The KlaxonsInterview

Lady Gaga?Who cares?Page 4

Music

127 Hours Review

Page 12

Movies

Campus Style Examines UCD Fashion Page 8

Fashion

College Tribune Entertainment Supplement

25.01.2011

The Siren 25.01.11Music2

Although a very minor scene in Ireland,

ska - from its peeled-back roots to its more

recent aberrations, and the current regalia

of mediocre cover bands - has contributed

significantly to musical styles the world over.

And rather surprisingly too, considering its

origin on a Caribbean island less than half

the size of Munster. The development of ska

in Jamaica coincides neatly with the rise of

that nation to independence. The emergent

period of the late 1950’s - when ska was

the confused embryo of American blues

and soul mating with Caribbean mento and

calypso - lasted until 1962, when British

rule was renounced and ska exploded onto

the social scene with vigour, exported to

the UK and USA within a few years.

Ska, like its regional and American

reference points, was both a pathway

for social commentary and a backing

track to efforts for emancipation. These

characteristics remained a strong element

of the genre, until more recent third wave

ska groups carried it from a subculture

to mainstream popularity, where, much

like the punk stylings of the time, it was

massacred and abandoned, picked over by

scavenging copycats and indifferent former

champions. The skank is the real key to ska

however, an offbeat upstroke characteristic

of Caribbean styles, which offers a jaunty,

almost optimistic backdrop to songs which

often draw inspiration from race and class

struggles, such as Prince Buster’s “They Got

To Go” or Maroon Town’s “City Riot”.

The frequent inclusion of vociferous brass

and walking bass-lines, particularly in first

and second wave groups, and early third

wave groups such as The Mighty Mighty

Bosstones, are also important to the ska

sound. The flip-side to this laid-back, upbeat

arrangement is a lamentable simplicity and

the power to grate on the listener, especially

if the tempo is increased and coupled with

Californian accents. If you wish to claim

insurance on “accidental breakages”, stick

on some turn-of-the-millennium Reel Big

Fish or Aquabats, and test your endurance.

Despite these shortcomings, ska

experienced 30 to 40 years of popularity

as an evolving but compact genre, and was

responsible for the development of many

styles, regional and worldwide. Rocksteady,

reggae and dancehall, early dub, and

toasting all find their origins in ska music

and culture. These, in turn, became global

and spawned ragga, dancehall and bongo

flava, with a pronounced influence on

hip-hop, house, dubstep and rap. Lyrics

are typically in English, although peppered

with distinctive Jamaican slang, and, as

might be expected, ska was most strongly

embraced in Anglophone regions, such as

Australia and the USA. Surprisingly, the

“ska wave” has hit elsewhere, experiencing

particular success in Japan and Indonesia,

where the style has been assimilated with

more traditional influences, producing sub-

genres such as ska-dhut and J-Ska.

Whichever way the music is interpreted

or transformed into a viable independent

genre, ska possesses an unusual trait for a

musical style hailing from relatively obscure

origins, as its corresponding dance styles

were exported simultaneously. Or rather,

it might appear unusual, until you try to

sit through the likes of The Ethiopians’

“Train to Skaville”, or the classic “Rudy, A

Message To You”, without at least a sporadic

head-bop or finger-tap. Ska’s rhythms are

infectious, irresistible even, coaxing the

most painfully cool and aloof hipsters and

tomato-faced, self-conscious teenagers

into a loose-limbed sway. The ‘ska! ska!

ska!’ guitar tones, paired with horns that

amble along like a sprightly grandfather

straight from a Werther’s Original ad,

lull your body into an easy security, and

BAM! - there you are, shaking and doing

‘The Ska’ before you even knew it had a

name. ‘Rowing’, ‘Running’, ‘Milking-The-

Cow’ and the oddly shuffling ‘Monkey-

Dance’ were the order of the day in 1960s

Jamaican dancehalls - think ‘Grease’ meets

Elvis Presley, and you’re somewhere in

the region. Speed it up a bit with some

second wave material such as The Specials,

Selecter or the ever-popular Madness, and

you understand why skinheads cherished

their Dr. Marten boots. ‘Skanking’ comes

into its own here – a diverse form covering

all manner of dancefloor brutalities, from

innocent ‘herking and jerking’ to playful

‘slamming’, ‘moshing’, ‘skank-pits’, and

more extreme ‘HXC’ or ‘striking out’,

known to result in face-breaking and blood

baths in certain parts of America.

Wherever ska’s benign rhythms turn up,

these dancing styles, or similar, present

themselves as a matter of course. Some

believe that the offbeat accents are

rhythmically compelling, others that the

universal appeal lies in the cheery ‘skank’.

Regardless, when the likes of Neville

Staples, frontman of The Specials, tells you

he wants to see some of that “Ol’ Moon-

Stomping”, resistance is not an option. The

future of ska may be glum, with a bounty

of poor covers knocking about, but the past

contributions of this genre are pure gold.

The Specialist: Any ska, lad?by Tracey O’Connor

Beady Eye – ‘The Roller’

Being comprised of former Oasis members (minus major component Noel Gallagher), comparisons betwixt Beady Eye and Oasis are perhaps as inevitable as they are stale and unimaginative.That being said, ‘The Roller’ sounds quite like an Oasis song. Not to say it’s a sing-along rock ballad in their traditional style, but something about the nasal vocals of Liam Gallagher, the simple chord pattern and the catchy chorus (“Just call me the rollaaah-ah-ah-aah”) really does recall those halcyon days of “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory”. Listen and enjoy, just don’t expect innovation.

Mánran – ‘Latha Math’

For those of you who don’t know (as I didn’t, until I found this song floating around on the net), Mánran are a recently-formed band that try to incorporate Gaelic traditions, Scottish folk and pop-rock elements. So, uh, good luck to them I guess.What we wind up with here is a vaguely pleasant sounding proto-trad tune that’s unlikely to chart terribly highly (which is sadly due in part to the Gaelic lyrics) that owes more to The Corrs than The Horslips. Not awful, just too forgettable to make much of an impact.

PJ Harvey – ‘The Words That Maketh

Murder’

PJ Harvey is a rather marvellous English musician who, on this track, somehow manages to make a series of high-pitched yelps sounds extraordinarily good. Her ethereal voice aside, the addition of the brass and chorus lines in the chorus is sublime. As for the lyrical content, it seems to be a fairly straightforward and standard anti-war tale (“I’ve seen soldiers fall like lumps of meat” and “What if I take my problem to the United Nations” seem particularly telling), but if that’s the case it’s certainly better told here than I’ve heard in a while.

Imelda May – ‘Inside Out’

Selected for single-dom from May’s latest offering; Mayhem, ‘Inside Out’ sounds wonderfully like a sort of ‘50s showtune. Specifically, I feel like I should be in a classy Las Vegas barroom listening to a full band belt it out. May’s vocals are throaty and sung with an audible relish, and the band’s talents are superbly showcased, rather than relegated to playing bland background muzak as is commonly expected of the kind of shitty pop shovelled at us nowadays. Well worth a listen.

by Dan Binchy

playlist

The Siren 25.01.11 Music 3

Mogwai:“Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will”6.5/10

by Graham Luby

In November of last year, the world got a glimpse of Mogwai’s upcoming seventh studio release in the shape of

“Rano Pano”. The first single from the album, available free from the band’s website, was an example of what fans

of the Glaswegian post-rock outfit had come to expect - an unconventional chord pattern, roaming synths and

hypnotic layering delivered as standard. However, it served as a mere taster to an album that diverges greatly from

the genre that the band have helped to create.

On their previous effort, 2008’s The Hawk is Howling, Mogwai satisfied their taste for the same lumbering art-

noise that had helped to establish their reputation in the mid-nineties, and the resulting follow-up is arguably the

most accessible record that the band have made to date. The album opens slowly, with the opening track “White

Noise” unfolding gradually to reveal the lilting bass line of “Mexican Grand Prix”, before a complete change of

direction in “Rano Pano”. It is worth noting that, at this point, every song stays south of the six-minute mark,

further signifying a more conventional approach to songwriting. The most striking evidence of this is in “San

Pedro”, whose shamelessly indie chord progression would ensure extensive radio play in a just world. The album

then changes course repeatedly until the close, as ambient dreamscapes “Letters to the Metro” and “Too Raging

to Cheers” rub shoulders harmoniously with the more typical feedback-laden guitar jams. When the amp fuzz

finally dies down at the close of “You’re Lionel Richie”, not one word has been uttered throughout the entire

disc, the band preferring to let their instruments do the talking.

The result, while not an album that will grab the front of “Kerrang!” any time soon, is a pleasant exercise in

power chords and pretty noises. Make this your study soundtrack this coming May.

Anna Calvi:Anna Calvi8.5/10

by Simon Mulcahy

I always feel slightly sorry for the multitude of artists that are put on the seemingly unending “Best of 2011” or

“Hotly tipped new acts” lists, drawn up by out-of-touch executives each January in an attempt to boost artists’ sales

figures at the start of each new year. As a result, I sympathise with the musicians, who are over-hyped and put under

so much pressure that they crumble under the weight of it all. The majority of these acts are one hit wonders, but

some are consistently, but quietly, making music under the radar, and are only entered on these meaningless hype lists

as a result of some NME writer having a look through their nephew’s iPod during Christmas dinner. Thankfully for

this review, and this writer’s sanity, Anna Calvi belongs to the latter party.

Simply put, this album is an absolute delight. Within the first 30 seconds of the first song, the tour de force that is

“Suzanne and I”, one can already feel the undeniably powerful presence of an artist who has been gifted with the

ability of grasping the listener’s attention. Her passion can be heard in every note that is sung, from hushed and

sobering musings to epic exclamations of pain and mistrust that bellow and echo through one’s mind long after the

song has finished. Accompanied by instrumentation which sounds as if it has been created in the desolate wastelands

of a long forgotten ghost-town, this is one of those albums that truly does transport the listener to foreign shores,

leaving one feeling peacefully at sea. Highlights include the captivating “Rider to the Sea”, the haunting “No More

Words” and the tragic beauty of “The Devil”.

There are some songs that come across as having been tampered with to make them more radio-friendly, which

sometimes detracts from the fluidity and pace as well as dampening the harsh and unforgiving atmosphere, but

thankfully these moments are far and few between.

It is plain to see that there is something truly special in Anna Calvi, and it would be very surprising if this album

does not make her a household name by the end of the year.

James Blake:James Blake7/10

by Graham Luby

The past twelve months have been a whirlwind for James Blake. Since his filthy re-working of Untold’s “Stop What

You’re Doing” in late 2009, the 22-year old, who once cobbled beats together in his bedroom, has rocketed into the

stratosphere, attracting the praise of even the pickiest critic. The release of three landmark EPs have documented his

transition from student upstart to ambassador for electronic music, and his long-anticipated full-length sets him in

another league.

Opener “Unluck” is an exercise in minimalism, a sparse click-track demonstrating Blake’s mastery of the use of

silence, before gradual waves of synth threaten to overwhelm the listener. This reviewer, unfamiliar with the nuances

of ‘post-dubstep’ and testing its waters with “Unluck”, was grabbed by the throat and dragged beneath the surface by

the following track, “Wilhelms Scream”. Arguably the album’s most accessible song, Blake’s unashamedly auto-tuned

chanting hypnotizes the listener, as a wall of feedback gradually closes in like a vice. So far so good, but the record

is not entirely flawless. “Lindesfarne I and II” serve as little more than an interlude, as more echoey rambling and

ornamental noises guide proceedings into “Limit to Your Love”. The album’s pleasant first single begins with clean

piano and vocals, before Blake again feels the need to drown everything in filth.

Womp-womp noises, while making sure to display Blake’s dubstep influences, really are surplus to requirements

on this otherwise very listenable track. More filler then ensues in the form of “Give Me My Month”, before “To

Care (Like You)” treats the listener to four infectious minutes- it follows a now-apparent pattern, beginning with

clean vocals before seguing into something other-worldly. “Why Don’t You Call Me”, reminiscent of Antony and

the Johnsons’ more recent work, is another pleasure that ends too quickly, before the listener is jolted awake with “I

Mind”. Closer “Measurements”, consisting of little more than harmonised vocals and synth organ, acts as the perfect

goodbye and ends the album on a high note.

This album, despite the hype, will not break the top ten any time soon, but has more than enough clout to keep its

creator in the public eye for some time yet. Watch this space.

Adele:21

by Jonathan Barry

As X-Factor season has come and gone, it seems a shame that such an audition-friendly album is released just a few

weeks after the end of the popular talent show. Adele’s follow up to her 2008 debut album 19 - unimaginatively

titled 21 - was anxiously waited on by critics and fans alike; if only to use it as a guide to gauging the success or fail-

ure of other popular female artists whose second albums are yet to be shown to the world (Florence, Marina et al).

Teaming up with various producers - who nonetheless all appear to have been motivated by the fear of messing this

up - Adele delivers an extremely ballad-heavy album that is petrified of taking risks, preferring instead to remain in

chartered waters.

The initial promise of opening track, and lead single, Rolling in the Deep, is dampened by the poor performance

of the following tracks. According to the opening lyrics of this album, there is a fire starting in Adele’s heart, and for

the rest of Rolling in the Deep we would be led to believe such a thing is true. Adele delivers a powerful rendition,

and we are left giddy at the thought of an entire album packed with the same soul felt in this song. Sadly, this is not

to be the case. Instead, she is either lost within a cacophony of instrumentalization (Set Fire to the Rain) or else the

energy of the track peters out and we’re left with another generic ballad (Don’t You Remember).

All hope is not lost however, with the tenth track Someone Like You, a yearning lament about a married man. This

is by far the best song on the album, and Adele seems really let out of her cage on this one. She’s left alone with

only a simple piano melody and all her lovelorn emotions. Her raucous and powerful delivery, gives the listener a

genuine feeling of unrequited love, and is sure to some jealous looks from Duffy in her direction.

Sadly my thoughts on this album echo Adele’s sentiments in this song. We both had a taster of something brilliant,

yet we never quite hung on to it.

By Jonathan Barry

The Scoop

The Siren 25.01.11Music4

Roddy Doyle was once quoted as saying of

Dublin, “it’s a big con job. We have sold the

myth of Dublin as a sexy place incredibly

well; because it is a dreary little dump most

of the time. “ Nowhere helps to reinforce

this theory better than the UCD campus on

a grey January morning.

Some days, when even the swans can’t be

bothered showing up, one could be forgiven

for thinking they had woken up in the

surrounds of Erich Honecker’s Berlin. But

things change, drab communist architecture

aside, Berlin is now one of Europe’s most

welcoming hubs of art and culture. Could

Belfield offer itself up as a haven of culture

to Dublin’s students? Of course. You just

have to tear down a few walls first.

In the meantime it’s probably worthwhile

looking a little further down the road if

your dreary little dump needs brightening.

It’s always good to have something to look

forward to, and the next month or so has a

few musical gems to offer the residents of

Dublin, so start stealing from tesco and save

your money for these great gigs.

Bringing January to a close is Chicago’s

Felix Da Housecat, he plays Tripod on the

The year 2010 was owned musically by one person. She topped all the charts, sold loads of records, had a sell-out world tour - but most importantly of all, she climbed into a dead cow and forgot to get out of it before going to the VMAs. Now 2011 is here, and Gaga is nowhere to be seen, most likely hiding out in a mansion in the Alaskan mountains with a team of producers and PR slaves, working on what to do next. Realistically, how much time can she waste? With the likes of Ke$ha, Katy Perry and the rest of the robotic pop brigade on her tail, how much longer are her fans going to stick around for? If these people are fans of music which relies on catchy hooks of repeated moronic statements and stuttering cliché, then not long at all. Can she extend her power into the New Year and capture the world’s attention once more? I couldn’t care less.It seems that everyone has an opinion on Lady Gaga, everyone except me. I just don’t care, as dull repetitive music and attention-seeking outfits don’t excite me. I used to despise her, but later chose to ignore my deep feelings of discontent, after realising that I wouldn’t be able to force her into retirement by quietly hating her. Now, faced with actually having to write about this horrid, pointless wench, I find myself at a loss for words. I was driven to get into contact with a friend of mine who

29th. If you don’t think he’s worth €21.50,

You probably won’t be interested in shelling

out €35 to see Imelda May in Vicar Street

two days later. Unless you steal the till, your

savings won’t be that great.

Keep the next week or two quiet and you

might have enough to get you through

February which is a bumper month for

great music. I can’t tell what everyone else

wants to see, but I doubt you’ll find it in the

student bar. So give it a miss for a while, cut

back on the pints and spend your savings on

one or all of the following, depending on

how dedicated you are to sobriety.

One not to be missed for many will be

Wire who play Academy 2 on the 5th of

February. The band were arguably one of

the first bands to emerge from London’t

punk explosion who were completely

unaffected by the mohawks and fashionable

anarchism. The band never have in the past

and still don’t pander to the popular. They

will still charge you €20 though.

Just as unfashionable, are four men who are

pushing forty, dress like your dad and try

to play music like the kids, but The Hold

Steady are more talented and energetic

happens to be a fan, in order to question her admiration for Gaga and give me some inspiration. Her argument: ‘Lady Gaga is so unique and amazing. She is an amazing singer and she can dance too. She has the coolest and most unique fashion sense and writes class songs.’I will spare you the rest of this incoherent nonsense and summarise by saying that this ambassador’s speech has resulted in my conclusion that her fans are yammering idiots. This could be a possible explanation for her ridiculous success, but that can’t be true, as I have encountered many intelligent, self-sufficient, fully grown people singing along to Gaga’s numerous musical efforts. There are many people who enjoy this manic creature’s generic, mindless drivel so much that they buy her music and listen to it on a regular basis. I will admit that her music is contagious, but so is syphilis. I cannot understand her success, but it is something I will obviously have to come to terms with.So instead of trying to unravel the mystery behind the machine that is the Gaga empire, I will instead question what she means to us all, and what relevance she carries now that her year in power has come to a close. From what I can gather, after drifting through recent news features on L.G, she is not up to much at all. This leads me either to the fear that she is working on a new album,

or to reignite my unrelenting hope that she is dead. Seeing as we would have heard if she had died, one must assume the former, which puts the world in a sort of limbo.Many will be frothing at the mouth come the grand unveiling of her next video - typically a smutty cheap black leather and pretentious arthouse imitation, with loads of ridiculous over-the-top choreography and sexual stereotype clichés in abundance (see the case study “Alejandro” video on YouTube). From what I have interpreted from the activity of her fanbase network, maybe people won’t care anymore. People mature and get older, realize that what they used to listen to is absolute tripe, and move on. I know this seems more optimistic than not, but one can hope at least.The more likely result, of course, is that she attracts the same audience, plus a few million more, and increases her net worth and popularity with her next album and tour. She makes everything bigger and better. She uses her fame to draft in a multitude of famous guest stars to appear on her album, which in turn increases her relevance, and raises awareness in other areas of music and so on and so forth, ever so gradually leading to the collapse of society. This is the undeniable truth. Lady Gaga is going nowhere, so your best bet is to do your utmost to blank it out until next Christmas.

than half the young bands out there today.

Springsteen style storytelling tinged with

seriously catchy rock n’roll from a bunch of

old men higher and cooler than any of us, all

for the price of €27.50. Complaints about

ticket prices can be lodged with MCD at

The Acadmey that night (Feb. 10th).

Much cheaper, is Grandmaster Flash at

The Village on February 18th. Ticket’s are

€12.50, whereas tickets for Mogwai in The

Olympia on the same night are €29. As

expensive as that is, some buddhists spend

years trying to transcend. It’s pretty much

part of the package with Mogwai, and at

€29 that’s a spiritual bargain.

In last place is Sleigh Bells, arriving at

Whelans on February 18th. Armed with

only an iPod, a guitar, a microphone and a

shitload of shiny leggings it’s amazing how

much aggressive noise this duo generate, but

they’re catchy as hell too. Tickets are €16.50,

but earplugs are NOT included.

Beat the Early Season Blues, Get OutJim Scully provides the perfect prescription to get over the new year by giving a low down on some of the best gigs coming to Dublin in the next few weeks.

Lady Gaga: Who Cares?by Simon Mulcahy

The Siren 25.01.11 Music 5

A Los Angeles band who’ve recently come

from obscurity to make waves on boths

sides of the Atlantic, Funeral Party look set

to continue to gain people’s attention with

the release of their new album

Their punk-styled garage rock music has

earned them the praise of many critics, as

they made it into NME’s ’50 Best New

Bands of 2010.’ Ahead of their first headline

tour, frontman Chad Elliot spoke about the

excitement within the band and his own

personal feelings about the time ahead,

including an upcoming gig in Academy 2.

“Yeah we’re really excited for it. The Dublin

show is our first of the tour, so hopefully

that’ll get us off to a good start. It’s a bit

intimidating playing big gigs as the headline

act for the first time, but we’re really looking

forward to it.”

Up until recently, the band only had

experience of playing very small gigs, so

Elliot was mindful that the transition to

playing bigger venues as a professional act.

Despite this difficulty and adjustment which

the band had to adjust to, he believes they

have now become at ease with this so-called

pressure.

“Well yeah, we mainly just had experience

of playing in back yards or at parties with

friends, where you just plug in and hope

the cops don’t show up before you finish.

We didn’t really have our own equipment

or anything, we’d borrow a lot of out stuff

from friends and from other bands we knew.

So going from that to setting up on a stage

with lights and soundchecks and all that,

it took a while to get used to. But I think

we’re kind’ve veterans to it now, we’re pretty

comfortable with it.”

The battle to make it in the industry is

something that most artists and bands must

experience, before hopefully making it to

the big time. Elliot spoke of the band’s

emergence, though was honest in admitting

that being signed was not ideal and does not

always end up being plain sailing.

“We first got signed to Fearless Records.

That came about when a guy who’d seen

us play a couple of shows and had some

contacts got us in touch with the guy who

became our manager. And from there they

started booking us kind of legit gigs and

putting us in front of the right people. Next

thing we knew we were signing contracts

with Fearless.

“Unfortunately we had some differences

with them, ‘cos they wanted us to be the

next At The Drive-In, but that’s not really

what we were about. So we split with them

and moved to RCA (A subsidiary of Sony)

who had been interested in us. So that

worked out pretty well.”

Unhappy at the label as the new ‘At The

Drive-In’, Elliot cited a lot of ‘post-punk

bands, like Gang Of Four’ having been

a major influence on his music, before

revealing that the band have varying tastes.

“James (Torres, guitarist) is really into bands

like Ratatat, and Kimo (Kauhola, bassist)

listens to everything, really.”

