countryFrom knitting to quilting, baking to gardening, books to painting, janebrocket.com is a delightful insight into every vintage girl’s domestic bliss dream. I say go straight to the recipes, whip out the mixing bowl and make some Fairy buns, they’re the definition of yum! Jane has written some equally cute books so if you’ve got some spare loan pennies left invest in ‘Cherry cake and Ginger beer’, a book of recipes from all your favourite childhood books, from Matilda to the Borrowers, you can just taste the nostalgia already.

A funny little treat3Last but by no means least, if you’re a little nugget that fancies a cheeky giggle then awfulfirstdates.com is the one for you! A place to read other people’s rather unfortunate dating disasters; you can even submit your own and see if you make it onto the ‘worst date’s hall of fame’.By Laura Townsend



design by Johnny Casio


Our very own design editing extraordinaire, Joe Taylor, caught up with Designer and former Birmingham City University student Matt Jones to

talk about all things design based, his new project and life after graduation.

So who is Matt Jones?Artist, designer and creator of the iconic Lunartik in a Cup of Tea art toy, renowned for his customising skills, accomplished in producing high quality resin cast objects and interpreter of a mind full of ideas into cool, clean and cute character art. And it all started off with the Product Design course at Birmingham City University... *wink*

Age: 32Hometown: Leamington Spa

Course: Industrial Design at Birmingham City University

What would you consider yourself as?

I wouldn’t want to consider myself as just a Product Designer or Artist or Graphic Designer; I am working verymulti-disciplinary, but my main focus is on making vinyl toys and products.

So how did your design career all begin?

Reflecting back on my life I realise that I‘ve always been with a pen in my hand,

designing and producing stuff. I live and breathe design; there is no such time for me as ‘time off’

really. My mind is constantly scanning the environment and working out things I

could do.I officially started my career back in

2000, when I left uni with a 2.1 degree in Industrial Design, that’s when I landed my first job as a Concept Designer for a little company over in Warwickshire. They were specialised in making quirky gifts and home ware. The job was great as they let me do whatever I liked (within reason). I learned a lot from the small team and got a good inside look at the pro’s and cons of running a Design consultancy.In 2002 I was made redundant which marked the turning point in my career and life. This was also the year when I met some rather inspirational people (from Character- and Product design backgrounds) and with a bit of a poke and self belief I set up my own company called Lunartik.Being self employed meant figuring out how to make money and how to survive. Work came in the form of all sorts of media; from websites to graphics and bar flyers! The time between 2002 and 2004 was all about expanding my skill set and therefore the projects I would be working on.

Where do you get you inspiration from?

Everywhere and anywhere, life is full of it!

So you keep a sketchbook still right?

Yes, yes I do. I believe all Designers / Artists should have one on them at all times. A s k e t c h b o o k is a de-signer’s


Student Culture greatest tool! It’s

where ideas go when you need to

empty your head. It’s my diary and my job list as well as my creative dump-

ing ground; and it’s great for travelling on the train. I find it fantastic to go through my old sketch books and see stuff I was doodling ages ago. It’s like finding the long forgotten box with little treasures you’ve locked away. You might pick it up again – and it takes you in a direction you would have never thought of, all those years back.

How important to you is self-promotion?

As an Artist or Designer you would hope that people just find you and love your stuff; and you wouldn’t have to worry about being your own PR person as well. Unfor-tunately real life isn’t like that and you will have to stay pretty busy with self promotion to keep on the ball and to reach your cus-tomers.

So how do you promote yourself?

Check out www.lunartik.com and sign up to my mailing list to be the first to know what’s new at the Lunartik Emporium!

Also hop onto flickr and visit my photo gallery, which is constantly updated with cool new Lunartik projects!If you would like to follow me in a non-stalking way you should hook up on twitter! How’s that for self-promotion?

What is the Lunartik Custom Tea Tour and where can we find it?

The Custom Tea Tour is a touring exhibition celebrating the release of my Lunartik in a Cup of Tea Vinyl Toys. It features a very fine selection of cus-tomised cups by some of the world’s favourite artists!The 30 cups went on tour and were displayed at various locations throughout Europe including the Gosta Green foyer at Birmingham City University on 16th May.

