FOR THE REST OF US
ISS 41/OCT
/ ABOUT In five years Jack has gone from an idea to putting on live events, urban festivals, had a bi-monthly, A5 fanzine that grew into a monthly A4 glossy magazine and launched Who’s Jack online and Jack TV. Today Who’s Jack is going from strength to strength, largely due to the attitude of its creators. Jack began because we wanted something more, something attainable, something relatable and something lacking in arrogance. Something for the rest of us. Jack Loves You More.
/ FROM JACK
It all seems to be about SS/11 at the moment which is a bit far thinking for most of us in the Jack office considering we are currently talking about what we want for Christmas (those early Christmas product isles in the supermarket will do that to you) and what we are dressing up as for Halloween. Between this musing we have been busily uploading new Jack TV programs to our Youtube Channel /whosjackmag so that you no longer have to read this editors letter to find out what we’ve been up to. Other than that it has been a surprisingly quiet month at Jack HQ, to be completely honest I am finding it very hard to write this for you. So we would like to instead discuss our bemusement at certain politicians attempts to get down with the kids. They are weirding us out with their music taste not to mention music use - first off Ed Miliband who, during the Labor party conference entered the stage to Vampire Weekend’s A-Punk and left the stage to Kings of Leon, Use Somebody (you’re not Russell Brand, Ed.). Next up it was Barack’s turn to tell us he loves nothing more than loading up Lil’Wayne to his iPod. Concentrate on your policies boys. Lu x
/ HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Whether you are a band, a brand, a designer or simply want to tell us about something, get in touch. General enquiries can be sent to: press@whos-jack.co.uk, contributions can be sent to: contributions.jack@googlemail.com, finally, advertising enquiries can be sent to: tom@whos-jack.co.uk.
/ TEAM JACK / CONTRIBUTORS
Who’s Jack likes a good collaboration, event or campaign. We can work with you or for you. Get in touch.
/ JACK COMES ALIVE
Pre-sale tickets available at Ticketweb. Full information for the nights at www.whosjack.org. Please get in touch if you would like to be involved. press@whos-jack.co.uks
/ ON JACK TV THIS MONTH What happened when Jack Met Jedward, Sky Ferreira and Jack Comes Alive part 2. See the whole lot behind the scenes and in the thick of it on Jack TV’s Youtube’s channel : www.youtube.com/whosjackmag
Katie Service Beauty
Grant Thomas Photographer
Alexander Hughes Illustrator
Katie is a freelance make up artist and our new beauty page girl. This month she tells us all about what’s been going down make up wise at LFW SS/11. She’ll be filling us in on how to look constantly beautiful whether male or female over the coming months. www.kservicemakeup.co.uk
Grant is a new face to our pages but swiftly securing himself more space with his soft and beautiful knitwear fashion spread in this issue. For such a young photographer he has a beautiful eye and brilliant style. www.grant-thomas.blogspot.com
Alex has done a couple of illustrations for us this month. We love his street style meets comic book illustrations and can’t wait to see more of his work. www.wix.com/alexanderhughes/portfolio
# FEATURES / REGULARS
folloown us tter Twi t e r . c o m /
/ ISSUE 41 . OCT / 2010
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5. 6. 7. 8. 12. 15. 16. 19. 28. 33. 35. 36. 38. 39. 45. 48. 52. 58. 62. 64. 66. 68. 70. 72. 80.
t . t w i kmag w w w jac whos
Fashion...................Fashion..............................................Jason tells us the ruck sack is back. Music...............Review One Liners....................................James tells you what to bin, what to burn and what to buy. Comment.............Shit Lit.....................................Adam looks at the books that are perfect for your commute. Music.............Sky Ferreira..................................Laura speaks to the girl behind the controversy. Fashion................Leila Loves.......................Bags, cardis and headphones. London...............Halloween Haunts................................Where should you go this October for a festive night out. Film................The Month ahead Round up.....................................Mark takes us through the films you need to see this month Fashion...............Winter Knitts.........................................The big cardi’s you’ll soon be living in this winter. Jack..................Pick Of The Month......................................Art, coats, new venues and make up. Music..............The Heartbreaks...................................................Zoe chats about the band and their values. London................Home Away From Home...............................Our pick of the best Boutique hotels to take a break in. Fashion.............The Cape...................................................Charlotte looks at the new winter must have. London..................Dating.......................................Georgina, our resident dater goes out with Mr Nice. Fashion.............Fashion Cut Outs.........................Yep that’s just what it is. Make your own outfit. Design................Jack Wants to Stay Here..........................Ruthie looks at newly renovated Town Hall Hotel. Film....................Meeting Mr Nice..................................Mark meets the notorious smuggler. Fashion...............It’s Halloween..................................................The only fancy dress to be seen in this season. Design....................U.F.O..................................................The Unorthodox Film Organisation. Comment..........My 2-4-1 Pound Life........................................Lucy gets maternal. Fashion.............LFW SS/11........................................The trends off the catwalk. Music..............Baked Beans and Champagne...........................Natalie Monroe, The Human Jukebox. Music................Labrinth........................Zoe meets Tinie Tempah’s collaborator. Beauty.............Katie Does Trends..................................What will you be wearing on your face in SS/11? Fashion.............Pixels Vs Patterns..................................Pixelation and tribal go head to head. London................Scene Stealer.........................................JCA September.
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/ STOCKISTS Size? - (in London stores): Beyond the Valley: Number 22: Paper Dress: 55 DSL: Camden Blues Kitchen: The Old Queens Head: Chateau Roux: Tatty Devine: The Hawley Arms: The Lexington: The Keston Lodge: The Lock Tavern: Bullfrog: Vintage Store: The Lazy Ones: The Sun and 13 Cantons: Bar Story: Rough Trade East: The Victoria: Candy Cakes: Bullfrog:
Carnaby Street, Soho, W1F 7DW 200 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W11 1LB 37a Neal Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9PR www.size.co.uk 2 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RD www.beyondthevalley.com 22 Carnaby Street, W1F 7DB 114-116 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AY www.paperdressboutique.blogspot.com 10A Newburgh St, W1F 7RN www.55dsl.com 111 - 113 Camden High Street, NW1 7JN www.theblueskitchen.com 44 Essex Road, Islington, N1 8LN www.theoldqueenshead.com 17 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RZ www.chateauroux.co.uk 44 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9EP www.tattydevine.com 2 Castlehaven Road, NW1 8QU www.thehawleyarms.co.uk 96-98 Pentonville Road, N1 9JB www.thelexington.co.uk 131 Upper Street, N1 1QP www.kestonlodge.com 35 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AJ www.lock-tavern.co.uk 20 Greenwich Church Street, SE10 9BJ www.bullfrogs.co.uk 182 Brick Lane, E1 6SA 102m Sclater Street, E1 6HR www.thelazyones.blogspot.com 21 Great Pulteney Street, W1F 9NG 213 Blenheim Grove, Peckham, SE15 4QL Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL www.roughtrade.com 110 Grove Road, Mile End, E3 5TH www.thevictoriae3.com Monmouth Street, WC2H 9EP www.candycakes.com 20 Greenwich Church Street, SE10 9BJ www.bullfrogs.co.uk
Shock and Soul: The Westbury: The Hospital Club: Rough Trade: Fopp: Mint: The Book Club: Behave: Sanctum Hotel: Defectors Weld : Pirate Pop Up Shop: LCB Surf Store: Pure Groove: Beyond Retro: The Rest Is Noise: Banquet Records:
46 Essex Road, Islington, N1 8LN www.shockandsoul.co.uk 34 Kilburn High Street, NW6 5UA www.westburybar.com 24 Endell Street, London, WC2H 9HQ www.thehospitalclub.com 130 Talbot Road, W11 1JA www.roughtrade.com 1 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LL www.foppreturns.com 20 Earlham Street, WC2 H9LN www.mintvintage.co.uk 100 Lenard Street, EC2A 4RH www.wearetbc.com 14 Hanbury Street, E1 6QR 50 Lexington Street, W1F oLR 20 Warwick Street Soho, W1B 5NF www.sanctumsoho.com 170 Uxbridge Road, W12 8AA www.defectors-weld.com 27 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RN 121 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 7DG www.lcbsurfstore.co.uk 6-7 West Smithfield, EC1A 9JX www.puregroove.co.uk 110-112 Cheshire Street, E2 6EJ 58-59 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JY www.beyondretro.com 442 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 8EJ www.therestisnoisebrixton.com 52 Eden Street, Kingston, KT1 1EE www.banquetrecords.com
Also with online orders of Urban Outfitters : www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk See an up to the minute list of stockists online, if you would like to stock Who’s Jack contact: press@whos-jack.co.uk
jack
Editor/Creative Director : Lu Orcheston-Findlay : louise@whos-jack.co.uk // Deputy Editor : Laura Hills : laura@whos-jack.co.uk // Advertising : Tom Ayres : tom@whos-jack.co.uk // Fashion Editor : Leila Dante Hartley : leila@whos-jack.co.uk // Arts Editor : Ruthie Holloway : ruthie@whos-jack.co.uk // The Jack-Father : Edward Fitzpatrick // Film : Mark Williams : mark@whos-jack.co.uk // Music : Laura Hills : laura@whos-jack.co.uk // Comment : Adam Roan Henderson : adam@whos-jack.co.uk // Pick Of : Lu Orcheston-Findlay : louise@whos-jack.co.uk // Intern : Tania Willis : intern@whos-jack.co.uk // Stylists : Leila Hartley // Nessa Wrafter //Rachel Anthony // Chloe Grace Press // Photography : Kristoffer Myhre : www.krismyhre.com // Stuart Leech : www.music-photos.co.uk // Andrea Bono Tempo // Grant Thomas // Lewis Wilkinson // Assistant : Simon Thistle Contributing writers : Jason Gregory // Lucy Hancock // Erin Daniel Mckee : erin@erindmckee.com // Matt Hamm // Georgina Childs // Zoe Whitfield // Tania Willis // Katie Servie // Charlotte Simpson // Illustrations/Artwork/Layout : LOF // pandamilk : www.pandamilk.co.uk // Alexander Hughes Hair & Make up : Luke Stephens // Solo James // Assistnat : Saskia Crane Cover Image : Kris Myhre // Want to see your work in Jack? Contributions : contributions.jack@googlemail.com Thanks to : Edwards Garage Who’s Jack Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part with out the permission of Who’s Jack. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the opinions of Who’s Jack. Who’s Jack Ltd can not be held responsible for any breach of copyright arising from any material supplied. Who’s Jack, 93 Barker Drive, Camden, London, NW1 0JG
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Jason Gregory
FASHION FOR THE BOYS
Saved By The Bell
A few weeks ago, I found myself contained in a rather tight space and pressed up against the back of a total stranger. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, but then being pressed up against the back a total stranger rarely is, especially when you’re both 100ft underground and at the start of a 20-minute train journey. But unfortunately that was the position we found ourselves in: both of us minding our own business, only him doing so with a rucksack on his back big enough to carry a corpse. (In reality it was probably just a Packard Bell, but that’s beside the point.) At some stage in the not too distant past it has become quite socially acceptable for adults to wear rucksacks again. There was a point, I’m sure, when they were exclusively assigned to schoolchildren - and something that was left behind when one became old enough to realise what an idiot one looked. Now though, it seems everyone’s got a rucksack - from the ones designed to hold a city worker’s laptop/corpse to those types that tourists like to wear when they need to cart the rest of their family around London. And if the fashion world’s got anything to do with it, come the end of 2010 we’ll all own one. ‘Get into the trend and don’t be a late adopter,’ harped one fashion blog recently, adding: ‘Rucksacks are at the top of men’s fashion radar.’ Well they aren’t at the top of mine - or rather, they weren’t until somebody suggested I try a vintage style one. ‘It will change your life,’ they said, before pointing me in the direction of ASOS’s new range of canvas rucksacks. I was surprised; not only was it finished smartly, but it also offered space without being too overwhelming. My only hurdle, of course, was the fact it was a rucksack. Unsurprisingly, now that some of the leading designers have got their hands on them, rucksacks have begun to manifest away from the practicality and back-friendly philosophy they had when they were used for schoolbooks. As well as multi-pocket military designs like mine, for instance, you’ll also find the high street littered with rucksacks that seem to have been painted by Jackson Pollock. But if you’re willing to overlook these curious concoctions - or indeed embrace them - then the rucksack might be a worthwhile investment heading into the winter. Just be careful on the public transport, or at least stay away from me.
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REVIEW MUSIC
ONE
James Lynch
LINERS
BIN: The Wombats Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves) It’s not so much the obligatory and rather obvious inclusion of synthesisers or even the awkward faux-philosophical lyrics and inevitable ‘shouty chorus after the breakdown’ that makes me want to find somewhere safe to hide my ears, instead it’s the fact that this song, thanks to Zane Lowe and Radio 1, will become pretty much inescapable in the weeks to come… www.thewombats.co.uk
BIN: Brandon Flowers Flamingo The boiling cauldron of musical talent and unfathomable creativity that is Brandon Flowers has finally overflowed, splashing this album forth and with no room left in the studio for the rest of The Killers due to Flowers ego and ridiculous feathered shoulder pads. He has forged ahead regardless and concocted this self-indulgent and stupidly titled collection of mediocrity. www.brandonflowersmusic.com
BURN: Band Of Skulls Fires EP I think it’s a bit unfair to call a three track release of one song and two remixes an ‘EP’ but then when the band is Band Of Skulls and the song is this bloody good then I suppose you can just about get away with it… although I think they might have taken things too far with the video. www.bandofskulls.com
BURN: Howls Hammock This current fascination with vampires, werewolves and all things supernatural thanks to stuff like Twilight and True Blood might be getting increasingly out of hand but at least it has an upside as something called The Vampire Diaries has snapped up this Howls stomper which is good news for them and everyone else as it gets released properly and we all get to enjoy it without the blood and bad acting. www.howlshowlshowls.com
BOOM: Mickey Factz Paradise Dubstep is slowly slipping into the mainstream and with Magnetic Man and Katy B doing their utmost to make sure this happens sooner rather than later it’s refreshing to hear its influences being used well, as Factz talks sense. ‘I ain’t throwin’ money in the air, That ain’t shit I wanna share.’ over a dirty glitch bass beat, it makes me think that things might just be ok after all… www.myspace.com/mickeyfactz
BOOM: Matt and Kim Cameras This first single from new album Sidewalks starts with a strange mournful synth sound, then explodes into a tuba-led beat peppered with percussion hits, breaks down into a chorus that sounds like something recorded by the Flaming Lips then picks up all over again with added strings, goes into a fuzzy electro breakdown with a massive cymbal ride and ends in orgasm. www.mattandkimmusic.com
Warpaint Ever wondered what the XX would sound like as a 4 piece girl band? Well Warpaint are America’s answer to the Mercury Prize winners ambient indie-rock. With an album out in October on Rough Trade, you’ll be sure to hear a lot more from this lot very soon. www.myspace.com/worldwartour
Kurran and the Wolfnotes Folk is a popular sound right now; with toe tapping chords and checked shirt dosey-doeing the order of the summer. But as our days darken, so does the tone with this group of 5, diverting the genre down the dirt-road of a alt-folk; well away from any twiddling banjos. www.myspace.com/kurranandthewolfnotes
Mona With Caleb and the Followills at the top of the their game and the charts, time has come for their replacement. Nashville collective Mona quite simply…rock. Oozing mid 80s bravado and vocals that shove the Kings of Leon, Guns’n’Roses and Verve into a tight fitting leather pant package; the band hint at the kind of success that every band dream of. www.myspace.com/monatheband
LESSER KNOWN
Surfer Blood Having released their debut album in January, you’ll recognise their ‘Swim, til you reach the end’ track that crept into Pitchfork’s Top 100 Tracks of 2009. The Palm Beach 5 piece pin the ‘surf rock’ tag firmly to scruffy t-shirted chests and as Warner Music’s next big thing, their washed out Pavement-like heavy guitar sound will be filling the walls of all student dorms countrywide before too long. www.myspace.com/surferblood
words : Matt Hamm
JACK COMES ALIVE Every month Jack leaves its pages and plays out for you in a live embodiment of itself at Proud Galleries, Camden. Past nights have included Example, burlesque, pole dancing, Worship, Thomas Tantrum, Russ Chimes, Will and the People, paddling pools, models, goodie bags, free drinks, half naked men, sausage rolls and birthday cake. Lesson being- You don’t want to miss the next three.
October 27.10.2010
Random Impulse / Natalie Monroe / Live MC battles / Rick Edwards (Dj) / Reggie Yates (artwork) / Halloween dress and themes / Cheap entry for those dressed up / Ghostly stable gatherings with more tbc along with further acts.
November 24.11.2010
Moustaches / live bands / art exhibits / fashion / exciting partnerships /more tbc
December 22.12.2010
It’s Christmas / Santa / presents / Christmas Trees / Snow / Live acts / More tbc
Jack Comes Alive is different every month to correspond with each issue. You can expect themed booths, goodie bags, freebies, live music, art, fashion and more. See www.whosjack.org/jack-comes-alive/ for tickets, photos, videos and up to date info. Tickets pre sale £4.00/ £6.00 on the door.
SHIT LIT
ADAM TAKES ON A BOOK A MONTH TO JUDGE IT FOR EASE OF READ, QUALITY OF CONTENT AND ABILITY TO MAKE YOU FORGET THE PACKED SWEATY MINUTES OF THE COMMUTE.
Fact not Fiction. I love facts. Not the ones they teach you in school, but the weird and wonderful nuggets of knowledge that you stumble across by accident. Television show QI is full to the brim with little treasures of truths delivered by smug geek figurehead Stephen Fry. I don’t blame Mr Fry for his superior smile, with the mine of obscure information in that man’s head who wouldn’t be a little self-satisfied. These odd little snippets of fact are far from useless however. Whilst they may not have a direct bearing on your everyday life, they come in handy all the time. On first dates never be stuck for something to say, you can always fill any awkward silences with an explanation of the art of sword swallowing or how the Harrier jump jet works. I’m sure that an increased knowledge of useless facts will get you further in all areas of your life, from getting a promotion to impressing your grandmother. Or something. How does one go about improving one’s collection of whimsical facts you may ask? You have several options; you could try trawling Wikipedia at random (no, you can’t trust the internet), watch all the repeats of QI on Dave (good but once the facts are on QI you could argue they are common knowledge) or read some kind of compendium. By compendium I mean a book containing a variety of facts and pieces of information such as recent best sellers ‘Dangerous Book for Boys’ and
‘Does Anything Eat Wasps?’(Badgers) However these are generally on a particular theme like animal facts, survival facts or food facts. I have found what’s being billed as the best book of this type. It’s called ‘A Gentleman’s Bedside Book’ and the knowledge contained within is as disparate as it is delightful. It covers topics from how to build your own log cabin to fascinating facts about breasts. And they’re pretty fascinating to begin with to be honest. I also like the connotation that as you are the owner of this book, you instantly become a Gentleman. Like some sort of special pass. The author, Tom Cutler is no stranger to this genre having previously written 211 Things for a Bright Boy to Do, another bestseller it would appear. And who better to learn how to craft the perfect moustache from than from a man who is (according to his biography) a member of the Handlebar (Moustache) Club of Great Britain and sports a particularly fine piece of facial furniture himself. Better than anything that a certain Mister Fry could ever come up with. But it’s not all moustaches, this book is very funny with a certain charming humour in what it investigates, from the
best bits of a Bible to the bizarre Edward Ciderhands: A game for real men, albeit ones that really really like cider. A particular entry of 113 Really Bad Chat up Lines is a favourite, with the best being difficult to choose between, ‘Christ, your eyebrows are thick,’ and ‘My first two girlfriends died from eating poison mushrooms; my last died of a head injury. (She wouldn’t eat her mushrooms).’ Genius. The only hazard here is giggling to yourself on the tube and jiggling the person next to you in the rush hour. There are, of course, a few entries that feel a bit more like filler. I’m all for learning new things, but I can’t see any beautiful women exclaiming ‘Oh Adam, your amazing knowledge of church styles is too much, I must have you now.’ But then it might do it for some. And it’s probably for the best, I’m not sure I want to know any strange women with church fixations, so perhaps this could be a good way of weeding them out. Then use the awful chat up lines on them. This book is perfect for the commute; just sling it in your bag and then dip in whenever your train or bus is ‘held for a few minutes to regulate the flow’. Whatever that means.Yes it says ‘bedside’ but really this is a brilliant read for anyone who has ever struggled with finding where you left off in a novel or gets distracted too easily. Or anyone that wants to share Stephen Fry’s smug grin. If you have a great commuter read sent it to the Jack Office or details to adam@whos-jack.co.uk.
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SKY E R F R EIRA 18 year old singer/ song writer Sky Ferreira is tired when we meet her in Little Venice for our shoot and interview. In fact, she can barely stay awake. Sky, who lives in LA, has been in the UK for 24 hours and has yet to go to bed, ‘I’ve done about 20 interviews, some photo shoots, I’m literally about to fall asleep at any point,’ she tells us when we get there. The subdued, over tired, singer in front of me is far from the Sky Ferreira I’ve read about on gossip blogs and in other magazines. You see, despite her young age, Miss Ferreira has caused her fair share of controversy as pop starlets before her (think Britney, Christina et al) have tended to start out sweet and innocent to gain popularity before moving in to sex filled pop songs and risque chap wearing, Sky Ferreira is already better known for her party girl life style (she once admitted that she’d been going clubbing since she was 14) than her music. And yet, there is a lot riding on the singer who is signed to EMI with some industry insiders saying that she is set to either make or break the label, so we decided to sit down and try and find out a bit more about the singer behind the scandal... images : Kris Mhyre | words : Laura Hills
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Sky started off her career at the age of 15 as a model with her unconventional style and rough-around-the-edges beauty gaining the attention of photographers like Mark Abrahams. ‘I’m not how most people would see a model, I mean, I’m not ‘modelly’ if you know what I mean? I sort of fell into it by accident. I started doing some shoots for magazines and a couple of books for photographers who got in touch with me but at the same time I was also working on my music. Music and acting have always been my main passions, I never wanted to be a model but when you’re 15 and someone offers to pay you to have your picture taken it seems pretty exciting,’ she says. It could be said that Sky’s childhood was less than conventional, she was raised by her grandmother who was also Michael Jackson’s hairdresser and often spent time with the ‘King of Pop’ (she apparently made him cry when she first sung for him at his house). ‘I didn’t really understand how famous he was because I was so used to being around him. It wasn’t until I was 13 that I began to realise how important he was. I definitely learnt a lot from him and the way he handled himself especially in interviews, I still feel really awkward doing them,’ says Sky. Fast forward a few years and Sky has just released her single, One here in the UK in which she sings about trying to keep a relationship together and is planning her first release in the US. ‘The label don’t want me to release One, they want me to release a song that’s more suited to an American audience. I find that the UK audience are much more on it when it comes to music. You guys move a lot quicker, over in the US we’ve only just discovered La Roux for example. I’m not sure why it happens that
way but I think that the UK is more music forward than a lot of other countries.’ For someone who herself admits to not being ‘that successful yet’, there is an insatiable media interest in Sky both here and back in her home, America and nothing has gained her more column inches than her brash and brutally honest way of dealing with interviews which has often led her to be at the centre of speculation about her suitability as a role model for young girls. In one interview with men’s mag FHM Sky gave an insight into her life style telling the reporter, ‘kids my age are having sex, doing drugs. Since I was in middle school kids have been doing cocaine.’ She also entered a controversial war of words with her label mate, Katy Perry, who earlier this year posted a picture of Sky on Twitter with a bottle placed questionably between her legs telling her to stop ‘sleeping with so many djs’ (‘it was a joke that everyone took really seriously, my mum and label weren’t very happy with me’) and yet Sky makes no apology for how she comes across. ‘The label tried to get me media trained but they soon realised a few classes wasn’t going to help. I understand that with this job comes the responsibility of being a role model and I try to be aware of that but while I want to inspire people I don’t want people to base how they live their life on how I live mine. I’m still going to live my life as if I wasn’t in this industry,’ says Sky. Despite all this there is something about that Sky that has made some of the world’s top producers and writers want to work with her including Gods Bloodshy & Avant and Britain’s very own Friendly Fires and Paul Epworth who have both worked with Sky on her upcoming album.
Sky originally wanted said album to be 12 different songs from 12 different genres, a decision EMI allegedly decided against but says that the album will document her life from when she started writing music until now. ‘I was 14 when I started writing songs so the album is going to be a reflection of the things I’ve been through since then. I like to write a mixture of fiction and observations about life as well as more personal stuff. The album will hopefully make my fans feel as if they’ve grown up over the past 4 years with me,’ explains Sky. And if the stories are to be believed she has a lot to write about. ‘I’m very privileged and I get to do more than most girls my age which naturally means I experience stuff that my peers might not but that also means I’m open to a lot of criticism.’ Sky has already experienced first hand the double edged sword of gaining so much media attention. Finding that some of her piers might not be such big fans. Possibly because Sky has struck so lucky at such a young age. ‘I know that age isn’t an excuse but everyone my age is insecure and to see people writing that they hate me on forums is hard to deal with. I don’t want people to think I’m an ass hole. They say really terrible stuff and it is upsetting.’ Understanding that you can’t please everyone Sky remains honest about dealing with the less complimentary comments that will always surface once one finds the beginnings of fame. Perhaps a member of Sky’s entourage sums her up the best when he turns to me and says, ‘she’s still very, very young. Sometimes we forget that.’
[Stop Jack Time] Have you ever... Been arrested: Yes in 9th grade when I was 14. It was the first time I’d ever really drank alcohol and my mum called the cops on me to teach me a lesson. There was another time too I went to Coachella festival this year, we got in trouble because the cops thought we were driving a golf cart while drunk. Kissed someone famous: No. Used your celebrity to get in somewhere: Not usually. I got pissed off once because I wasn’t allowed in somewhere because I was under age but the week before they had me sing at the exact same club and I was like, ‘It didn’t matter to you when you had me sing here a week ago’. I starting going out very young so I know how to get around bouncers. Lied in an interview: I don’t think so. Had to sleep on the street: No. Stolen anything: Yes, my old best friend and I went to American Apparel when we were younger and we stole a gold leotard.
See our interview and shoot with sky on Jack TV that can be found here : www.youtube.com/whosjackmag
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leila loves
Angel Jackson I first stumbled across Angel Jackson at London Fashion Week several seasons ago. After treating myself to a large black shoulder bag this summer, I think it’s time to share the designer with you. The AW collection includes feathered bags, carried through from previous seasons and sported by the likes of Sienna and Kate, as well as embellished totes, envelope clutches in a variety of shades of snakeskin and Pop Art inspired satchels. For those brave enough Angel Jackson has also created sequined gun holsters and bum bags. I predict the most popular style to be this seasons new bag shape, the 90s look duffel in black snakeskin, complete with draw-strings and tassels. Enough to glam up a grunge infused evening outfit but practical enough for everyday. Place your orders now girls, these bags are gold dust. www.angeljackson.co.uk Prices start around £200
People’s Market Cardigans If you haven’t already, I’d suggest that you boys finally embrace the cardigan this chilly October. If there’s one thing you can learn from the girls, it’s that the simple cardi is the ultimate for trans-seasonal dressing (too warm for coats, too cold for t-shirts). People’s Market have shit loads on offer but to make it easier for you I’ve picked my three favorites. For the standard granddad look, check out for the double-breasted cardigan in camel (the colour of the season don’t you know). Or channel Burberry with a slightly smarter navy belted number. For the YUMPs* among you the bobble khaki knit is ideal for throwing over a shirt for the ultimate smart/casual outfit. *Young Urban Media Professional www.peoplesmarket.com Prices start at £40
Urbanears Headphones Stockholm born Urbanears make what I think are the perfect headphones; technically superb, with quality sound but noise proof on the outside and most importantly, very comfortable. The brand ethos is to create classic headphones with an extra wearability, more of a fashion accessory than a practical device. There are also three different styles to choose from. Plattan, the classic chunky over-ear design with a ‘Zound Plug’ on one ear cup which allows a friend to plug directly into your music, The Tanto is a homage to the classic 80s Walkman headphones and the newly launched Medis, the in-ear model. The Medis takes it to the next level in headphone technology with interchangeable pads to fit ergonomically into the ear. Personally I opted for the Plattan in Ocean but with fourteen colours to choose from there’s a pair for everyone. www.urbanears.com Prices start at £30
Jack CAT Loves: Shoes Work wear is everywhere. From jump suits to steel capped boots everyone is currently donning their best building-site-style winter wear and in Jack’s opinion no one does industrial better than Cat. Whether it is the UK’s cold winters and copious amounts of rain or that the catwalks are continuously pushing the boot, no one can get enough of Cat’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. These expertly made boots have been born out of years of experience with leather work and shoe materials which securely reinforces their dominance in the market as the best authentic rugged boot option around. All styles combine supple leathers in a huge selection of shades but at no point forget the need for durability and attention to detail. With this sort of consideration going into every pair of Cat shoes we think they’re the perfect brand to wear on our feet over the coming months. What with the ice and snow that we all slipped and slid in last year it makes sense to go with a brand that has always had to stand up to tough conditions. Cat was born in the 1990’s from the Caterpillar brand (now the largest construction equipment manufacturer in the world) and was originally created to provide their workers with footwear suitable for the challenging terrain they had to deal with every day. Today Cat are not only on fashion shop shelves but are keeping up their work wear traditions on the building sites of the nation. With the boots coming from all this experience what others would you choose when following the work wear trend. We’ve picked the best of a great bunch for you covering both the men’s and woman’s collections... www.catfootwear.com
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Clockwise from Top: Zachary: £109.99 Abe: £119.99 Warren: £119.99 Hogan: £119.99 Misa: £134.99
GET YOUR BLOOD CURDLING Wondering what alternatives there are to your mates shitty fancy dress house party or that bar down the road’s promise of Halloween themed cocktails? Well look no further. Chills in the Chapel - FREE A great option for any horror film fanatics. The Union Chapel is showing scare-fest films from the 29th - 31st October. With the chapel, complete with candles and a slight chill providing a fitting backdrop for the films picked to screen such as Hitchcock classic, Psycho and The Amityville Horror. The screenings are brought to you by the Jameson’s Cult Film Club and are free but you do have to book. www.jamesoncultfilmclub.com Halloween at Torture Gardens - £36.50 Looking for a way to spend Hallows eve that will guarantee a scare and possibly a turn on? Head down to Torture Gardens, and prepare to be both terrified and thrilled by 6 fully themed rooms of pure horror, 3 gruesome performance stages and 2 blood soaked dance floors, a cabaret lounge, haunted forest, dungeon playroom and horror tunnel. If you think you can handle that and have a latex body suit in your wardrobe this night is for you. TG has a reputation for Halloween parties that can’t be beat. www.torturegarden.com (image by Ben Hopper)
London Bridge Experience and London Tombs - £10.98 Catch an evening showing of Phobophobia, the show that has been given a 12 rating for it’s ‘inappropriate for a weak stomach’ nature. With a bit of history thrown in for good measure the show goes through the beginnings of London Bridge 2000 years ago and leaves not a single bloody, gory detail out. You then travel through the underground catacombs of London Bridge that are said to be so haunted that when building the site builders left refusing to come back due to the amount of unexplained events down there. Putrid smells, scary models and howling screams will all come together to make sure your bloods running as cold as the air outside on leaving. Shows run all day and through the night to 3am and are ongoing. www.thelondonbridgeexperience.com Spooky Film Quiz -FREE On the 26th October take part in a spooky film quiz at Stratford Picturehouse. Focusing on spooky and horror flick questions there are DVDs to be won along with film posters and cinema goodies. Themed cocktails will be available from the bar but we forgive that because they also have an additional prize for the most original Halloween costume. Theatre Square, Selway Rd, London, E15 1BX www.picturehouses.co.uk Alice Cooper’s Halloween Night of Fear £34.50 - £38.50 Alice Cooper comes to The Roundhouse between the 31st October and the 1st November to host a special event all about Halloween. Joined on stage by Jim Rose, Zodiac Minwarp and The Love Reaction this will be a big Halloween fest. We hear that Mr Cooper has had his heart set on making these events into real old school freak shows and has been advertising for said ‘freaks’ to make this happen. We are sure either way it’ll be an interesting night. www.roundhouse.org.uk
Introducing : Random Impulse It’s not often that we stumble across a rapper who can also get away with playing the guitar at the same time as MCing but Random Impulse (real name Jovel Walker) is a refreshing example of musical genres combining to make something brilliant. Random Impulse was one of the originators of the grime scene and is a producer and recording engineer who has worked with the likes of Wiley and Tinie Tempah. Every week Impulse puts up a refix on his Youtube channel for which he takes an established rap track and rebuilds it from scratch using guitars. These refixes have led him to become one of the UKs 20 most viewed artists on Youtube with thousands coming to the site every Sunday when he uploads a new track. Impulse’s talent hasn’t gone unnoticed and the 24 year old is now being managed by LA based, Chris Allen who also manages an impressive roster including acts from Kanye West to Slash. Impulse has released his own free EPs which have been downloaded by over 76,000 people. Still to be convinced? Head to www.myspace.com/randomimpulse1 or if you’d like to see him live come down to Jack Comes Alive this month (27th) where he’ll be performing.
Ghost Stories - £75.00 Go to see the play put together by League Of Gentleman star and writer, Jeremy Dyson, and Andy Nyman, co-creator and director of Derren Brown’s television and stage shows and star of Dead Set and Severance.This play had such an amazing reaction from it’s sell out run at the Lyric that it has moved to a bigger home in the shape of The Duke Of York’s theatre. As the website states the show contains ‘moments of extreme shock and tension. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.’ A truly terrifying Halloween option, and we’re not even by any stretch of the imagination joking. www.ghoststoriestheshow.co.uk
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film:
Hello you. It must be a month since we last met, where have you been? And don’t tell me you’ve been reading other magazines again because I thought you were through with that now. You promised. words: Mark Williams
6. It is a video-game to film adaptation. To name a few: Tomb Raider, Super Mario Bros, Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. 7. And last, but absolutely not least, if Danny Dyer plays the main character.
Police Adjective
Before we launch headfirst into the films coming out this month of October, let me ask you a question: can you know if a film is going to be utter pants without even seeing it? With so much to choose from at the cinema, you need to be sure you aren’t about to waste two hours of your life watching a film so bad you want to tear out your eyes and shove them in your ears. Well, there are indeed tell-tale signs to look out for, which might suggest that what you are thinking of seeing could more likely be in line for a Razzie, than an Oscar. Let’s have a quick run-down of seven possible indicators of a big old load of pap. 1. ‘3D’ is the main selling point. Just because it makes 120 trillion dollars does not mean it’s actually any good. Cameron did the same thing with Titanic back in 1997. Three hours of my life I can’t get back, with nothing gained but a flash from Kate Winslet.
A man so one-dimensional, that if he was cast in a 3D film he would suck all the 3D into him with the gravitational pull of his muggy cockney aura, creating an imploding black-hole of wooden shit-ness. So Jack-fans, with that bunch of massive generalisations in mind, let us take a look at October’s must see delights. First up, it’s Danny Dyer’s Zany 3D Journey… This month at Who’s Jack, we are especially excited about the Howard Marks biopic, Mr Nice (8th Oct). Not only because Howard Marks was kind enough to have a chat with us about the film and his life, the results of which you can find elsewhere in the pages of this fair publication (p48), but also because it looks like a lot of fun. Rhys Ifans plays Marks, the Oxford physics graduate, turned international marijuana smuggler, who also had a very brief stint as an MI6 agent. The title of the film comes from Howard Marks’ nickname, which he got partly as a result of being deeply opposed to violence of any kind and a staunch refusal to deal in
the trade of ‘hard’ drugs such as cocaine. Both of which, it is fair to say, are unusual traits in the narcotics import/export trade. The film is based on events described in the book of the same name and if it maintains the same pace as said book, then it promises to be a high-speed, highly entertaining trip through the world of hashish smuggling and the lifestyle that went with it in the seventies and eighties. www.mrnice-themovie.co.uk Mary and Max (22nd Oct) is the feature-length follow up to the heart-warming and hilarious short animation Harvey Krumpet. Like Harvey Krumpet, Mary and Max is painstakingly created in stop-motion animation, using clay models. It is a beautifully told story about the pen-friend relationship struck up by Mary Dinkle, who is an eight year old girl from Melbourne and Max Horovitz, a 44 year old Jewish man with Aspergers Syndrome, living in New York. Max ‘has eight tracksuits the same colour and is as tall as a six foot tree’ and Mary ‘would like a friend that isn’t made out of seashells, twigs or chicken bones’. Here at Who’s Jack, we don’t like to make broad sweeping statements too often, but if you do see Mary and Max and it doesn’t bring a warm smile to your face then you’re probably dead inside. www.maryandmax.com Another animated treat, but hand-drawn this time is The Secret of Kells (1st Oct). Aimed at a younger audience but worth a look nonetheless, we are told the fable of
2. It is an Adam Sandler comedy. Happy Gilmore was the peak and it’s been a slippery slope since, with the exception of Punch Drunk Love. 3. The cinema trailer for the film unintentionally crams in every cliché of that genre into a one minute pile of crap. 4. The word ‘wacky’ or ‘zany’ is used in the tagline (e.g. Join Frank on his wacky adventure!!!) The same rule can be applied to people who describe themselves as bubbly or a bit crazy who are, in reality, just quite irritating. 5. It is a sequel with a number greater than three. N.B. This does not mean that Police Academy was good until number four. Mr Nice
Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow
an Irish boy, Brendan, and his uncle Abbot Cellach. Influenced by Celtic mythology and ye olde fairy tales to tell paint a colourful picture, it evokes memories of the hand-drawn Disney classics like Snow White and The Seven Dwarves, even dare-I-say-it, Basil the Great Mouse Detective. www.thesecretofkells.com Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow (15th Oct) is a visual feast, a smorgasbord for your eyes directed by Sophie Fiennes. The film is primarily an in depth look at the work of artist Anselm Kiefer and his methods. Some of Kiefer’s large scale works look like a futuristic, dystopian wasteland, albeit quite a well designed one. If the robots that were supposed to destroy humanity and take over the Earth in Terminator got a bit arty about it, then they may well have come up with something like Kiefer’s towers. Perhaps that should have been written in the future tense seeing as the Terminator scenario hasn’t potentially, fictionally happened yet. Hard to tell sometimes… www.overyourcities.com Set for a 29th October release is Burke and Hare, the tale of two Irish murderers, William Burke and William Hare, who plied their bloody trade in Edinburgh. Starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as the titular Williams, it has been described as a dark comedy in the tradition of old Ealing Studios films, such as The Ladykillers, by director John Landis. Incidentally, John Landis hasn’t made a feature film for almost 10 years, having been responsible for eighties classics such as Blues Brothers, American Werewolf in London and Three Amigos! So, with a director’s CV like that, Burke and Hare could potentially be great, although no matter how many films Simon Pegg does, from playing Scottie in Star Trek, to a role in next year’s Tintin, he will always be Tim Bisley. www.ealingstudios.co.uk
Police, Adjective (1st Oct) is an intriguing looking Romanian film about a policeman named Cristi who has reservations about arresting a kid for smoking cannabis. He is placed in a moral and ethical dilemma; not wanting to see a kid go to jail for seven years for doing something he doesn’t personally consider to be wrong, yet his job is to uphold the law. Add to that central plot premise a jazzy soundtrack, and you have another great looking film from a country that is really going through a purple patch with its filmmaking right now.
and terror and killed over 1.5 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. Some were thrown in to death camps for reasons as unbelievable as their need for reading glasses, which made them look intelligent and therefore dangerous to Pol Pot’s plans to take Cambodia back to year zero. www.enemiesofthepeoplemovie.com
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For a powerful documentary about one of the most brutal regimes of the twentieth century, Enemies of the People is released on 29th October. That regime was the Khmer Rouge, who dominated Cambodia with fear
DVD Roundup
Human Centipede (Oct 4th) Invite some friends round, get the popcorn in and then vom the popcorn back up as you watch this bio-horror oddity. The Disappearance of Alice Creed (Oct 4th) British kidnap thriller starring Gemma Arterton, who seems to be the new Keira twice Knightley. This is England 86 (Oct 11th) DVD of the four-part, Channel 4 TV series which takes place a few years after the rather brilliant film left off. Black Death (Oct 18th) Sean Bean, sword fights, wizardry, medieval England and more Sean Bean. Beautiful Kate (Oct 25th) Touching Australian film, about a man who returns to the rural family home after a long absence to visit his dying father.
Mary And Max
WINTER KNITS
photography : Grant Thomas photography assistant : Simon Thistle styling - Rachel Anthony and Chloe Grace Press make-up : Solo James make-up assistant : Saskia Crane hair : Cally Borg model : Chloe @ FM Models model : Joy @ Storm Models
Chloe: Black and white big cardigan-One of a kind Leather leggings- E G. Emma Griffiths Black leather boots-Ted baker Black bone skull- Stylustonline.com
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Chloe: White body suit-gabriella marina gonzalez Elbow pads- gabriella marina gonzalez Thigh bag- gabriella marina gonzalez Black leather boots- ted baker Brown leather gold cuff-Hermes Orange cardigan-asos
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Chloe: Black and white big cardigan-as before Leather leggings- as before Black leather boots-as before Black bone skull- as before
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Joy: Head scarf-missioni Black studded jacket-one of a kind vintage Rasberry scarf-almost famous Black leather boots-as before
Chloe: Black leather jacket- marjan pejoski Dog tooth trousers- one of a kind vintage Black leather boots- ted baker
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Joy: Cardicoat by Almost Famous Tights by Wolford customised by stylist.
Bonnie Bikes
In our August issue we recommended My Velo bicycles and with so many of you getting fit and healthy or saving money with a bit of cycling Jack thought it would only be right to recommend some seriously stylish bike accessories to pimp your two wheeled ride. As cute as the wicker basket between the handle bars looks, it’s not really practical past summer or for carrying bulky bags which can wobble your peddle. Brighten up your winter with Bonnie’s selection of bike ad-ons for example a club Tropicana style pannier, perfect for stuffing with shopping, an extra hoody, knee pads… Bonnie also recognises that the helmet is in desperate need of reworking, and has produced a cheeky schoolboy cap style helmet for bicycle boys and a pretty tweed version for girls. See these and more accessories in our pick below. www.bonniebikes.com
Helmet Cover: £35.00
Seat Cover: £9.00
Pannier: £35.00
Horns: £5.00
Cupcake Bobble hats Every winter here in the Jack offices we are faced with the task of keeping our extremities stylish and warm, but lets face it, when talking about woolen hats there is only so much ‘style’ one can muster. In that light we have decided to give style a miss and go for comedy this year instead. Our search has led us to the sweetest way of keeping your noggin cosy, check out these cupcake beanies from fredflare.com, they come in three delectable flavours: Chocolate, strawberry and Vanilla. Yum. www.fredflare.com
Trish Wylie ‘Cowboys’ at Belgravia Gallery, 45 Albermarle Street from 11th – 30th October In recent years artist, Trish Wylie, has made a name for herself for her explorations of the cinematic genre and her past exhibitions at the Belgravia Gallery (Once Upon a time in the West and The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful) have gone down a treat. Now Trish is taking over the space again with her new exhibition, Cowboys, which looks set to be as popular as her exhibitions before it. Cowboys features 10 canvas oil paintings paying homage to various films including Henry Fonda’s, My Name is Nobody (1973), The Magnificent Seven (1960) a reworking of Kurosawa’s, Seven Samurai. Trish’s paintings are created from frozen movie stills in order to capture the proportion of movie theatre screens. The process involves Trish watching the films on large projection screens in slow motion and without any sound often adjusting contrast and changing the pallet and ratio of the still. The result is paintings like the one featured above which aims to use variation of colour to reveal exciting new aspects of iconic movie scenes. A must see for art and film fans alike. For more details on the exhibition visit www.belgraviagallery.com or call 0207 495 1010
10% off burlesque lessons with Burlesque Baby
Everyone’s turning to make up and what better thing to line some tills when wallets are maxed out for bigger budgets? Well get ready to both pout and spend like a Rockstar, with Accessorize’s brand spanking new make up range. The sparkly offering will be winging it’s way to a store and swiftly into make up bags near you round about now. Choose styles from the selection of Rebellious Rock Chick, Exotic Brights and the simple and classy Just Love ranges, starting at a very affordable £3. www.monsoon.co.uk
Anyone who was down at the last Jack Comes Alive would have seen Jenni’s burlesquing efforts on stage. Jenni surprised us all with her pro-standard burlesque moves which were even more surprising because she’d only had 2 hours worth of lessons with her tutor Sharon aka Burlesque Baby. Now Burlesque Baby is offering you lucky Jack readers 10% off your first lesson so that you too can try your hand at this sexy art form. Sharon has gained a reputation for being one of the best burlesque teachers around and she also puts on some of the best burlesque events in the UK (on 21st October she’ll be hosting an event which will have Burlesque legend Kitten De Ville headlining) so we couldn’t think of anyone better to give you an introduction to burlesque. To book email info@burlesquebaby.com or call 0203 287 5164 and quote WHOSJACK www.burlesquebaby.com
Butler and Wilson for party accessories Looking for some Halloween decoration that doesn’t resemble rotting pumpkins and prosthetic boils? Well look no further than the ghastly brilliant new Autumn range by Butler and Wilson. Brighten up your dark October evenings with a choice of colourful Swarovski crystal incrusted rings, necklaces and bracelets. www.butlerandwilson.co.uk, 020 7409 2955
The Vintage Fair The London Vintage fair is hitting us lucky Londoners for the first Saturday of each month at Bloomsbury bowling lanes this October. Jack recommends any vintage lover gets themselves suitably frilled, coiffed and clinched to saunter down to this monthly event which sells 40’s to 80’s reworked and handmade clothing, jewellry and scrumptious cupcakes along with the chance to get yourself a vintage hairstyle or make over. www.thevintagefair.com
JACK’S PICK OF THE MONTH
Selfridges Shoe Gallery Selling itself as the place where you can buy a pair of Havaianas and or a Dior pair of killer heels under one roof, the Shoe Galleries in Selfridges just might be the largest shoe emporium you will ever come across. Half shopping experience half exhibition this newly opened space stocks everything from Dr Martins to Manolos. With 55,000 shoes in stock at any one time and 4,000 shoes on display from over 150 brands it might just fry your brain and if you are a bloke out with his girlfriend you definitely want to avoid it. However whether you have the cash to afford half of them or not it’s definitely worth an afternoon wonder. www.selfridges.com
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J. Panther Luggage Just brought yourself a swanky new iPad and have since created a new kind of knuckle lock trying to keep the slippery blighter from falling to a hard ground whilst taking full advantage of it’s portability? Are your fingers tiring of the constant gripping? We appreciate the desire to show the world your newest technical gem, but isn’t it a right pain when it slips out your grip or worse still, gets knicked out of your frozen grasp. Well J Panther luggage have the perfect answer to these troublesome problems, their aviator satchel. Available to purchase in classic canvas, tan or super smart black leather, the aviator has plenty of space to stuff other coveted goods. Jack predicts this one to be a man-bag hit. www.jpantherluggage.com
JACKETS
Go back to college or re-live those high school years in this Urban Outfitters Varsity bomber. You wont look out of place at a house party with a red plastic cup in hand in this timeless classic. Getting ever popular with both boys and girls this winter. Warm and windproof, a real cosy option. Varsity Bomber £75.00 www.urbanoutfitters.com
A quilted jacket is a must for any stylish bloke this winter. A style stolen from grannies, the Queen, and maybe a few country dog walkers - avoid looking like a stuffy country dweller by steering clear of the Barbor variety in favour of some great alternatives. Far cheaper and more alternative are the coloured options in many a high street shop. Lavenham Raydon Quilted Plain Suit Fabric Jacket £175.00 www.urbanoutfitters.com
It’s officially cold. I had to turn on the warm glow of the hall light this morning when I got up meaning that winter is really here. So what will you be needing? A warm jacket. Here are the core options you should be adding to your wardrobe to do you proud for the remainder of the year.
Other than the bomber, the Cape is going to come into it’s own this winter. Not overly practical at times and you MUST make sure your chosen article has arm holes otherwise you’re in for a whole world of bag-slippingoff-shoulder-trouble. You’ll find a great cape selection on page 36 but for now we’ll wet your appetite with this one. www.riverisland.com £59.99
On plenty a catwalk and off duty model this season is the smart yet relaxed overcoat. Tailored tight yet long with a bit of flop you will look effortlessly smart and stylish in one of these. For the smarter amongst you or those that are trying to smarten up, a long loose fit overcoat is essential. Towelling Coat , Zara £69.99 www.zara.com
An updated alternative to the straight mack and trenchcoat. This wool coat has the all important slouch that is necessary for so many garments this winter. An option perfect for the more relaxed yet by no means want to be wearing a sack coat wearer. Also massively warm what with wool being the main ingredient. It is also camel in colour which means you’ll be BOT (Bang on Trend) all winter. ASOS Belted Wool Coat £85.00 www.asos.com
For the more casual among you and those that just can’t get rid of their denim summer items (you know that’s not going to beat an icy wind)- you don’t have to totally let them go. This hoody come denim jacket means that it has what every denim jacket lacks - warmth. Topman : £44.00 www.topman.com
Since Burberry decided to bring an old classic back to the catwalk the high street has gone mad for sheepskin aviator jackets. We only hope this doesn’t come with a joint resurgence in aviator glasses as we don’t fancy looking like Tom Cruise any time soon. So talking about JUST the jacket, great and affordable options are popping up all over the place in Topshop, Hennes, New Look and M&S (above). When choosing from this selection large amounts of visible cream fur around the collar is a must. £100.00 www.marksandspencer.com
For a bit of colour, a bit of the oh-so-trendy geek and a bit of the big collar all put together go for this option from Open Ceremony - the guys that can do no wrong. Find OC concessions in Topman and Liberty. £505.00 www.openingceremony
HALLOWEEN TIPPLES The Social Network Unless you have been hiding under a social networking rock for the last two years, chances are you would have witnessed a small Facebook addiction at some point in your social networking life. Social Network tells the real life story of the brainy child who created the site from his college dorm room, and the turbulent early years of its successes. General geek player, Jesse Eisenberg takes the lead role and even Justin Timberlake makes an appearance so Jack thinks this is definitely one to set aside an Orange Wednesday for. Social Network is released in the UK on the 15th October.
We wouldn’t let October go past without taking the excuse to have a few questionably coloured drinks, wear a few questionable outfits and end up in some questionable places so whether out or at home have a go or ask at the bar for these. THE BLACK MOTH HOCUS POCUS A devilish mix of Black Moth truffle vodka and Poire William eau de vie shaken with Sauternes Noble Rot wine and a squeeze of fresh lemon, enhanced with a few drops of Absinthe, shaken vigorously and served straight up, ice cold. Ingredients:
www.thesocialnetwork-movie.com
Hocus Pocus
Method: Shake all ingredients in a small metal shaker filled with ice until freezing cold, fine-strain the liquid in to the glass, garnish with the lemon twist and serve straight up
Home These glass tea light holders complete with little porcelain bird will brighten any garden, outdoor space, or even indoor space now that it’s getting just that little bit darker. £14.85 for a set of 3. www.caravanstyle.com
The London Cocktail Club If you are a bit shit at making cocktails at home then leave it to the professionals. This is our bar pick this month. The London Cocktail Club breathes a much needed boozy breath of fresh air into Leicester Square. Get in early as it’s small but it’s well worth it to while the evening away in a well British, Sherlock Holmes style pad. www.londoncocktailclub.co.uk 6-7 Great Newport Street, Leicester Square, WC2H 7JB
Betsy Smith A much needed late night drinking hole has popped up in Kilburn. Set to become the new North West hang out, this place has wonderful quirks such as Jaffa cake cocktails and a scratch n’ sniff gallery courtesy of Flavorleague on their mezzanine level. It’s open from 8am each day until midnight, except on Fridays when it opens till 3am. 77 Kilburn Road,NW6 6HY www.thebetsysmith.co.uk
40ml Black Moth Vodka / 3ml Absinthe / 20ml Sauternes Noble Rot Wine 10ml Poire William eau de vie / 20ml lemon juice
www.blackmothvodka.com BLACK SHADOW A hideous colour but great taste. And isn’t that Just the aim come Oct 31st? Black Shadow
Ingredients: 1 Measure De Kuyper Blue Curaçao / 0.5 Measure De Kuyper Crème De Cassis /Champagne Shake together the De Kuyper Blue Curaçao and De Kuyper Crème De Cassis in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into flute glass and top up with chilled Champagne. BLACK RUSSIAN - or , if you will - BLOOD IN A GLASS 1 Measure Russian Standard Vodka / 1 Measure Tia Maria / Coke
Black Russian
Method: Mix all together and serve in a highball glass with plenty of ice cubes and top up with Coke. www.russianstandard.com
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words : Zoe Whitfield | images : Stuart Leech
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Thirty two floors up is where Jack meets and greets Morecambe’s finest export since…forever? Over an hour late but with charm a plenty and a pretty valid excuse (they’d travelled all the way from Manchester for the pleasure), drinks are ordered, 360 degree views snapped and loafers admired (vintage tan from Affleck’s Palace, by the by). Each clad in the same uniform of black skinny jeans, these four young men go by the names Matthew, Joseph, Ryan and Deaks (singer/ rhythm guitar, drummer, guitarist and bassist, respectively) and as a collective they are The Heartbreaks.
The latest indie darlings to outgrow the Manchester music scene, a single glance at their beaten brogues and Ian Curtis collars (and beige macs, Breton tees, denim jackets, Mod haircuts) and you could be forgiven for deeming them another style-over-substance outfit, in it simply for the freebies. Although has Matthew’s already made his modelling debut in Dazed and Confused this is not to say that the aforementioned comments are unfounded. Far from it, these are the kind of guys you’d imagine spit in the face of TopMan and despise Simon Cowell and his ilk, (though how wise that is given recent signing and Topman Ctrl we are not sure)such is their candour. Originally from Morecambe (as we may have mentioned), the band upped sticks to the Hacienda’s homeland to make
themselves a name, ‘everyone from the Northwest goes to cut their teeth in Manchester, if you do OK in Manchester, you’ll be alright. It’s rivalled only by Detroit possibly, in terms of music heritage I’d say.’ And that they did, winning the Manchester Evening News Best New Band award for 2009. But despite their new residential status, Morecambe is far from a distant memory, inspiring the band hugely still. A typical song lyric then, taken from the band’s now sold out debut single ’Liar, My Dear’ goes ‘the rainfall in Morecambe embitters me/it f**ks my hair and stings my jeans’; a two line ode to their disdain at the weather oft witnessed, posing in a song to soundtrack teen romance the land over. ‘Growing up in Morecambe, it’s not a hard
place to grow up but it can be quite stifling, especially if you’re creative. I mean it’s fine if you’re happy to sit round doing the same things,’ says Joe. Matthew continues, ‘It’s hard to not paint it as bleak, ’cause it’s not bleak and it’s not a hard place to live. But it’s very grey. I think it’s something that’s very unique to the English seaside, and I don’t think there’s anything quite like growing up in an out of season seaside town. It’s definitely been a huge influence on our work because we spent a lot of time growing up there.’ With a penchant for The Smiths’ multi-word song titles and with guitar hooks not a million miles away from Marr‘s own (a post-interview phone call alerts Jack that Joe’s ringtone is in fact
a Smiths hit), to say their influences are predominantly from the past would be to make something of an understatement. Indeed, Joe names their influences as ‘great bands, stuff like the The Jesus and Mary Chain and bands like Blondie as well. Bands with a lot of pop sensibility and a good deal of romance about them.’ On contemporary bands he decides, ‘there’s not a band that I like, I like songs. I listened to The Drums album for the first time today and, hmm.’ Matthew adds, ‘I think it’s contrived, really contrived. All music seems to be lacking sincerity today, and I think The Drums typify that. I think there’s a lot of music masquerading as sincerity.’ ‘I just don’t believe it. They’re playing with a backing track, I don’t really believe it’s from the heart,’ adds Joe. Hence the band’s August release ‘I Didn’t Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You’ being released solely on vinyl and digital download, though something tells us if the band had their way iTunes and the like wouldn’t get a look in. ‘I think the 7” is amazing, my favourite form, just the aesthetics of it,’ determines Matthew. ‘Yeah and all the artwork we did ourselves, stuff like that’s really important, it’s not just about the music. [with vinyl] You love a cover like you love a song,’ agrees Joe. ‘I won’t be downloading it,’ Matthew says. ‘I certainly won’t be downloading it. I do think (iPods) are quite good actually. But it’s that thing of, how can you replace the smell of an old book, and where people have written their notes in it and stuff.’ They’ve previously toured with both Jack Penate and The View, though they don’t hold the former in much high regard,
‘I like that Be The One song though,’ says Joe. On the latter however he tells, ‘I’ll always have respect for The View, ’cause they saw us play and Kyle was like ‘we’ll pop you on’.’ Agrees Matthew, ‘Yeah, ‘cause we’d only played about five gigs before then. It was our old band he saw, and he liked it.’ Asked about this old set up the boys blush and decline to give a name. Jack decides it’s best not to ask further, but answers on a postcard to anyone with a clue please. As ever, before long our time is nearly up. It’s been insightful and possibly rose tinted to say the least, and we only hope The Heartbreaks were glad they made the journey. Their enthusiasm and retro leanings enlighten Jack and so too do Joe’s ideas about how a band should be, ‘it’s not just about the music is it. I really like the idea of buying into a whole world. The Libertines had it and The Smiths had it, all the best bands did.’ Agreed.
Before you go though boys…
<3(BREAK) OR STOMACH ACHE? Heartbreaks- as Morecambe is a seaside town and ice-creams are often sold at the seaside, here then are six ice-creams for you to love or hate, end in heartbreak or stomach ache, if you will… Joe: We used to be ice-cream men. In a little hut. Matthew: We did it together but then we got too excited, so we had to be separated for four months, but then we were allowed to work together again after that. There were very few incidents then.
Jack: Amazing. Be excited then boys, be very excited…. Feast: J: I don’t like chocolate really. I don’t like chocolate ice-cream. M: I don’t like ice-cream. J: I like whippy ice-cream, like 99s. Jack: that was going to be the next one… M: It’s got to be the Walls ‘Country Meadow’ that’s the best. That’s not the yellow mix, that’s in a little packet. I remember when we used to get a delivery at work, mmm. Otherwise the guy used to get some rubbish from the wholesaler, so that was a treat when you got the Walls. Screwball: J: Yeah! They’re good ‘cause they’re naff and camp, and funny and English. Oyster: Both Yeah. J: Yeah these are the ones you’d get in a van. M: They’re the classics aren’t they. J: Yeah, they’re icons of ice-creams. That’d be a good album title actually. M: ‘Icons of ice-creams’. Fab: J: Yep. M: They’re so showy, I think. J: Yeah, they are. M: ‘Oh look at me I’ve got a Fab‘. J: But I like that, I like walking down the street with a Fab. Rocket: M: That’s not a real ice cream.
John grant Thursday 11 November
The former singer/songwriter with cult favourites The Czars plays tracks from his extraordinary debut solo album Queen of Denmark. Queen Elizabeth Hall
Angus & Julia Stone Thursday 9 December
Shlomo, Bellatrix, Charlie Dark, Polar Bear and Dizraeli & The Small Gods Sunday 31 October
Beatboxer Shlomo joins forces with some of the UK’s leading spoken word artists. Queen Elizabeth Hall
Howe Gelb & Giant Sand Thursday 4 November
A rare London gig from one of America’s most consistently inventive and remarkable bands. Queen Elizabeth Hall
Micah P. Hinson & The Pioneer Saboteurs + Serafina Steer Sunday 7 November
Songs from new album Micah P. Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs, Hinson’s most ambitious and grand record yet. Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Stone siblings bring their tenderly crafted and richly textured tunes back to London. Royal Festival Hall
The Human League Friday 10 December
Electronic music pioneers The Human League perform tracks from their new album Credo, alongside classics from their back-catalogue. Royal Festival Hall
Grant Lee Buffalo Saturday 15 January
One of the leading lights of the US alt-rock scene in the 1990s, the original line-up of Grant Lee Buffalo have reformed for a very special performance.
Royal Festival Hall
Tickets 0844 847 9910 southbankcentre.co.uk
HOME AWAY FROM HOME STAYS
You live in London, you have a hectic job, you can’t get away for a day let alone a week but you need a break. What better than a change of surroundings then? Jack has had a long think and decided the answer is London’s plethora of amazing boutique hotels? And with so many around, incase you’re having trouble deciding we have brought together three of our favourites. Cheaper than a short break with convenience you can’t put a price on.
Blakes
The Arch London
Blakes Hotel London
Residing in South Kensington, just around the corner from the station on Roland Gardens in Blakes. This area will always be a treat to those that don’t live in the SW7 postcode with the wide white houses, open pavements and a large percentage of green compared to some boroughs. The hotel feels much like a cosy speakeasy on entry which is utterly contrary to it’s large airy rooms. The hotel evokes numerous feelings with its changing types of decor and many different spaces. Small balconies and themed bedrooms along with cosy dark coloured seating areas. You really could stay in this place for a whole weekend and pretend you were somewhere completely different. Rooms at Blakes Start at £150 a night. 33 Roland Gardens, London SW7 3PF www.blakeshotels.com
The Arch is situated in central London so is ideal to partner with a visit to shows, shopping or general going out. The rooms are cosy and the staff both excellent and hugely helpful. With the added bonus of an adjoining restaurant, HUNter 486, you could just leave the West End to it. The styling of the bedrooms leaves you feeling as though you are simply inhabiting your wonderfully interior designed house. Perfectly punctual room service and soft furnishings make you never want to leave. With rooms starting at £195 you might have trouble getting a room in the first place as The Arch fills up fast. Book in advance to avoid disappointment. 50 Great Cumberland Place Marble Arch www.thearchlondon.com
The Arch
The Bingham
The Bingham sits on the river in Richmond. A favourite with wedding parties and it’s not hard to see why this hotel is just that little stones throw away 35 from central London that you might need. Amazingly comfortable beds and riverside views all add to the ambience of the building that has beautiful gardens and gates directly onto riverside walks. A great feature of this place is the bar that leads out onto a terrace that has all sorts of games and some wonderful cocktails to while away the hours pretending you are men and women of leisure. The hotel has a great restaurant too. Rooms start at £190. 61-63 Petersham Rd Richmond, Surrey TW10 6UT W1H 7FD www.thebingham.co.uk The Bingham
Superhero Chic.... ............
The Cape
Trend
words: Charlotte Simpson
It’s that time of year again. October is here - when did that happen? - The days are getting shorter, the nights longer and the weather colder. The good news is this means new clothes, and this season is shaping up to be one of the best yet. Now is the time to invest in your key piece for the season – the winter coat. There are many shapes and cuts to choose from, and the buzz in the fashion world is if you only buy one item this season, make it a coat. It doesn’t matter what you have on underneath as long as your cover up is some kind of fabulous. And believe it or not, one of the biggest shapes this season is the cape. The cape has been around for a while. It’s a more modern cut, and offers something different to the wearer. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to wear, swishing around and being a little bit dramatic. Not only stylish, the cape is practical. Acting as a great transitional piece, wear on its own during the autumn, and add long gloves, extra layers, a scarf or a snood (basically a scarf with no ends) as the cold sets in. Whether you’re wearing yours for work or play, keep the bottom understated – skinny jeans or a pencil skirt, as the silhouette works best with all the volume on the top. They are great paired with satchels, and really will go the distance. I bought my Topshop version three years ago, and have worn it every winter ever since.
Weekend
They were big on the catwalk, with Chloe putting a cape on practically every model. The good news is that once again the high street has triumphed, and given us wearable, affordable versions that promise to keep us covered and warm right through the cold months. The Weekend Cape Topshop : £36 For the weekend you can keep your cape more relaxed. Dolce and Gabbana and Chanel are big on festive, winter prints this season, and keeping it all a bit ‘ski’, so this cape from Topshop is perfect. Team with a warm jumper dress; thigh length grey socks and some heeled hiking boots (New Look have some great ones for £40). Add a wooly hat and snood and you’re ready to go.
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The Work Cape Warehouse : £75 For a work-friendly cape, this Warehouse version has a great shape whilst keeping an easy-to-wear navy shade. Buying a cape in a colour like this will ensure that it complements everything you wear, from muted tones through to bright shades. Wear over a smart dress or pencil skirt and shirt, teaming with a work-friendly satchel or short handled briefcase.
Investment
The Trend Cape ASOS : £80 If there’s one colour to be seen in this season, it’s definitely camel. In coats, trousers, jumpers, shoes, it was everywhere. This cape by ASOS combines two trends to show you’re ahead of the game. Perfect for work or weekend, it looks great alongside the minimalist trend, keeping all other items in shades of grey, black and brown. The colours may be dull but this look is definitely not boring. The Investment Cape Hearts and Hands at Urban Outfitters : £195 If you have a little more money in your winter coat fund, and want to buy something of a real statement, this check cape by Hearts and Hands will hit the spot. The checked print will never go out of style, and the gold buttons are a great detail. It’s definitely something Miss Blair Waldorf would wear. Whether wearing jeans and boots or tights and heels, this cape is winter perfection.
Work
THE DATING GAME words : Georgina Childs image : Alexander Hughes
It’s long been known that no man wants to be labelled ‘nice’. Ironically, it’s not nice, to be called nice - it’s a huge insult in the dating world. Everybody knows the saying, ‘nice guys finish last’. Well, hold the phone, I think the saying is wrong. I’ve been trying to hunt down a nice guy, pretty much since this column began, six months ago. And every single one I’ve met has had a girlfriend, and a fit girlfriend at that. Maybe Bad Boys are getting boring, and in fact 21st century nice is, well, nice. Having said that, I couldn’t get Mr Nice Guy to agree with me. He still thought it was a huge insult. But whatever, this is my column and therefore, what I say, goes. Mr Nice Guy is easy on the eye, has impeccable manners (I sound like my mother, if not my Nan) and he’s taken me to a riverside bar. I’ve got lots of time for that. It would almost be quaint if we weren’t sitting next to the murky-brown River Thames, complete with floating crisp packets and condoms. I’m racking my brain for something bad to say about the Nice Guy, but I’m really struggling (have I gone soft or have the dates just got considerably better since pinch-your-thigh gym bunny). He’d barely let me sit down before he’d got up to get me a drink. And he even shared a jug of Pimms with me - you see, nice. We chatted away for ages and as the sun set (we didn’t see it set, there were dark grey clouds across London, obviously) he made sure I wasn’t cold having somewhat sensibly worn a strapless dress. (And there you were, all thinking I wouldn’t mention a dress this month). He was really chatty, and showed a genuine – well, it seemed genuine – interest in what I was saying. Even when I was talking utter crap… it has been known. He did make one sexual reference, that wasn’t very nice, but I’ll let that one slide. He made up for it when he walked me back to the station and text me to make sure I’d got home okay. It is Essex after all. The gangsters are rife at 10.30 on a Sunday night, don’t you know. So all in all, no complaints to make. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t really see what’s not to like about someone who buys you Pimms, says you have beautiful eyes and walks you to the tube?
Admittedly, I can’t bring myself to give him a score higher than Quirky Guy (and he turned up on a bike). And it’s around here that I realise why. There’s something that the nice guy is missing... An edge. Something to make him stand out from the crowd. I don’t want to call him hum-drum because he is interesting, but at the end of the day he is just ‘nice’. At primary school we were told not to use the word nice, because it basically meant nothing. Nice hair, nice dinner, nice dress. It’s not exactly descriptive. Oh. Suddenly I see why guys don’t like it. Who wants to be just nice? Most of what I learnt at primary school has turned out to be pretty solid
(A is for apple and two plus two does equal four). And nice, doesn’t really mean anything (yet I’ve managed to use it 24 times in this one column). Imagine replacing the word nice with a word like ‘amazing’. This date would take on a whole new meaning. Amazing date, amazing dress. Anyway, being the stubborn little madam that I am, and ever one to prove a point, I wanted to prove that being Mr Nice Guy isn’t such a bad thing. For the sake of mankind, I had to make a point that nice guys don’t come last. So I kissed him. And it was nice. But imagine… if it had been amazing.
MODEL CUT OUTS:
Just like when you were little cut along the dotted lines and make your own LFW style outfit.
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Jack wants to stay here.
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Once upon a time there was a depressingly unappealing street in East London called Cambridge Heath Road, where the buildings lurked on murky sidewalks, where people passed through from A to B as quickly as they could and where words like ‘mugged’ and ‘rapey’ felt at home. Then not so long ago and not too far away, Vyner Street became the Cork Street of the East End, Bistrotheque became the hippest bar/restaurant in town, The Museum of Childhood cast a light of hope and then, unexpectedly, after 15 years of time-frozen neglect, Bethnal Green Town Hall got one big renovated slap in the face. The result? One huge shiner of a make-over and an inviting one at that. words: Ruthie Holloway images: Lewis Wilkinson
I’m talking about Town Hall Hotel, which would not only have made avid content for Alain de Botton’s The Architecture of Happiness (some buildings make you happy, some make you sad; Town Hall Hotel has a history that could rustle up both and no doubt more architecturally-invoked emotions after that) but the new hotel also lends itself to bold ambition, unique design and best of all, luxury en masse where you least expect it. It has also been occupied by half of the performing artists at this year’s Lovebox (kudos-enhancing as well, no?) and is proving to be quite an attraction for tourists, businessmen and Londoners alike. So let me indulge you further... History: Town Hall Hotel, which I heard someone call, ‘a contemporary diamond in the East End rough,’ opened it’s convivial doors in Spring of this year, in the aforementioned area that had, previous to this, been devoid of any attention or function for years. The venue had ceased to function as Bethnal Green Town Hall, the Grade II listed building was even cast onto the
English Heritage ‘At Risk’ list before it entered its renaissance in an unforeseen and remarkable fashion. The 1930’s building has a fair few stories interwoven into its past, one being that of The Blind Beggar, a man who under the influence of alcohol, had lost his mind and used to loiter outside the now, Town Hall Hotel on a daily basis. Years later at his daughter’s wedding he revealed himself to be the Earl of Leicester, Hugh de Montfort. That’ll make you think twice before dismissing Bethnal Green’s finest street-keepers, won’t it? Bringing you up to the modern day - the building was rescued by Peng Lo, an artist cum architect from Singapore who used to live in east London and who took the four-year project under his inspired wing before injecting time and love into a haggard and almost dead building that no doubt seemed like it had passed its sell-by date (no pun intended) decades ago.
Design: The building is a plethora of wonderment both outside and in.The Edwardian façade is an impressive mix of art deco and neo-classical styles and is in fact, the entrance to the accompanying Viajante bar and restaurant which highly acclaimed chef Nuno Mendes (of El Bulli fame) is gracing with his delectable creativity. Rare Architecture took care of the restoration and extension for the 98 rooms within Town Hall Hotel. The Council Chamber still remains and is now used for conferences and weddings. Arts Admin have also been involved, a company that puts on events and works with thousands of artists. They have offered a handful of lucky artists on their radar the chance to have a piece of their work commissioned by and housed in the hotel. Anyone reading Jack regularly would have seen our piece on this a few months back : there are some outstanding, calming and at time quirky pieces. In final developments the hotel will also have a gym, pool and spa in the basement which will no doubt – like the rooms,
lobby and function rooms hold a series of contemporary design next to some tasteful antique furniture and historical original 1930’s features, which have thankfully been retained. Wow-Factor rooms: So Jackers: to the bit you’ve been waiting for… the grand hotel tour, in written and visual form. On entering the hotel, (the entrance is on Patriot Square on the left-hand side of the building) we are met with a theme that resonates throughout: a brave but successfully captivating mix of contemporary Scandinavian design along with antique furniture and features, such as old pictures from Bethnal Green back in the day and 1960’s dentist chairs as well as whole host of other old vs new juxtaposition. The impressive marble staircase is gigantic and has the nice touch of a Union Jack dog guarding the door. Between the Council Chamber, the impressive function rooms and the happy staff, it is the rooms that will really charm the jaw-dropping socks off you. From Japanese-inspired kitchens, glass walls and elevated beds, to simple living space and yellow rubber ducks (by far the most random but ultimately fun and delightful signature of the rooms), Town Hall Hotel excels best where its guests will spend most of their time. The rooms offer escapism, simplicity and a sense of calm that is uncharacteristic of our hectic city and remarkably, in the ambiguous surroundings of Bethnal Green. Peng Lo, nice work. Town Hall Hotel and Apartments, Patriot Square, off Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9NF. Viajante bar and restaurant are also located here. www.townhallhotel.com
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MEETING
MR NICE
SINCE HE FIRST CAME TO PROMINENCE IN THE NATIONAL NEWS-MEDIA DURING THE SEVENTIES, AS A RESULT OF HIS INTERNATIONAL IMPORTING AND EXPORTING ACTIVITIES, A LOT HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT HOWARD MARKS, AKA ANTHONY TUNNICLIFFE, AKA ALBERT W. JENNINGS, AKA MR NICE. QUITE A BIT OF IT IS EVEN TRUE. A MAN OF MANY PASSPORTS; IT IS ESTIMATED THAT DURING THE MID 1980S HE HAD 43 ALIASES AND 89 TELEPHONE LINES! words : Mark Wiliams images: Kris Mhyre
49 If you haven’t heard of Howard Marks before, you may be wondering what he was up to that required such an array of identities. Although, after the success of his bestselling autobiography Mr Nice, the chances are that anyone who’s ever been a student knows exactly what Howard Marks is famous for. Described variously as both a folk hero, and the oft quoted: ‘most sophisticated drugs baron of all time’, Howard Marks’ area of expertise was the marijuana trade. The main drawback of such a line of work is, of course, the illegality and the risk of arrest. Nowadays, Howard jokingly says the main risk he faces is ‘making a twat of himself’ and luckily that doesn’t carry a prison sentence with it. Unlike the career in which he made his name, which ended with seven years in Terre Haute penitentiary, one of America’s toughest maximum security jails, from which he was released in 1995. It seems strange that a man who was always absolutely opposed to violence of any kind, and refused to deal in any drugs other than marijuana, was sent to a prison normally reserved for murderers, violent gang members and rapists. But, quite often throughout his time spent incarcerated, he found that he was being classed as an escape risk for a couple of reasons: one being his Oxford physics degree, which suggested a keen intellect capable of outsmarting an unwary prison guard. The other reason being that he was briefly under the employ of MI6.
As limited as his work for the intelligence service was, he may as well have had ‘escape risk’ written on his record in big red letters, and as such, spent a great deal of time in surroundings geared to prevent the escape of James Bond, not a peace-loving, yoga and meditation practising hippie. The MI6 connection is just one amazing facet of his life, and so it is easy to see why his autobiography continues to sell so well, and has now been made into a film, also called Mr Nice, starring Rhys Ifans as Howard. The rest of the cast is equally impressive, with David Thewlis playing a mad Irishman called Jim McCann and Chloë Sevigny as Judy Marks. So, when presented with the chance to have a chat with Howard Marks about the upcoming film, his live shows and the alternative uses of lion poo, Who’s Jack jumped at the chance. On a grey London day, we headed off to the Soho Theatre to find out why nice guys don’t necessarily finish last. HOW DID THE FILM MR NICE COME ABOUT? Well I sold the film rights to the book as soon as the book came out; there’s always an interest in making a film of any book that comes out. It quickly became a candidate for being made into a film, and I had no idea it would sell as well as it did so I sold the rights for a song to the BBC… who sat on it for twelve years! [laughs].
WHAT WAS YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE MAKING OF THE FILM? Absolutely none really! I mean, I turned up on set occasionally, I was very insistent that Rhys [Ifans] would be the only person playing me, and that was it. IS THAT BECAUSE RHYS IS A FELLOW WELSHMAN? Well I’ve known him since 1996, so he’s a mate, he didn’t have to study me. NO QUESTION OF THEM CASTING GEORGE CLOONEY THEN? Uh no, they thought of Hugh Grant at one point, but for all sorts of reasons that wasn’t suitable. If he can’t handle a blow job in an LA car-park, you couldn’t have him playing a dope dealer. Plus, Rhys quickly stole the show from him in Notting Hill. Daniel Day Lewis was also interested at one point, which would have been a close second… DO YOU THINK THE PACE OF THE FILM MATCHES THE FAST PACE OF THE BOOK? IT REALLY DOES BOMB ALONG IN PLACES! Yeah, the pace of the film is quicker, um, it has to be really because you’ve got to cram so much into such a shorter period of time. WHAT SORT OF FILMS DO YOU USUALLY LIKE? I don’t usually go and watch films.
NOT A FILM MAN THEN? No, no. IS IT TRUE THAT YOU’VE GOT A CAMEO ROLE AS A CUSTOMS OFFICER IN THE UPCOMING FILM ADAPTATION OF IRVINE WELSH’S ECSTASY? Ah yes, I do in the script, but there’s been no shooting of it yet, so… but yes, as a Scottish customs officer [smiles]. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO DOING THE LIVE SHOWS? They grew out of book readings really. The traditional way of promoting a book is for the author to read an extract from it at a bookshop, which is a pretty sterile environment, it doesn’t really work. So a few authors, in particular Irvine Welsh, Nick Cave, Roddy Doyle, started doing readings in pubs and clubs and I just got on the bandwagon. So the live show grew out of that really, tending to use the facilities which don’t exist in bookshops but do exist in pubs and clubs, like audio stuff, visual stuff AND BOOZE? Yeah, everything like that, I just threw in what I could, and the show gradually evolved out of that, from a book reading.
WHAT SORT OF FORMAT DO THE LIVE SHOWS NORMALLY TAKE? The format is two halves… with me talking shite in each half! [laughs] And a question and answer session at the end. DO YOU DO ANY READINGS AS WELL? Not a reading, I’ll modify the extract, because I mean, no one has ever written a book thinking that they’d have to read it out loud, that’s never in their mind. So I modify extracts from the book into something more suitable for a stage, I use a projector, and use disembodied voices for bits of dialogue, things like that. YOUR UK TOUR THROUGH OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER ENDS IN THE UNION CHAPEL IN ISLINGTON. DO YOU THINK THE SHOW WILL TAKE ON A MORE SPIRITUAL SLANT IN SUCH SURROUNDINGS? I doubt it! I’ve worked there before, I did a show with Eddie Bunker there once, and certainly, there was nothing sacred about that!
THE BEST SUCCINCT SUMMARY I’VE SEEN WRITTEN OF YOU IS ‘WITTY RACONTEUR’. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT AS A DESCRIPTION? I feel complimented and flattered by that accolade, yeah that’s fine! Well I never expected I’d be a successful stand-up comic, you know, but that’s the way it works… no-one knows… HOW DID YOU FIRST MEET THE SUPER FURRY ANIMALS AND THEN END UP ESSENTIALLY BECOMING THE ALBUM COVER OF FUZZY LOGIC? (Their 1996 debut album). To begin with, largely by coincidence. When I got released from prison in 1995, they were busily working on their first album. My release was accompanied by a fair bit of publicity, so they wrote a song about me, which they included on their first album, and then, I don’t know why, but Gruff [Rhys, the lead singer] had the idea ‘well let’s make the album cover nothing but Howard’s passport photographs’. I met them, went to see a few of their shows, got on very well with them, so we became mates really. We still sometimes work together.
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WASN’T RHYS IFANS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS? Yeah, he was, before they became good! IN YOUR BOOK, YOU’RE OFTEN QUITE CRITICAL OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND THEIR DRUG POLICIES, IN PARTICULAR THE NEVER-ENDING AND MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR ‘WAR ON DRUGS’. [I still am!] DO YOU THINK THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE OR IS HOPING FOR WIDESPREAD CHANGE IN AMERICAN VALUES JUST PISSING IN THE WIND? No, I don’t think it’s pissing in the wind. I think Obama has already made a difference, particularly in the medical marijuana availability stuff. So yes, a good effect, but obviously not enough to radically change everything, but certainly steps in the right direction are being made. At least he’s not maintaining that he didn’t inhale! HA HA, VERY TRUE! DO YOU THINK THE UK GOVERNMENT COULD FEASIBLY LEGALISE AND TAX CANNABIS LIKE ALCOHOL OR CIGARETTES? I think they’d find it very difficult to tax it now. Had they the wisdom to
legalise it in the sixties, which is when I first started campaigning for it, because all of it was being imported, it would have been quite easy to slap on an importation tax, or something like that. But now that everyone knows how to grow it in their garden, or in their wardrobe, or in their spare room, it could be very difficult to tax, it’d be a bit like asking people to pay tax on cabbage that they grew themselves! So I think they’ve largely lost that opportunity. WHAT’S THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING YOU’VE EVER READ THAT WAS WRITTEN ABOUT YOU? Oh gosh, uhh…the most ridiculous thing… I can’t think of one… well one of the ridiculous ones is that I was the biggest dope dealer in the world and made twenty million dollars a day! A DAY?!? THAT’S EVEN GOING SOME FOR A PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLER ISN’T IT? [laughs] Right, so those sort of exaggerations, I happily just let them sit, you know, and use them as publicity, but it is ludicrous. I wanted to be the biggest dope dealer in the world, but I know a lot bigger… they tend not to get caught!
I’VE HEARD THAT YOU HAVE A VERY CREATIVE USE OF LION POO AT FESTIVALS, IS THIS SOMETHING YOU CAN ELABORATE ON? Yeah, lion shit, generally animals freak out when they smell it, which I suppose is understandable, must be some deep, instinctive thing. So, if you spread lion shit around your house and the police come in with sniffer dogs, the sniffer dog thinks, there’s a lion here, so they want to f*ck off don’t they! It’s a very good defence mechanism. AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN USING IT IN THEIR POCKETS TO GET PAST POLICE SNIFFER DOGS INTO FESTIVALS? Yes, but of course they [the police] notice the dog’s violent reaction against it! AH, SO YOU HAVE TO FIND A BALANCE? Yeah, you’ve got to get just the right amount of shit! The film Mr Nice comes out on 8th October in cinemas nationwide. Howard goes on a UK tour with his live show in October and November, ending in the Union Chapel, Islington on Friday 12th November. For full listings of venues and dates, check out www.howardmarks.co.uk.
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IT’S HALLOWEEN photographer: Kris Myhre styling: Leila Hartley models: Astronaut - Maria Howard, Banana - Annie Couchman, King Crab – Magnus, Pumpkin – Leila Hartley, Bacon – Warren Glenn, Egg – Samuel Morris all costumes: Escapade, Camden - www.escapade.co.uk
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U.F.O UNORTHODOX FILM ORGANISATION words: Laura Hills
Even if you haven’t heard of the mega film making outfit, UFO, there’s a good chance you’ve seen their work. That’s because U.F.O (which stands for Unorthodox Filmmaking Organisation) have produced work for everyone from La Roux to MTV and Lacoste. U.F.O are a group of predominately French creatives who work with advertising agencies, creative agencies, record labels and television channels on some of the most unique and modern content of the moment. We caught up with Rebecca Rice their producer to learn a bit more... Tell us about U.F.O... We are a collective of film makers, animators, designers and producers that have come together to direct films and create design projects for various platforms. We started in 2006 and have been working hard to get ourselves out there, not only in France but also to an international audience. Our team grew out of such schools as Suprinfocom, a top college with course in graphic and computer design a. We were all working in the creative industry long before the collective even came into being. There’s about six of us in total. How did you all come to work together? Most of our team have been working in the creative advertising industries for a number of years now. The project was the brainchild of Guillaume Marien founder of Mathematic Studio who had been developing young film makers through his studio. For us the idea of forming a collective was a way in which we could combine talents and offer clients a wide range of directions and design styles and not be limited to just one or two techniques. The beauty of it is that we can work on projects where the budget is small but the client still wants to create a number of different films for the same subject. This way they don’t have to go to a variety of different studios or directors.
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How would you describe your style to someone who has never seen your work before? We are eclectic and this really sums up what we do and resemble. We are inspired by street culture, graffiti and music. We like our work to be graphic and unique, with a clear motion graphic stance. You can also see that we have a lot of mixed media influences and experimental 3D techniques that we work to keep developing. The main idea is to be striking with a hint of French culture in there too for good measure.
we tend to work on a variety of different concepts and directions all at the same time. Do you remember the first campaign you worked on? Yeah, as a collective the first project we worked on was for the US and the New York Stock Exchange which we won through advertising agency Fallon. It was quite a difficult first step, not only as it was just before the financial crisis hit but also because there were seven different clients for each of the two films we produced for it. Creatively speaking we tried to add as much of our visual style into it, even if it was for the banking industry, there was an element of fun and design that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with the international money markets, which can tend to be a bit stale and unexciting.
How do you normally go about making the films? Firstly when we recieve a brief we all sit down together to read through it and discuss potential ideas and notes. We normally try to meet or speak directly with the creative’s or clients that have issued us the pitch, putting forward the team that is strongest to deal with the brief. Depending on the nature of the project and the aims of the client we tend to work on a variety of different concepts and directions all at the same time. If there is time we try to send initial ideas with references or sketches while continuing to work on more clearly directed style frames, boards and even tests if it is required. That’s normally necessary when clients that have little knowledge of animation or our techniques. You guys work on everything from music videos to ad campaigns, how does the process change depending on the field you’re working in? We try not to think of money but it does have a lot to do with the final outcome of a concept. To begin with we try and work out what is cool and interesting to do as well as what will comply with the brief, if there is one, with any project. We are inspired by a lot of designers, artists and directors and we like to check out certain websites for inspiration too like Motionographer and Fubiz Ffffound Behance etc that feature a range of different creative outputs.
We try not to think of money but it does have a lot to do with the final outcome of a concept. Within the economic down turn have you noticed more or less people turning towards your agency? We started just at the beginning of the crisis, so it’s hard to gauge. There obviously has been some great jobs that we have missed out on, many too that have been cancelled due to lack of money which may be a cause of the global financial situation and clients being scared to invest. That said, we are also here to adapt, so we have to make things possible with projects that maybe don’t have as much backing from a client than they might have done before. Sometimes we have sold ideas that cost more to do and the clients has decided to invest in the treatment of the film. But this happens on very rare occasions and we are always honest about how much something will cost and how long it will take with regards to any of our ideas. What do you think is the future of advertising now? Has the industry been forced to become more clever? It’s obvious that advertisers are looking at different ways to communicate with people. Over 50% of briefs that come into us are for online content now. We have also worked on a number of development projects that have
become fads in this online community included augmented reality and other interactive applications. The Studio in which we work is constantly developing new formats for clients including things like 3D Stereoscopic (any technique capable of recording three-dimensional visual information or creating the illusion of depth in an image.) services, that due to the development of 3D in the cinema, has created a demand in advertising. I’m not sure whether it is cleverer to advertise in these new ways but it does expand the creative potentials in advertising. And what about the future of film making for marketing and advertising in general then, what’s next? In general there are more and more people creating films for these purposes. This means there is a lot of rubbish but at the same time a lot of interesting and exciting films to see. It’s also amazing now how work is being picked up around the world, swapped and discussed at an ever increasing rate. You just have to look at films such as Patrick Jeans, Pixels (a short graphic film that shows the world slowly being
It’s also amazing now how work is being picked up around the world, swapped and discussed at an ever increasing rate. destroyed and turned into a cube) that just exploded onto the world stage within a matter of days of it going live. The facility of having software products that enable anyone to produce films on their own makes our industry an exciting and dynamic place to be, it also means that we have a lot of competitors on our hands!
Televisual and many other blogs and resources for what we do. Although it’s difficult not to do sometimes, it is important for us not to fall too much into the trend trap, but as mentioned before with more and more film makers around it’s harder to keep up with what hasn’t been done before.
How have you noticed your audiences needs and wants change over the years? I’m not sure how we have seen this change. Again, the online community is our only way of gauging our progress, other than screening work to people that we know. It can be very hit and miss online with mixed reviews and comments, but we have been lucky to have been picked up by different editorials including Motionographer, Stash, Shots, Fubiz,
Stills from Patrick Jean’s Pixels
MY 2-4-1 Pound Life words : Lucy Hancock image : Alexander Hughes
As I left the Huntarian museum, face wet with tears I realised that I may well have officially lost my mind. The exhibit in particular that got me bawling? A display of pickled stillborn babies with whom I had been conversing for a solid ten minutes. I had mentally given them all names, apologised to them for being in jars and imagined kidnapping them out of their shiny display cases.
I like to think of myself as a fairly rational person. I am twenty one years old with some reasonably ambitious career prospects. I have absolutely no intention of shuffling down the aisles of Lidl in a baby sick stained velour tracksuit humming humpty dumpty, so why in the world did I spend twenty minutes of my day yesterday frozen in the newborn section of Marks and Spencers? It would seem in a cruel twist of fate, that God has saved up a bunch of loopy hormones and picked this particular time of my life to chuck them all at me at once, leaving me face down on the carpet at the end of every Oxfam advert. A few weeks ago my housemate came back from work to find me writhing around on the sofa in severe distress. Panicked, she ran over to me to try and ascertain through my heaving sobs what was wrong. ‘i-i-i-its j-j-j-just (sob) s-s-o b-b-eautiful’ I rasped. ‘What is Lucy?’ ‘Th-th-the baaaby.’ I had just finished watching the documentary ‘One Born Every Minute’ which follows expectant mothers on their macabre
journey through childbirth. I had seen it all. Her huge bulbous body covered in stretch marks, her irritating husband ineffectually rubbing her back, the huge injection into her spine and the doctor gaily sewing up her vjj, which was quite frankly shot to bits after squeezing what actually looked like a coconut out of it. It was horrendous in every single possible way. So please do explain to me why I had flung my arms around myself and burst into spontaneous sobs when this screaming coconut came into the world. In a similar turn of events I have begun corresponding with a seven year old girl on behalf of a leprechaun named Larry. My friend Melissa’s niece has been sold what is perhaps a rather cruel story about a land of magical Leprechauns who want to be her friend. Rather than go out and get drunk with my own (grown up friends), I spent the best part of my evening carefully penning a letter on behalf of Lucy the magical healing wizard who lives in a cave and only eats pink foodstuffs.
Maybe I should just go for it. Head down to Tiger Tiger, pick the nearest available guy and make my own rather than smelling the heads of other people’s babies. I have thought of some pros and cons. The pro’s being that I like the smell of nappy bags, I accidentally buy maternity clothes anyway and I could pretend that all the McDonalds I have been eating of late were ‘cravings.’ On the other hand, I am virtually unemployed and I’ve heard that raising children can be quite pricey and I am actually a bit of a moron. I saw the most angelic little toddler on the tube the other day and the thought ‘that baby looks unattended’ actually crossed my mind. I can’t just go around snatching babies out of prams though, that would just be ridiculous. Perhaps I could hire a caravan plus horse, deck it out with candy canes and lollipops and dance around the streets of London (or more vaguely, Bavaria) waving them about and singing. I don’t think it would work though...people are so bloody PC these days.
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texture
Millie Brown and her friend were both wearing Hannah Marshall waiting for her show to start.
We loved this guy’s long flowing Kerry Haynes runs PR company Matthew’s amazing straw jacket tresses and knit tank top. Haynes Agency. We liked her is by Belgian designer ThorbjØrn sleek platinum blonde crop and Uldam. her fluffy jumper.
tailoring
Katie Walker works at My Sugarland. We like the way she layered white sheer over black.
colour
Boran is a photographer and we love his colour nod with this bright jacket.
Markus Maverick and Therese make a striking couple in their beautifully tailored black jackets. Markus recently played the Artful Dodger of a TV adaptation of Oliver Twist.
Michael is a freelance journalist and menswear designer. His 40s Zoot style trousers caught our eye.
Tom Mehrtens works for Idol Magazine and we love his Toad of Toad Hall style coat from Spitalfields Market.
Bip Ling (www.bigling.com) is a DJ and worked on the LFW illustrations for theTopshop blog. Her bright yellow shorts are from Beyond Retro.
This is Nadia (www.froufrouu.com) in a beautiful red shirt.
The charming Cassie Fitzpatrick, a trend forecaster for WGSN, in her amazingly bright get-up. Her jumper is vintage but her shoes are from Office.
Michelle is a photographer and we spotter her while she was shooting her own street style looks. Her trousers are a flattering take on the camel trend.
Susannah Jones is a student at St Martins and her cute leather shorts are from Topshop. She’s running the camel blazer look this season.
LFW SS/11
camel
Hayley Stanton is covering two big AW trends, camel and the cape.
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Mehdi dressed in his pale blue Marigay McKee, fashion director suit as a salute to the last day of of Harrods went for an all-camel outfit. summer.
Andrew works at Dazed & Confused. His casual slouchy cardigan is from Omar and trousers are from bStore.
Leila and the Jack fashion team spent every waking minute at Fashion Week last month. Any avid web reader would have seen the extensive, up to the minute coverage online. For those without the internet Leila has picked her top trends for 2011 off the catwalk. This is proof that all these styles are already being worn ready for next year. So what should you be wearing? The answers are all here. Texture - Big knits are already in the shops and it seems that we are about to have a resurgence of those long, long scarves that get nice and wet at the bottom in the rain. Couple these knits with fraying, lace and both rough and smooth fabrics and there you have your textured look. Boys you are equally entitled to the big knits, in fact, they suit you. Tailoring - The boyfriend jacket appeared early last year and since then has only got smarter. Nipped in yet loose tailoring for the girls will be the crowning of any large jumper or flouncy top - you will never feel like a ball on legs again with the addition of a tailored jacket. As for the boys smart overcoats are back, smart long and tailored perfectly. These and what may look like your grandads old dress trousers, but oh how good to they look on you?! Colour- Always a tricky one and with so much nude and black around this year it seemed it would never return but it looks like colour is back. Maybe don’t go all out until you get your bearings, no one wants to look like Rainbow Bright. A few choice brights should do it. Camel- THE colour, camel bags, camel trousers, camel gloves, camel blouses... this colour makes any item look classy and any wearer look instantly chic. So there you have it. You’re ready to brave the big wide, on trend fashion world! Mitsuka’s lovely bright dress is from a Japanese designer.
words : Leila Hartley | images : Kris Myhre
e o r n o x M o e b i l e a k t u a J N n a m u H e h T . a . a.k
&
Champagne Baked Beans
Out of all the creative industries it’s the music industry that is arguably the toughest to crack. You literally have to brand yourself (and re-brand yourself, and then maybe re-rebrand yourself) and aside from all of that, you should have a great voice, though some get away without this. This seems an exceptionally hard feat to me because I’m tone deaf (silent disco at this year’s Isle of Wight festival was a bright beacon of an indicator to my friends that they should have their headphones on AT ALL TIMES when within five metres of me) but ultimately, it is so hard because the industry is over-saturated with established and upcoming talent. Laden with genres and full of the next best acts trying to go the extra mile to gain and maintain the masses’ attention, it’s not easy. However, Natalie Monroe a.k.a. The Human Jukebox is rising to the challenge. I first heard Ms Munroe at the Met Bar when she was entertaining crowds with their requests from her extensive Jukebox-list. Not only does she have a unique voice that can handle Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance through to Dusty Springfield’s Downtown in soft and sultry tones but she has a great knack for conversation with her audience in between songs, all accompanied by the exceptionally talented pianist Nigel Stewart. So when and where did it all start? ‘It was something that came about with the singer, Bishy who I sang with at Bistrotheque, and whom I’ve sung backing vocals for on Jonathan Ross.’ She explains. ‘She introduced me to Nigel, and it went from there really.’ Now that it is just Natalie involved in the Human Jukebox, the repertoire is quite different from what it was before. Savvy and wise is this approach, because the Human Jukebox can cater for all sorts of tastes, from 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s classics to present dance-floor fillers and pop favourites. Together Natalie and Nigel have played corporate gigs for the likes of Nokia as well as kooky London haunts such as the Groucho Club. Then, drumroll...
Her biggest success story so far is Glastonbury this year. With a big group of trannies who formed NYC Downlow, Natalie performed on four nights for part of their ‘Vogue Fabrics’ production. Making big progress then? ‘Definitely,’ she replies, ‘It was the first time the NYC Downlow crew had done such an event, so there were a few teething problems, things like the bar and the sound system but it was a great first show. A fantastic experience though!’ she says. Natalie started off in an electro band when she was 16 called The Droyds before moving on to being in The Dirty Monroes (named after her) the group performed at the Monster premiere – certainly nothing to be sniffed at. Natalie also recognises the importance of having like-minded creative people around her, ‘I think I’m lucky, you know. I have a lot of like-minded comrades and peers around me. My boyfriend is a musician too so I feel I have support there.’ Inspirations are widely varied for Natalie and are serving to create ideas for alternate directions in the future. ‘Johnny Woo is really inspiring because I think he’s such an amazing performer without being a cheesy drag queen.’ Bette Midler is another heavy influence too, ‘early Bette Midler when she used to sing in the gay bathhouses in New York. They used to call her Betty Bathhouse and Barry Manilow was her piano player. I would like to do more performance, a show of my own. A bit more Bette Midler-esque and get something more than just singing in to my act. I think the path has changed from just being a lounge singer. I’m looking to do something on a bigger scale, maybe with a big-band but in the same vein as the shows I’ve been doing. I’d love to have my own album in the next few years featuring my own material. And I definitely want to aim high!’ She remarks with a smile. Certainly Natalie has an aura and a story to her that projects warmly to those around her and I expect we’ll hear a lot more from her in the future. Please check the website for information on upcoming performances from The Human Jukebox: www.nataliemonroe.co.uk
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Late
to our meeting at his Wood Green studio -’I was in the studio late, then I err, went to see my girl’- but full of (what we can only assume is) praise on arrival -’I like this dictaphone, it’s the most futuristic dictaphone I’ve seen’-the boy wonder bounces around the building’s exterior, post make-up, pulling all kinds of shapes/poses/stances for our camera. Atop storage, under aerials and hanging off staircases, it’s a wonder a knee isn’t scratched or a cheek grazed, but all remains intact and we return to the studio’s atmospheric restaurant for a coke, a catch up and some risotto, but of course. ‘I’d like to make it clear that risotto’s one of my favourites, so if you ever invite me to a dinner party, make sure it’s risotto.’ Noted, Mr. McKenzie. A quick round up then, who exactly is Labrinth? A twenty one year old from North London (Hackney to be precise), Labrinth featured on Tinie Tempah’s crazy big number one single, Pass Out then followed that by co-writing the Tempah’s second hit, Frisky. ‘We’ve got such a good vibe together, we have crazy energy whenever we’re in the studio,’ former Jack cover star Tinie told us way back in June. As well as producing number ones Labrinth recently signed a pretty big deal with Simon Cowell’s label, Syco; he’s the first artist to be signed to the label not from a reality TV show in the last six years, sitting alongside SuBo, Miss Burke and such ilk. Not only was he signed as a solo artist though, but alongside manager Marc Williams, his label, Odd Child made waves and is set to be a platform in which the two men can discover and nurture new talent. ‘Uncle Sy’ obviously saw something then. So what of pre-Cowell life? ‘Well I grew up in a musical family, there’s nine of us and we all make music. My brother plays drums, he’s playing for Tinie at the moment and my sister was singing for Natasha Bedingfield not too long ago. Everyone’s in music, so basically if I didn’t do music there would be something wrong. I would be the handicap of the family.’ So it would seem. ‘We were in church as well, first it was gospel then it kind of stemmed into the studio. My older brother started working in the studio, I went with him and was always sitting behind going, ‘can I try and make a beat, can I try and make a beat’. I was always this annoying little brother going ‘can I? can I? can I?’ and then he was just like ‘f**king go home’.
I started working in the studio when I was 13.’ Eight years later and the passion most definitely remains, with each word uttered done so with an enthusiasm Jack would like to see in every musician please. He continues, ‘I found my manager through my mum. Having nine kids, you want them to have the right kind of management behind them. We got shafted by a few people, we were on our own, only knowing about how to make music. Then she went to my manager, and she was like, ‘you need to look after my son’ and he was like, ‘huh, ok’. He wasn’t too sure at first, but then he was like ‘cool, lets do this, let’s make it happen.’’ And so they did, with Marc today looking after the whole family, give or take a sibling. At the time of print Labrinth’s followers on Twitter reach a hearty 12,870, but his pull has yet to reach the magnitude of Tinie Tempah’s, read: 101,334. His latest single, Let The Sun Shine (which was on track to go to number at time of print) is testament to the hype that surrounds him, ‘Yeah, there’s been a buzz on me for about two years now. There was a vibe on the music and I got signed by my publishers, then they introduced me to loads of record labels as a producer,’ he says.
I love the idea of being with Simon, it goes against everything that I’m about really, ‘Then I produced the Tinie Tempah record and Simon (Cowell) heard that and he, like a lot of people, feels like it’s got its own thing. If you came into my studio you’d hear a lot of different sounds, they’re not like anything else out there. I think Simon saw that in me and liked it.’ Jack senses something of the Joe Meek about now, the new sounds and a studio full of the unknown. His appearances too, on SBTV, the youth entertainment channel founded by 19 year old Jamal Edwards, further showcase his wide spectrum of influences; in one he covers Dylan’s, The Times Are A Changing. Of the now famous deal struck with Cowell he continues, ‘I was just about to go into a deal with someone else, favourite gold pen in hand, then they just snapped us up. They were like, ‘we’ve got an offer’ and they came with the best deal and the best approach. You know what, I love the idea of being with Simon, it goes against everything
that I’m about really, it’s wild. And as well, I know it’s not the most credible move in the eyes of the urban industry so I did it for that.’ A confident move by such a young man in such an industry, yet with the platform provided by Cowell for both Labrinth and Odd Child, financial backing and business know how, it would already seem clear that both have gained something. A little creditability perhaps, Simon? Whether behind the glass or in front of the mic, Labrinth tells us, ‘I’ve always been an artist, I think it’s just time. It’s one of those things, I felt it was important for me to produce artists, that was the route I wanted to go first. I wanted to show people that I can produce artists and of course as well, producing artists broadens my name. I didn’t want to be the singing person that has a go at producing.’ ‘Proper tight’ with the aforementioned Tempah, who else would Labrinth hook up with, given the chance? ’I wanted to work with Dizzee, in fact I think he’s called my management recently. I’ve said it in every one of my interviews, that I want to work with Dizzee. Lil Wayne too-I’ve got a beat waiting for him-I say this in every interview as well, I‘m going to throw a beat out for Lil Wayne and he‘s got to jump on it. Who else? Ellie (Goulding), I’m going to be in the studio with her very soon. She’s writing with Tinie, for track, Wonderman. I just want to work with loads of artists really, but mainly old school, like Chemical Brothers and Massive Attack.’ So as we reach the bottom of our glasses and worry about the very polite Labrinth’s plate of risotto going cold, there are just two questions that remain. Why Labrinth, Labrinth? ‘Labrinth was because, they say life is a maze, so I was like, ‘why not call myself life in another way?’’ Hmm, and change the spelling too we assume. ‘I’m always in a maze, I’m always out of my comfort zone, always in a new world. That’s where I’m comfortable now, it’s being in a place where I need to impress.’ OK so before we do finally go, for Jack readers to get a taste of the Labrinth sound and for our final question, please can you describe your music in just five words. ‘Unexpected, Labrinth, sexual, against the grain.’ Three words and a phrase? That’ll do nicely ta. Labrinth, please keep up the good work, we’ve got ever such high hopes for you. www.labrinth.co.uk
Labrinth Timothy to his ma, Lab to his comrades and a pretty decent fella to Jack, the latest signing to Simon Cowell’s label will quite frankly ROCK YOUR SOCKS. You might know him as Tinie Tempah’s producer-cum-bezzie mate, but there’s a hell of a lot more to the man behind the bright trews and cheeky smile, and he’s out to make sure you knowz it.
words : Zoe Whitfield image : Stuart Leech
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Beauty Fresh from the excitements of London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011, Katie Service reports on what beauty delights next season has in store for us...
Super Skin Skin trends tend to be quite predictable: tanned and glowing in the summer, velvet and pale in winter. For spring 2011 however, we’re seeing a slight refinement from that predictable glow. Skin will be looking more polished, with an immaculate creamy finish. Nichola Joss, expert facialist and tanner, used St. Tropez to give the models’ skin at Erdem and Marios Schwab that flawless healthy finish that just oozed glamour and spring freshness. ‘We are continually finding that this season is about a subtle and polished look,’ says Nichola, ‘a lot of the models are naturally very pale, so St. Tropez Wash Off Mousse is really great to even out the blues, and any imperfections in their skin tones. We sprayed this on and then buffed it into the skin - providing the ideal canvas for St. Tropez’s Pink Illuminator, which we have applied to the shoulders, arms and shins.’ In other shows crème illuminators such as Topshop’s Skin Glow, £10 and Becca Skin Perfector in Pearl, £32, were used all over the body, especially on the shins, collar bones and shoulders, to give a flawless sheen.
N a t u r a l Hair Sleep easy, fair weather friends – happy, healthy hair, free from winter woes is on the horizon! Hair will be going back to baby soft basics in Spring 2011, making use of Mother Nature’s finest to bring out a glossy coat and super smooth texture. Head hairstylist at Carolina Herrera, Orlando Pita, used Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream, £22.35, to boost hair to its maximum potential of health. The argan oil infused formula in Moroccanoil gives beautifully hydrating and natural-looking hold while eliminating tiresome frizz. Another natural hair brand that I’m LOVING is Ecuadorian brand Rahua (pronounced ra-wa not ra-hu-a). Usually I have a fairly low opinion on natural brands as I find they rarely perform to the standard of a synthetic product. My general rule is, if it isn’t as effective as its harmless synthetic alternative – don’t bother. Now listen to me eat my words: So many brands market themselves as 100% natural but when you look at the ingredients label you see that they really are far from it. This is why, when I picked up the Rahua shampoo and checked out
the ingredients label on the reverse, I almost choked on my coffee. It is genuinely 100% natural. There are also no parabens, sulfates, synthetics, silicones, petroleum ingredients and the packaging is 100% recyclable. Plus, it doesn’t look half bad either. My hair is softer, shinier and 10 times stronger since I started using it.
For
The Boys
Can’t quite afford the Saville Row tailoring? Here’s a better option: old School fragrancing house Penhaligon’s is launching a new men’s fragrance ‘Sartorial’ inspired by the Saville Row tailors. A woody, leathery dry-down is given a sharp edge by metal oxide top notes to simulate the metallics of the sewing machines, scissors and needles. This is a sharp scent to tide you over until you get your hands on that sharp suit! Sartorial EDT, £70 50ml, will launch in the UK on 11th October 2010 and will be available in Penhaligon’s boutiques, concessions and online at www.penhaligons.com.
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Brighten Up
Heavy Metal
Illamasqua Finds a Home
Excellent news for those who have found that the neutral colour palette of the latter part of this year has been getting them down – you can look forward to gorgeous bright pops of colour in the New Year. Painted flecks of vibrant blues, greens and oranges cropped up in Betty Jackson and Carolina Herrera. Or, if you’re less confident about such vibrant colours on your face, why not inject a bit of spring into your nails with neon yellow a la Clements Robiero (I love Model’s Own Neon Lemon Sherbet, £5) or experiment with crazy cartoon nails from Sophy Robson at the Giles London show.
Do you, like me, secretly hanker after a bit of glitter in your life but worry about looking too gaudy? Well thankfully LFW SS11 has given us the answer. Metallics in all shapes and sizes made a huge appearance on both the London and New York runways. Burnished bronzes and warm coral golds adorned the inner corners of smoky eyes at Mark Fast giving a wet look, almost foil-like effect that lit up the model’s faces. Bobbi Brown, contrary to her traditionally neutral palette, has brought out an intense gold liquid liner, perfect for adding a touch of metallic to an evening eye.
The long awaited opening of the Illamasqua flagship store has finally arrived. Head on down to 20 Beak Street for the first look at the Illamasqua range in its full and extensive glory! Love Illamasqua’s dare-to-wear style? Then you’re going to love the store as it is filled with mannequins covered in extravagant body paint, created by the wonderful Alex Box, Creative Director of the brand. Behind the store is an artist training studio where professionals and members of the public alike can learn tips and pick up new make-up skills from the Illamasqua team. For more information on classes at the make-up school go to www.illamasqua.com.
PIXELS VS PATTERN images: Kris Myhre make up: Luke Stephens styling : WJ thanks to : Edward and Agnieska
Peter wears : Jacket :JC/DC : www.jcdcstore.com / T-shirt :Horace T-Shirts : www.asos.com / Jeans : Dr Denim : www.drdenimjeans.com / Trainers : Onitsuka Tiger : www.tigercentral.co.uk Corall wears :Cardigan : Asos : www.asos.com / Bambi dress : JC/DC : www.jcdcstore.com / Shoes : Irregular Choice : www.irregularchoice.com
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Corall wears : Leopard print top : ASOS : www.asos.com / Skirt : Mink Pink : HouseofFraser.co.uk/MinkPink / Necklace : Dorothy Perkins : www.dorothyperkins.com
Corall wears : Earings : Freedom : www.freedomjewellery.com / Silk wrap jacket : Asos : www.asos.com / Skirt : Urban Outfitters : www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk / Peter wears : T-Shirt : Chateau Roux : www.chateauroux.co.uk / Shirt : JC/DC : www.jcdcstore.com / Trousers : modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own / Braces : Topman : www.topman.com /
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Corall wears : