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NOW THEN. 

NICK DEAKIN. LEAFCUTTER JOHN. IAIN M BANKS. 

A FREE MAGAZINE FOR SHEFFIELD. ISSUE 32. FREE.

EDITORIAL. 

NOW THEN 32 // NOVEMBER. 

Hello You. 

MANAGEMENT. 

EDITOR. 

DESIGN/art. 

PROOF & COPY. 

ADVERTISING. 

Advert Design. 

ADMIN & FINANCE. 

PHOTOGRAPHY. 

DISTRIBUTION. 

WORDLIFE. 

CONTRIBUTORS. 

JAMES LOCK. 

SAM WALBY. 

MATT JONES. 

SHAUN FRIEND. 

SAM WALBY. 

feLICITY HEIDEN. 

BEN JACKSON. 

JAMES LOCK. 

Scott Greenway. 

SARA HILL. 

NATHAN GIBSON. 

BARNEY HARRIS. 

JOE KRISS. 

Jon McGregor. 

Al Mcclimens. 

Mark Doyle. 

IAN CRACKNELL. 

frASER BAYES. 

27B/6. 

freD OXBY. 

MEDIALENS. 

MATT JONES. 

BEN DOREY. 

SAM WALBY. 

JAMES LOCK. 

TOM ROPER. 

IMOGEN DECORDOVA. 

GORDON BARKER. 

JACK SCOURFIELD. 

SARA HILL. 

JOÃO PAULO SIMÕES. 

ALEX KEEGAN. 

Now Then is a free monthly 

magazine for people in Sheffield. 

We aim to cultivate choice, voice and responsibility 

by providing a platform for independent art, trade, 

music, writing and local news. We support Sheffield’s 

economy by only working with independent traders, 

community groups, charities and local government. 

Almost all articles published in this magazine 

are written by members of the community, not 

professionals. If you don’t like what you read or have 

something that needs to be said, get in touch. Your 

opinions make Now Then what it is. 

CONTACT: 

writer? 

subs@nowthenmagazine.com 

artist? 

jones@nowthenmagazine.com 

Musician? 

SAM@nowthenmagazine.com 

poet? 

joE@nowthenmagazine.com 

Want to advertise with us? 

BEN@nowthenmagazine.com 

Download back issues: 

nowthenmagazine.com 

Search ‘Now Then’ on Facebook. 

As you will have noticed unless you are incredibly inattentive, we 

have been experimenting with formats over the last couple of 

months in line with our expansion from 5,000 to 10,000 circulation. 

This time around we’ve opted for a thicker cover and an uncoated 

interior. Let us know what you think about it compared with 

previous issues. 

This month we’ve bagged an interview with sci-fi space opera 

author Iain M. Banks, who has just published Surface Detail, the 

ninth novel in his highly-acclaimed Culture series. The man is 

ferociously imaginative and knows his own mind. Go to page 20 to 

read more. 

It has taken us two and a half years, but now we have more space 

we’ve finally been able to fit Medialens in Now Then, a media 

watchdog that questions international news providers, political 

affiliations and corporate backslapping in a marvellously thorough 

way. 

Leafcutter John is our music interviewee, a member of the everappreciated 

modern jazz band Polar Bear and an accomplished 

solo artist in his own right. Geeky audio talk abounds. 

I know I say this every month, but seriously – send us your opinions. 

We’ve got more space than ever to print articles by local writers. 

I mean you. Don’t look over your shoulder. You. The one who has 

strong ideas and journalistic aspirations, but can’t find the time or 

motivation to put pen to paper. I’d like to say it’s your loss, but it’s 

ours as well. If you don’t try, you will never know. 

SAM. 

5//Localcheck. 

Chipping away behind the headlines. 

7//Making Notes. 

The Brixton Pound. 

9//Eggy Cleggy. 

That Bastard. 

12//27b/6. 

Blockbuster employee of the month. 

16//Surface Detail. 

The new Culture novel by Iain M. Banks. 

20//Iain M. Banks. 

Sci-fi don talks about Surface Detail. 

22//Medialens. 

Correcting the distorted vision of the corporate media. 

26//Wordlife. 

Jon McGregor / Al McClimens / Mark Doyle. 

38//nick deakin. 

Studies in simple. 

47//bigness. 

A rant of limited direction on trends in music. 

48//Live. 

Dum Dum Girls / Mount Kimbie / Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry / Dead 

Sons / Dutch Uncles. 

50//Sound. 

Letherette / oOoOO / Bozzwell / Magda. 

52//Leafcutter John. 

Computers never felt so unpredictable. 

54//headsup. 

King Mojo / What’s On. 

56//Theatre. 

Much Ado About Nothing at the Lantern. 

58//Filmreel. 

Machete / The Social Network. 

Now Then is produced by not-for-profit 

social enterprise Opus Independents. 

The views expressed in the following articles 

are the opinion of the writer(s) and not 

necessarily those of Now Then magazine. 

Enjoy the read. 

Printed on recycled paper at Printability. 

We recycle all possible materials with 

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NOW THEN.

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or call: 07973 343 458 

THE 19 

VICTORIAN 

TH 

CHRISTMAS 

MARKET 

Enjoy festive family entertainment 

and a warm Dickensian welcome! 

Over 100 Market Stalls & Traditional Fairground 

Sat 4th December 

10am - 7pm 

Children FREE 

Adults £4, Concession £3 

Kelham Island Museum 

Alma Street 

Sheffield S3 8RY 

Tel: 0114 272 2106 

Email: ask@simt.co.uk 

www.simt.co.uk 

KELHAM ISLAND MUSEUM 2010 

Sun 5th December 

10am - 5pm 

Something strange has happened 

with climate change. 

It’s cooled down again. I don’t mean that it isn’t real - it’s definitely 

still happening - but we’ve got another crisis to worry about now. 

It’s the stupid economy hitting the rocks, and when people start 

rioting in European cities, the political and wealthy classes come to 

attention. That’s a bit too close to their nice houses. Nevermind the 

melting icecaps or the parched Sahara, they want this one sorting 

out first – or instead. 

Do you remember when MPs expenses jeopardised democracy itself? 

Or when global Islamic terrorist networks were a threat to civilisation? It 

seems we can’t get enough of threats. Writers like Ulrich Beck have called 

our modern industrialised life a ‘risk society’. We’re supposed to anticipate 

and adapt to risk more than any previous society. Rubbish. 

LOCALCHECK. 

Chipping away behind the headlines. 

Hosted by Alt-Sheff. 

The Metro-reading public are herded from one worry to another without 

time to think, nor the means to tell truth from lies. Information overload? 

Not really, because to call it information is to over-value it. Much of 

the media we consume starts in press releases from businesses and 

governments with their own agenda. The power over our minds is the 

one they’re really after. This is made clear in a new film called Psywar, 

which had its UK launch at the Sheffield Social Centre collective’s recent 

Free School. It can be watched online by following the link from Sheffield 

Indymedia’s feature about the Free School. 

There are so many threatened crises they can’t all be true, can they? As 

usual the activists chipping away behind the headlines think they know 

what’s really going on. There is a massive global threat to our existence. 

What is it? Well, it’s not easily explained in one phrase like ‘Islamic 

terrorism’. In fact that’s a complete side issue, as we now know, that 

turned out to be a few odd blokes in Leeds, and populations in places like 

Afghanistan very pissed off with foreign interests interfering. So what 

it’s really all about is a combination of two centuries or more of industrial 

processes ripping up the planet’s surface, mixing up deadly chemical 

concoctions and pouring them into the biosphere, and aggressive 

capitalism with dodgy governments twisting public understanding of 

things. Global warming? Quite nice really. But call it climate chaos, or 

global dehydration, and suddenly it’s not so cosy. There is new evidence 

that cyclical solar radiation affects cloud formation, which masks the real 

impact of climate change every few years (remember where you heard 

this first!) But climate will soon be back at the top of the crisis agenda in a 

massive way. 

Why should anyone in a small city like Sheffield do anything about 

this? We all have to get up, work and pay the bills, and demonstrating 

isn’t going to change anything, is it? I’d have to agree, but I still go to 

demonstrations. One reason is that I learn more from the leaflets and 

speeches there than I do from the media. I meet people who also see 

through the media’s miasma of nonsense. I realise every time that there 

are a lot of us and that we’re growing stronger. It doesn’t matter that 

every battle isn’t won, because change is a process. The next generation 

will see the result of the green revolution, which has been building since 

the 60s, or they’ll die trying. 

Sheffield’s environmental movement includes the ever-growing Green 

Party and Sheffield Renewables, which will be doing its ‘people’s share 

offer’ soon. In October, a flash mob event about climate change in the 

Peace Gardens brought an American idea about mobilising people to 

Sheffield. Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change is also running a 

lecture series called Plan 2050, which you might just catch the end of this 

month. These people know more about what’s got to be done than the 

average Metro-reader or city councillor. Apologies to the elected members 

- many good people I’m sure - but there are things they just don’t have the 

time or knowledge to look into like the pressure groups can. 

But why should they – or we – listen to these pressure groups? The 

alternative is to listen to the business interests who got us into this mess. 

Carry on reading the Metro, everything will be alright... 

Look up some of the activities and groups on Alt-Sheff and find out what’s 

really going on. 

PAGE 4. 

alt-sheff.org 

PAGE 5.

Making 

Notes. 

The Brixton Pound. 

Ian Cracknell. 

nickdeakin.com 

PAGE 6. 

In September 2009, Brixton hit the national headlines with the news 

that it was to launch its own local currency, the Brixton Pound (B£). 

In discussing the story with a friend, I told her that I thought this was 

a brilliant thing - a vehicle for independent business to invest in itself, 

enabling like-minded individuals to put their money where their mouths 

are in direct support of local trade, keeping their hard-earned within the 

local economy. To my disbelief, my friend disagreed. She didn’t think it 

would work. It was idealistic. It was unrealistic. In summary, she didn’t think 

it was a good idea. I vowed to return to the issue a year later, as I had not 

just every hope for the project’s success, but every belief that this was a 

worthwhile, workable idea to strengthen independent trade within the 

community. I really wanted my friend to be wrong about this. 

Of equal value to your regular pound sterling, the B£ isn’t designed to 

replace our national currency, but to complement it, working to retain the 

diversity of traders on Brixton’s high street and markets. It isn’t the only 

local currency in the UK - there is the Totnes Pound in Devon, the Lewes 

Pound in Sussex and the Stroud Pound in Gloucestershire. These local 

currencies seem to be part of a growing global zeitgeist of supporting 

local independent trade and betterment of the environment by supplying 

consumer needs locally. The B£ was set up by a group of volunteers from 

Transition Town Brixton, a community-led organisation which is part of an 

international umbrella movement for action on energy issues and climate 

change. 

Local currencies are not a new thing. They’ve been in existence since the 

Middle Ages, and for centuries they were the only kind of money there 

was until European countries developed their own national currencies. But 

despite the concept’s long history, the project raises difficult questions. The 

B£ can’t be banked, so with both interest and lending removed from the 

financial circuit, isn’t the currency redundant for true investment in business 

and the local economy? As our financial transactions become increasingly 

paperless, doesn’t the future of a paper-only currency look doubtful? 

The former is a definite sticking point, and one that has already caused 

some businesses to opt out of the scheme, having found the process of 

exchanging the notes to be a hassle. But maybe that’s the key – instead 

of exchanging them, maybe they should be spending them on supplies 

from their fellow B£ trading stores. A potential answer to the second 

problem could also counteract the negative side-effect of the first, because 

Transition Town Brixton is currently working on a digital platform for mobile 

phones, potentially removing paper from the equation. 

So how do you measure the success of such a project? How about 

expansion? One year on, over 170 shops, restaurants, cafes and market 

traders in Brixton now accept the B£. There’s very little you can’t buy with 

the currency, from food, electronic goods, hardware and garden products 

to the services of pharmacists, drycleaners, solicitors and even architects. 

As an additional incentive, shoppers also receive selected discounts and 

special offers when making purchases with the B£. Even the local council, 

Lambeth, is working to enable people to pay their bills with the currency. 

How about the increased media profile for Brixton? Lambeth Council has 

estimated the value of the project’s national publicity campaign to be 

£10,000. The benefit to the shops is obvious - all participating businesses 

receive free advertising, marketing and publicity just by agreeing to take 

part in the scheme. There are a few places on the list that I’d like to make 

a point of visiting next time I’m in London, particularly The Bureau of Silly 

Ideas, where one can apparently indulge in theatre, pie-throwing and 

making robots. I mean, who wouldn’t want to support that? 

I still believe the Brixton Pound is a good thing and I’m happy to confirm 

that it continues to enjoy every success. It has succeeded in promoting 

an idea to the nation: that we can take greater control of the financial 

mechanisms within our communities, for the benefit of our much-loved 

independent shops and businesses, our relationship with them as 

consumers, our investment in the local economy and our impact on the 

environment. Sheffield Pound, anyone? 

brixtonpound.org / transitionnetwork.org 

PAGE 7.

THAT BASTARD. 

Fraser Bayes. 

I want to make a confession - I voted for the Liberal Democrats in the 

general election and now I feel like a cheap whore who has walked up and 

down Sunset Strip one too many times. 

While I’m at it I may as well confess that I have had to completely rewrite 

this article four times in the last month, as every week I am more appalled 

at what is being done by the Lib Dems in government. I accept that they 

had to go into a coalition with the Tories, as the math to go with Labour 

wasn’t there, but do they have no principles? Have they abandoned 

everything they stand for? All seemingly in the lust for power. 

The biggest change of late has to be university tuition fees. Most people 

don’t know what the Liberals stand for, as they historically get little press 

coverage, but I bet most students know that virtually all Lib Dem MPs 

signed a pledge saying that they would oppose any rise in fees. Now we see 

the appalling shame of Nick Clegg’s ‘new politics’, fighting an election on 

one thing and less than six months later abandoning it. £7000 a year is the 

new suggestion. 

He has worried many in his party by just how comfortable he seems in 

coalition with a Conservative government, not least the four out of ten 

people who voted for his party who said they would not have done so if 

they knew he would jump into bed with the Tories. Even with a margin of 

error of two, this is still well over a million people. 

During the election, the Lib Dems also fought against ‘Tory cuts’, saying 

huge cuts to the state while the economy is still fragile would risk a double 

dip recession. I agreed with that. Nobel Prize-winning economists agreed 

with that. Clegg will have us believe that right in the middle of the coalition 

negotiations, the Eurozone was in trouble due to levels of Greek debt 

and this caused him and his party to completely reverse their economic 

position. You will have to excuse me if I find this ridiculous. 

I would like to say this to Nick Clegg: do not insult the British people’s 

intelligence. Britain is the sixth richest country in the world. We are not 

Greece, who are twenty sixth - our economy is nearly six times bigger and 

as a nation we have not defaulted on our debt for hundreds of years. 