The TeaTour will finish in August this year, which is also when I will launch my next toy! The customised artist toys are going to be auctioned off for charity then. So if you haven’t done it yet; sign up for the mailing list on www.lunartik.com to not miss out!

And last but by no means least it’s the quick fire round! Tea or coffee? TEA!! Dog or cat? CatSimpsons or Family guy? Family guy! No competition... Marmite? Yes please!Blonde or Brunet? Blonde; my girlfriend is blonde.Dangerous hobby? Sticking stickers up!


BIRMINGHAM, MAY 2010

Student Media Networking EventTheHorizonsNetworkingEventtookplaceonTuesday20thApril2010inBakerHall.TheeventwasanopportunityforstudentstonetworkwithsomeofBirmingham’screativebusinessesandUniversitystudentsupportorganisations.Variousorganisationsturneduptooffertheirknowledgeandexperiencetoaspiringstudents,lookingforworkexperienceorinfoaboutstartingoutinwork.Guestspeakerandworld-renownedsculptor,DonaldBrowngavewisdomwordsofencouragementtothestudents.Studententerprises

fromtheSchoolofMediacametolaunchtheirprojects.KryptoniteUrbanRadioDramaairedtheirfirstepisodesoftheirshow,whichwereblue-toothedviaphone.TheUniversitycameoutinfullforcetosupportHorizons;ScreenMediaLabandBseenprojectspokeabouthowtheycanhelpstudents/graduateswithstartingupabusiness.Thankstoallthosewhocameandsupportedthe2B1Communicationsteamandhopefullystudentsattheuniversitycouldappreciatethenetworkingopportunity.


byLauraTownsend

ThecreamofBirmingham’sstudenttalentweresettowork,aftertheB-Hiveschemeawardedthemwith92weeks’worthofpaidworkexperienceattheregion’stopmarketingandcreativecompanies.B-HiveissupportedbyMarketingBirminghamandPitchConsultants,andisdesignedtogivestudentsfromthecity’suniversitiestheopportunityofwinningpaidworkexperienceinfourcategories;PR,graphicdesign,webdesignandmarketing.SarahMortimerwasnamedastheoverallwinnerforPRcategoryandwillspendfourweeksatWillougbyPR

andRewiredPRrespectively.MandyWongwontheDesigngroupandasaresult,willenjoyplacementsatKLM,McCannErickson,Seal,RBH,WAAandUnsuitable.EllieRancefollowedscoopingthetopMarketingpositionandfour-weeksworkexperienceatbothMarketingBirminghamandC.O.I.FinallyAlexBadauwasannouncedastheoverallwinnerintheDigitalcategoryearningpaidplacementsatMadeMedia,Clusta,Cogent,FreestyleInteractive,OneBlackBearandTAMBAInternet.AllatSpaghettiJunctionwouldliketocongratulatethewinners!

B-Hive Campaign Winners Announced

The Spaghetti BlogWhentheusualBritishsummerarrives,therain’spoundingagainstthewindowandyou’reeversoslightlymissingthejoysofBCUwhat’stheanswer?Headstraighttoourwonderfulblog,

that’swhat!We’llbepostingexcitingarticles,newsandreviewsallsummerlongtokeepyouentertainedsocomealongandcheckitoutatwww.spaghettijunct.wordpress.com.Seeyouthere!

SPAGHETTI JUNCTION 31SPAGHETTI JUNCTION 31

Photo of the month – This month’s photo is from BA Business Studies student Bo Zhu (Andrew).

Check Out Portion NewsWanttogetyournewsquickly?Wantittobefunanddifferenttoothernewssources?Well,you’reinluck,justcheckoutPortionNews’website(portionnews.co.uk)!Theyoffernational/international,sportsandentertainmentnewsin:audioclips(throughaudioboo-lessthanamin.long!),videoclips(through12secondsonline-only12seconds!),short“smallerportions”articles(350wordsorless!)andthroughourTwitteraccount.TogetyourdailyportionofniftynewscheckoutPortionNews!

Competition Time!Yes you did hear correctly! And competitions mean prizes!SpaghettiJunctionandMatt‘Lunartik’Joneshaveteamedup,notonlytogiveyouanamazinginterviewontheprevioustwopages(28-29),buttogiveyouthechancetowinsomeamazingprizes.InTrueLunartikstylewhattheseprizescouldbeisamystery.HoweverIhaveafeelingthatoneofhislegendary‘Lunartiksinacupoftea’mightbeonethingyoucancountonreceiving!TheCompetition-It’sacolouringcompetitionwhatcanbemorefun!Therules-Therearenorules!

Judging-wewillsetupapanelofjudgestogothroughalltheentriesandpickawinner!Finallytogainaccesstothecolouringpageyouneedtogoonourbloganddownloadtheimage!www.spaghettijunct.wordpress.comWhatwillwebelookingfor?Themostoriginalandcreativepiece!Thismeansdon’tjustcolouritin!Print,cut,stick,paint,literallyanythingyouwantaslongasyoukeepitlegal!OnceyouhavedoneitscanitinandsendittoJoeasaJpeg.joestephentaylor@googlemail.com


Sam Wooster Quartet - Full Steam ahead of Cap-a-tan!Sam Wooster, a recent graduate of the Conservatoire, has had a busy first twelve months as a full time musician. After gaining a first class honours degree, Sam has been awarded a Yamaha and Classic FM Scholarship for Outstanding Jazz Musicians, released his first album Cap-a-tan and has been featured on the BBC’s Jazz on 3 programme. With things happening so fast for the young Bristol born trumpeter, I caught up with him to see what was next in the pipeline.Being described as ‘a collision between Jimi Hendrix and Ornette Coleman’, the Sam Wooster Quartet has developed a unique sound drawing from such varied influences as jazz, folk music and heavy metal. However, instead of sounding like a dodgy pastiche form of jazz fusion, Sam has managed to integrate such obscure influences with taste along with his own artistic vision. The band itself has a bit of a rock band ethic about it, with guitarist Jimmy Brewer and bassist Tom Sinnett having more than enough experience amongst rock circles. The first album, Cap-a-tan, was a success for Sam. The music is spacious, lush and epic, with a healthy amount of chaos thrown in between. Jimmy Brewer’s loud, wailing guitar solos, supported by the relentless pounding of Jim Bashford on drums, as well as Sam’s melodic compositions and creative improvising amalgamate to create an infectious sound on the record that demands more than one listening to. However, Sam is already overhauling the sound of his band in preparation for the next album, which will be due out in early 2011. Sam explains, ‘We were all happy with the first album but we got to thinking - we are all influenced by heavier…metal bands such as Meshuggah, Pantera, Sikth, etc. Why not write music more like that?’ There are a few bands out on the British jazz circuit doing this type of music, most notably Trio VD. Still, with Sam’s already established voice as a composer and improviser, combined with the already varied influences the band has, the next record is set to be something extremely different. ‘There is no reason we can’t be a metal band that improvises’ Sam comments, revealing his intentions for the future of the band. With the band steadily gaining momentum, and a possible live set for Radio 3 coming up, hopefully we won’t have to wait and see. For more information on the band, please see www.samwooster.co.uk.

Jazz Profile:-

Design by Ned Wilson


Run by Birmingham City University student Dave Scotford, local record label,

Red Monster Records, has just celebrated its first birthday. The Stourbridge independent record label, originally Red Music Promotions, has gone from strength to strength, appearing live

on a number of different local radio shows, as well as significant radio play for its artists. Their focus is on working with up-and-

coming indie and acoustic bands and artists from right around the U.K, with the primary focus on the music and their passion

for it. Their belief is in the artist and letting them have the final say on everything, from where they play to the contracts they sign, Red

Monster are a truly unique label that let the music do all the talking! “It’s great to make it through the first year, especially with what’s happened economically over the past couple of years. We originally started off as a promotions company but made the switch to a record label and we’ve never looked back; we’ve got three great acts, one won Kerrang Radios’ battle of the bands and the other two are just getting ready to release their first EPs” – Dave Scotford, Red Monster Records Owner.

Artists to definitely look out for are Swim to the skies, Crimson Joy, 2 days notice and Georgia Szygowska.

If you’d like to find out more about Red Monster Records, or about their artists, contact Red Monster Records via email ([email protected]) or check out their website.



Design by Adam Wilkes

respite bereavement care weekends pro-vide a holistic approach to our bereave-ment work. We also support children of school age, who are bereaved of a parent, carer or sibling, either at Edward’s Trust or through outreach work in schools.

How can students from Birmingham City University get involved with the trust?

The Trust has its own fundraising team which is supported by many volunteers who support the team and also organise various fundraising events. We’re always short of helpers, so if you have any time to spare and don’t mind being creative or just smiling and holding a collecting bucket, you may be able to help.

Do you have any upcoming fundraising events?

Some of our current fundraising activities include helping to pack shoppers’ bags at Sainsbury’s in Selly Oak, holding a collect-ing bucket in the foyer of the International

Railway Station for the NEC shows and organising tea parties for our special tea party week in the middle of May.

For more details on Edward’s Trust and how you can get involved, please visit HYPERLINK “http://www.edwardstrust.org.uk” www.edwardstrust.org.uk or contact David Christie at HYPERLINK “mailto:[email protected]” [email protected]

Lending a helping hand with the Edward’s Trust

Spaghetti Junction loves a good cause, and there are few better than Edward’s Trust. Edward’s Trust is a Birmingham-based charity that supports children and their families through times of serious illness and bereavement. It also supports children who have lost parents or carers through their own bereavements in a number of unique and groundbreaking ways. Chris Smith spoke to David Christie, volunteer co-ordinator with Edward’s Trust, about the charities work.

What inspired the trust, and how did it begin?

The Trust was inspired and created by Peter and Hilary Dent in 1989 in memory of their son Edward, who died of cancer when he was 7 years old. Peter Dent, his father, is still involved as Head of the Trustees.

Whilst in hospital, Edward drew a comic on pink paper which had a kite on the front cover, it’s now the symbol of Edward’s Trust and why the Trust always uses the colour pink and the kite on all com-munications

What work does Edward’s Trust do for terminally ill children and their families?

We offer counselling and support to anyone affected by the death of a child, whatever their age or cause of death. Complementary therapies and

www.edwardstrust.org.ukor contact David Christie at:[email protected]


Arts and Entertainment Hare and

36 SPAGHETTI JUNCTIONdesign by Johnny Casio


Kate Nash first hit the big time two years ago with her effortlessly unique album ‘Made of Bricks’. Tunes such as ‘Foundations’, ‘Birds’, and ‘Mouthwash’ to name a few (in all honesty I could easily list the whole album here, it’s been on constant repeat many a time) made most Nash worshipers run out to buy those cutesy dresses, start talking with a fake twang of a London accent and wishing they had fallen down the stairs, broken a leg and consequently learnt to play the guitar too.

But that was so two years ago, now she’s back and even better with her new album ‘My best friend is you’, and quite frankly after this gig we were wishing we were her best friend. Complete with fresh new songs and a haircut to match, Kate’s still got that classic defiant mind-set about her but she’s also developed and tapped into womanhood in many of her lyrics.

But first I must mention her amazing support act, Brigitte Aphrodite, a definite one to look out for. The bubbly singer/songwriter whipped the crowd right up into a bopping

frenzy with her catchy tunes and generally hilarious banter. Also in attendance was Kate’s BF and Cribs legend, Ryan Jarman, showing a nice little bit of support lurking in the corner (bless his little cottons!)

As for Kate, she provided the perfect mix of old and new, everyone loyally reciting word for word the old, and approvingly cheering the new. Her sound has definitely evolved but has still kept that uniqueness we all loved first time round.

The real treats were ‘I hate seagulls’ a delightful account of Miss Nash’s loves and hates, she’s clearly besotted with Mister Jarman which tugged at our heart strings ever so slightly. Playing the trusted keyboard, whipping out the electric guitar and then generally bouncing around the stage, Kate kept the audience on their tippy toes. Her more mature sound is reflected in ‘Mansion Song’, a quirky rant about her dislike for groupies, ‘I’ve got a secret’ echoing the prejudices of homophobia, and ‘Don’t you want to share the guilt?’ which has a certain lovely taste of summer about it.

