Monthly Archives: September 2013

Why I love… Lemon Demon

http://lemondemon.bandcamp.com/ Feature: Josh Brown Bands or artists who originate on the internet, especially comedy bands or artists, are always greeted with a certain dismissal. The stigma of internet-based fame and developing niche music online is that a band can appear … Continue reading

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Season of Secrets by Sally Nicholls

Published by Scholastic ISBN: 9781407132785 http://www.hive.co.uk/ebook/season-of-secrets/16859273/  Review: Adam Swainston Any book with a quote from Jacqueline Wilson on the cover will undoubtedly peak my interest so Sally Nicholls’ Season of Secrets really got me intrigued. The story revolves around Molly, a … Continue reading

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Retail

Amy Mackelden The Customs House 18 September 2013 http://www.customshouse.co.uk/ http://amymackelden.com/retail/ REVIEW: Emily Park CCTV-inflicted paranoia, questionable characters and the occasional dead mouse – when combined with a flimsy, stockroom romance, you have the – albeit, dispiriting – recipe for a … Continue reading

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Mad Girl’s Love Song: Sylvia Plath and Life Before Ted by Andrew Wilson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster http://www.hive.co.uk/book/mad-girls-love-song-sylvia-plath-and-life-before-ted/16704558/ REVIEW: KATE TAYLOR Sylvia Plath lived for thirty years and yet the majority of biographies have concentrated on just seven – from the house party where she met her future husband, Ted Hughes, to the … Continue reading

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The appeal of post-apocalyptic narratives

Feature: Josh Brown Post-apocalyptic fiction is perhaps my favourite type of story; the concept alone is open to vastly different interpretations and there is the chance to create a thematically rich and engrossing world. However, even with these many different … Continue reading

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Wet House

Writer: Paddy Campbell Director: Max Roberts Live Theatre REVIEW: Sarah Gonnet Paddy Campbell’s debut play is just as devastating as it is hilarious. The play is part of Live Theatre’s celebration of their fortieth birthday, which showcases their emphasis on … Continue reading

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Theatre Royal, Newcastle 17 – 21 September 2013 www.theatreroyal.co.uk www.northernballet.com REVIEW: MARIA TANG Northern Ballet’s Oliver-nominated production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a very creative and modern balletic take on Shakespeare’s much loved comedy. Set in the classy 1940s, … Continue reading

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The Way, Way Back

Tyneside Cinema Dir: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash Starring: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Anna Sophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, Liam James Cert 12A, 103 minutes REVIEW: fionn OAKES I’d like to start by thanking Cuckoo … Continue reading

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We need to talk about Miley…or, we don’t

 FEATURE: Adam Swanston I don’t like or love Miley Cyrus. Neither do I dislike or detest her. In all respects, I am indifferent towards her. But more than that, I am perplexed. I’m confused as to why the whole world … Continue reading

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Holograms: Forever

Captured Tracks/Stranded Rekords Available now REVIEW: Rosie HEWITSON The first time I listened to Holograms’ eponymous debut, released last year, I was half convinced that it must have been a re-release of some 80s band or a Swedish version of … Continue reading

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The Age Of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

Published by Random House ISBN: 0857207253 http://www.hive.co.uk/book/the-age-of-miracles/16615060/ REVIEW: NASIM ASL Walker’s debut novel, The Age Of Miracles, brings the apocalyptical genre away from surreal natural disasters and government conspiracies to humbler, quieter and altogether more real phenomena – the slowing of … Continue reading

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Black Coffee Theatre: Found

Northern Stage 12th September 2013 http://www.northernstage.co.uk/ Review: Rosie hewitson I wasn’t sure what to expect from the little information I found about Found (I genuinely didn’t intend that pun, I swear) on Northern Stage and Black Coffee Theatre’s websites; the … Continue reading

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Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers ISBN: 0375990690 http://www.hive.co.uk/book/teardrop-teardrop-trilogy-book-1/17815005/ Review by Rachel Atkinson The long-lost city of Atlantis has seemingly remained untouched by the majority of young adult authors… until now. After the success of her internationally best-selling Fallen series, Kate … Continue reading

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Everyone likes but I don’t: Doctor Who

Feature: Josh Brown “I don’t like Doctor Who.” Such a thing I have rarely heard said in public and such a thing, if said on the internet, demands the scrutiny of thousands of forum-goers and social media junkies. Not liking … Continue reading

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After Such Kindness by Gaynor Arnold

Tindall Press ISBN: 9781781251591 http://www.hive.co.uk/book/after-such-kindness/17430979/ REVIEW: NASIM ASL Although numerous newspapers and reviewers have not stopped singing the praises of Arnold’s second novel fictitiously exploring relationships of literary figures (her first being between Dickens and his wife), After Such Kindness … Continue reading

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Paul Smith: A mind full of nothing but continue

Sage, Gateshead 14th September 2013 www.paulsmithmusic.eu http://www.greatnorthrunculture.org/aboutcommission?commid=64 REVIEW: HANNAH GRENCIS It’s the day before the Great North Run and at Sage Gateshead, Paul Smith is joined by five piece choral assemble Mouthful for a unique performance as part of Great … Continue reading

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Clouds Have Been My Foothold All Along

A restrospective of the work of Erwin Eisch National Glass Centre, Sunderland Saturday 29th June – 22nd September http://www.nationalglasscentre.com/about/whatson/details/?id=18 REVIEW: Sammy teasdale Erwin Eisch was born in 1927 in the Bavarian town of Frauvenau was introduced to art atan early … Continue reading

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Step Kids: Troubadour

Stones Throw Available now REVIEW: GEMMA HIRST When Steps Kids brought out their new album Troubadour, I’m not going to lie, I did have to visit Google. I found that Troubadour means, ‘a French medieval lyric poet composing and singing … Continue reading

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Weirdo by Cathi Unsworth

Published by Serpents Tail ISBN: 978-1846687921 http://www.hive.co.uk/book/weirdo/16861295/ Review: Sarah Gonnet I began Weirdo with a sense of trepidation as I foolishly assumed that every aspect of so called ‘emo fiction’ had already been covered by Steig Larsson’s character Lisbeth Salander. … Continue reading

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Drenge: Drenge

Infectious Music UK Available Now REVIEW: GEORGE AIRD First and foremost, Drenge are the most phonically appropriate named band of recent years; as soon as the name Drenge developed in the minds of this sibling duo, they were never destined … Continue reading

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