During the election, the Labour party pledged £80 million in loans to 

Sheffield Forgemasters, so it could invest in new equipment to meet 

a huge new order. Clegg first claimed that the shareholders would not 

‘dilute their share equity’. He has since stated that it was ‘simply an issue of 

affordability’. I would take it one step further and say it is simply an issue of 

ideology. Mr Clegg does not believe that the state should support industry 

in what is quite clearly a right-wing position. The loan would have been paid 

back with interest, but this opportunity has now passed and the contracts 

have no doubt gone to China or India. 

What I am aghast at is the nature in which the Lib Dem top brass is 

conforming to the Tory agenda. The Conservative manifesto stated that the 

party would affect little change to the NHS if elected, while the Lib Dems 

said something similar. Now what we have is the biggest structural reform 

of the NHS in its history, with GPs to be given control of budgeting. Let me 

put this straight: this government has no democratic mandate to do this. 

The NHS is the envy of the world. Universal health care for all – one of the 

great legacies of socialism. If the Tories or Liberals said during the election 

that they were planning this they would have been annihilated at the polls. 

The coalition is aiming to undermine the NHS and farm out healthcare to a 

number of the huge American companies that put profit before lives. We 

must fight this injustice for the sake of ourselves and future generations. 

A democracy is only as strong as its citizens make it. If you are unhappy 

with Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats, let them know by emailing 

them via writetothem.com. 

PAGE 8. 

photo: david spender. 

PAGE 9.

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PAGE 10. 

PAGE 11.

I find it annoying to pay late fees on movies and I am too lazy to return them on time, which leaves simply complaining about 

it. I used to know a guy named Matthew who would sell me copies of the latest movies for five dollars each, but they were 

all recorded by someone in a cinema with what appeared to be a low-resolution web cam and epilepsy. Several times during 

each movie, the person would shift positions or have people walk past and one time filmed the chair in front of him for at least 

twenty minutes. Matthew’s statement was that he did not know the quality before he got them but in one, the person filming 

answered his phone with “Hello Matthew speaking” and when I mentioned it to him he stopped selling me movies. 

27b/6. 

blockbuster employee of the month. 

27bslash6.com 

Dear Megan, 

Thank you for your letter regarding overdue fees. As all four movies were 

outstanding examples of modern cinematic masterpieces, your assumption 

that I would wish to retain them in my possession is understandable, but 

incorrect. Please check your records as these movies were returned on time 

over three weeks ago. I remember specifically driving there and having my 

offspring run them in due to the fact that I was wearing shorts and did not 

want the girl behind the counter to see my white hairy legs. 

Regards, David. 

Hi David 

Our computer system indicates otherwise. Please recheck and get back 

to me. 

Kind regards, 

Megan 

Dear Megan, 

Yes, they are definitely white and hairy. Viewed from the knees down, the 

similarity to two large albino caterpillars in parallel formation is frightening. 

People who knew what the word meant might describe them as ‘piliferous’, 

although there is something quite sexy about that word so perhaps they 

wouldn’t. 


Hi David 

No I mean our records indicate that the DVDs have not been returned. 

Please check and return as soon as possible. 

Kind regards, 

Megan 

Dear Megan, 

With the possible exception of Harold and Kumar Escape from 

Guantanamo Bay, the movies were not worth watching, let alone stealing. 

In Logan’s Run, for example, the computer crashed at the end when 

presented with conflicting facts and blew up, destroying the entire city. 

When my computer crashes I carry on a little bit and have a cigarette while 

it is rebooting. I don’t have to search through rubble for my loved ones. The 

same programmers probably designed the Blockbuster ‘returned or not’ 

database. 

Also, while one would assume the title Journey to the Centre of the Earth to 

be a metaphor, the movie was actually set in the centre of the earth which, 

being a solid core of iron with temperatures exceeding 4,300 degrees 

Celcius and pressures of 3,900 tons per square centimetre, does not seem 

very likely. 

Waterworld was actually pretty good though. My favourite bit was when 

they were on the water but the scene when Kevin Costner negotiated for 

peace, ending the war between fish and mankind moments before the 

whale army attacked, was also very good. 


David 

The DVDs are listed as not returned. If you cant locate the DVDs, you will 

be charged for the replacement cost. 

Megan 

Dear Megan, 

I have checked pricing at the DVD Warehouse and the cost of replacing 

your lost movies with new ones is as follows: 

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - $7.95 

Waterworld - $4.95 

Journey to the Centre of the Earth - $9.95 

Logan’s Run - $12.95 

I have no idea why Logan’s Run is the most expensive of the four movies as 

it was definitely the worst. Have you seen it? I wouldn’t pay $12.95 for that. 

I would use the money to buy a good movie instead. Probably something 

with Steven Seagal in it. The entire premise comprised of living a utopian 

and carefree lifestyle with only three drawbacks - wearing seventies 

jumpsuits, living in what looks like a giant shopping centre and not being 

allowed to live past 30. This would seem logical, though, as I would not 

want a bunch of old people hanging around complaining about their 

arthritis while I am trying to relax at the shopping centre in my jumpsuit 

trying not to think about the computer crashing. 

I was recently forced to do volunteer work at an aged care hospital. 

Footage of these people during Tuesday night line dancing could be used 

as an advertisement for the Logan’s Run solution. The only good aspect of 

working there was that I halved their medication, pocketing and selling the 

remainder, explaining the computer listed that as their dose and that they 

were welcome to check, knowing their abject fear of anything produced 

after the eighteenth century would prevent them from doing so. 

I also swapped my Sanyo 14-inch portable television for their Panasonic 

widescreen plasma while they were sleeping, explaining that it had always 

been that way and their senility was simply playing up due to the reduced 

dosage of drugs. 


Hi David 

I have not seen those movies so I dont know what you are talking about. 

I prefer romantic comedies. If you have the movies we can’t rent them 

so we lose money and the fees are based on what we would have made 

from renting them and we also have to purchase movies through our 

suppliers not from DVD Warehouse. 

Megan 

Dear Megan, 

I myself am also a huge fan of romantic comedies. Perhaps we could watch 

one together. I have a new Panasonic widescreen plasma. My favourite 

romantic comedy is Fatal Instinct, although it did not contain enough 

robots or explosions in my opinion and I was therefore unable to truly 

identify with the main characters on a personal and emotional level. 

Recently, I was tricked into watching The Notebook which was about 

geese. Lots of geese. It also had something to do with an old lady who 

conveniently lost her memory so she could not remember being a whore 

throughout the entire film. I don’t recall a lot of it as I was too busy being 

cross about watching it. In a utopian future society she would have been 

hunted down and killed at 30. 

In regards to the late fees, I understand the amount is based on what you 

lose by not being able to rent the movies out. You probably had people 

lined up around the block waiting to rent Logan’s Run. For $82 though, I 

could have purchased six copies of it from DVD Warehouse or, as I have 

heard he is a bit strapped for cash, had Kevin Costner visit my house in 

person and re-enact key scenes from Waterworld in my bathroom. 


Hi David. 

Restocking fees are: 

Journey to the Centre of the Earth - $9.30 

Logans Run - $7.90 

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - $6.30 

Waterworld - $5.70 

Total - $29.20 

I have deleted your late fees and noted on the computer that the 

amount owed is for the replacement movies not fees. 

Kind regards, 

Megan 

Dear Megan, 

Those prices seem reasonable. I do not want Logan’s Run but will pick up 

the other three when I come in next. 


What? The $29.20 is the cost of the replacement DVDs for the store. 

Megan 

Dear Megan, 

That makes more sense. I was wondering what I was going to do with two 

copies of each movie. 


What do you mean by two copies? Are you saying you found the four 

movies? 

Megan 

Dear Megan, 

Yes, they were on top of my fridge the whole time. Unfortunately I have a 

blind spot that prevents me from seeing this area of the kitchen as it is also 

where I keep my pile of unpaid bills. 

Last night I slept on the kitchen floor with the fridge door open due to my 

air conditioner being broken and the temperature outside exceeding that 

of the centre of the earth. As my fridge emits a high-pitched beep every 

30 seconds when left open, the vibrations from this caused the DVDs to 

wriggle forward over the space of many hours before toppling from the 

edge and I awoke to find them beside me on the pillow. As you have already 

waived the late fees, I will drop them off tonight and we will call it even. 


Ok. 

PAGE 12. 

PAGE 13.

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PAGE 14. 

PAGE 15.

Surface 

Detail. 

Support Sheffield Independent Traders. 

THE 

The new Culture novel by Iain M. Banks. 

Reviewer – Fred Oxby. 

October saw the release of Iain M. Bank’s 

long-awaited new novel Surface Detail, 

the most recent addition to his celebrated 

sci-fi series about a mischievous, anarchocommunist 

civilisation called the Culture. 

The Culture is a society of humans and super-intelligent machines that has reached 

dizzying heights of technological advancement. It is run almost entirely by drones 

and the staggeringly brainy minds of spaceships, leaving its human citizens to 

pursue lives of hedonism, far from the conflicts of the greater galaxy. As powerful 

and moral as they consider themselves, they are seldom above meddling in the 

business of other less advanced civilisations, often attempting to push their own 

ethical agenda through their shady Special Circumstances unit. Surface Detail 

rejoins the series in a late stage of the Culture’s development as it attempts to bring 

an end to one of the last remaining horrors of the Galaxy. 

Banks imagines that among the many bewildering techno feats of the future, the 

ability to save the brain state of an individual into a computer substrate has allowed 

many civilisations to create afterlives for their people. Although most are pleasant, 

heavenly environments, many are also hells that punish wrongdoing past the point 

of death in a virtual environment of pain and suffering. The debate over whether 

these hells are civilised and morally justifiable has lead the galactic community into 

a virtual war that now threatens to spill out into reality. 

The story follows six characters as they play different but no less crucial roles in an 

ever-escalating conflict over life and death itself. While at first these stories seem as 

disparate as they could be, Banks shows himself to be a master of his craft by slowly 

bringing these threads together into an epic showdown in space, virtual reality 

and aboard the awesomely powerful ships of the Culture. Not only is it narratively 

phenomenal, but it is also filled to the brim with wonderfully imagined details of 

the galaxy the plot inhabits. There are ancient habitats controlled by mysterious 

AIs, there are destructive swarms of matter which annihilate the fibres of the 

universe and there are spaceships that pack out into armadas of smaller warships in 

nano-seconds. Each chapter presents the reader with more ideas and complexities, 

completely absorbing them. 

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While definitely a work of fantasy, Surface Detail contains frequent allusions to 

our own society and its habits. The concept of torture and punishment is as real 

for us now as it may well be in the far-flung future, while the Culture’s incessant 

meddling in the affairs of others could easily be compared to the behaviour of the 

more powerful states on present-day Earth. It might be going too far to call Banks 

a moralist, but his works have always contained strong political messages that 

transcend the fabric of his scenarios and give his novels a dimension that elevates 

them far beyond mere science fiction. He uses his galaxy to compare and contrast 

many different yet familiar political models without overtly favouring one over 

the other. Like other greats of the genre like H. G. Wells, Phillip K. Dick and William 

Gibson, Banks’ books work on many more levels than the weird and wonderful 

realms his characters inhabit and there are more truths between the lines than ever, 

all framed in a disturbingly fertile imagination. 

His newest outing is fairly typical of most of Banks’ Culture novels, written with 

skill and aplomb and displaying a staggering mind for dreaming up pleasing 

technologies and macabre plot twists at every turn. That said, there are still minor 

gripes to be had here. His highly descriptive style occasionally compromises the 

flow of the book. Sentences can sometimes drag on and some paragraphs end 

up feeling too convoluted, occasionally needing more than one read before they 

make any sense. Some have also fairly criticised his characters for being hard 

to sympathise with. Indeed, almost all of Surface Detail’s cast are essentially 

sociopaths, meaning that readers who demand a more positive outlook from 

protagonists may well find themselves disappointed. 

Surface Detail has all the hallmarks that established Banks fans will know well from 

his previous Culture books, as well as plenty to interest the first time Banks reader. 

While seasoned Banksonians will relish a return to the Culture universe, there are 

few ideas that are not explained for the benefit of newcomers. The book transports 

readers into the far-flung future, where the galaxy is populated by a host of 

civilisations of varying technological prowess, while maintaining a sense that what 

is being discussed is not so far from home after all. 

PAGE 16. 

PAGE 17.

CAFE | BAR | SHOPS 

PAGE 18. 

PAGE 19.

Iain M. Banks. 

Sci-fi don talks about Surface Detail. 

Interview by Fred Oxby. 

Since the publication of Iain M Banks’ first science fiction novel Consider Phlebas 

in 1987, he has enjoyed an ever-growing cult following. While he divides his time 

between his sci-fi and mainstream books, his latest work Surface Detail (reviewed 

on page 16) brings readers back into the realm of the Culture, a utopian vision of 

humanity in the far-flung future. Now Then caught up with Iain to discuss the novel, 

his thoughts on the Culture and (inevitably) present-day politics. 

How did you get into writing? 

I wanted to be a writer in primary school. I discovered when I was quite young that 

there was such a thing as a professional writer and I decided I want to be one. I 

started trying to write novels when I was about 14. I wrote my first - not a very good 

one - when I was about 16 and just kept on going. I didn’t get anything published until 

I was about 30. 

Which authors have inspired you? 

Too many to mention. I get inspired by everything that means something to me. No 

single person, but what you might call the usual suspects. I’d like to think I’ve been 

inspired by Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Jane Austen, but I think you’d struggle to find 

any influence in my books. 

What are your ideal conditions for writing? 

I like to be at home, sitting at my desk and listening to music. I normally play a mixture 

of Radio 1 and Radio 3, but if there’s too much talking I tend to put on a CD or a 

playlist. I have found that Bach is very good. His piano and harpsichord works seem 

very useful. I make it as close to office hours as possible to fit in with the lives of my 

friends with normal jobs, so I try to get it done within the working week. It doesn’t 

always work though - sometimes I wake up at 4am and know that I have to start 

writing, but I try to keep it fairly controlled. 

What was the starting point for writing Surface Detail? How do you think it builds 

on past Culture novels? 

It comes from an earlier novel called Look to Windward, which features a civilisation 

that had a sort of electronic Valhalla, a place where the recorded consciousnesses of 

their fallen dead could go to exist after death. I decided this idea was too good for 

only one society and that it was the sort of thing all civilisations would be prone to. 

After that I thought it’s all very well having heavens, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a 

crowd with a cruel streak might also invent hell, maybe quite a few hells. I thought I’d 

network them together. This idea formed the basis of the strategic part of the book; 

this idea of having a war in the heavens. 

Surface Detail seems to focus on a less explored element of the Culture universe – 

virtual reality or immaterial existence through ‘sublimation’. Is this a direction you 

intend to pursue further? 