Quite frankly, the album’s amazing, Nash is amazing, and performing live she’s unstoppable!

By Laura Townsend

When: Saturday 17th AprilWhere: The Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath


Arts & Entertainment album reviews

ALBUM REVIEWS

It’s been 5 years since we last heard from Murdoch & his little band. They’ve returned with a concept album, “Plastic Beach”. The concept deals with Murdoch setting up Kong Studios on Plastic Beach, an island made from all of the waste dumped in the ocean over the years. This record’s message is also made clear by its packaging being minimalistic, a digi pack with a small booklet, the full 16 page booklet is online at the band’s site. There was no plastic harmed during the making of this record!It starts with an orchestral intro leading into a track with hip hop beats and a brass ensemble featuring Snoop Dogg. The

MGMT – CONGRATULATIONS

Plastic Beach – Gorillaz

hypnotic bass line is infectious and grabs the listener’s attention for the rest of the album. Throughout the album features several of hip-hops star talents lending their skills to various different tracks and for the most it’s pulled off successfully. The only weak track I can find after several listens is White Flag.

Damon Albarn and James Hewlett, the creative pairing behind the Gorillaz, have managed to produce an amazing album that brings together several styles. The album varies from orchestral pieces to 80’s synth pop & hip hop to world music, all enthused with an easy listening vibe running throughout. It’s a grower and probably won’t be to everyone’s taste due to its heavily hip-hop polluted collaborations. However, if you are willing to give this album a go and let down your defence, you will no doubt enjoy one of the best pop records of the past 5 years. 5/5 Steven Skerritt

It’s obvious, straight from opening track ‘It’s Working’, they’ve completely changed their sound; the electro psychedelic beats that set them apart from other indie bands have been replaced. In fact, the only aspect that screams classic MGMT is the haunting vocals from lead man Andrew VanWyngarden.

However, it seems to have worked. Through this unique but daunting nightmare of drug induced sound and sadness, there is life. What has happened to the days, like the 80’s, where you could just stick on a record, a pair of Sennheisser headphones and dream? This album signals the rebirth of spacey, Pink Floyd-esque 80’s agro. Track ‘Siberian Breaks’ might be a self-indulgent 12 minutes long, but with by shifting from progressive rock to dabbling with orchestral colours, it’s a patchwork of nostalgic success. Tracks ‘I Found a Whistle’ and ‘Someone’s Missing’ are still dreamily glorious. The only unexpected pitfall in this album is ‘Flash Delirium’. The dreaminess of the whole affair briefly gets a bit mind-numbing.

MGMT will lose some of the more hardcore electro-pop fans with Congratulations but thanks to the new mélange of sophistication and wistful beats, they’re sure to gain many more. 4/5 Francesca Treadaway

The Brooklyn indie duo MGMT are back with aptly named second album, Congratulations. With past hit singles from 2008’s platinum selling masterpiece, Oracular Spectacular, you can only imagine the horror when the pair announced their incredibly ambitious plan: the second album would have no singles. Would the album be strong enough to gain success despite lack of mainstream publicity?For me, a single-free album equals a lot of intense listening; keep in mind that lots of people would buy an album based on the singles released from it.



Arts & Entertainment film reviews

DVD/TV REVIEWS

In what must be the most shameless money-making scheme in history, box office behemoth James Cameron and his chums at Fox have decided to release three versions of ‘Avatar’ on DVD. This review is of the April release, aka ‘Avatar: Give Us Your Money and Bugger Off Edition’; not only does it lack the gorgeous 3D effects which made the cinema release such a spectacle, it also lacks any special features whatsoever, non, nein, nada.

The film was astounding in the cinema, a feast for the eyeballs that seared glorious memories of Pandora onto your retinas for the next couple of days. On DVD, the film is stripped of its crowning glory, left with only its story and stars to cover its modesty.