But it is ‘The Golden Age Of Knowhere’

that is the huge talking point at the moment

in relation to Funeral Party. For every band,

with every album release, the pressure seems

to rise. After a lot of hype both in America

and Europe in the run-up to the debut

album’s release, Elliot admitted to feeling

the strain of expectation of both the album

and tour.

“Well at the moment we’re really enjoying

it, but there is also some pressure, with the

album and the live shows. With the shows

we really feel we have to sell it now. And it’s

a big difference doing the headline shows,

‘cos before the most time we were ever on

stage was about 30 minutes, and now they’re

talking about hour-long shows, which is

tough.”

Elliot talked about the process of making

the album, citing it took “three months in

all for the music to be recorded, and then

I had to go back and do a lot of vocal re-

takes.”

In terms of the music though, Elliot

revealed that in a day and age where most

bands rely on the lead singer to provide the

lyrics and music, the band wrote all the stuff

together. “We all kind of jam together to

figure out the tunes, and then try to work

that into songs. I help in arranging it, or I

might have an idea for it. The lyrics come

last. I’m no poet, I consider myself as more

of a musician. I just take the music and try

to think of experiences it reminds me of, or

a certain way it makes me feel.”

For the band’s debut studio album though,

the instructions of producer, Lars Stalfors,

were paramount.

The ways which the band usually do things

were put to the side, and as Elliot reflected,

it proved to succeed. “When we went into

the studio, the way our producer wanted to

do it was to have us each in separately to

record our sections. He was really insistent

about us being in the studio at different

times. I even tried to come in a day early

one time, when the bass was being recorded,

and he sort of kicked me out. That was a bit

strange to us, but in the end it worked out

fine, and it probably made the process go by

much faster, for him and for us.”

On the future of the band, Elliot expressed a

desire to explore different sounds and not to

become tied down doing the same things.

A sentiment which most express, the tone

of Elliot’s voice differed from those who

usually state this.

“I definitely want to explore as many areas

as we can with the music. Even as a singer, I

don’t want to be pigeon-holed or associated

only with one style.

We’ve already started writing for the next

album, and we’re definitely all trying to find

different ways of playing stuff and new ways

to write.”

It seems as though the success for Elliot

and co will leave them partying for years

to come.

Funeral Party play Academy 2, Tuesday 1st February 2011.

Let’s Get This Party StartedWith their debut album, The Golden Age Of Knowhere, released in america this week, lead-singer of Funeral Party, Chad Elliot, talks to Dan Nolan about the bands sudden rise and their upcoming gig in Dublin.

The Siren 25.01.11Music6

The Klaxons arrived on the UK indie scene

in late 2006 amidst huge hype. After a string

of well-received early singles saw them

gather momentum, they released their debut

album, Myths Of The Near Future, in early

2007. While the record did divide opinion,

it was a bestseller that also received critical

adulation from influential publications

such as the NME, quick to label them as

the frontrunners of the unfortunately-titled

‘new rave’ movement.

When the College Tribune interviewed

him prior to their recent gig in Tripod,

lead singer and songwriter Jamie Reynolds

spoke about the group’s formation and rise

to success.

“Well, our story is that we formed and

immediately booked a gig for five days

later, so we were under some pressure to

write some songs pretty fast. The band went

from being an idea to a going thing very

quickly, it was really immediate. After that,

we started playing gigs for London club

nights and stuff like that. We knew a lot of

people who were involved in that kind of

thing from before we started, and once we

got on that circuit, they started helping us

out. And everything just took off really fast

from there - stupidly fast really.”

When the Klaxons first appeared in the

public eye, the music scene they entered

was flooded with bands modelled on The

Strokes and The Libertines, leading back

to their core influences of classic guitar

bands such as The Velvet Underground

and Television. The Klaxons’ wild, high-

octane electronic sound was completely

out of the blue, and in high contrast to the

garage-style sounds dominating the indie

scene of the time. Reynolds admitted he

was surprised by the immediate acclaim for

their early work.

“It’s something that we undoubtedly

wanted, you know, we always said we

wanted to be a pop band, we wanted to be

as big as possible. But we knew our sound

was quite unusual for the time, so we didn’t

know how anyone would react. So when

[that] reception came it was a bit daunting,

but we were still really happy about it. If

the songs we wrote weren’t being heard

by many people they wouldn’t have been

achieving their purpose. Our music is there

for people’s entertainment, that’s the idea

of the band: for as many people as possible

to enjoy our music.”

The Klaxons’ eccentric lyrics are another

aspect which has set them apart from their

It’s Not Over YetAfter becoming the media darlings of the “new wave” movement, the Klaxons disappeared from the indie music consciousness. Now they’re back with a second album, an evolved sound, and a strong sense of their future, as singer Jamie Reynolds tells Dan Nolan and Simon Mulcahy.

Music 7

GIG REVIEWThe Klaxons - 23 November - Tripod, Dublin

The fairly confined Tripod venue is well

suited to the Klaxons’ sound. While intimacy

may not be a quality commonly associated

with their music, the small area allows them

to fill the room with their invariably high-

octane songs. They immediately summon

up an energy which the audience feeds off,

making for a frantic live show.

Lead vocalist and bassist Jamie Reynolds

sits in the middle of the stage due to his

leg being in a cast, apparently the result

of a recent football injury. His immobility,

however, doesn’t take from the general

liveliness of proceedings

Older song favourites such as ‘Atlantis

To Interzone’ and ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’ are

particularly well-received by an enthusiastic

crowd. Songs such as these are probably

better represented live than on record, as

they do rely on a kind of noisy abandon

captured best on stage. Songs from their

more recent record, Surfing The Void,

also go down well. In particular, ‘Echoes’,

‘Flashover’ and single ‘Twin Flames’ sound

great live.

Predictably, the biggest reception is reserved

for the band’s calling card, singalong-

ready hit, ‘Golden Skans.’ Again, the

live performance is considerably more

invigorating than the album equivalent. The

crowd reaction to the ‘ooh’ing choruses is

almost feverish.

Regardless of your opinion of the Klaxons’

recorded material, they bring an undeniable

sense of fun and vitality to the live arena

that is lacking amongst many other bands

of their ilk. They’re also admirably averse

to irritating between-song chat, which is

always a bonus.

When they eventually leave the stage,

their audience seems fairly drained, but

nonetheless appreciative of the experience.

contemporaries. They seem more inspired

by books, films and whatever else might

strike a chord, rather than the work of

other songwriters. Their debut album even

took its name from a J.G. Ballard novel.

Reynolds, the chief songwriter, revealed

how things developed in their earlier days.

“I think, with the first record, we tried to

write in a more esoteric style, so as to give

more back in terms of the lyrical content

of the songs. We wanted the music to focus

on something more than just our lives. So

while the last record [2010’s ‘Surfing The

Void,’ their sophomore album release] was

quite personal, that’s all wrapped up in [a]

sort of psychedelic metaphor. Most of the

songs describe something that was going

on in... our lives around the time we were

making it, which wasn’t really something

we were expecting, it was kind of an

accident, but that’s just how it turned out.

We just end up writing about whatever’s

making our minds tick.”

The success of Myths Of The Near

Future led to the band being awarded the

2007 Nationwide Mercury Music Prize,

one of Britain’s most prestigious music

awards. Previous winners include indie

heavyweights Pulp and Primal Scream,

while more recently the award has played

a part in the success of Arctic Monkeys and

Franz Ferdinand. When asked if winning

the award had a game-changing effect on

the Klaxons’ career, Reynolds responded:

“To be honest it was more of the end of

the game for us really, I mean we didn’t do

anything after that. After that happened we

didn’t release another record or do another

tour... That was... the end of that first phase

of our career.”

