Gig Review: Mumford and Sons, Manchester Arena

06/12/15

I've barely seen the arena as lively as it was last night for the return of folk rockers Mumford and Sons. Frontman Marcus even said it was the best gig they've done in ages...(do they say that to all the crowds though?!)

The talented musicians had a treasure trove of instruments filling the stage, and Marcus himself switched between most of them while singing the band's back catalogue of hits. Their new music has taken a slower, electronic pace recently but Mumford and Sons made sure they still treated the crowd to their foot stomping roots - everyone was on their feet for Little Lion Man, The Cave and I Will Wait.

Marcus has so much energy on the stage - and off it. During one track he decides to get down on the floor, run down the side of the arena and then pushes himself through the crowd of revellers all the way back to the stage. For the encore though they slow it down, taking to a small stage at the back of the arena and performing a short acoustic set.

Mumford and Sons certainly put on a good show - is it possible not to clap your hands and stomp your feet to most of their tunes?! A dreary Sunday evening was transformed into a thrilling hoe down... Catch the band if you can on their world tour.

Washhouse: Manchester's Dirtiest Speakeasy

I've always wanted to go to a speakeasy bar - and since there was so much hype about The Washhouse when it opened earlier in the year, I was excited to check it out. I made a reservation for my birthday and (when we finally found it) had a brilliant night.

Once you actually find the building, step into the laundry and then you'll have to figure out how to be let into the hidden bar. But it's all part of the fun - even the website is disguised as a laundry too.

Yep, you have to delve past the dirty knickers...

Inside you're led to your table and I was really shocked at just how tiny the place is. There are only a few booths, and the intimacy really makes it feel exclusive. Of course, the most impressive thing about The Washhouse is the cocktails - the menu is wasted on you if you decide to go for a beer or spirit and mixer. We decided to be daring and choose some of the most innovative mixology wonders, including cocktails with cakes, popping candy and sugar puffs. As my other half is a cocktail bartender himself, he's hard to impress but couldn't fault the unique concoctions.

My favourite was the 50 Shades - trust me I'm no fan of the books but this little beauty is hard to resist. It even comes complete with a real rose - it's the little extra touches on each cocktail which really make the experience first class.

This is a dark drinking den you should definitely check out - just be sure to make a reservation first - and it books up fast. 

Whoops..looks like I broke the first rule! But I had to share it with you... Jx

Greater Manchester Comedy Fringe Festival - Opening Night Review

Cupid's Stunts and Plenty of Fish - Egriega Productions
01/11/15, Albert Square Chop House

I'm a big fan of fringe festivals and a big fan of comedy, so I knew the city's comedy festival was something I'd be interested in. With so many shows taking place on opening night, it was hard to decide which to go and see but I finally settled for Egriega's Cupid's Stunts and Plenty of Fish.

This comedic musical performance delved into the world of online dating, where of course there are plenty of opportunities for laughs. The piss taking is even more brilliant though, when the star of the one man show reveals he really does know what he's talking about - as he met his current partner on Plenty of Fish (and dated plenty more before that).

The stage was set with artwork titled 'Pussies I have known.'

It's fair to say that opening night (and the premiere) didn't go without a few technical glitches... it was a show where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, but it still felt so right. Pieter is an absolute natural when it comes to poking fun at mistakes, improvising and keeping the crowd laughing whatever happens. He's also a really talented musician and takes the audience on a musical journey which can only be described as a crazy collection of personal experiences - starting with the time he lost his virginity.

One of Pieter's most significant life experiences which he talks about is his stroke, which changed his life a couple of years ago. Re-learning how to play his instruments has been a huge part of his rehabilitation and recovery but of course he still managed to make a few jokes about it - such as his internet dating profile turning into an advertisement for a full time carer. Suffering a stroke has of course had a huge effect on Pieter's life, and it could have been the end of his music and painting talents. However he fought back, and as a performer in his own right, I don't think this show needs to be defined by that event. It's unique and funny and deserves to stand alone, although Pieter is of course an inspiration to other stroke survivors.

Image credit - Nigel Maitland

Cupid's Stunts and Plenty of Fish plays again 8th November at Taurus Bar, and I recommend you go and see it if you like new music with a twist and want to be entertained on a Sunday night.

There's also lots more to see as part of Greater Manchester Fringe. There's 5 or 6 shows to choose from every single day in venues across Salford and Manchester city centre so take advantage of the cheap laughs. Link to programme and tickets below. J x

http://www.greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/

Autumn Essentials...

It's officially Autumn people! The leaves are turning red and falling from the trees, and even though the sun is still mostly shining there's a definite chill in the air. Which means one thing...updating your A/W wardrobe and beauty bag!!

Take a look at some of my autumn essentials:

The hat.

Hats are so on trend right now, pretty much any hat will do. I don't think it's quite cold enough to pull off a woolly hat though so I've gone for the sophisticated look in a rust colour. I'm not sure if this classes as a Fedora or not, I just call it my floppy hat. It was £20 from H&M and really takes an outfit to the next level in my opinion.

(Yes that is an amazing Slattery's chocolate cake!)

The skincare.

With the weather turning colder, it's more important than ever to look after your skin. The cold outside and the central heating inside can leave skin dull and devoid of moisture. I was lucky enough to be treated to an Elemis set for my birthday - it's expensive but highly recommended!

Pictured: Pro-radiance cream cleanser, pro-collagen marine cream and don't forget your hand cream too.

The boots.

Ankle boots are DEFINITELY an essential this season, and as I'm quite bored of black I decided to go for brown, which I think is the perfect autumnal colour. This lovely pair was a bargain from Dorothy Perkins and I think I'm going to have them on my feet 90% of the time until Christmas as they're a perfect fit with jeans, leggings and tights.

 The ripped jeans.

So everytime I need new jeans I head to Topshop, because they have the biggest variety in styles and sizes so I'm always spoilt for choice. I thought it's about time I bought some ripped jeans and I decided on my favourite fit, Joni. This is my 3rd pair, they look and feel so good!!

[Entire outfit from Topshop]

The smock dress.

While in Topshop I couldn't help picking up this little number. It's available in loads of colours and I just thought it's great for layering and would suit a lot of different casual occasions.

What have you invested in this season? Let me know! J x

A Greek Island Escape

I've just returned home from a really lovely, relaxing family holiday in Greece. Sometimes when I see the beauty of the Greek islands, I wonder why I'd ever want to travel further afield to more exotic places.

We visited the island of Kos, probably one of the most popular of the country's 277 inhabited islands. The reason why I love Greece is because it has a bit of everything: gorgeous beaches, vibrant hubs with restaurants and shops and plenty of history and architecture. In Kos you can actually visit the Tree of Hippocrates, where the Greek father of medicine used to teach his pupils. It's apparently stood there for over 2,000 years!

In Kos there's also an opportunity to go island hopping, as there are lots of other islands close by, dotted across the glittering Aegean Sea. We went out for a full day on a boat trip, where we got the chance to explore a small, traditional Greek community and swim in the crystal water. We even saw dolphins from the boat - I didn't even know there were dolphins in Europe?! 

You can also go on a day trip to Bodrum in Turkey, as it is only a short boat ride from Kos. We didn't get around to that as we were too busy trying (and failing) to tan our English skin....

Another highlight of the holiday was riding around on a tandem bike! We got to rent out this beauty for the entire day for just $5. Everything, including food and local drinks, was really reasonable but the bike hire was a real bargain. We were staying in Lambi and it's really bike friendly - they have cycle lanes down the main road and the beach road, straight into Kos town. 

It was so much fun, we got the technique down pretty quickly and I'm definitely looking into hiring a romantic tandem for the wedding!

But the main reason we went on holiday was to celebrate my Mum and Dad's 30th wedding anniversary. They made it all the way to their Pearl, which is pretty incredible! To celebrate we drove up into the hills, to one of the island's best restaurants, to soak up the spectacular sunset view - I'll do a separate post about that!

Every Greek island is different and I'd like to explore them all! Next on my wishlist is Skiathos and Santorini... 
What's your favourite Greek island? Any recommendations? J x

Interview with a Dancer: Aria Scere

Aria is a dancer and choreographer, currently working on a physical theatre piece fusing contemporary dance and spoken word. Stagnant Change explores the realms of black oppression and aims to make a positive change for future generations. Here is what she has to say about the devising process and her plans for the future of the piece.

What inspired you to create this performance piece?

I drew inspiration from history, learning of the Black Panther Movement in the USA and UK,  about lynchings and the civil rights movement. Also learning of the origins of black people and how we were not always enslaved. These accounts of black communities and oppression made a real impact on me as it felt personal, and I also did not understand how it was that we got to this point now in present day. Being a creative individual I felt the need to make this piece as a way of understanding myself, what is was like to be black in those times and to encourage people to stop this ignorant narrow mindedness that I feel today. I want to inspire people with this performance to make a positive change in their actions which in turn will grow to make change throughout the world. 

Why did you want to include spoken word?

There is something about hearing poetry that evokes feeling. I have always been keen to use spoken word and dance together and this piece was perfect for this as I believe the audience can really get involved in the movement of the words in relation to the dance. From an audience perspective, words are much easier to understand than dance, for this piece Stagnant Change I wanted to take the audience on a journey. Incorporating dance and spoken word in the same performance creates a vivid imagery that holds onto the audience's senses and will hopefully sit with them long after the performance is over. The poets I have are forever inspiring and surprising me, so the journey we have been on thus far is incredible, I am really excited for future opportunities with them and my dancers too.

Where do you see this project going - what are your future plans?

The piece itself is a work in progress, so future plans would be to get financial backing for it so I can develop it and push it further to become the performance I envision it to be - and have the impact I imagine it could have. I would like to tour this piece EVERYWHERE! In community centres, schools, theatres and even as a site specific - take the theatre to the audience. The true reason I created Stagnant Change was to make a positive difference, the only way I knew how - through a performance modality. I am a dancer so why not use my creativeness to evoke change and inspire young people.  I would like an educational outreach programme to stem from this to teach young people from all creeds about the REAL accounts of Black history; to learn about Ruth Ellis, W.E.B Du Bois, Althea Jones, Darcus Howe, Marcus Garvey and so on and so forth, so the same names are not always being circulated (Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks). 

Educating young people about this I believe will make a difference. It's as simple as showing in particular young black children that you are capable of creating something positive for yourself and society so we can begin to break down the racial stereotypes and statistics that give the impression that Black people are lesser than White or Asian counterparts. 

In the big picture of global racial equality, do you think Stagnant Change can really make a difference?

Yes. I have all the confidence in the world that this performance piece and the educational stem from this will inspire and help re-build communities to further make that difference. Stagnant Change is a start, a platform to build upon and I know elsewhere similar projects are taking place. The G.A.P (Getting Ahead Project) programme is already a summer school that teaches about black inventors, what good hair is and of Black histories and cultures globally with the use of art, dance, creative writing and music workshops. 

Stagnant Change going on a global scale I believe can re-define the current misrepresentations that are portrayed about black people - in particular in the media, we are only ever shown to be criminals, in gangs or with an exaggerated defiant attitude. It is my intention with Stagnant Change to evoke and change in the mindset of people, world wide, until something affects us directly we generally do not take action or notice such things which only further encourages the issue. Taking this performance into community centres and schools to deliver creative workshops we can start to ask why these racial stereotypes exist and how to stop them. Stagnant Change is not the sole solution but it is certainly a great place to start. 

Stagnant Change is being performed at the Zion Centre, Manchester on 8th September. Oh, and did I mention I am in it? :) Please come down and show your support for this passionate and inspiring performance.

Wild: Book Vs Film

[ "Wild2014Poster" by Source. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wild2014Poster.jpg#/media/File:Wild2014Poster.jpg]

So I heard about this book before I went travelling, and thought it would be one of the best on-the-road stories to read. However, I never got around to reading it while on my journey, mainly because I couldn't afford to buy brand new books so I was left with the exchange shelf in hostels. I thought it sounded like a memoir that had a lot more substance than Eat, Pray, Love.

A couple of years later I finally got around to reading the book - and watching the movie - and I can confirm I was right. The real life story of Cheryl Strayed is powerful, fascinating and inspiring. How any woman can hike a thousand miles all alone in the vast wilderness of the Pacific Coast Trail is beyond me - it is such an impressive feat. But when you find out the reasons which pushed her to make the journey, and the psychological breakdown which followed, it becomes clear that this life defining trek is about so much more than the pain, the loneliness and the despair of the physical hike (although this is described so well in the book and portrayed so believably in the film that you really do feel those blisters).

The one thing that strikes me about the journey is that everyone Cheryl meets is so shocked and surprised that she's a young woman who has decided to set out on this journey alone. Hearing the same old "What's a young girl like you doing out here all alone?" gets a bit tiring, especially from stereotypically predatory male characters. However, you have to remember that Cheryl's trek took place 20 years ago in 1995, so it was more unusual to see lone female travellers at the time. People express concern but then like me, they are impressed and in awe of how Cheryl conquers the PCT.

So let's get down to comparing the book and the film. After reading the book, I couldn't figure out how they could make the film as exciting and moving. After all, for 90% of the story Cheryl is hiking, alone, in the deserts and mountains of the USA. That doesn't really make for great viewing. Obviously in her memoir Cheryl can describe the monotonous actions of the trek, her longing for real food and a shower and explain what was running through her mind at each stage. I knew for the film that would be hard to convey without corny voiceovers, but director Jean-Marc Vallee hit the nail on the head.

Far from boring, the film adaptation is fascinating and kept me engaged all the way through. The scenic shots were amazing too, which added beauty to Cheryl's descriptions of the ground she was covering. One of the reasons why it works so well is down to Reese Witherspoon, who not only starred as Cheryl - she bought the rights to the memoir before it was even published and produced the movie too.

[Image source: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/07/10/wild_movie_trailer_reese_witherspoon_hikes_a_long_way_in_adaptation_of_cheryl.html]

Reese brings a sense of realness to the character, which is difficult with a story which is as far from being cinematic as possible. This may be down to the fact that the director banned her from wearing make-up and made sure the backpack she was carrying was just as heavy as it was for Cheryl when she was hiking. It's been called the performance of her career, and Witherspoon has said herself it was definitely her hardest role yet.

Whichever format you want to consume Wild, whether it's through Cheryl's words or Vallee's screenplay, you'll be with her each step of the way. You'll feel her anger at the world when she starts her epic journey, and believe her transformation as she takes her last steps over the Bridge of the Gods. But I think, for the first time ever, I might have to say the film takes the crown on this one. We'll put it down to the fact that it's an adventurous memoir, so the stunning visual shots really do add to the inspiring story of self-discovery.

Has anybody read the book and seen the film? What do you think about it? Let me know if you agree! J x