Modesty, fortunately, remains modest, as the story has just enough merit to stand alone. However, much like the joyous Miss Katona, it does take a bit of grinning and bearing to make it through the immense run-time, some of the more ham-fisted references to the War on Terror and how naughty humans are for breaking the environment grate without pretty 3D effects to take the sting away.

It’s clear that Avatar is a film that traded on its considerable visual merits, and without them, Avatar is reduced from an all-encompassing cinematic experience to enjoyable-but-overlong Saturday night fodder. Worth it if you didn’t catch it in cinema, but for the rest of us, keep the lid on the penny jar and wait for the November special edition release. 3/5 Chris Smith

When I heard about this show, I was a little bit weary and I didn’t know what to make of it but just by watching the first episode I was hooked! Glee has been likened to High School Musical, but I assure you it is nothing like that.

It’s witty, extremely funny and nowhere as cheesy as HSM. It may not be entirely realistic but then again, which TV show is? It’s highly entertaining and everyone I speak to loves it just as much as me.

The show is based on the High School misfits who form Glee club and sing all kinds of songs from musicals to contemporary (I’m sure you’ve heard of Glee’s remake of Journey “Don’t stop believing”), whilst trying to deal with their everyday problems. The characters are likeable enough but my favourite is Sue, the antagonistic cheerleading coach who is against everything the Glee club stands for.

If you haven’t watched Glee already I would recommend getting on YouTube and typing in ‘Sue’s corner’ on Glee, there are some absolutely hilarious videos. I’m really looking forward to the second season of Glee, which starts soon! 5/5 Iyanu Onalaja

Avatar

Glee Season 1



Arts & Entertainment DVD Review

CLASSIC STUDENT FILMS:

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY

CLASSIC FILM REVIEW:ROBOCOP

CLASSIC ALBUMSThe Clash – London Calling

I have been asked to give a classic album a review and I’ve taken it upon myself to pick a clas-sic that I would be hearing with fresh ears as opposed to any number of the classics I own such as; Led Zeppelin IV; Nirvana’s Nevermind & Motörhead’s Ace Of Spades. I decided to seek out London Calling. The Clash are often referred to by their legion of fans as “The Only Band that Mat-ters” at the forefront of the British punk scene. However with all this said upon my first listen to the album I instantly enjoyed it and saw how it was a classic, though it was not exactly what I’d have called a Punk album.

London Calling, the title track which is an apocalyptic tale about nuclear warfare, is a politically enthused track with Punk flavoured lyrics and a Reggae rhythm that runs throughout its core. It’s a track that manages to cross genres and mix them together to make a sound that defines the next hour or so of music you are about to be treated to. Some tracks have a Rock n’ Roll style run through them and could easily fit into the catalogue of Elvis; if it wasn’t for the unmistakable punk tones of Joe Strummers vocals throughout.

“Rudie Can’t Fail” is a reggae-influenced track that seems to have drawn influence from the sec-ond wave of Ska. The track “Lost in The Supermarket” seems to slow down the album and tells a tale about consumerism, while allowing the album to take a rest almost only for it to kick back in and is a track that could easily fit in with any of the Brit Pop brigades work from the early 90’s.

“Jimmy Jazz” sounds like a Saloon Bar Crooner’s musical tale; “Revolution Rock”, a cover, which is a pure rocksteady tune; “The Guns of Brixton” is about racial tension and one man’s paranoia composed by Paul Simonon, who also wrote the lyrics and took charge of the lead vocals, also a song with a clear reggae influence.

As I said at the start, this isn’t exactly what I’d call a punk record but that is what makes it a clas-sic. I say that because the album is made up of several tracks that seem to take influence from other genres, the only thing that makes it remotely punk is the lyrics content and punk style vocals. The Clash weren’t going to be type cast as one dimensional, that’s clear.

London Calling is considered by a lot of critics/music lovers everywhere as a classic and rightfully so. The albums political tracks are just as relevant today as they were in 1979, which allows it to not sound dated in anyway. Sonically the album hasn’t aged either; it’s surely gone through some remastering but it still seems like a fresh record that could easily be released today and enjoyed.