Yes, it is. I think it’s quite likely that the next Culture novel will be a bit more about the 

idea of subliming. It’s still quite a vague idea, but it could be at the fore of the next 

one. It’s to do with withdrawing from the day-to-day life of society, although on a 

much grander scale. To be honest, my thoughts are still developing on this subject 

and how best to express it. 

Is the Culture a utopia? 

Absolutely. I think it’s as close to a utopia as we are going to get. I can’t imagine 

anything better, as long as we are dealing with beings that are human in some 

recognisable sense. But it doesn’t read that way. The books are filled with violence 

and death, and that’s because I have to go to the extremes of the Culture, the outside 

skin of it and the way it interacts with others civilisations, to find the stories that I like. 

In its everyday life, the Culture is just a group of people having enormous fun. I worry 

for anyone who doesn’t think the Culture itself is a proper utopia. 

Is that why many of your charaters seem to be sociopaths? 

Yes - outsiders at the very least. It’s just so they have a different perspective on it. 

Frankly, your average Culture citizen would be too wishy-washy, traumatized by the 

first wiff of gunpowder or any equivalent thereof. Drones can switch on and off, but 

humans probably aren’t even able to withstand military training. 

To what extent is the Culture a vessel for your own politics? 

I think it’s a way of critiquing any power structure that we’ve ever known by nature 

of being exploitative, which the Culture isn’t. Cooperation works astoundingly and 

seems necessary for a good society, but I like the bracing feeling of swimming against 

the tide. 

Does sci-fi need to make such parallels? 

I think so. It’s quite an easy thing to do in a way, because you can completely redesign 

any given society specifically to point up any message you want to get across. It feels 

natural to talk about that scale of things and use science fiction to achieve it. 

One of the essential elements of the Culture strikes me as being the near-infinite 

abundance of everything imaginable to its citizens. To what extent is this the key 

to its structure and ethics? 

I think it’s one of them. You don’t really have the excuse of saying, “there’s nothing to 

go round so we’re gonna fight for it”. But that’s not really the end of it. It’s a necessary 

but not sufficient condition. The influence of the Minds is very important - these 

profoundly rational and deeply intelligent beings playing the part of benign gods. 

I don’t think today’s human beings have any chance of creating anything like the 

Culture. We’re too unkind to be pleasant to each other. I think we’d probably need to 

modify ourselves. We’re just too inherently vicious. Maybe there’s a genetic code for 

things like racism, homophobia, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, which all boil down 

to the fear of others. If we could eradicate that gene then maybe we could start to 

have something like the Culture. Maybe. 

Of all the aliens you have created over the years, do you have a favourite species? 

Probably the Dwellers [from The Algebraist]. I liked them from the start but I’m not 

sure why. They’re nice in quite a horrible way. 

Can you see an end to the Culture series? 

I can’t honestly see any necessary end in sight, but who knows. I enjoy writing about 

the Culture so much that I can envisage it going on for at least half a dozen more 

novels. Eventually I’ll have to stop writing them, but there won’t be a dramatic end. I’m 

determined not to write one, in fact. There’s so much temptation when you have so 

much control over a storyline in science fiction. 

But I think a central point about the Culture is that it’s here to stay. It wants to 

continue its good works and inspire other civilisations to become like it, take on some 

of its flavours. 

Are the rumours of a potential Culture film adaptation true? 

Yes. It’s one of my short stories called A Gift from the Culture but, as they say in 

Hollywood, don’t hold your breath. I haven’t seen a script or anything yet. 

Would you resist the idea of one of the longer books being brought to the big 

screen? 

No, I’d really like them to do Consider Phelbas first. They would have to chop bits out, 

but I think it would work as a film. Eventually you lose control but on the other hand 

more people get to see your ideas. You’d hope the positives outweigh the negatives. 

Would you have to advise them on how to pronounce your characters’ names? 

I already do, and I’m trying to convince them how the spaceships look, because I 

know they’ll look wrong. I’m sufficiently nerd-like to have drawings of my spaceships. 

They look like shoeboxes with the edges rounded off, although I haven’t drawn a new 

ship for about three decades. 

You are fairly vocal about your political opinions - how do you feel about the 

coalition government? 

I think it’s catastrophically awful. The last election basically had three Tory parties 

to vote for and now the shit is going to hit the fan. This idea that all these cuts are 

necessary is just bollocks, a political lie, a societal suicide. These Tories - we knew they 

were bastards but we didn’t know they were fucking idiots. As for the liberals - a lot 

of people voted for them specifically to keep the Tories out and now they find them 

to be cooperating. I think they have made a profound strategic mistake. They’ve not 

only shot themselves in the foot, but they’ve put the foot into their mouths and then 

done it. 

How do you define independence? 

As a politically-engaged Scot, this term has a different kind of meaning. Scottish 

independence is something I’ve come round to. Not a romantically held belief, but 

one formed because the SNP have had the most left wing manifesto in the last few 

elections. I now feel that Scotland could make a go of independence within Europe. 

Some English people seem to hate Europe so much you just want to turn around and 

say, “well get out then”. 

What’s next for Iain (M) Banks? 

Next is a new mainstream novel, which I’m starting to write (if things go to plan) on 

the 3rd of January. It’s awfully close to the time when the Hogmanay celebrations will 

have just ended, so I might be pushing time from my hangover. It will probably have 

some aspects of a thriller, set in Scotland and featuring feuding families again. 

PAGE 20. 

PAGE 21.

Medialens. 

Correcting the distorted vision of the corporate media. 

medialens.org 

The previous 10-month freeze on settlement growth in the West Bank, 

which has just ended, has not so far been renewed by Israel. This obduracy 

threatens to bring the negotiations to an abrupt halt. This was the deadlock 

that Obama’s letter was supposedly designed to break. Netanyahu 

reportedly declined the US offer, while Washington denies that a letter was 

ever sent. But according to the Israeli media, US officials in Washington are 

“incensed” by Netanyahu’s rejection. 

As Cook notes, the disclosures were made by an informed source: David 

Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a close associate 

of Dennis Ross, Obama’s chief adviser on the Middle East, who is said 

to have initiated the offer. Cook continues: “In return for a two-month 

extension of the settlement moratorium, the US promised to veto any UN 

Security Council proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the next 

year, and committed to not seek any further extensions of the freeze. The 

future of the settlements would be addressed only in a final agreement. 

The US would also allow Israel to keep a military presence in the West 

Bank’s Jordan Valley, even after the creation of a Palestinian state; continue 

controlling the borders of the Palestinian territories to prevent smuggling; 

provide Israel with enhanced weapons systems, security guarantees and 

increase its billions of dollars in annual aid; and create a regional security 

pact against Iran.” 

The Palestinian leadership, observes Cook, is certain to draw three major 

conclusions “from this attempt at deal-making over its head.” 

“The first is that the US president, much like his predecessors, is in no 

position to act as an honest broker. His interests in the negotiations largely 

coincide with Israel’s. Obama needs a short renewal of the freeze, and 

the semblance of continuing Israeli and Palestinian participation in the 

‘peace process’, until the US Congressional elections in November. The 

second conclusion - already strongly suspected by Mahmoud Abbas, the 

Palestinian president, and his advisers - is that Netanyahu, despite his 

professed desire to establish a Palestinian state, is being insincere.” 

Finally: “The third conclusion for the Palestinians is that no possible 

combination of governing parties in Israel is capable of signing an 

agreement with Abbas that will not entail significant compromises on the 

territorial integrity of a Palestinian state.” 

There was next to no coverage of these dramatic revelations and their 

implications in the UK news media. As far as we can determine, the 

Independent has remained silent, along with The Times and the bulk of the 

national press. 

cumbersome to use; so it has been difficult to verify whether BBC news 

online has reported it at all. But an email from Middle East editor Jeremy 

Bowen (see below) strongly suggests the corporation has yet to mention 

the disclosures about Obama’s letter, Netanyahu’s rejection of it, and what 

these latest developments might mean for a proper understanding of the 

Middle East “peace process”. 

On 4th October, we wrote to Jeremy Bowen, asking whether he was 

aware of Obama’s letter and Netanyhau’s rejection of it. We also referred 

to Cook’s report, highlighting the main conclusions that could be drawn, 

as we saw above: namely, that the US is no “honest broker”; the timing of 

Obama’s letter with forthcoming US Congressional elections is unlikely to 

be a coincidence; and that Netanyahu, and indeed the Israeli leadership as 

a whole, is not a sincere negotiating partner. We concluded in our email to 

Bowen: “Were you aware of these disclosures? And do you plan to report 

them, and their significance?” 

On 5th October, Bowen emailed back: “Yes, I am aware of the American 

proposals, which have been reported extensively since David Makovsky 

put them in the Washington Institute for Near East Policy site. I am in 

Lebanon working on a radio programme at the moment. I feel sure that the 

American offer will be part of my reporting when I am back with the Israelis 

and Palestinians.” 

We replied the following day: “It is noteworthy that the BBC has seemingly 

failed to report on President Obama’s letter, especially given the extensive 

resources at your disposal. Obama’s self-serving offer to the Israelis, and 

Netanyahu’s rejection of it, is significant for many reasons, as reporter 

Jonathan Cook makes clear in his piece. The role of the US as ‘honest 

broker’, and the cynical realpolitik of the timing with US Congressional 

elections in November, are laid bare; as is Netanyahu’s obstructionism and 

insincerity. The story is all over the Israeli media. 

“There were thus compelling reasons for the BBC to bring these disclosures 

in a timely and fully explanatory way to the attention of the public. That 

the BBC’s Middle East bureau is seemingly unable or unwilling to do so, 

regardless of whether you happen to be in Lebanon working on a radio 

programme, is grim news indeed. By denying the public vital facts that 

enable us to form a fully-rounded picture of what’s going on, you have 

surely neglected your professional responsibilities. This matters because 

ultimately people’s lives depend upon the truth being reported.” 

Media Lens is a UK-based media-watch project, 

which offers authoritative criticism of mainstream 

media bias and censorship, as well as providing 

in-depth analysis, quotes, media contact details and 

other resources. 

Our aim is to encourage the general population to 

challenge media managers, editors and journalists 

who set news agendas that traditionally reflect 

establishment and elite interests. 

We hope to raise public awareness of the 

underlying systemic failings of the corporate media 

to report the world around us honestly, fairly and 

accurately. 

Fundamentally, we wish to reduce suffering 

wherever it occurs. 

PAGE 22. 

DEATHLY SILENCE, OBAMA’S LETTER, NETANYAHU’S 

REJECTION AND THE MEDIA’S NON-RESPONSE. 

Following Israel’s capture of the West Bank in 1967, along with other 

territories including East Jerusalem, Israel has built and expanded Jewish 

settlements on occupied Palestinian land. The settlers enjoy the benefits 

of a separate, and far superior, civilian infrastructure to nearby Palestinian 

communities, and they are protected at great expense by the Israeli 

military. Under international law, the settlements are illegal. But despite 

private agreements with the US to rein in growth, Israel has continued the 

non-stop expansion of its illegal settlements. While the public stance of the 

United States is that it does not recognise “the international legitimacy” 

of the settlements, Washington has in practice provided decades-long 

support for Israeli policy. 

Earlier this week, independent journalist Jonathan Cook reported facts 

that blow a hole through the standard deceit that the United States is 

an “honest broker” for peace in the Middle East (1). As Cook explains, 

details were leaked of a letter sent by US President Barack Obama to 

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister: “Obama made a series of 

extraordinarily generous offers to Israel, many of them at the expense of 

the Palestinians, in return for a single minor concession from Netanyahu: a 

two-month extension of the partial freeze on settlement growth.” 

One welcome, although brief, exception appeared last week on the 

Guardian website by its Jerusalem-based correspondent Harriet Sherwood 

(2). Oddly this did not appear in the print edition, as far as we can 

determine from searches of the Lexis-Nexis newspaper database. 

A fleeting mention did, however, appear in the Guardian on 4th October 

(and the following day in the paper). Stretching his journalistic muscle to 

all of 40 words, Guardian assistant editor Simon Tisdall wrote blandly in his 

“world briefing”: “Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, is likewise 

refusing to budge. He reportedly told US officials that a 60-day extension 

to the building moratorium that expired last month, as sought by Obama, 

would damage his political credibility and endanger his coalition.” (3) 

Note the conformity to the requirements of professional journalism to 

report facts, but only superficially and without the context and analysis that 

might offend power. 

As far as we can see, the only other national UK newspaper to mention the 

latest disclosures was the Daily Telegraph, which had a printed piece titled 

inoffensively – indeed, deceptively - ‘Obama tries to keep peace deal on 

track’. The earlier online version was more honest: ‘Barack Obama “sent 

Israel letter outlining assurances on peace talks”’ (4). 

As for the BBC, the search function on its news website is notoriously 

Sign up for Medialens email alerts: 

medialens.org 

1. http://www.counterpunch.org/cook10042010.html 

2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/30/israel-obamanetanyahu-peace-talks 

3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica /2010/oct/04/ 

israel-palestine-peace-collapse 

4. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/ 

israel/8035425/Barack-Obama-sent-Israel-letter-outlining-assurances-onpeace-talks.html 

PAGE 23.

Live Wire 

[every Thursday] 

Hot Clubde Paris [LIVE] 

+ Pistola Kicks [LIVE] 

“There’s something cheeringly uncategorisable about 

Hot Club De Paris’ blend of twitchy punk, rococo guitar, 

lusty three-part folk harmonies and witty, occasionally 

foul-mouthed lyrics. Almost wilfully abstruse, but 

surprisingly charming live” – The Guardian 

“Pistola Kicks are the most exciting and promising 

band in Sheffield” – Iain Hodgson BBC Radio 

Thurs.21.Oct @ Foundry + Fusion 

10:30pm – 2am \ Tickets £4 adv (18+) 

 

The Tuesday Club 

presents: 

Arrested– 

Development [LIVE] 

+ DJ Zinc 

Legendary USA hip hop comes to Tuesday Club, famous 

for ‘Everyday People & Mr Wendal’ Arrested Development 

play live along side the music connoisseur choice 

DJ Zinc, producer behind the massive ‘Wile Out’ 

Tues.19.Oct @ Foundry + Fusion 


 

Hadouken! [LIVE] 

+ Pocket Lips [LIVE] 

+ Downslide [LIVE] 

“The latest album, For The Masses, is addictive, 

energizing, and catchy as hell.”- Q Magazine. 

Sat.23.Oct @ Foundry 

7.30pm \ Tickets £12.50 adv (14+) 

 


presents: 

Donae’O [LIVE] 

New Zealand’s– 

Shapeshifter [LIVE] 

+ MistaJam 

Donae’O (Devil In A Blue Dress, Party Hard & Riot Music) 

performs live along side New Zealand’s Shapeshifter and 

BBC Radio 1Xtra’s MistaJam. 

Tues.26.Oct @ Foundry + Fusion 


[2010] 

Oct.\Nov.\Dec. 

 

Live Wire 

[every Thursday] 

Diagram– 

of the Heart [LIVE] 

+ Dansette Junior [LIVE 

“Diagram of The Heart are amazing, so is their song 

“Dead Famous’ and that’s all there is to it.” – Popjustice.com 

Thurs.28 .Oct @ Foundry + Fusion 


 


presents: 

Beardyman [LIVE] 

[DJ Set] 

+ Doorly 

3 x UK Beatbox champion Beardyman brings his 

‘Where are you taking me’ tour to TTC! You can take 

the show anywhere you choose, in real time! Twitter, 

Facebook, and text messages will be aggregated live, 

on the giant screen for him to interact with live and 

off the cuff. Not to be missed! 

Tues.2.Nov @ Foundry + Fusion 

10:30pm – 2.30am \ Tickets £6 adv (18+) 

 

Live Wire 

Featuring: 

Hiem [LIVE] 

Bromheads [LIVE] 

Heebie Jeebies [LIVE] 

“Hiem combine to be one big sweaty electronic 

duo, like a communist transformer with synths” 

– Dazed & Confused 

“Bromheads do the Sheffield Shuffle and sing about 

real stuff to funky rhythms and bittersweet melodies.” 

– Drownedinsound.com 

Thurs.4.Nov @ Foundry + Fusion 


 


Birthday [Part 1] 

[LIVE] 

TheophilusLondon 

+The Count & Sinden 

A Brooklyn based rapper with a massive future ahead 

of him, Theophilus London has featured on the new 

Mark Ronson album and is currently working on a new 

super-group project with Ronson and Sam Sparro named 

‘Chauffeur’. Also on the bill are badmen of bass, The 

Count & Sinden touring their ‘Mega Mega Mega’ album. 


10:30pm – 3am \ Tickets £6.50 adv (18+) 

 

. 

 



Sub Focus [LIVE] 

+ Bassnectar [LIVE] 

After supporting Pendulum on their recent arena tour, 

the biggest thing in drum and bass and dance music in 

general right now, Sub Focus brings his awesome live 

show to The Tuesday Club. We are also very excited 

to announce the Sheffield debut for Californian live 

dubstepper, Bassnectar! 



 



Jagga [LIVE] 

+ Rusko 

A singer/songwriter/producer from East London, 

Jagga is a star in the making singed to EMI and touring 

with Magnetic Man and Rusko in the autumn – remember 

where you saw him first! Speaking of Rusko… he’ll be 

on hand to smash up the dancefloor in his own 

inimitable way! 



 

Marseille [LIVE] 

Featuring Neil Buchanan of Art Attack, these rockers 

are like Aerosmith, AC/DC, Kiss and a pinch of Slade 

in a blender! 

Fri.26.Nov @ Fusion 7-30 

Tickets U Card & NUS (14+) £5 / Non Students (18+) £7 

 

The Blackout [LIVE] 

+ We Are The– 

Ocean [LIVE] 

After a year of headlining the Kerrang! tour, touring 

with Limp Bizkit and You Me At Six, The Blackout 

close the year at Sheffield Students’ Union with 

We Are The Ocean in support. 

Sat.11.Dec @ Foundry 

7pm \ Tickets £12 adv (14+) 

Box Office Ticket Hotline ––––– 

0114 222 8777 

Artwork ©2010 

www.allthingsunlimited.com 

 

PAGE 24. 

PAGE 25.

WORDLIFE. 

sheffield poetics. 

collated & edited by joe kriss. 

Jon McGregor. 

Interview by Joe Kriss. 

Jon McGregor is the author of the critically acclaimed If Nobody Speaks 

of Remarkable Things and So Many Ways To Begin. He is the winner of 

the Betty Trask Prize and the Somerset Maugham Award, and has twice 

been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He was born in Bermuda in 

1976, but grew up in Norfolk and now lives in Nottingham. Even the 

Dogs is his third novel. Now Then caught up with him after his recent 

appearance at Off The Shelf Literature Festival. 

You’ve just read at the Rude Shipyard. Have you got any other links to 

Sheffield? 

I came to Sheffield straight after university in Bradford, lived in 

Netherthorpe for a year and worked at the Blackwells bookshop on Mappin 

Street for two months. That was the year I was first really trying to have a 

go at writing. I was really focused on just working enough to buy me time 

to write. When I was living in Netherthrope and they were redeveloping 

all the flats there, they were empty for ages. They had been gutted - all 

the electrics, all the doors - and there was this weird, almost plague-like 

atmosphere living in somewhere completely empty. That description ended 

up in Even the Dogs. 

The strongest elements of your style are those poetic descriptive pieces, 

but you’ve always said you don’t write poetry. How would you define 

your style? 

Poetry is hard to define, but for me there’s a big gap between heightened 

prose and poetry. Obviously there’s a broad range of thought about this, 

but poetry has a whole set of formalities and structures. The poetry I’m 

interested in is shape and form and that’s a long way from what I do in 

prose. 

One of the common threads throughout your novels is adopting 

different writing voices and styles. Was this to experiment with ways of 

telling a story? 

One of my main things was that everyday things were worth considering. 

It seems obvious to me to use heightened language to portray them, the 

cinema equivalent of lighting them in a certain way. I guess that is why, 

when I came to write the second book, it was lacking some of the poetic 

language, but that was deliberate as it was about relationships and lives 

and felt like a quieter novel. 

I always thought I’ve written very different books, but other people keep 

pointing out similarities. A few books down the line, I’ll be left only with 

those elements and that’ll be the finished article, the one that works best. 

I’m definitely keen not to be rewriting the same story and style. I want to try 

and find a form to fit the story I’m telling and experiment. 

In a way short stories are more important to me than novels. There’s 

nowhere to hide. It’s easier to study a short story - read it a few times and 

you can work out exactly how it works. 

Not Waving but Frowning. 

I often think I could tell the story of my marriage. It would be a short story. 

But I’d like to write it down, for the record. We met, we got married, we 

had kids, he went to sea, end of. I used to go down to the harbour to wave 

them off, on my own at first and then later with the girls in tow. They’re 

superstitious these trawler men. And off they’d sail for months on end and 

I’d be marooned on dry land, and not waving so much as frowning. 

In those nights the shipping forecast kept me company: it and the kids. The 

names worked like a lullaby. Faroes, Fair Isle, Viking, North Utsire, South 

Utsire, Forties, Fisher. One night I’d just drifted off when the coastguard 

called. The trawler had been hit by a wave the size of a two-storey barn. 

They had managed to send out a distress call but then the transmission 

stopped. There was a force nine and they didn’t expect to find any 

survivors. The next day the RAF couldn’t find them either. Not even a life 

raft. But I found something in the back of the box file where we kept the 

legal stuff. The trawler insurance had run out two months previously. Then I 

checked the holdall under the bed. £25K in twenties. I got the kids together 

and we spent that week packing and the next months waiting for the official 

announcements. It came in a letter from Grampian Police in Aberdeen. I had 

put the cottage up for sale immediately and stalled the buyers who mostly 

got fed up and quit with the delays. But then it all came together with a 

cash sale. When the phone rang, six months to the day after the sinking and 

on the eve of our wedding anniversary, it was the international operator, 

asking if I’d take a reverse charges phone call from Trondheim. 

‘Hello, pet. You ok, the kids?’ 

I ripped the phone out of the wall and piled everything into the van and we 

headed south. We were on the outskirts of Edinburgh when the youngest 

asked where we were going. Good question. I passed the road atlas to her 

big sister and told her to open a page at random. 

‘Where’s Sheffield?’ she said. 

We spent the first night in a Travelodge outside Rotherham on the hard 

shoulder of the M1. It was late and we were all too tired to sleep. I put the 

radio on out of habit. It was the shipping forecast. 

Dogger Bank. Is that where the trawler went down they asked? Yes, I told 

them. Is dad coming back, they asked? No, I told them. He’s not coming 

back. 

We got a place in Woodseats. It was hard at first, what with the new school 

and their accents and not knowing anyone, but whenever it got too much 

I’d spread the map out on the kitchen table. 

Look, I’d say. Look at that. Sheffield. You can’t get much further from the 

sea. That always did the trick. 

For ages the noise drove me crazy but eventually I got used to it and now I 

really enjoy the rumble of the trucks and the early morning traffic noise. It 

helps me feel connected to the city in a way I never really felt attached to 

the land and the sea. The kids are doing well at school and the neighbours 

have been good. The area’s ok and I meet other parents at the school 

meetings and I got a part time admin job with a local charity. 

Old friends will get in touch now and then. They only have an email contact. 

They ask how we are. I won’t tell them where. They ask about the kids. They 

ask about the weather. I tell them rough or very rough, occasional rain. 

Good, occasionally poor. 

Al Mcclimens. 

15th September 

Early Morning, 

Walkley. 

Walking past midnight 

on a Tuesday, my feet 

glide over swathes of 

smooth and lamp-post lined 

asphalt, crossing 

Springvale and Upperthorpe, 

passing the old Rasta 

who goes swimming 

in the university pool. 

A drivers’ face 

in a window 

shouts ‘weirdo!’ I wonder 

was he shouting at Rasta 

or me? Outside my house 

I urinate on the front lawn 

looking out over the 

city lights: Norton, 

Manor top, Don Valley, 

Rotherham, Lincolnshire. 

Somewhere in the deep 

a single hammer 

slowly repeats 

a regular beat. 

Red dots glow 

over the horizon. 

I squint my eyes, 

count them: 

three in a row. 

Mark Doyle. 

PAGE 26. 

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PAGE 37.

nick deakin. 

studies in simple. 

interview by jones. 

BASICS, PLEASE. WHAT STARTED YOU DRAWING? 

I’ve always drawn, and lego doesn’t scan that well. 

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM? 

Sex language music death love hate deprivation elation hope internet. 

TOOLS. WHAT DO YOU USE REGULARLY AND WHAT’S YOUR 

FAVOURITE? 

Black fine line bullet tip posca. Scanner. Mac. Mac is fave. Since Photoshop 4 

I’ve held it close. 

WHAT OTHER ARTISTIC MEDIA HAVE HAD AN EFFECT ON YOUR ART? 

The photocopier. 

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR DAYS? 

In the studio drinking coffee, playing loud music, eating sandwiches, 

making funnies, drawing stuff. 

WHICH OF YOUR RECENT PIECES HAVE YOU ENJOYED MAKING THE 

MOST? 

I made a pie a while ago that was something to behold. Meat and potato. 

The archetypal pie, apparently? Not my favorite. Let’s not confuse the 

issue, it’s steak and kidney. I wanted to start with the basics. I possibly put 

too much focus on getting the pastry right though because lord knows 

I love pastry. So that was key, and sweet flakey tits did I succeed. But I 

put all my eggs in one pastry, or basket, and didn’t give as much love and 

understanding to the potatoes. My parboiling was below par, and as a result 

the spud content was a little too al dente, a tad too firm under the gentle 

push of my teeth. Spoilt the whole thing. Indigestion, heartburn. Never has 

a pie that looked so good meant so little. It would have served six people 

heartily, big cumbersome slices spilling filling and hung thick with gravy. 

I had cat whimsy curled at my feet and I dreamt of days through a milky 

curtain, where grandkids would wax and beam smiles to my house with 

thoughts of grandpa’s famous pies. 

And I fucked it up. 

Somewhere along the way though, there was a huge surge of hope, surfing 

goofy on the pie’s intoxicating scent as the oven glowed. 

HOW HAS YOUR ART EVOLVED OVER TIME? 

It has become simpler. I’m shedding what I don’t need. I’m working towards 

a blank piece of paper. 

HOW HAS ART IN GENERAL CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED? 

The amount of talent out there now is stunning, or I am just more aware of 

it. 

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? 

Tees for the American Red Cross. A type poster for an exhibit in The Hague, 

and various type and character items for an ongoing branding project with 

Ledgard Jepson. 

ANY TIPS ON HOW TO SURVIVE MAKING MONEY FROM YOUR ART? DO 

YOU FIND IT IMPORTANT? 

Yes, it is important to survive. If you can do it by making art then cherish 

that. If you can do it making art you like then smile like a chuffed beetle and 

roll that dung home. 

WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE IN ART? 

Limp-wristed jizz-on-a-stick bollocks. 

WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE IN ART? 

Bus stop knobs. 

GOOD ADVICE YOU WISH YOU’D BEEN TOLD EARLIER? 

You’re a bellend Deakin. A bell end. 


PAGE 39.


PAGE 41.

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for for latest blogs, news, events 

and uncensored chat. 

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PAGE 45.

BIGNESS. 

A rant of limited direction on trends in music. 

Ben Dorey. 

Imagine yourself 60 years ago, in an age of immense flux 

in music, with Jazz rising in popularity and challenging the 

conventions of establishment music, and recorded music in 

its infancy - gramophone records pressed from takes of live 

concerts. It must have been pretty mindblowing to see virtuoso 

players eschew the score (if there even was one) and improvise 

complex parts off the top of their heads. A generation later and 

rock musicians had taken on the musical ideas from blues and 

jazz and were amplifying their efforts to huge crowds whilst 

strutting around in tight leather trousers. Nice. 

There is a rich tapestry of brilliant music stemming from these threads of change, 

but underlying all of this is the elevation of the musician to something at least as 

important as the music itself. This was mirrored in turn by the classical world, with 

the emergence of global superstars whose interpretations of famous works became 

increasingly ornamented and distanced from the originals as they performed 

them hundreds of times over, trying to retain some vague interest for themselves. 

Although, as a musician and avid fan of live music, I would never wish an end to 

the intensity of the one-off performance, a fallacy of ‘live is best’ has emerged, 

a statement officially supported by huge organisations such as The American 

Federation of Musicians. This pays no homage to the incredible advances in recording 

technology, which run parallel to the growth in popularity of live music and are 

instrumental to its success. 

A little-known figure in music history who challenged this fallacy is Glenn Gould, a 

man I have a lot of respect for. Gould was one of the leading concert pianists of his 

era, performing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from the age of sixteen and 

touring extensively throughout the Americas, Europe and the Soviet Union. But in 

1964 he abruptly withdrew from public performance. His reason was the possibility 

of the studio to create music of a standard beyond his own (very high) ones. In 

an entirely selfless gesture, he distanced himself, his ego and the accompanying 

deficiencies from a final product which he saw as doing more justice to the actual 

substance of the music. By splicing the best bits of various takes together and 

modifying elements post performance, he entered into a tradition that has since led 

to the studio becoming the most important instrument in music. 

By the mid-Seventies, the music world had entered into a weird transitional period. 

