Monthly Archives: November 2013

Gloria by Kerry Young

Published by Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408822883 Buy the Book REVIEW: PHOEBE WALKER Gloria is the second book in Kerry Young’s loosely related Jamaican trilogy, yet can be read perfectly well as a stand-alone novel, expansive, complex, and rich with characters and … Continue reading

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Bo Burnham: What.

Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre http://www.millvolvotynetheatre.co.uk/events/5115/bo-burnham-what-a-new-live-comedy-show-thing Review: Josh Brown At only 23 years old, it feels as though rising star Bo Burnham has already accomplished everything. How many other 23 year olds can claim to have three sold out tours, two … Continue reading

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Summer Camp

Pop Recs Ltd Review: Elizabeth Atkin Elizabeth Sankey and Jeremy Warmsley are a London-based married couple – who also happen to be the incredibly talented indie pop duo Summer Camp. They switched from their sometimes psychedelic, synth-infused take on … Continue reading

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Russell Kane

Northern Stage rEVIEW: Ben Oakes I like to think of myself as a reasonably funny person. “Ee you make me life,” and “proper funny you” are utterances I hear people direct to me at least, well, twice a week, and … Continue reading

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Laura Knight

Laing Art Gallery 2 November – 16 February http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/laing-art-gallery.html REVIEW: Fiona Lawson Dame Laura Knight (1877 – 1970) was regarded as one of the most pioneering artists of the 20th Century in Britain. Knight’s role model status was a result … Continue reading

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POLICA: Shulamith

Memphis Industries Available now  Review: Holly Cruddace Naming your album after a radical feminist is a bold move but unfortunately, ‘bold’ is not how I would describe Polica’s second album Shulamith. Despite being named after Canadian feminist Shulamith Firestone, Polica … Continue reading

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Pigtopia by Kitty Fitzgerald

Published by FABER & FABER ISBN: 9780571227327 http://www.hive.co.uk/book/pigtopia/6212376/  REVIEW: Matilda Neill Pigtopia is Fitzgerald’s latest novel and is a macabre but gripping tale set in the North East. It is narrated by two very different characters, Holly and Jack, telling … Continue reading

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You Don’t Know Anything: Stornoway

4AD Available now Review: Rosie Hewitson The Oxford quartet Stornoway have been very busy in 2013; their new EP, You Don’t Know Anything, follows their second album, Tales From Terra Firma, finally released in March, after more than a year’s … Continue reading

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Wolf Children

Tyneside Cinema  Dir: Mamoru Hosoda 177 minutes, U REVIEW: SARAH GONNET At its heart ‘Wolf Children’ is about the relationships within family, especially between brother and sister. It is certainly a film with a very big heart. After her partner – … Continue reading

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Empty Pools: Saturn Reruns

Battle Worldwide Available now Review: EVIE LAIGHT Bristolian indie rock band Empty Pools already have a cluster of songs out but Saturn Reruns is the first full length album the quartet has released. It’s named after a Saturn Return which, … Continue reading

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How to watch decent films and not sound like Scrooge this Christmas

Feature: Sarah Gonnet Even P.L. Travers, the writer of Mary Poppins hated the film version of her book. Her feud with Walt Disney is now the subject of the feature film Saving Mr Banks, which will be released at cinemas … Continue reading

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Cuckoo Playlist: Transitioning seasons

Playlist: Ethan Lunn Summer is over and winter is setting in. Here are some songs to remind you of summer and some that are appropriate for the winter months to ease you through the transition. Here’s To Never Growing Up … Continue reading

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Butterfly Grave by Anne Cassidy

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 9781408815526 http://www.hive.co.uk/book/butterfly-grave/17194574/ Review: Danielle Pratt The title of this book first drew me to reviewing it as the phrase ‘butterfly grave’ is enigmatic enough to grab any readers attention, especially if, like me, you enjoy crime … Continue reading

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Mixtape Theatre: Number 1s

The Dog and Parrot Upstairs http://mixtapetheatre.co.uk/ Review: Hannah Morpeth As part of Alphabetti’s ‘Brolly Season’ at The Dog and Parrot, Mixtape Theatre have created an innovative quiz night which sees talented play-writes take classics and rework them into unrecognisable pieces … Continue reading

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These New Puritans

The Sage, Gateshead Review: Jack blenkinsopp These New Puritans are a stunningly original, powerful and innovative band with two of the very best albums of recent years in Hidden and Field of Reeds; I was really interested to see how … Continue reading

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Local Natives

The Sage, Gateshead  Review: matilda neill The recent performance of this Californian five-piece was certainly memorable with their Americano-flecked-indie sound completely filling hall two of the Sage Gateshead –  a room that can only be described as a giant futuristic … Continue reading

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Cooking With Elvis

Live Theatre http://www.live.org.uk/whats-on-book/cooking-with-elvis Review: Emily Craig Cooking with Elvis is a play about a dysfunctional mother and daughter who are coming to terms with their father/husband’s accident which has left him paralysed. The play is written by Lee Hall who … Continue reading

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