It’s apparent that The Clash are a very influential force in music cited as inspiration for the likes of Green Day and Damon Albarn, who actually collaborated with Paul Simonon on the album ‘The Good, the Bad and the Queen’.

The Clash have a fond place in a lot of peoples hearts, that much is clear, and they are obviously considered rock royalty but does this classic show signs of ageing any time soon? No, not at all. I would usually be giving an album a mark out of 5 at this point but instead I will simply just say. Immortal.

Steven Skerritt

The Clash – London Calling

I have been asked to give a classic album a review and I’ve taken it upon myself to pick a classic that I would be hearing with fresh ears as opposed to any number of the clas-sics I own such as; Led Zeppelin IV; Nirvana’s Nevermind & Motörhead’s Ace Of Spades. I decided to seek out London Calling. The Clash are often referred to by their legion of fans as “The Only Band that Matters” at the forefront of the British punk scene. However with all this said upon my first listen to the album I instantly enjoyed it and saw how it was a clas-sic, though it was not exactly what I’d have called a Punk album.

London Calling, the title track which is an apocalyptic tale about nuclear warfare, is a politically enthused track with Punk flavoured lyrics and a Reggae rhythm that runs through-out its core. It’s a track that manages to cross genres and mix them together to make a sound that defines the next hour or so of mu-sic you are about to be treated to. Some tracks have a Rock n’ Roll style run through them and could easily fit into the catalogue of Elvis; if it wasn’t for the unmis-takable punk tones of Joe Strummers vocals throughout.

“Rudie Can’t Fail” is a reggae-influenced track that seems to have drawn influence from the second wave of Ska. The track “Lost in The Supermarket” seems to slow down the al-bum and tells a tale about consumerism, while allowing the album to take a rest almost only for it to kick back in and is a track that could easily fit in with any of the Brit Pop brigades work from the early 90’s.

“Jimmy Jazz” sounds like a Saloon Bar Crooner’s musical tale; “Revolution Rock”, a cover, which is a pure rocksteady tune; “The Guns of Brixton” is about racial tension and one man’s paranoia composed by Paul Simonon,

who also wrote the lyrics and took charge of the lead vocals, also a song with a clear reggae influence.

As I said at the start, this isn’t exactly what I’d call a punk record but that is what makes it a classic. I say that be-cause the album is made up of several tracks that seem to take influence from other genres, the only thing that makes it remotely punk is the lyrics content and punk style vocals. The Clash weren’t go-ing to be type cast as one dimensional, that’s clear.

London Calling is considered by a lot of critics/music lovers everywhere as a classic and rightfully so. The albums political tracks are just as relevant today as they were in 1979, which allows it to not sound dated in anyway. Sonically the album hasn’t aged either; it’s surely gone through some remastering but it still seems like a fresh record that could eas-ily be released today and enjoyed.

It’s apparent that The Clash are a very influential force in music cited as in-spiration for the likes of Green Day and Damon Albarn, who actually collaborated with Paul Simonon on the album ‘The Good, the Bad and the Queen’.

The Clash have a fond place in a lot of peoples hearts, that much is clear, and they are obviously considered rock royalty but does this classic show signs of ageing any time soon? No, not at all. I would usually be giving an album a mark out of 5 at this point but instead I will simply just say. Immortal.

Steven Skerritt

Design by Adam Wilkes


CLASSIC STUDENT FILMS:

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY

CLASSIC FILM REVIEW:ROBOCOPForget England’s inevitable penalty-based demise at the hands of more cultured and exotic opponents at this summer’s World Cup, the biggest disappointment in life is by far growing up. All I’ve gained from growing up is weight, facial hair and a creeping sense of dread that time is catching up with me.

We all had dreams as children, and I’m willing to bet none of them involved falling out of bed with a raging hangover and seeing a haggard shadow of a person staring back at you in the mirror. My childhood dream involved the very film I’m about to talk about. Yep, I wanted to be a Robocop.Unfortunately, I still have human skin and a shaky moral compass, but Robocop remains one of my favourite films of all time. Far from being the throwaway B-Movie the title suggests, Robocop is actually a razor sharp black comedy, hidden beneath rivers of blood and six-inch-steel spikes emerging from fists.

Robocop revolves around Alex Murphy, a nice young policeman who has a nice family and a strong sense of morals. It’s his first day at his new job in Detriot, and it also turns out to be his last. Needless to say, dead Murphy is transformed into Robocop, and seeks revenge against those who killed him, as well as struggling with his increasing human awareness inside his robotic shell.

Okay, so the plot isn’t exactly deep, but to criticise the plot is to miss the point of Robocop. It is a film with its tongue practically

superglued into its cheek. It’s a satire on everything, from the false advertisements for board games about nuclear Armageddon, to the nonchalant nature of big business, and even the ridiculous action film genre of the time (parodied by the extreme amounts of blood and frankly ridiculous guns). Robocop isn’t to be taken as a serious film, it knows it’s ridiculous and revels in the fact, and that’s what makes it so brilliant.

Watching Robocop is a bit like watching a particularly nasty episode of Chucklevision in which Barry snaps and beats Paul to death with a baseball bat whilst screaming the theme tune at the top of his lungs. Highly disturbing, but oddly amusing. It’s a huge juxtaposition, but it works incredibly well.

Main baddie Clarence Boddicker arguably represents this juxtaposition best. His actions are disturbing and it’s clear that he is a borderline psychopath, but his constant quips and charisma actually make him a highly quotable and amusing character. You’ll love to hate him, and in my eyes, he is easily the best villain in history.

So Robocop. It’s a mangled mess of a film that clashes the amusing with the disturbing and comes out with pure gold. Just don’t mention the sequels…


Designed and Written ByChris Smith


Arts & Entertainment horoscopes

SPAGHETTISCOPESby Steven Skerritt

You will be caught listening to Steps wearing a leotard and prancing around your room.

You will be visited by Doctor Who and you will help defeat the Teletubbies. I never did trust them.

You will wake up in a field at 2 o’clock in the morning and think you are a cow and that your life up until then had all been a dream about being human.

You will be Flashed by Gordon. Arghhhh! Ahhhhhh! How else did you think he got that nickname?

You will change your mind and take a chance.

You will be drinking Cider (in moderation of course) and singing the Wurzels “I’m a Cider Drinker” all summer long.

You will rock out in a poncho while swimming the channel.

You will successfully complete all your work on time as well as being fully prepared for all exams…oh, and still have time for a few cheeky nights out…Good Times!

This month you will find a wishing well and after you fall down it, you’ll be wishing you hadn’t.

You will bring Sexy Back but be warned; he hasn’t spoken to the other seven dwarves in some time.

You will master the force and will not lose a hand in the process. You > Skywalker. Jedi Master!

Go find the ultra rare pokemon Pikachu. Not rare you say? Then why was Team Rocket always after Ash’s?

SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21)

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 20)

AQUARIUS (Jan 21-Feb 19)

PISCES (Feb 20-Mar 20)

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 20)

TAURUS (Apr 21-May 21)

GEMINI (May 22-Jun 21)

CANCER (Jun 22-Jul 23)

LEO (Jul 24-Aug 23)

VIRGO (Aug 24-Sep 23)

LIBRA (Sep 24-Oct 23)

Check out the Spaghetti Junction Blog! www.spaghettijunct.wordpress.com

Although we try our hardest, not all the pictures in this magazine are originally sourced from us. If we haven’t directly referenced them in the magazine, you’ll be sure to find out where they come from on the Spaghetti Junction Student Magazine fan page on Facebook.



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Saturday 5th JuneEdgbaston Cricket Ground

7pm - 1amFormal Dress / Tickets £40

For details & tickets, visitwww.birminghamcitysu.com/gradball

Go out in style...




Go out in style...

We are pleased to announce that the Graduation Ball is sponsored & supported by all teaching faculties of Birmingham City University




Go out in style...




Go out in style...

We are pleased to announce that the Graduation Ball is sponsored & supported by all teaching faculties of Birmingham City University

SPAGHETTI JUNCTION: THE SUMMER ISSUE

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