The fallacy ‘live music is the best’ still dominated people’s conscious opinions, but 

the reality of the industry was that the studio had already taken over. Despite more 

obvious examples of studio work existing - think King Tubby, Scratch Perry and 

Brian Eno for starters - rock music dominated. Yet the level of post production on 

all the biggest records was enormous, with bands spending months in the studio to 

produce a 50-minute LP. When people went to see bands they increasingly yearned 

for onstage reproductions of their favourite records, a trend which still exists in 

rock music today. When you go to a gig the biggest cheers nearly always come 

when a band plays the opening recognisable licks of their most successful record, 

and disappointment is often tangible when they announce that they’re playing an 

unreleased track. There are few popular bands in the modern age who launch into 

15-minute improvisations onstage and get a good reaction. 

Electronic music is the privileged child of the studio revolution, because most of the 

time there is no pretension that live is better. Advances in technology have opened 

up almost limitless musical possibilities to those prepared to put the hours in at the 

studio to realise their ideas. The most commonly accepted way of listening to such 

music in a public setting is via a DJ playing recordings, something which would be 

considered cheating by my parents’ generation but is now accepted as a valid way of 

listening. We have thankfully moved beyond the age where we need to have a visual, 

onstage indicator of where the music is coming from to consider it valid. Yet ego has 

entered into the world of electronic music in a most distasteful way, with the studio 

being abused to create tunes which sound ‘big’. It is a great shame that, in most UK 

clubs I go to, people are judging the worth of songs by how much they shake the 

place. Don’t get me wrong, it takes a lot of skill to create epically large sounds, just as 

it takes a wind player skill to play loudly without squeaking. But would you want to 

see said wind player play that loudly, unremittingly or rather have them express the 

full dynamism of music? With the age of the studio we should be able to refine more 

than ever music’s capacity to seduce through all the available modes possible. Listen 

to Stephan Bodzin’s ‘Bremen Ost’ (just type it in to youtube). It is like being wined and 

dined by music - varied, interesting, at times massive, but importantly not ALL of the 

time. In fact, there are points where what’s audible is little more than an electronic 

whimper. Fantastic. Now listen to any track by Rusko. It is the musical equivalent of 

having an old fat guy stick his tongue out and wave his knob in your face repeatedly. I 

know which I prefer. 

PAGE 47.

SOUND. 

MOUNT KIMBIE. dum dum girls. 

LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY / KING CAPISCE. dead sons / wet nuns. dutch uncles. 

Mount Kimbie. 

Dum Dum Girls. 

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry / 

King Capisce. 

dead sons / 

wet nuns. 

8th October. 

Bungalows and Bears. 

21st September. 

Queens Social Club. 

15th October. 

Plug. 

24th September. 

Montgomery Theatre. 

Reviewer – Imogen DeCordova 

reviewer – Tom Roper. 

reviewer - sam walby. 

Reviewer – james lock. 

Complaining about the lack of bass, Mount Kimbie obviously don’t feel suited to the 

venue, a fair evaluation as the duo are more familiar with 2am slots and soundsystems 

that convey every intricate detail of their beautifully constructed tunes. Theirs is the 

sort of music that is supposed to envelope you and come at you from every angle, 

something which unfortunately Bungalows and Bears wasn’t quite adept at providing. 

Debut album Crooks and Lovers was released this summer and received a huge 

amount of hype and praise from hipster bibles and red top tabloids alike, which 

isn’t so surprising seeing as their subtle blend of muffled hip hop beats and ambient 

sounds is nothing but likeable. The Kimbie Krew produce a noise that has been 

termed ‘post dubstep’ in the fickle world of musical trends, which if the post rock tag 

is anything to go by is a term that will be lazily thrown around for the next twenty 

years. 

There are a couple of bangers amongst some fillers and a few bum notes throughout 

the set. ‘Carbonated’ and ‘Before I Move Off’ both prove smooth yet simultaneously 

frantic tunes that showcase the glitchy, off-and-on vocals made popular by the 

musical styles these guys take influence from. Additional live drums, drum pad and 

guitar plump up the sound and keep those who could actually see the duo visually 

occupied if the sound alone didn’t quite prove enough. 

Crystal clear vocals provided by both Maker and Campos on ‘William’ were met with 

blank stares, as they remain mostly muted and indecipherable on their first EP and 

much time was spent debating whether they were an odd addition or homage to the 

garage inflected roots of dubstep. Either way, they didn’t go down particularly well. 

I’m not sure it would be fair to lay the blame on the Bung Bear sound, but the vocals 

were a bit too Audiobullys-ish and distracted from the backing beats. 

It gradually starts to get a bit more claustrophobic at the front and a sweaty fidget 

dance makes its way across the floor as the duo’s last song is announced with another 

apology for the “terrible, terrible sound”. 

Get hold of their back catalogue and lock yourself in a small dark room with as much 

bass as possible. That should do the trick. 

Backed by the sparkling silver curtains of the perfectly run-down Queens Social 

Club, the Dum Dum Girls, all black lace, red lips and laddered tights, look like an 

otherworldly group of gothic goddesses possessed by the power of attitude. It could 

be said that they have “a look”. 

Kicking off with a drowsy but powerful cover of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Play with Fire’, 

the band propel the sadness and danger captured in the original version with 

crescendo harmonies so cold, I’m expecting some dry ice to roll past their ankles. 

‘Hey Sis’ and ‘Catholicked’ both follow, infused with a Spector-esque hiss and echo 

that is complemented by the impressive vocal range and sweetly sung pitch perfect 

harmonies. Dee Dee’s ice cold attitude is constant throughout, rarely making eye 

contact with the crowd, instead focusing above the awe-struck audience, occasionally 

shaking her hips or bobbing her head from side to side. Buried under a thick layer 

of distortion and fuzz, the songs still manage to shine through like the sun braking 

through clouds. The infectious ‘Bhang Bhang’ creates some movement in the crowd 

with its impatient energy, but the majority are either too cool or too in awe of the 

majestic Dum Dum Girls to give the show the physical response it deserves. The lush 

and haunting texture of ‘Baby Don’t Go’ fills the room and slows the pace back down 

to a mesmerising saunter, giving the band another chance to show off their vocal 

talent. ‘Jail La La’ receives the best reaction of the night and is swiftly followed by ‘It 

Only Takes One Night’ before the group return for an encore of ‘Rest of Our Lives’ 

and the infectious ‘Everybody’s Out’, reinforcing the fact that they are so much cooler 

than you with the line “My baby’s better than you” sung over and over. 

The Shangri-Las of the Facebook generation produce an astounding and 

mesmerising live show that seems to resonate and infect more powerfully than their 

recordings. 

King Capisce have probably featured in half of the Now Then issues published in the 

last year, so I’ll keep this short. Although a slightly ill-fitting support act, the Sheffield 

five-piece do an admirable job of warming up the crowd with their breed of melodic, 

rifftastic post rock, and even treat us to a couple of new ones, which lean towards a 

more upbeat, optimistic tone and are supported (as ever) by impressive technical skill. 

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry (or Rainford Hugh Perry, as he is known to his mates) was a key 

figure in reggae, dub and ska throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s, perhaps best known 

for his position as head of the Upsetters. Even if you’ve never heard of him, you have 

probably heard something he had a hand in creating – he co-wrote Junior Murvin’s 

‘Police and Thieves’, for example, and his own tunes have been seized upon by many 

an advertising campaign in the last couple of years. 

At the ripe old age of 74, Perry is surprisingly agile on stage and appears adorned 

with a ludicrous arrangement of jewellery, tassels and other dangly stuff. His band 

is incredibly tight and play to his every word, fitting in around him and rewinding 

when he says so. A combination of drums, bass, guitar and keyboard is unlikely to 

break new ground in a genre like this – indeed, sometimes the musical backdrop 

comes close to being boring – but the band do their job admirably and sound pristine 

through the Plug soundsystem. 

Separate the man from the myth, however, and what’s left is a frontman who has 

all of the verve and passion, but none of the musical awareness or vocal capability. 

Perry proves frustratingly unable to hold the right notes, consistently singing flat and 

generally sounding a bit like a drunken version of his more youthful self. The songs are 

deep and well delivered, but all too often the backing singer has to purposefully hit 

bum notes to harmonise with Scratch. The killing blow is that the band spend over ten 

minutes hyping the crowd before he steps out and a further five minutes before the 

encore saying, “Are you ready for...LEE....SCRATCH....PERRRRAAAAAAAAY!” Such 

ego massaging makes it feel like an ironic school disco. 

One last criticism, because I’m not in the habit of picking on old men more than is 

absolutely necessary – why play so many Bob Marley dubs when you are widely 

considered a pioneer of the genre and have hundreds of your own tunes? 

It was a pleasure to head down to see the Dead Sons and Wet Nuns show at the 

Montgomery Theatre. Although not often used as a music venue, the theatre sounded 

perfect for the characters performing tonight. I received a good-looking Dead Sons 

promo CD on entry as well. Free stuff be praised. 

First off, Sheffield two-piece Wet Nuns, who provide an amusing parody of two 

performers from the American Deep South. While entertaining, this ostentatiously 

serves another purpose - they can get away with awesomely loud, stripped-down 

electric blues guitar over a driving beat while grunting, shouting and talking in an 

unintelligible accent. Verdict: well worth it to see passion and performance in equal 

measure. 

Dead Sons come on to a crowd keen for the main event and thankfully they do not 

disappoint. With all members playing more than one instrument and sharing vocal 

duties, the traditional front man centre-stage spot was almost redundant, allowing 

the captivated audience to see the whole band play its constituent parts in plain 

view. Particular note goes out to percussionists Mathew Byrne and Joseph Green, 

who played jaw-droppingly hard throughout. Standout track of the evening for me 

became ‘The Hollers and the Hyms’, full of beautiful melodrama and crescendo. 

Broadly speaking, think Grinderman meets raw Sheffield vocal, surrounded by an 

atmosphere of beating percussion, fairground organ and heavy guitar. Dead Sons 

play again at the Harley on the 12th November. Get down there. 

myspace.com/deadsonsmusic 

myspace.com/wetnunsdeathblues 

dutch uncles. 

18TH OCTOBER. 

FORUM. 

REVIEWER - BEN ECKERSLEY. 

Manchester’s Dutch Uncles played to a surprisingly busy Forum for a rainy Monday 

night. Exuding confidence from the start, it’s clear that the attentions of the UK’s 

indie institutions (NME, Lamacq et al) have helped them on their way. I first came 

across them after hearing about them at Sounds From The Other City, Salford’s 

brilliant alternative to the rather overhyped In The City Festival, and their debut album 

showed a great deal of promise. 

Their inspiration list includes such diverse names as King Crimson and Steve Reich, 

and I was gratified to hear on record a band that seemed to unite the clever rhythms 

and angular melodies of (say) Battles with a pop sensibility and a real range of sounds 

and textures. However, this diversity didn’t come across nearly so well live. They are 

a band with a seemingly endless ability to come up with catchy and memorable riffs, 

and really it’s this that saves them from trendy indie drudgery more than anything 

else. A better comparison for their live show would be something like Gracelandera 

Paul Simon filtered through the Futureheads. Stand out new track ‘Cadenza’ 

sounded like 90s house, but it wasn’t until final song ‘Twelfth’ that I heard the band I 

was hoping to hear. I genuinely believe they are capable of uniting experimental and 

popular music in a fresh way, but this gig - with so many brilliant album tracks left 

unplayed and so many risks not taken - left me a little underwhelmed. 

PAGE 48. 

PAGE 49.

Letherette. 

oOoOO. 

bozzwell. 

Magda. 

Letherette EP. 

Ho_Tep. 

oOoOO. 

tri angle Records. 

Bits & Pieces. 

Firm Recordings 

From The Fallen Page. 

Minus. 

Reviewer – Jack Scourfield. 

Reviewer – Gordon Barker. 

Reviewer – Sam Walby. 

Reviewer – ben dorey. 

Having already gifted the world artists such as Floating Points, Fatima and 

FunkinEven through his Eglo imprint, Rinse FM’s experimental master Alexander 

Nut has now launched an off-shoot label, Ho Tep, which sprang in to action in July 

with Throwing Snow’s Un Vingt / Cronos 12”. Any regular listeners to his Mixed Nuts 

show on Rinse will know that this is a man with some seriously good music taste, so it 

comes as no surprise that Letherette’s self-titled debut EP is, well, seriously good. 

The Wolverhampton-based duo have displayed promising outings before, with 

stellar remixes for Bibio and Solar Bears and an inclusion on one of Gilles Peterson’s 

Brownswood compilations for their track ‘Blad’, all generating murmurs of approval 

in the depths of the musical underground. This eight track EP will amplify those 

murmurs ten-fold, as Letherette have created a record that demonstrates great 

depth in both production and musical diversity. Opening tracks ‘Ashtro’ and ‘Dance 

Brace’ are glistening pearls of instrumental hip-hop that wouldn’t look out of place 

in the back catalogues of Messrs Dilla or Lotus, with each track containing just the 

right balance of shimmering melodies and thudding bass to soothe and excite. ‘Eye 

to Eye’ takes things even deeper, with a female vocal sample and snatches of tinkling 

piano layered on top of a steady beat to form a wonderfully soulful track. Fourth track 

‘Furth & Myre’ is yet another departure, with Letherette turning their hand to boogie 

by chopping up a disco tune and pasting it back together in the form of a wonky 

collage of funk. If you’re struggling to picture what a wonky collage of funk may look 

like, just imagine the resulting artwork if you instructed your four year-old child to cut 

up photos of James Brown and George Clinton feasting on some particularly pungent 

cheese (such photos may not actually exist), and then stick them back together, but 

with jam instead of glue. 

Just over half way through the EP is when Letherette have chosen to drop their 

masterpiece. A sublime lesson in how to take the right sample and mesh it with a crisp 

melody and a quality beat, fifth track ‘In July Focus’ is quite honestly one of the best 

tracks I’ve heard all year. The vocals have been exquisitely spliced up so that they take 

on a whole life and soul of their own, then proceed to playfully flit over the backing 

beats with a feel of almost orgasmic ecstasy. The only thing wrong with this track is 

that it doesn’t last for ten thousand years – two minutes and twenty-three seconds is 

tantalisingly too short for such a beautiful sound. 

The next track ‘Cherryade’ is as light and effervescent as its name suggests, but still 

retains the element of soulfulness that’s present throughout the rest of the record. 

‘Say Yeah’ is a sub-sixty seconds burst of pent-up beat energy, before the EP closes 

with ‘The Way’, a slightly murkier cut but nonetheless still full of the rhapsodic pulse 

that runs throughout the entire record. Letherette’s is an EP that will delight with its 

array of gems and is hopefully a sign of further great things to come. 

While the surface of the world is speeding up, gathering pace with every JLS and X 

Factor product, the white-hot core is slowing. “Witch” or “drag” house is a very new 

sub-genre, and is one which is quite difficult to pinpoint or understand in its infancy. 

With a few artists in the forefront, each taking different approaches, they utilise 

massively transformed vocals, disfigured beats and virtually halted tempos to create 

a cavernous, sometimes heart-warming, yet always sinister atmosphere. Most end 

up sounding like the soundtrack to an unreleased John Carpenter film or someone 

playing your favourite 80s pop hit at 12rpm. 