But, when they returned to the studio to

record their follow-up, did the band feel any

added pressure?

“Not so much, no. We still just viewed

ourselves as a touring band, we’d spent

about a year doing that, and it’d pretty

much become our lives. Then we just went

off and enjoyed ourselves for a while with

no pressure whatsoever. We then put some

pressure on ourselves to write a new record,

and we wrote the bulk of it in a four week

period after that. We actually wrote a lot of

it in a ten-day period, we wanted to get it

done fast. So generally, we don’t [feel] much

pressure - I mean, we see our jobs mainly

as [enjoying] ourselves and [to] have fun

making music.”

Watching the Klaxons soundcheck before

the gig, it was evident that they still do have

plenty of fun while playing their music,

despite having now spent a lot of time on

the road.

“Well yeah, I see it as being very important

that we keep in mind we’re really just a

bunch of idiots trying to entertain people,

and not taking ourselves too seriously. If

we weren’t having a good time, the gigs

wouldn’t be fun for the audience either, and

then what’s the point?”

After the success of Myths Of The Near

Future, it was probably expected for

the Klaxons to try and continue their

momentum by releasing its successor

in the next 12 to 18 months. However,

Surfing The Void did not emerge until

August 2010, three-and-a-half years after

their debut. During the long delay, there

were reports that the band had completed

an entire record, only to have it rejected

by their record company for being ‘too

experimental’ and taking their progressive

stylings too far. The band then reportedly

went away and recorded a new version of

the album, which became Surfing The Void.

Reynolds’ version of the story, however, is

different.

“We originally wrote a few songs that fit a

kind of style that we were happy with and

that we liked. But then, when we tried to

write more songs that would fit together

with those to make an album, we weren’t

happy with the work at all, so we had to

rethink. Our label felt the same, that the

first attempt at the album just wasn’t really

working. So we were given more time

to try and create something different. In

hindsight, we’re really happy with the

decision, and we’re really happy with this

new music we’ve created, we’re really happy

to have brought that into the world.”

When asked if the Klaxons would

consider following a more psychedelic and

experimental path in the future, Reynolds

pragmatically responded: “Well, although

the future’s something we have complete

control of... and are working on, I’ve learned

it’s not really something to talk about. We’ll

just keep working and see where that takes

us.”

The video of the Klaxons single, ‘Twin

Flames,’ is difficult to describe, and appears

to be a slightly disturbing depiction of

some form of conjoined orgy It makes for

unsettling viewing, and caused plenty of

comment at the time of its release.

Pressurised to finish the interview before

the band made their way onto the Tripod

stage, Reynolds was quizzed about the

inspiration for the video.

“Well usually it works through Saam

(Farahmand). He and I have a conversation

about the song and what it’s about, then

he’ll take that and apply it to his warped

mind, and there it is. Our main input is

really that conversation between him and

me. The video for ‘Twin Flames’ is one of

his most striking yet, I think - we’re really

pleased with it. Although showing it to your

parents is another matter.”

In hindsight, many would agree – the

Klaxons are a band not suited to the parents

of many people.

The Siren 25.01.11fashion8

This spring, fashion is still revelling in its love for minimalism, and also introducing a loose and flowing seventies’ line. Marc Jacobs, for both Louis Vuitton and his own line, as well as Phoebe Philo for Celine, remain the innovators of the moment. The stand-out trend for spring is the long, or mid-length, draped skirt, often shown with a seductive slit. Lanvin’s versions in parachute silk give us high-octane drama, while at Pucci and Marc Jacobs, the skirts were pure seventies’ glamour, often with flounces, and always full of motion. Jill Sander paired full-length skirts in vibrant colours with simple black or white t-shirts, in what was a beautifully executed, minimalist collection. This look is likely to make it onto the high street this season, and will hopefully break the body-con mindset we’ve had ground into us by Balmain for the past three years. Looks that could be easier to translate for the masses are shoulder cut-outs and sheer panelling, as well as deep, plunging V-necks.

Rodarte and Yves Saint Laurent gave us two very different examples of how cut outs at the shoulders could be seductive. Rodarte’s interpretation was incredibly structured, with tailored garments which had perfectly angled panels removed from the shoulders.

Yves Saint Laurent approached the trend in a seventies’ way, making a teardrop-shaped cut-out, and allowing the material to drape elegantly over the arm. Sheer panelling remains important this season, with the best examples to be seen at Proenza Schouler.

This should be a big hit on the high street, as people have become familiar with the idea over the past few seasons.Colours and patterns this season will likely be inspired by Muiccia Prada, who showed us minimal nineties’ shapes in bright block colours and playful fruit and monkey patterns. This trend will be given heightened relevance by Anna Della Russo’s well-publicised fruit hats. Vibrant jewel tones, as seen at Louis Vuitton, will also be important colours for spring. Feather trim, as shown at both Alexander McQueen and Chanel, would soften the look when paired with the somewhat brash colours of the season. Another trend that will be easy to warm to is ballet style clothes, a look inspired by the Rodarte costumes in the film ‘Black Swan’. Dancewear wasn’t a major runway trend, but as with the turbans in ‘Sex and the City’ last season, ballet looks should make an impact this spring. Minimalism, although still dominated by

StyleBy Danny Lambert

Spring/Summer 2011Roisin Sweeney gives us a heads up on what to expect for the upcoming season.

Celine, was done beautifully by Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein. He made incredible use of the flow of materials, and everything was impeccably cut and often to midi-length. Much of the collection was done in white, on a par with Celine’s showing. Although still retaining her minimalist aesthetic, Phoebe Philo added some fringing and draping into her Celine collection this season, as well as an unusual patchwork. Minimalism will hopefully gain greater prominence on the high street this season. However, with this trend, the quality of material used is vital, and this is something that Penneys and Topshop don’t excel at. Spring/Summer 2011 heralds the early trends of a new decade, and I believe the collections showed a renewed vigour and life, which will hopefully continue. The looks were bright and appeared to come from a hopeful mindset, a good antidote to the economically negative end to 2010.

From Left:

Aisling Flowers (Age 18)2nd Economics & PoliticsFavourite Shop: Penney’sStyle Icon: Zooey Deschanel

Michael Love (Age 19)1st ScienceFavourite Shop: TK MaxxStyle Icon: Akon

Rose Brennan (Age 18)1st Arts (English & Drama)Favourite Shop: HarlequinStyle Icon: Twiggy

Campus

The Siren 25.01.11 9fashion

Chic

Eek

by Aoifa Smyth

Sanity is a grey area. It can be defined as

adhering to the general consensus of a

community where any deviance becomes

an attribute of insanity. In a world where

being unique is considered successful,

but being different is failure, this sounds

like a contradiction. Designers strive to

position their lines as unique compared

to competitors, whilst also attempting to

remain in line with the criteria of what’s

acceptable to be worn.

When Lady GaGa performed at the O2

in Dublin, thousands of fans dressed in

imitation outfits of her signature looks. Her

day to day attires are identical resemblances

of her onstage costumes. It seems like since

her small appearance in The Hills, she has

rocketed to a style icon. Switch to Ke$ha,

whom the jury is still out on regarding

sanity. Glitter, questionable wardrobe

decisions and stupid hair? The GaGa recipe?

Not quite. There is one large difference

between these people. Lady GaGa has the

respect of the fashion community. She has

made tributes to famous fashion icons, such

as Michael Jackson, in her outfits, as well

as referencing haute couture as inspiration

for her costumes. By generating a unique

personality, whilst keeping within trends

and styles of the past, she has now become

an inspiration or muse for many young

designers. Ke$ha is just different.