The second release from Brooklyn-based Tri Angle Records - the first being the 

fuzzy dirge pop epic from Balam Acab - is the self-titled debut from San Francisco’s 

oOoOO. The first notable thing about this EP is the harrowing artwork, providing a 

perfect back drop to the sounds to come - crooked arms, an unidentifiable woman 

in an old bedroom and a faded past. Old and apparently (as professed by oOoOO 

himself) cheap synthesizers and sequencers give a warm and nostalgic sound to the 

songs, but the added bonus is the distortion effect of them being pushed too far. 

In the truly epic ‘Burnout Eyess’ some layers are simply concealed behind bass and 

synth crackles. 

Constantly paying tribute to a once enviable (but now long dead) pop scene, the 

tracks are arranged beautifully with sparsely loving lyrics and even delve into a cold 

R’n’B groove in ‘Hearts’. Chris Dexter - the pseudonym under which he conducts all 

interviews, press releases and even legal contracts relating to the project - says that 

he has more affinity to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera than his contemporaries 

and even his labelmates. Finding the dark side in modern pop, the EP plays out like an 

audio Blue Velvet, scratching at the surface to reveal the twisted and self-destructive 

underbelly of, in this case, the music industry. 

With slow transitions and repetition being favourites, the entire record has a huge 

ability to slow and stretch time, sounding like a blurred recollection. Unfortunately 

its depth is probably its only downfall, a highly consuming and reflective work that 

certainly feels as if it ends all too soon. An LP should be something worth waiting for 

but, after this release, I hope it is sooner rather than later. 

Witch/drag is a product of genuine interest in expanding the possibilities of already 

existing genres, refreshing them from the stasis a lot of them suffer from, and 

this is one of the first 12s off the new line. This scene should be watched with high 

anticipation. 

Bozzwell is widely considered to be a bit of a legend in these parts. He has been 

a Sheffield resident since the late 90s, when he hooked up with the All Seeing I to 

create ‘The Beat Goes On’. Trust me, you’d recognise it. He has also collaborated with 

the likes of Jarvis, Roots Manuva and Phil Oakey from the Human League. 

As the name states, Bits & Pieces is made up of various Bozzwell productions 

released by Cologne-based label Firm in the late 2000s, on top of a few outtakes 

and unreleased sundries. Unsurprisingly, this makes for a mixed bag of tunes that 

encompass a range of styles, some of which hit the nail on the head better than 

others. While his approach leans heavily towards techno - which explains the 

unwavering support from Germany - there are other elements thrown into the mix as 

well. 

‘I Get A Rush’ has a classic vibe to it, lent by a housey keyboard line and vocals 

inspired by early dance aesthetics. This is backed up by arpeggiated synth lines that 

are undeniably a little cheesy, but very consciously hark back to a time when the 

North was undergoing a real musical transformation. 

‘Space Racer’ has a darker tone, underpinned by a bulging bassline, airy pads and 

whispered vocals. The tightness of the drum loops and the eerie melodies are what 

give this track a kind of boney charm. This may well be due to contributions from 

Aschka, a Canadian producer now based in Berlin who features. In a similar vein is 

‘Fiona’s Song’, which rolls along with a dense collection of percussive samples and 

words about a young woman who “wants to live in Berlin and hang out with all those 

German girls”. The gloriously titled ‘Jarvis Called Me His Understudy’ drops the tempo 

while maintaining the same back to basics production ethos, albeit within a slightly 

more upbeat framework. Although I much prefer the instrumental elements of this 

album, the vocals are quite entertaining for their innate Britishness and deadpan 

delivery, which borders on spoken word. 

Meanwhile, ‘Sheffield I Got It’ takes us away from the four-on-the-floor beat that 

defines most of Bits & Pieces towards a bouncier, dancehall-inspired rhythm with 

deep sub frequencies and big 80s synth pop chords. 

Ultimately, the tracks already released by Firm (‘Marlena’s Eyes’, ‘Fiona’s Song’ and 

‘Escape5’) are the best offerings here, but Bozz enthusiasts can undoubtedly find 

themselves something to salivate over. 

Magda is one of the leading figures in the heavily male dominated world of minimal 

techno. She started her career in the States as part of the Detroit scene, but moved 

to Berlin, the genre’s current spiritual home, at the same time as Richie Hawtin and 

has been integral to the output of the Minus label ever since. Her latest album, From 

The Fallen Page, continues to push the aesthetic she shares with her fellow emigre, 

combining the chilly cleanliness of the European sound with the haunting industrial 

overtones and dark atmospheres of Detroit’s minimal styles. 

Opener ‘Get Down Goblin’ is one of the album’s strongest tracks and one which 

unifies the two aforementioned influences on Magda’s style most effectively. Starting 

with eerie ambient textures and discordant horror movie strings, it soon bleeds into 

a heaving interplay between these elements and tightly constructed percussion and 

glitch loops, before a three-note electro synth line takes the lead, creating a strange 

groove to the whole affair. All the while there are hazy whispers of Detroit in rhythm 

and in the bass, which sounds like a recording of a warehouse party from three blocks 

away. All pleasingly minimal, as you might expect. 

In the next two tracks you do start to realise a problem though, and this is mainly 

caused by Magda trying too hard to establish a unifying trend throughout the album. 

This is something she has certainly achieved, but when I realised that although 

different enough, I could copy and paste the last paragraph to adequately describe 

the following two songs as well, it certainly became a problem. Minimal techno often 

draws criticism for recycling the same sounds and patterns over and over, but what is 

interesting here is that Magda has by and large escaped this. Instead she has created 

a new set of (needless to say) immaculately produced sounds from which she has 

crafted the album, but it is the same sounds that return again and again throughout. 

I’m normally quite endeared by returning themes and motifs in albums, having grown 

up with a ludicrous obsession with prog rock and classical music, but Magda simply 

hasn’t quite nailed it here. The same ideas occur repeatedly without ever feeling 

as if they’re referencing another section of the music. Instead the tracks feel like a 

selection of projects all started from the same template on a computer with one 

sample pack on it. If this was indeed the case I would be very impressed, but as an 

acclaimed international artist I suspect Magda has access to rather more than this. 

There is nothing really wrong with any individual tracks on this album and if you are 

looking for a schooling in top level producing this is it, but as a whole body of work 

it just doesn’t sit together quite right. Maybe I just need to get over the annoyingly 

electro lead lines that form the body of every song... 

PAGE 50. 

PAGE 51.

Polar Bear have been one of the UK’s most 

accomplished jazz bands for a number of years. 

Combining traditional instrumentation with more 

off-the-wall arrangements earned them respect 

early on, but it wasn’t until they began introducing 

more abstract elements that they got the 

recognition they deserved. This coincided with the 

addition of a new member, one Leafcutter John. 

John has had solo releases on Planet Mu and Staubgold beginning in 2000, living 

in the strange world where electronic and acoustic collide. Since joining the band, 

he has become known for his ability to improvise with uncanny ‘instruments’ like 

balloons, making laptop trickery feel dangerous and uncharted over a backdrop of 

fresh, contemporary jazz. 

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH POLAR BEAR? 

It was a few years back, before Polar Bear recorded Held on the Tips of Fingers. I 

was offered some free recording time in a studio in Chelsea by an engineer called Paul 

Richardson. I was finishing off my third album The Housebound Spirit at the time, so 

it must have been around 2002. I wanted to record some drums and Paul knew [Polar 

Bear drummer and lead man] Seb Rochford, so he got him to come in and record for 

the album. Later Seb gave me Polar Bear’s first album, but I didn’t really know what 

to make of it, having never heard any jazz before. Later he asked if I wanted to play 

on a few tracks and with some reservations I agreed, and ended up recording parts 

for Held on the Tips of Fingers and doing a few gigs with them. After this I became a 

full-time member of the group and the sound of the laptop became fully integrated 

into our sound. 

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN THE BAND? 

I don’t have a set role in the band, but most of the time I feel like I’m part of the 

rhythm section. For the latest album I’m playing guitar as well as electronics, which 

has really changed the sound of the band. 

You say you’ve never really listened to jazz – did you start 

listening to it for inspiration or is your only experience of the 

genre through the band? 

In the early days we were mostly playing jazz clubs, so I heard loads of jazz that way. 

I didn’t do research or anything like that, but since that point I have worked with a fair 

amount of jazz musicians. It’s quite interesting because the language of the music is 

totally different to what I’m used to. 

Did you find it intimidating fitting into a band with such a 

traditional setup? 

I was worried and maybe slightly afraid because I didn’t know what it was all about. It 

was definitely a bit intimidating, but from the very first rehearsal I realised they were 

very open-minded people. 

HOW DO YOU APPROACH YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLAR BEAR TRACKS? IS 

IT DIFFERENT TO SOLO WORK? 

I guess it is different, because when I work on my own I’m writing all the parts. When 

you’re in a band it’s a different approach, because you have to listen to other people 

much more. Seb will usually give an indication of what he wants. He writes parts out 

that I follow on the guitar. 

DO YOU THINK JAZZ MIGHT CREEP INTO YOUR SOLO WORK? 

It does influence me. Me and Seb travel together because we live near each other. 

I’ve passed my knowledge of editing and computer techniques to him and he’s 

passed compositional information to me. We’ll be discussing some piece of music 

in the car, and I’ll tell him about the technological side of it, while he’ll be talking 

about compound rhythm or something. You can’t play with a load of people without 

absorbing their music, but I don’t think my solo work will ever sound like jazz, because 

I don’t have that facility. It takes years and years to be able to play jazz well. 

It does have a reputation of being a bit intimidating for musicians, 

because it’s so technical and theoretical. 

It doesn’t have to be. There are people who are not taught and don’t read music, but 

just absorb their influences. I’m originally from Wakefield, which is just up the road, 

and I don’t think I would ever have listened to jazz if I’d stayed there my entire life. 

It also has a reputation as not being ‘cool’. 

I was quite surprised when I came to London and realised there are quite a lot of 

young people who are certainly very ‘cool’ and are really into jazz. It conjures up 

images of old blokes, stroking their chins and smoking in dark clubs. But Polar Bear 

doesn’t live in the jazz mainstream, so I guess our audience is a bit wider. 

Does working on a computer liberate or restrict you in a live 

setting? Improvising must be a challenge. 

When I first started out it was a challenge to play live or improvise, but over time I 

have developed software which allows me to control sounds using a joypad or a Wii 

controller. I can also play an instrument through the software, which makes it quite 

simple to improvise alone or with others. All instruments have restrictions, but usually 

the most restrictive aspect of an instrument is the player. 

WHAT IS YOUR SETUP FOR LIVE PERFORMANCES? 

I use Max/MSP, which enables me to write my own sound software. I always loved 

electroacoustic music, where the basic modus operandi involves taking recorded 

material and manipulating it, using tape recorders originally. The software I have built 

allows me to do this on a laptop using pre-recorded or live input. In the studio I use 

similar techniques, but I use Logic Studio to arrange my compositions. 

After learning Max/MSP, which took a couple of years, I started using it to address 

the problem of laptop musicians not being able to play live. People work around it 

in different ways, but my way was to make an interface that allows you to physically 

control what’s going on in the computer. That coincided with me joining Polar Bear. 

I spent ten years doing gigs with other laptop musicians and it just got a bit boring. 

Now, whenever I introduce a sound to a live set, the audience can see that sound 

going into the mic and then being treated in the computer, so it’s easier to follow. I try 

not to just have sounds coming out of nowhere. 

Briefly describe the concept behind Forester. 

The idea is simply that you can drop sounds into the software and it creates a forest. 

You can navigate through the forest, which creates a changing mix of those sounds. 

It’s not meant to produce finished pieces, but it can often create inspiring little 

snippets. 

HOW IS THE NEW VERSION GOING? 

It’s not really progressing at all at the moment, because I’ve got a lot on. I’ve got a 

visual interface, which is usually how these things start life, since they personify an 

idea for a system. It took ages to make it work, because it uses a load of trigonometry 

and I was never very good at maths. 

People wanted more control in the first Forester, so I decided to add that to the 

second one, but then I came to the realisation that the lack of user control is why 

people like it. That’s what it has over other software. If you want to do something 

really controlled, use Logic or Pro Tools or something. It might have no control in one 

mode, so you just load some sounds in and sit there and watch and listen. It may not 

even be called Forester, since it’s got more of a sea theme to it this time around. 

YOU TRAVELLED UP THE GRAND UNION CANAL LAST YEAR, PERFORMING WITH 

LISA KNAPP AS CANAL MUSIC. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE AND DID IT GO DOWN 

WELL WITH AUDIENCES? 

I really enjoyed my time with Lisa and she was enthusiastic about the possibilities 

offered by the computer. I really liked what we ended up with. In fact, I spoke with her 

on the phone last week about making a studio recording of some of the songs. I think 

the audiences enjoyed the shows. I was a bit worried that the stuff we were doing 

might be a bit too far out for some, but I was pleasantly surprised to overhear two 

excited 60-somethings discussing our use of the hydrophone, an underwater mic. 

WHAT INSPIRED THE CANAL CONCEPT? 

That was actually suggested by the organisers, Sound UK. It’s not something I or Lisa 

would have picked. They had this idea that they wanted to do these gigs on a canal 

boat, so we said we’d give it a go. Lisa played the violin and the banjo and sang, and 

we both invented some instruments for the show. We made these glasses that were 

pitched, so Lisa played those while I sampled them. I was playing a floor tom and an 

autoharp. It was really good because it felt like we pushed ourselves outside what we 

would normally do. 

You have a new live album coming out soon. Tell us a bit about the 

project and how it compares with your other releases. 

The album’s called Tunis, which is where it was recorded. I got asked to do a gig there. 

The idea was to make field recordings and use them to do the gig, so I was basically 

improvising with Tunisian sounds. I took the recording home, added some parts in the 

studio and now it’s all done. It’s quite droney in places. Usually my records are all over 

the place - really disparate things joined together - but on this there is less oscillation 

between different styles and it really captures the feeling I had when I was there. A 

totally different way of working to what I’m used to. I’m usually a bit of a control freak 

and spend a very, very long time in the studio. 

DID YOU ALWAYS PLAN TO RELEASE IT? 

The organisers wanted to make a record. I wasn’t really keen on the idea, to be honest. 

I actually tried to get out of it, but there was a bit of a language barrier, so when I got 

there they thought it was still on. I decided ‘why not’, because they were nice guys 

and really into the music. 

YOU’VE GOT A LIVE VISUALS SHOW COMING UP IN LIVERPOOL. HOW DID THAT 

DEVELOP? 