Fashion has always been about pushing

boundaries. Considering women who

wore trousers one hundred years ago were

considered ‘deviant’, this demonstrates

that something perceived as odd, insane,

different or obscene today may be our

grandchildren’s attire. As with this fashion

statement, the first woman to wear trousers

had done so in an attempt to encourage

and publicise equality between men and

women. More recently we have seen the

use of condoms to create full dresses for a

campaign promoting awareness of AIDS.

The artist Adriana Bertini, who worked

as a volunteer with HIV-positive children

in her native Brazil, designed these to

communicate that condoms should be a

basic necessity, equivalent to the clothes you

wear.

Among many other things, Charlie Sheen

has become somewhat famous for wearing

his pyjamas in public. In the 1990’s, he

would arrive at the most prestigious clubs

and restaurants of LA wearing what he

liked to call “leisure suits.” The star now

earns $2 million a week from his CBS TV

show, Two and a Half Men, but still insists

on this behaviour. On the surface it appears

exiting rehab so soon wasn’t the best idea,

but he logically explains it as finding it

pointless to get dressed to just change again

when he arrives at work for shooting the

TV show. This doesn’t explain why he turns

up at restaurants in his leisure suits - but

fast forward to modern Ireland, and it isn’t

uncommon to see women in their pyjamas

doing shopping in 24 hour supermarkets, or

dropping kids off at school.

Lady GaGa is always the one to watch for

pushing boundaries and unique appearance.

Many say she is ahead of her time, and her

unwillingness to compromise is admirable.

She dressed like this before she was famous,

and her credibility has been generated from

By Laura McNally

If there’s one New Year’s resolution you’ll

definitely benefit from making this year, it’s

following a beauty regime that will keep

your skin looking flawless and glowing.

Taking care of your skin by cleansing,

toning, moisturising and exfoliating

regularly are essential if you want to achieve

a fresh-faced look.

Start off your day by cleansing the skin

using a wash and warm water. If you have

sensitive skin, be careful when choosing

beauty products, and avoid products which

contain perfume. ‘Simple’ do a great range

of affordable products for skincare and have

no added perfumes or harsh ingredients.

Splash some warm water on your face to

begin, this will open the pores in your skin

for a deep cleanse. Rub some wash on in

circular motions, paying particular attention

to problem areas, such as round the nose and

chin. Next, take a small facecloth and soak

it in warm water. Rinse it and wipe away all

face wash on the face. After you have done

this, splash your face with cold water to

close the pores.

The next step is toning. Using a cotton pad,

wipe some toner onto your face. Next, it’s

time to moisturise. Rub the moisturiser in

circular motions on the face. Make sure to

spend time rubbing it into the skin, so it

absorbs as much of it as possible. Wiping

moisturiser on the face and leaving it to dry

will not have the same affect if you don’t

make sure to massage it into the skin! Now,

you’re ready to apply your make-up for the

day.

For night-time, it’s important to spend

some time removing all traces of make-up

from the face. After cleansing, the toner will

help remove any traces of make-up which

were left behind from cleansing. If you

have acne-prone skin, skip the moisturiser

at night-time and instead apply some

acne cream. If you suffer from mild skin

problems, try some tea tree or witch hazel.

For more intense acne, try some stronger

topical ointments or creams which can be

prescribed by your doctor. If you have dry

skin, use moisturiser. E45 do a great range

of moisturisers designed specifically for very

dry skin.

Exfoliating is also a very important part

of skincare, as it removes all traces of dead

skin cells which build up on the face. It is

recommended that you should exfoliate

the skin 1-2 times a week. St Ives and

Simple have great exfoliating products. For

a homemade exfoliating mix, pour some

honey into a bowl and add a small amount

of sugar. Rub this gently on the skin.

Remove using a warm damp facecloth and

apply moisturiser.

Visit your local beautician which stocks

Dermalogica products, for a personalised

intensive skin regime. The products aren’t

cheap, but they last for at least four months.

Not only that, but they will leave your skin

feeling brand new. Dermalogica cater for all

skin types and their face masks make your

skin feel like silk.

New Year, New Skin Regime

Who’s Gaga and who’s not?With fashion extremes seeming to have no boundaries, Alex Fingleton investigates where the normality begins & ends.

Fruit/Tropical printsUnleash your inner Katy Perrywith this new, fun trend the minute that spring arrives.

Anna Dello Russo perfumeFashion hot shot Anna Dello Russo released her very own fragrance which comes in a quaint golden shoe.Check out the ad online for a glance at her stunning apartment which iscrammed with drool-worthy pieces.

Russian HatsFrom Russia with love; these furry acces-sories are so stylish, and yet, very practical.The bigger, the better.

The Return of the FlareHow many times is there going to bea flares revival be-fore the messagegets through?!

Sale LeftoversThey’re there for a reason. Unlessyou’re handy with a sewingmachine, I think you can managewithout the size 18 denim cat suit.

The Royal WeddingThe English press aren’t going to stop talking about it until it happens, and they might not stop even after the big day on April 29th . Snoozefest.

her integrity and genuine fashion choices.

However, my mind is put at ease in the

knowledge that I’ll be dead by the time my

grandchildren are wearing condom dresses.

The Siren 25.01.1110

Charity shops used to have a

reputation for being stuffy, old-

fashioned and unlikely to hold

anything of value. However,

opinions have been transformed

in recent years, with the rise of

vintage fashion  and bohemian

chic. Especially now, as the global

recession kicks in, more people are

seeking to find bargains and stay

out of debt – and a browse in a

charity shop is one piece of debt

advice that should not be ignored.

The obvious appeal of charity shops

is that they are gloriously cheap –

however, this does not mean that

their goods are any less worthy than

regular high street brands. In fact,

most of the clothes given to charity

shops were previously available on

the high street, and most of them

are only a couple of years old. It

is not unusual to find an item of

clothing with a familiar label on a

charity rack, for only a few euro.

And this, in a time of monetary

hardship, is not something to be

passed by. Charity shops often have

bargains, and it would be foolish

not to snap them up.

Another ‘win’ for charity shopping

is that such shops are not only

finding bargains, but are helping

worthy causes at the same time.

The ethical benefits are abundant:

what could be bad about spending

money in a charity shop, and

knowing that the benefits will

be seen by those less fortunate?

Spending money on the high street

serves only to line the pockets of

CEO’s and businessmen, not to

mention the stories of sweatshop

workers who are paid a pittance to

make the mass-produced clothes

that are sold in their droves.

It must also be noted that charity

shops don’t only sell used clothes

and books. They also often stock

large ranges of accessories that are

brand new and not sold anywhere

else. The most common of these

are scarves and bags, and an

increasing amount of charity shops

are now stocking jewellery, which

– because of its place in the charity

shop – is usually very cheap. The

pieces are often handmade and

unique, so they are unlikely to be

seen in any high street chain shops.

Dublin City is awash with charity

stores, here are a few if you can’t

seem to locate them!

Otherwise, ratemyarea.com is a

very useful website for locating

charity shops in your local area

– you may be surprised with the

outcome. So before you decide to

fork out €60 for that dress, have

a gander in Oxfam or the likes.

What’s the worst that

could happen?

Oxfam Books · Parliament St

Oxfam Charity Shops · Citywide, including Georges St, St. Anne St, Dundrum

Enable Ireland Charity Shops · Citywide, including Georges St, Camden St

Irish Cancer Society Charity Shops · Citywide, including Camden St, Capel St

CASA Shop Charity Shops · City Centre, including Capel St, Mary St

Goodwill Thrift Shops · City Centre, Capel St

Gorta Charity Shops · City Centre, Capel St, Liffey St

All in the Name of CharityKelly Nwaokorie explores the beauty of the Charity Shop.

As I write this article, Louboutin’s

online shop is kindly informing me

that there is exactly 151 days, 8 hours,

38 minutes and 39 seconds left in the

countdown to his Spring/Summer

2011 collection.   As shoppers browse

the website, they are welcomed by

the image of Louboutin himself, a

seemingly sinister character who

magically levitates the words ‘SHOP

ONLINE’ in mesmerising neon green.

Frankly, it’s entrancing, if not a little

creepy. Clicking on it, millions are

forced to sigh at the precious gems he

has cultivated through leather; wistfully

dreaming about how good they would

look in such beautiful footwear. He

knows how to captivate women and

men alike into the luxury of his red

soled beauties, he knows how to make

you buy them, and by God, he knows

how to make shoes.

Surprisingly, the Christian Louboutin

brand was only launched in 1992,

following Louboutin’s previous roles

within various fashion houses, but this

famed brand is now hugely recognised,

featuring heavily on every red carpet

event, in the media, in Hollywood

films, and bad Jennifer Lopez songs.

The most striking feature about the

Louboutin is the signature red sole

which is greatly recognised culturally

as a symbol of ultimate luxury in

footwear; a touch stemming from

Christian’s experimentations with

a bottle of Chanel rouge nail polish

backstage at a show.   These red soles

come with a status that is lusted after, as

their creator, who aimed ‘to make shoes

like jewels’, has established the ultimate

fashionista’s symbol.  So let’s take a trip

down Louboutin memory lane… The

history of the Louboutin is just as racy

as the sky-scraping heels, the collections

being the brainchild of a man who, at

the age of twelve, snuck out late at

night to take a glimpse at the Parisian

showgirls on display in burlesque clubs.

These seductive influences are present

in all of Louboutin’s collections, which

entice window shoppers with their

needle-pointed stilettos, patent leather,

occasional fringing, studs or glitzy

embellishments.

But as the young Christian Louboutin

spent his days dreaming of the

exuberant, seductive nuances of the

cabaret he visited late at night, he fell

upon his main inspiration, an image of

a lone stiletto slashed with a red line to

warn ladies of the impact of their heel

marks upon the African and Oceanic

Art Museum’s floor. This silhouette of

both the showgirl’s female form, and

the sharp stiletto, form the backbone of

his collections, even in the men’s range,

which feature both velvet and studding,

much like the interior of his teenage

haunts. By just looking at the curves of

his stiletto you can see a channelling of

the curvaceous feminine body.

Ode to LouboutinEvery girl turns her head when they catch a glimpse of those

famous red soles. Marguerite Murphy tells us why.

From here it appears Louboutin’s

interests in fashion develop into

freelance work for noted fashion

houses such as Chanel and Yves Saint

Laurent, earning him status in its own

right. After the first Parisian Louboutin

boutique opening in 1992, the brand

is quickly snapped up in established

department stores, opening standalone

flagships across the globe, making

Louboutin the word on every fashion

follower’s mouth. Not just a passing

trend, the high prices on Louboutin

shoes derive not from their A-list status,

but from their quality, ensuring they are

both long-lasting and provide comfort

in even the most vertical of heels.

Their artistry has not gone unnoticed

and Christian Louboutin has received

two acclaimed FFANY awards, a nod

to his fantastic craftsmanship.  Perhaps

most notably, in 2002 Louboutin was

the first, and only, external brand to

work with Yves Saint Laurent and

feature as a design collaboration, a once

in a lifetime opportunity.

What’s better, the Louboutin brand

doesn’t gender discriminate, featuring

footwear for both men and women, all

of which are luxurious, colourful and

adorned with various decor to ensure

they do not blend into a crowd.  Sadly,

with a starting price at around €375,

I might have to slip back into the

Converse…Maybe when the first

post-grad pay cheque comes in. Sigh.

150 days, 2 hours, 19 minutes and 54

seconds to go.

The Siren 25.01.11

Arts

11

Louise Johnston is like many UCD-educated

South Dublin girls. She studies Economics,

she has been on a J1, she wants to visit

Thailand, and she has worked with various

promotion companies for a number of years.

However, unlike a typical UCD student,

Louise – along with her co-stars Danielle

Robinson and Vogue Wilson – are the focus

of a national television programme.

Fade Street has been relatively successful

in the ratings since it first aired before

Christmas, and has become the guilty

pleasure of many young men and women

across the country. Some viewers may have

flinched at the thought of watching what

was perceived to be an Irish version of

MTV’s The Hills. Although the show does

resemble its MTV counterpart in many

respects, it is far more humble – the two

stars of the show, Louise and Danni, are

often seen arguing about dirty dishes in

their city centre flat – and it is perhaps more

realistic, as the show’s stars all work jobs

that are not necessarily ‘glamorous’.

But how did an economics student

become Ireland’s answer to

Audrina Patridge? Louise, who

is in her final year in UCD,

was spotted by a producer

whilst working as

hostess at the front

door of Krystle

nightclub, the

popular semi-

celeb haunt on

Harcourt Street.

When the

concept of

the show was

first pitched to

her, Louise was

reluctant to get

involved. “I think

anyone would be

a small bit reluctant,

you’re really putting

yourself out there, and

if you don’t have the

proper relationship with the

production company, you’re not

going to be happy with the way

you are going to come across in the

show.” However, after a bit of persuasion,

she was convinced that it would be a bit

of fun.

Although she may not have an interest in

pursuing a career in economics when she

completes her degree this year – laughingly

remarking, “I wouldn’t want to be

responsible for the future of our economy”

– Louise realised from an early stage that

“You run on money”, and has held down

several part-time jobs for most of her time

in UCD.

She worked at Krystle nightclub for some

time, commenting on the famous people

she met: “To be honest, the more famous

people get, the more sound they are and

down to earth and less trouble they tend

to be.”

As well as being an active member of C&E

in her early years at college, Louise also did

promotion work for various companies, and

was one of Red Bull’s “Wings Girls”, often

seen driving the distinctive looking Red

Bull car through campus.

Reflecting on her time at university, she

remarked, “The best days were the ones

where you would spend the whole day in

UCD, from seven in the morning putting

up posters to staying in the student bar until

one o’clock in the morning.”

Fade Street’s critics say it’s all scripted, but

Louise is quick to dispute this. “There is

absolutely no script, it’s so annoying, ‘cause

you have to keep saying it, but there is no

script. I honestly wouldn’t have the time to

be learning scripts, I’m very bad at learning

things off – hence why I have had to repeat

a few exams here and there.”

Although there may not be a script,

participants in the show are given some

direction. “It’s called constructed reality

drama, so situations are going to be

constructed. because they have to. For

example, in episode one…I had never met

Vogue in my life but we had to go to the

Stellar interview together,” said Louise.

The show does blur the lines between

reality and “constructed reality” somewhat,

and is unique in the sense that it not

only features those who were cast by the

production company and put together –

such as Louise, Danielle and Vogue – but

it also features some of the cast members’

real-life friends.

The infamous Paul was Danielle’s boyfriend

before the show, and Harrison, who we

saw Louise dating in previous episodes, is a

friend of hers from UCD.

However, although the main stars had not

known each other before filming, they did

become good friends. Louise’s first meeting

with Vogue was striking. “I was never told

there was going to be another girl doing

the interview, so I was in shock when she

walked in the door at Stellar. I was like ‘Jeez,

I’m up against a model who has had a lot

more experience in the fashion industry

than I have.’ But when we finished filming

those scenes, and I was having a chat outside

[with] her… she was so nice and down to

earth that I knew straight away that we were

going to get along, but there was still going

to be that sense of competition, because we

ultimately didn’t know who was going to

get the job at the end.”

Speaking about Danni, Louise was a bit

more hesitant, saying that they did “clash…

Even physically, we are on different ends of

the scale, she is more gothic and tattooed

and I am not at all – [but] she is lovely, she

wears her heart on her sleeve.”

As for Danni’s ex-boyfriend Paul, who

developed a cult following online after his

appearance on the show, Louise remarked,

“On and off camera he was quite hard to

talk to.”

Watching herself on television is at times a

cringeworthy experience for Louise. “We

filmed that months ago. Just imagine, on a

night out like the other night, being filmed

drunk and your friends show it back to you

a week later – you’re like, ‘Oh God’.”

In the first episode, a nervous Louise

congratulated the editor of Stellar Magazine

after she was given a position at the

publication at the end of the interview. She

still gets a bit of slack from her friends for

the gaffe. “All the time, people come up to

me and say ‘Congratulations,’ and it is funny,

I would love to see how other people say

stupid things in interviews... You just have

to be able to laugh at yourself.”

Although the programme hasn’t been

received well by some, Louise says, “Overall

it’s really positive feedback, rarely would

you get someone coming up and being

rude to your face.”

“We know what Irish people are like, they

are more likely to come up to you when

they have had a few drinks on them in a

social situation. then when you are walking

down Grafton Street.”

“Sometimes. when you film out in a

public place, especially when we did the

Oktoberfest one, that was really annoying,

because people were really drunk and they

were jumping out in front of the camera.

So it wasn’t that we had to keep repeating

what we were saying, we just had to stop

because people are waving and saying ‘Hey

Mom!’

“The younger crowd come up to you

during the day, and they are always really

sweet.”

With filming completed for series one,

Louise seems hopeful that a second series

of Fade Street could be on the horizon.

“Fingers crossed, there is a lot of positive

feedback from RTÉ at the moment, so

we probably won’t know for another few

weeks or months.”

Until then Louise is trying to keep her

head down to complete her final semester

in UCD, but she still has a busy schedule

currently helping to manage the Grafton

Lounge at the weekends, working for

a friend’s beauty distribution company,

“Distinct Distributions”, and she has also

recently signed up with Assets Modeling

Agency.

Having missed the UCD Ball last year, she

is determined to make the event on the last

day of term this April, and although she

claims “there is nothing I would change

about my time in UCD because I have had

a really good experience… I am definitely

going to hang up the academic boots, even

though I don’t think I ever wore them that

much.”

Fade Street is produced by Straywave Media

and airs Mondays at 10.50pm on RTÉ Two.

Here Come the GirlsTalking to final year economics student Louise Johnston about her new found fame, her final year in UCD, Donie O’Sullivan asks the 22 year old Clonskeagh girl, ‘how fake is Fade Street?’

The Siren 25.01.1112

The UCD campus was swept up in the

magic of Harry Potter in the form of

a 24-hour-musical. Dramsoc’s latest

event, in aid of the charity Community

Outreach, was an event not to be

missed. Moving out of their usual

venue of the black box theatre in the

Arts Block, Harry Potter The Musical

managed to fill most of the Astra Hall.

From start to finish, the cast did not

fail to impress. Despite only having 24

hours to rehearse dance numbers, learn

lines and practice songs, the entire

ensemble gave a surprisingly seamless

show. The opening number was most

Musical Captures Potter Magicby Aisling Flynn Review - Harry Potter the Musical - Friday 21st January 2011

definitely the highlight of the show,

introducing each of the characters.

Harry (Molly O’ Mahony) first

appeared in a spotlight singing a soulful

lament about how he must get back to

Hogwarts. Within ten minutes he has

arrived at Hogwarts and is surrounded

by his friends, including Ron (Zoe

Reynolds) and Hermione (Nicole

Doyle). One can most definitely

overlook the fact that the two male

leads were played by women; it was all

part of the fun!

Standout performances came in

the form of Draco Malfoy (Sarah

Hamilton), who spent most of the

show rolling around on the floor,

Professor Snape (Ben Waddell), who

had the audience cracking up, and last

but not least the conjoined character of

Professor Quirrell (David Mulrooney)

and Voldemort (John Kelly). The two

spent the entire show tied together in

an oversized cape, and managed to sing

a duet on top on such restrictions.

All in all, for a group of people who

were admittedly sleep deprived, there

were almost no slip ups. At one point

the three main characters all referred to

each other as Hermione, but this just

added to the fun! The show’s director

Katie-Ann McDonough and producer

Mike Gallagher should be commended

on being able to rope together a show

of such a high standard in just 24 hours.

If this is what Dramsoc can muster up

in a single day, I look forward to seeing

what they can do in the future.

Danny Boyle’s newest feature explores

the real-life story of Adrenaline fuelled,

thrill junkie Aron Ralston who

during a hiking and climbing session

in the breathtakingly beautiful Blue

John Canyon in Utah, got his arm

immovably trapped under a boulder,

leaving him literally stuck between a

rock and a hard place. The legendary

filmmaker effortlessly covers the

horror and the unbelievable triumph

of the situation. Armed with one of

the finest upcoming stars in the Film

industry James Franco, Boyle makes

you understand the emotions leading

up to it and during many intense and

gruesome scenes. This film is not only

a contender for film of the year, but

leaves you with a much deeper respect

for Danny Boyle, James Franco and

Aron Ralston himself.

With most of the film being about

the isolation of being stuck in a

canyon, a lot rested on the shoulders

of James Franco. However former

Spiderman and James Dean star Franco

owns his performance, portraying

Ralston’s journey convincingly from

an uninhibited adventurer

to a physically and mentally

strained man, capable of

carving his own headstone

into a canyon wall. It’s

understandable that some

audiences may find 127 Hours

to be too graphic or even too

preachy at times, but the film

shall keep you on the edge

of your seat. Many critics

are praising of the accuracy

of the climbing techniques

and Ralston himself has

mentioned the movie being

"so factually accurate it is as

close to a documentary as you

can get, and still be a drama."

It’s a masterful performance

by Franco, sharply directed

with all the visual flair he can

bring to filming in a single

location by an experienced

Danny Boyle. 127 Hours is

must see and will prove stiff

competition with the likes of

The Kings Speech and Black

Swan, for film of 2011.

127 Hoursby Ryan Cullen

‘The King’s Speech’ follows the

travails of Prince Albert (Colin Firth)

as he struggles to fulfil his royal duties

hindered by a debilitating stutter. His

embarrassing failure to deliver official

speeches has driven him to seek speech

therapy. None of it works though

until he locates an unconventional

Australian (Geoffrey Rush) who insists

on informality and personal disclosure.

The Duke’s father, George V, soon dies,

leaving Albert’s roguish and fast-living

brother as an ill-suited king. It becomes

clear that the Prince will have to take

his brother’s place and he is faced with

the challenge of overcoming his stutter

for the role. Albert’s relationship with

his therapist is the focus of the film and

through it he successfully negotiates

the various ceremonies involved in

kinghood. His final challenge is to

address the nation when World War II

begins. Though focused on rather grand

characters, this is a simple human story

about overcoming personal limitations.

The film handles it in quite an earnest

way, taking Albert’s problem seriously

and never hinting that his role may

have been anything but crucial. The

unfolding of the relationships though is

subtle and entertaining. The therapist is

the much more engaging presence and

brings some life to the film in contrast

to Firth’s sombre (and overrated)

performance. His irreverence towards

aristocratic traditions and decorum

adds some humour, along with his

instructing of the king to sing and

swear his stutter away.

The general appearance of the film

is also a plus, with the textures of the

aging buildings caught well. The all’s-

well feel-good ending will have some

British breasts swelling with patriotic

pride but for others it will slightly spoil

an otherwise enjoyable film.

The King’s Speechby Cailean Mallon