A couple of nights, I saw the moon and it looked incredible. So one night I just started 

filming it - plonked my camera on a tripod and positioned it so the moon rose through 

the shot and exited out of view. It’s got this amazing arc to it, some sort of beautiful 

mechanics. It really inspired me, so I decided to write a soundtrack and present it. I’ve 

never really worked with visuals before. I’m going to try and roll the film and play live 

in sync. I’m writing the music at the moment. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, 

but I think creatively you’ve got to follow your imagination and your obsession. 

HAVE YOU GOT ANOTHER STUDIO ALBUM COMING SOON AS WELL? 

I’ve been writing songs for a studio album for about two years now, talking to various 

labels who could take me to new areas in music. But sometimes, if you’re writing 

and you take a long time, you can go off what you’ve done. That’s what happened 

to me. Now I’m starting again and trying to find things that interest me. A friend 

of mine has an art studio in Dorset, close to where PJ Harvey lives, in the middle of 

the countryside. I recorded some sounds there that are really inspiring, so I’ve been 

chopping those up and making rhythms, which is something I’ve not done for ages – 

probably since Microcontact (2001). I’d also like to work on integrating the electronic 

and folk aspects of my music. 

LEAFCUTTER JOHN. 

Computers never felt so unpredictable. 

Interview by Sam Walby. 

PAGE 52. 

PAGE 53.

WHAT’S ON. 

november listings. 

Now Then will never be a listings magazine. We just 

don’t have the time, space or will to print everything 

that is going on in Sheffield, month to month. 

Besides, not everything is worth your time. 

Here are some events that we believe are. 

mon 1st nov / plug live presents at the forum 

Gypsy & The Cat 

wed 17th nov / plug live presents at the forum 

The Neat 

KING MOJO. 

Sheffield’s finest hipster promoter. 

Jehst & Klashnekoff 

@the Harley 

4th November. 

£8 adv / £10 otd. 

Hip hop heavyweights don’t come to these parts too frequently, 

so it’s advised that you check them out when they do. 

mon 1st nov / doors 10.30pm / switch presents.. 

TEMPA T 

wed 3rd nov / plug live presents at the forum 

Kids On Bridges 

mon 22nd nov / plug live presents at the forum 

John and Jehn 


tek - one 

If you are a fan of funk, soul, blues, folk, rock and 

roll, jazz, reggae, ska or hip hop, you should have 

crossed paths with King Mojo already. Hosting 

two monthly events filled to the brim with the 

aforementioned styles, his promotions collective 

is responsible for the funkiest nights going, well 

worth the small door tax. The man himself told us 

about his psychedelic meanderings. 

WHAT GOT YOU INTO PROMOTING? 

I realised my love for music easily and gave sweet surrender to the fact that I had 

to be involved. I require it. But even in Sheffield, I struggled to find a place to watch 

Sixties-inspired live music and a place I could get a groove on to a funky band. The 

result was starting a night called The Psychedelic Solution at the Red House and a 

monthly world music club night Upstairs at DQ called Totem Roots. 

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BEST AND WORST 

PROMOTING EXPERIENCES? 

I had always wanted to be involved in festivals, so when I was asked to put the live 

bands on at a festival a few years ago, I happily collated an amazing collection of 

bands, some of whom had travelled half the country. When we turned up on the day, 

there were lots of people but still no marquee for the band stage. They had forgotten 

the poles. That was one of the worst days. 

It would be hard to pick the best, but witnessing the sweaty mess of swirling flesh 

at the Smerin’s Anti-Social Club gig will be a proud memory to hold. Also, doing the 

main stage for the Peace in the Park Festival. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHEFFIELD VENUE? 

Without a doubt the best pub in the world is the Red House. It’s off the beaten plastic 

track, the crowd aren’t just passing through - they’re diggin’, groovin’ and layin’ roots 

in a place with real atmosphere. 

Which upcoming Sheffield acts should we be listening to? 

If they were still upcoming - Lazy Tree Surgeons. Always listen to the rise of King 

Capisce, but for something new, the one is The Mother Folkers. 

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT MUSIC IN SHEFFIELD? 

Planet Zogg 

@the Plug 

5th November. 

£8 adv, £10 otd. 

Your regular dose of psytrance, techno and breaks, this month 

delivered via Plastic Vibe, Kristian, Trific and residents. 

Baths 

@the Forum 

10th November. 

Free. 

21-year-old LA resident producing exciting beats with a pop 

sensibility. 

Bell Hagg Orkestar / 

Kassa Iya Sako 

@DQ (Upstairs) 


£5 otd. 

BHO always get the audience going with swaggering gypsy 

party music. 

Black Sun Empire 

@Corporation 


fri 5th nov 

Little Comets 

Black Flowers + Plug Factory 

mon 8th nov / plug live presents at the forum 

diamond rings 

wed 10th nov 

wiley 

JME (Boy Better Know) + A- List + Fugative 


baths 

thur 11th nov 

Chromeo 

Midnight Juggernauts 

fri 12th nov / doors 10.30pm / covert presents.. 

Mz Bratt 

sat 13th nov 

Section 60 

THE LEGION + THE RUINETTI 

fri 26th nov / HBP presents... 

All At Stake 

HERO OF THE DAY + ONE NIGHT STAND WITH FATE 

+ STATE YOUR PLACE 

thurs 2nd dec 

Small Black 

PICTUREPLANE 

fri 3rd dec / sondclash presents.. 

Arkham Karvers 

THE GYPSYTOES + SCOUNDREL + SHAMBLE STREET 

sat 4th dec / sold out 

Frank Turner 

fri 10th dec / Smugglers Run presents.. 

Smugglers Run 

Seize The Chair + Plug Factory + The Kickliner 

sat 11th dec 

comsat angels 

There’s a community spirit cut from a bucolic cloth, a soulfulness that transcends 

genre. As long as you can side-step what the mainstream media hype as ‘the 

Sheffield music scene’ and discover what’s burning on the underground, you will find 

something suitably spectacular. 

HAVE YOU GOT ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE PUTTING 

ON THEIR OWN NIGHTS? 

Feedback always bring the best drum ‘n’ bass to Sheffield. BSE 

filth with an exclusive d’n’b scractch set from Andy H. 

Keiran Hebden 

@Warehouse Project 

mon 15th nov / plug live presents at the forum 

Muchuu 

Fri 28th jan 

Smoke Fairies 

Music is what feelings sounds like. Don’t bother unless you love what you’re 

promoting, because you need the energy and enthusiasm of your passion to 

complete the vibe of an event. Look after the acts and do something different. 

As Mencius mused, “If the King loves music, it is well with the land”. 

myspace.com/kingmojopromotions 


£17.50 adv. 

Ok, so this one isn’t strictly in Sheffield or even Yorkshire, but 

the lineup is stunning – Four Tet, Caribou, Jamie XX, Mount 

Kimbie, Zomby, James Blake and more. 

Tickets 

Plug Box Office, 

1 Rockingham Gate, 

Sheffield, S1 4JD 

0114 2413040 

and Record Collector 

www.the-plug.com 

PAGE 54. 

PAGE 55.

THEATRE. 

Much Ado About Nothing. 

14th October. Lantern Theatre. 

Reviewer – Sara Hill. 

Book & Lyrics by L. Arthur Rose 

and Douglas Furber 

Music by Noel Gay 

Book revised by Stephen Fry 

Contributions to revisions by Mike Ockrent 

Following last month’s review of Hamlet, we at Now Then were 

feeling positively cultured. So when kindly offered the chance to 

review the new production of Much Ado About Nothing at the 

Lantern Theatre, we couldn’t snap up those tickets fast enough, 

and a fabulous evening was had. 

The Dilys Guite Players are an amateur theatre group who have 

been going strong since 1957 and the talented cast pulled off an 

ambitious production with wit and verve. 

One of the most famous of Shakepeare’s comedies, the play 

revolves around two couples - Claudio & Hero and Beatrice & 

Benedick - the former falling victim to the twisted machinations of 

the villainous Don John and the latter struggling to overcome their 

apparent hatred of each other to discover the love beneath. 

The four romantic leads all performed admirably and special 

mention must go to Rob Myles as Benedick, whose anti-love and 

marriage ranting monologues never failed to raise a chuckle, 

particularly upon realising his love when, as if born, he talked 

himself into a total reversal of opinion. The sparks between 

Benedick and Annie Bethell’s Beatrice flew and perfectly 

counterpointed the straighter performances of Jamie Nuttall and 

Ami Crofts as Claudio and Hero respectively. 

This is not to disparage the other cast members, who each 

appeared at home in their roles. The trio of older characters 

overseeing the proceedings - Bill Darwin, Simon Atherton and 

Frank Abel - exuded confidence all over the stage and TJ Browne’s 

Don John smoldered and smirked as every good bad guy should. 

PAGE 56. 

Out and out comedy characters come of course in the guise of 

Dogberry and Verges (Jonathon Syer and Steve Eddison), whose 

performances at times felt perilously close to over the top, but each 

time were saved with just the right amount of knowing tongue in 

cheekiness. 

The traditional production was helped along by a sumptuous set 

design and the wonderful atmosphere of the Lantern Theatre 

itself. Nestled snugly in a leafy residential street close to Nether 

Edge, the Victorian building is full of rich history and character. The 

small auditorium makes for an intimate atmosphere and ensures 

no nuance of expression from the actors is missed. Run entirely by 

volunteers, this is a Sheffield institution that needs support. 

Their new Artistic Director, Martin Derbyshire, is presenting his 

inaugural season and with performers ranging from award-winning 

professional companies such as Found Theatre to blues musicians, 

there will be something for everyone. Unfortunately Much Ado 

About Nothing only runs till 23 rd of October, so if you haven’t 

already seen it you’ve missed a good’un, but there’s plenty more to 

come. 

Visit lanterntheatre.org.uk to learn more and get involved. 

Crucible Theatre 

Thu 2 December 2010 – Sat 29 January 2011 

Box Office 0114 249 6000 sheffieldtheatres.co.uk 

PAGE 57.

FILMREEL. 

machete / the social network. 

MACHETE. 

The Social 

Network. 

Reviewer – Alex Keegan. 

There’s something remarkably comforting about Machete, Robert 

Rodriguez’s latest flick. Such comfort finds its source in a variety of aspects 

and is definitely rooted in my early film indoctrination (the more illicit side 

of it, at least). 

It harks back to sun-drenched afternoons in Lisbon, during which some 

errand with my father would turn into an impromptu matinee viewing of 

utterly obscure action films. These would invariably be thinly plotted tales 

of revenge punctuated with over-the-top violence and nudity aplenty – 

ingredients which were fittingly served in an old 1920s art deco cinema 

named Odéon (no relation), located right across from the even older 

Olympia, which I could always just admire from the outside as it featured 

continuous sessions of hardcore films. And, although I would definitely be 

too young to watch the majority of what was projected in those battered 

scratched prints at ‘our Odeon’, I would relish every 25 frames of it. 

It would not surprise me if Rodriguez has a similar (Mexican equivalent) 

reminiscence, because Machete emulates everything that those films 

managed to do with a minute fraction of his $20 million movie. 

The film began its existence as a fake trailer in Grindhouse (2007), the 

double feature comprising of Death Proof by Quentin Tarantino and Planet 

Terror by Rodriguez himself. Yet the idea goes as far back as the director’s 

first collaboration with the actor Danny Trejo in Desperado (1995), during 

which he seems to have thought to himself: “This guy should be like the 

Mexican Jean Claude Van Damme or Charles Bronson, putting out a movie 

every year and his name should be Machete.” 

Fifteen years later, the film is released and its major strength is 

undeniably Trejo’s presence and performance. Even when everything 

else surrounding him verges on the far-fetched or completely ridiculous, 

he’s always believable and, more importantly, human. He’s also the owner 

of tremendous, pock-marked features, which encase heartbreakingly 

vulnerable eyes and were celebrated by Rodriguez years ago in a public 

championing of digital technology. 

The rest of the cast can easily be labeled as ‘damaged goods’, as they are 

mostly known for turbulent lives in the public eye or very uneven careers 

in film - from Jeff Fahey to Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Rodriguez to Steven 

Seagal, with the humoristic touch of ‘introducing Don Johnson’ in the credits 

and the prestigious appearance of Robert De Niro, who very few still take 

seriously these days. 

To judge Machete by today’s standards and conventions is a mistake that 

only those unacquainted with the Grindhouse approach or who find it an 

exotic object of mild historical curiosity can make. Those were films that, 

along with my personal description above, were grimy, misogynistic and 

hyperbolic to say the least. They targeted the viewer’s most basic responses 

as a means to compensate for the lack of budget. Surely the ramifications of 

women’s lib were being felt beyond the confinements of the cinemas which 

screened them in double bills, but these were films about unapologetic 

masculinity – not least for the amount of guns involved. And I must say 

Rodriguez does stick to them and more in his eulogy. 

The film opens with Machete en route to rescue a hostage against orders 

from above. As he literally barges in, the hostage is a naked girl (because 

“it’s too hot for clothes”) who eventually double-crosses him. 

The tongue-in-cheekness of her attempts to seduce him is halted at the 

point at which she stabs him and then exacerbated beyond measure when 

she gets a mobile phone from her vagina to call her alleged captors. What 

ensues is Machete seeing his wife decapitated before his eyes, and the 

‘having nothing to lose’ aspect of his character is laid out for the rest of the 

film. 

The grotesque humour comes unexpectedly and always within contexts 

that dare to entertain you for all the wrong reasons. The highlight of this 

has to be the scene in the hospital, where two twin nurses learn about the 

extraordinary length of the human intestine. Soon after - and during a 

confrontation with henchmen out to get him - Machete swiftly disembowels 

one of them and uses his small intestine to swing out through a nearby 

window and down through another one onto the floor below. Yeah, I know... 

Still, with the risk of having invalidated my next point altogether, I will 

dare to say that Machete touches upon some serious social issues, such 

as illegal immigration. It does so by combining myth (in the shape of the 

revolutionary character Shé, who Michelle Rodriguez grows to embody) 

with a sense of community (that Hispanics tend to have wherever they go 

and that here is symbolised by the Network and its call to arms at the right 

time), and with the exposure of American political convenience tempered 

with enough hypocrisy and prejudice. 

Back to the filmmaking side of it, Robert Rodriguez shares the directing 

credit with Ethan Maniquis, editor some of his previous work. The last time 

he had done it (at the cost of his Director’s Guild of America membership) 

had been in the adaptation of the cult comic strip Sin City (2005), which 

was co-directed by its author, Frank Miller. That film is, undeniably, the most 

accomplished piece in an otherwise inconsistent career. 

But, love him or hate him, this very same career has been made possible 

by Rodriguez using his early commercial success to become self-sufficient 

production-wise, which in turn had him taking charge of many filmmaking 

departments himself and therefore enabling projects that are so costeffective 

that profit is always guaranteed for the studio. 

The greatest achievement of Machete, as it was of Planet Terror, is a sense of 

both authority and authenticity in its ‘worn-out and discarded’ aesthetics. 

This certainly comes from the great precision and endearing enthusiasm 

with which Rodriguez embraces and glorifies them. And, although Planet 

Terror got the worst deal in the Grindhouse double-bill, with Tarantino’s 

counterpart being praised and eventually released on its own, it’s unlikely 

that Machete will be as ‘well received’. After all, anything close to a zombie is 

far cuddlier than Mexicans brandishing sharp weapons in this day and age. 

JOÃO PAULO SIMÕES IS A PORTUGUESE FILMMAKER LIVING AND 

WORKING INDEPENDENTLY IN SHEFFIELD. HIS WORKS INCLUDE 

ANTLERS OF REASON AND AN ARRAY OF MUSIC VIDEOS AND 

DOCUMENTARIES. 

CAPTURAFILMES.BLOGSPOT.COM 

You’ve heard it countless times before: Facebook has changed the way in 

which we socially interact. For the first time we are able to know almost 

everything about a person without having to leave our computers, all 

whilst still possessing an ounce of dignity. Surely it’s not really stalking if 

you’re only trawling someone’s tagged photos, rather than hiding outside 

said person’s house, clutching a pair of binoculars? 

This ingenious networking tool was arguably devised by young computer 

whiz Mark Zuckerberg, and it is the notorious controversies surrounding 

the property rights of Facebook that form the crux of The Social 

Network. I know what you’re thinking – “Oh a film about Facebook, how 

very ‘relevant’ and ‘topical’”; but I come bearing surprising news – it’s 

actually rather good. 

Filmed in a restrained digital palette, the audience is invited into a 

world of exclusive parties and societies orchestrated by the Harvard 

elite. Zuckerberg is represented as one who despises such elitism and 

in a passion-fuelled evening creates a site allowing fellow students to 

rate the attractiveness of their female contemporaries. This infuriates 

his ex-girlfriend, along with the rest of the Harvard University female 

population, so in an attempt to reinstate his reputation among his peers, 

he teams up with the chiselled and privileged ‘Winklevoss’ twins (who 

refer to themselves as Winklevi in the plural) to create a revolutionary 

social networking tool. Working unashamedly behind their back, 

Zuckerberg teams up with roommate Eduardo and the pair spend 

months tirelessly developing ‘The Facebook’. The film veers between two 

interchanging sections – the ensuing expansion and exponential growth 

of Facebook’s popularity, and the court cases in which Eduardo and the 

Winklevis attempt to sue Zuckerberg for the intellectual property rights 

to the site. 

The performances are top notch, with Jesse Eisenberg in the lead 

role, managing to transcend his reputation as a ‘serious Michael Cera’ 

to portray the unrelenting yet sympathetic Zuckerberg. A surprise 

appearance from Justin Timberlake as the convincingly parasitic Sean 

Parker (founder of Napster) is a perfect example of when the transition 

from pop star to movie actor can work wonders. Young Brit Andrew 

Garfield (as Eduardo) proves that he may very well be the right choice 

as the next Spiderman. With seasoned auteur David Fincher at its helm 

(of Fight Club/Se7en/The Curious Case of Benjamin Button fame), The 

Social Network works pleasantly well as a stand-alone piece of cinema, 

not for a minute cowering in the shadow of the mighty Internet giant, 

but instead managing to turn a series of potentially mundane events 

(mostly people hunched around a computer or a courtroom desk) into 

compelling viewing. 

It is undeniable that Facebook has demolished any sense of privacy that 

was before held sacred to one’s personal life, and it’s almost impossible 

to withhold from creating a Facebook profile for fear of being socially 

alienated. But despite Fincher failing to tackle some of the meatier 

ethical topics that have inevitably become apparent due to the site’s 

popularity, The Social Network is satisfying enough a work to justify its 

filming a mere six years after Facebook’s conception. 

PAGE 58. 

PAGE 59.

FAV0URITES. 

OUR PICK OF THE BUNCH. 

sheffield sustainable 

kitchens. 

sheffieldsustainablekitchens.co.uk 

Victorian Christmas 

Market. 

Kelham Island Industrial Museum. 

Alma Street, S3 8RY. 0114 2722106. 

simt.co.uk 

the lantern theatre. 

18 Kenwood Park Road. 

lanterntheatre.org.uk 

0114 2362608. 

The Lantern is an old Victorian theatre in Nether Edge, originally 

built at the turn of the century by a rich steel manufacturer for his 

own amusement. But after his death it fell into disrepair and by 

the 50s was consumed by overgrown shrubbery. The then owner, 

Charles Richardson, was approached by local drama teacher and 

actress Dilys Guite, who wanted to restore the building to its former 

glory. Guite agreed rent with Richardson in May 1957 and began the 

restoration with the help of a small group of enthusiastic Sheffielders. 

The result is what you see today – a unique Grade II listed venue with 

intimacy and history in abundance. 

Initially, the space was reserved solely for the Dilys Guite Players, but 

the last ten years have seen them open it up to other amateur drama 

groups, promoters, bands and performers of all kinds. This little rarity 

often seems to slip under the radar and in our opinion that is unjust. 

With a capacity of just 84, it has a strange homeliness to it without 

ever feeling claustrophobic or cramped. And with a fully licensed bar 

and coffee lounge, you won’t be parched neither. 

There’s always loads going on at the Lantern, but this month keep 

your eye out for the Bar Steward Blues Brothers Band on 5th 

November, Found Theatre’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ghost 

story The Signalman on 8th November, and Thick as Thieves on 

20th November, a dark comedy about small-time criminals by Mark 

Whiteley. Those of you with Crimbo already on the mind should 

pencil 19th December into your diaries, as Southey Musical Theatre 

Company will be hosting a Christmas concert, with carols and songs 

for all ages (and abilities). 

The New Year will undoubtedly bring new performances and shows 

to the Lantern, but if you don’t like the look of any of them, why not 

hire the place and put on your own? You can even hire costumes. 

One last thing – the theatre’s roof is looking a bit a worse for wear 

and needs to be replaced soon. As you can imagine, this is more 

work since the building is listed, with the estimated cost being placed 

at £30,000. To find out more or to make a donation for the roof 

restoration, visit lanterntheatre.org.uk. 

the washington. 

79 Fitzwilliam Street. 

0114 2761960. 

The Washington (or ‘the Washy’, as you may have heard it called) has 

been known for many reasons throughout the years, from a notorious 

hang out for the musicians of Sheffield such as Messrs Hawley and 

Cocker, through to perhaps the largest collection of teapots in the 

city. Yep, teapots. More recently though, it has become known as a 

spring-board for emerging musical talent in the city, having provided 

a grassroots platform for the likes of Wet Nuns and the Death Rays of 

Ardilla, with the trend set to continue into November and beyond. 

This support for fledgling musicians is also extended across the 

creative spectrum, with arms open to artists, writers and poets all, and 

a massively approachable team to work with too. 

The attitude of the Washy’s staff and promoters is a huge part of the 

place’s appeal and the sense of straight-up honesty rings out. There is 

no veneer of ‘cool’ or pretence here, the décor is minimal and it doesn’t 

claim to be an upmarket wine bar. What it is, put simply, is a pub with a 

great atmosphere and a raucous, music-loving crowd. 

Out back there’s an amply sized, enclosed beer garden with seating, all 

decked out in graff-style wall art in which you can enjoy a fag in relative 

comfort, right up to one in the morning and two on weekends. 

There’s also a decent diversity to what’s on offer - ranging from heavy 

blues to magazine launches to psyche-folk and Americana - so if you 

are a promoter, DJ, artist or musician, we strongly recommend a chat 

with Rob, who is well keen to continue to establish the ‘you saw it here 

first’ ideals of the venue. 

If the above applies to you, pop in or call after 4pm. If not, get down 

there and enjoy their efforts. You’re more likely to meet a contented 

Liberal Democrat in Sheffield than be asked to pay at the door, too. 

This local firm does everything it can to keep its environmental 

impact as low as possible while designing, supplying and fitting 

custom kitchens across the region. No mean feat really, considering 

the range of materials that make up a good culinary space. All of 

their timber is sustainably sourced and clients can choose from a 

range of worktops made from recycled glass, bamboo and even 

old coffee cups. 

Online testimonials consistently comment on the friendliness of the 

bespoke service, carried out by a conscientious and hard-working 

team who are happy to accommodate all design requests and can 

also turn their eye to bedrooms, bathrooms and more. 

For more information, contact Rob Cole on 07967365677 / 

robjnc@yahoo.co.uk. 

Otto’s Restaurant. 

244 Sharrow Vale Road. 

0114 2669147. 

ottosrestaurant.co.uk 

Otto’s is a Moroccan restaurant nestled in the Sharrow Vale Road 

independent hub. Run by Mr and Mrs Damahi, the owners of the 

successful Mediterranean Restaurant further up the road, this is 

the place to go for authentic traditional dishes like harira soup, 

couscous and the glorious lamb tagine stew, as well as more 

Mediterranean choices like risotto, pasta and kataifi. 

Currently going down a storm is their Party Menu, which offers 

a three-course meal and tea or coffee for £22.50 per eater. You 

can bring your own wine or beer, or peruse their alcohol section in 

the downstairs restaurant. Their private function room is also well 

equipped for events large and small, from intimate candlelit dinners 

to jubilant celebrations and merriment of all kinds. Vegetarian, halal 

and coeliac-friendly options could seal the deal. 

Smart Venue Coffee. 

100-104 London Road. 

0114 2767671. 

It has now been over a year since the Smart Venue threw its 

hat into the ring of bustling trade that is London Road, with stiff 

competition from some well-established coffee shops and eateries 

in the near vicinity. But they are now doing better where the 

aforementioned mainstays have folded in the wake of the two 

major chains that arrived on the scene six months ago. 

Smart Venue is run with both ethics and quality as top priorities, 

offering all Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance-certified coffees, 

with reasonably priced, locally sourced sandwiches and hearty 

homemade soups. Add this to the fact that it is part of the First 

Step Trust, which helps people to get back into the workplace in a 

safe and friendly environment, and they get a perfect ten from us. 

Double dip recession? Give this team a triple dip with sprinkles and 

they’ll still be going strong. 

This December sees the 19th annual Victorian Christmas Market 

held at Kelham Island Industrial Museum and it is set to be the 

biggest and best to date. The event runs from the 4th to the 5th of 

December and as well as hosting an epic 100 independent stalls 

for all your unique Christmas gift needs, it will hold demonstrations 

of traditional skills, put on loads of family activities and comes all 

wrapped up in period costume with no shortage of sooty faces. 

A great experience for those with eager-minded nippers in tow, but 

also for all discerning shoppers looking for something refreshingly 

different to fill the stockings of their nearest and dearest. 

The museum itself is one of Sheffield’s true treasures and an 

opportunity to see it in all its festive glory is not to be missed. 

Tickets are available online at 4 quid, kids get in free. 

Mooch. 

199 Whitham Road. 

Broomhill. 

0114 2662255. 

Mooch is a long-time supporter of Now Then and frankly we think 

they’re ace. We also think that you readers out there should pay 

them a visit. Mooch is located on the main Broomhill highway and 

is a real treasure trove of gorgeous goodies, from unusual jewellery 

to handmade gift cards, beanbags to soaps and candles - all at a 

reasonable price. In fact, by quoting ‘Now Then’ this month, you’ll 

receive 10% off the asking price, so go grab those Christmas gifts 

early, rather than the night before as usual. You know who you are... 

Worth a little attention from the ladies in particular this month 

is the fact that Mooch is the exclusive stockist of Nice Girl Really 

jewellery, the brainchild of international designer Holly Hendry and 

well worth checking out for that special someone, be it a loved one 

or just yourself. 

Corporation T-Shirt 

Design Competition. 

trafalgar square, 2 Milton Street. 

corporation.org.uk 

An opportunity has arisen for all you artists and designers out 

there. Corporation nightclub is currently running a T-shirt design 

competition for local artists, with only the best selected to be sold 

in limited numbers to Corp fans in Sheffield and beyond. A great 

medium to get your artwork out there and seen by all and sundry. 

Corporation have recently featured the work of Brendon Dooney, 

among many others. To be the next in line, send your designs to 

stuart@corporation.org.uk. 

PAGE 60. 

PAGE 61.

havanaPATHS.pdf 1 26/10/2010 11:18 

C 

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53 Chesterfield Road, Meersbrook 

Great food, great music, great company 

at a price YOU can afford 

Meat dishes / Seafood 

Vegan / Vegetarian 

Cappuccino, Latte from £1.40 

Fresh Smoothies and Juices from £2.30 

Sandwiches and Sides from £1.90 

Starters and Lite Bites, from £3.00 

Main Dishes from £7.25 

Opening Hours 

Tuesday – Saturday 11am-11pm 

Sunday – 11am – 6pm 

Organisers - book your Christmas party 

of six or more and get your main meal free. 

END. 

YOU HEARD. 

15% Discount with this advert 

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Find us on Facebook. Search – The Bohemian. 

PAGE 63.

KEY. 

2 

KELHAM ISLAND 

1. KELHAM ISLAND MUSEUM 

2. RIVERSIDE CAFE BAR 

3 

4 

5 

6 

11 

1 

CROOKES/CROOKEMOOR 

3. R. HAYMAN BUTCHERS 

4. NEW YORK DELI 

5. DRAM SHOP 

6. BEANIES 

BROOM HILL 

7. THE YORK 

8. MOOCH 

7 

28 27 

9 

26 

10 

12 

W E S T S T R E E T 

22 

23 

25 

24 

CITY CENTRE 

9. SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY 

10. THE HARLEY 

11. RED HOUSE 

12. ST GEORGES THEATRE 

13. FORUM 

14. FORUM SHOPS 

15. COMMON ROOM 

16. OLD HOUSE 

17. BUNGALOWS AND BEARS 

18. THE WASHINGTON 

19. DQ /THREADS 

20. CORPORATION 

21. PLUG 

22. THOU ART 

23. SHEFFIELD THEATRES 

24. THE SHOWROOM 

25. THE RUTLAND ARMS 

38 

ECCLESALL ROAD 

26. THE POMONA 

27. KUJI 

28. SPOILT FOR CHOICE 

29. MISH MASH 

39 

SHARROW VALE ROAD 

30. OTTOS RESTAURANT 

31. RONEYS 

32. SHARROW MARROW 

33. PORTER BOOKS 

40 

LONDON ROAD 

34. LOVE YOUR HAIR 

35. SMART COFFEE VENU 

36. OLD CROWN 

37. CAFE EURO 

NETHEREDGE 

38. THE LANTERN THEATRE 

ABBEYDALE/CHESTERFIELD ROAD 

39. ABBEYDALE BREWERY 

40. THE BOHEMIAN 

41. GOAL SOUL 

35 

36 

34 

13 14 1516 17 

29 

37 

31 32 

33 

30 

18 

19 

20

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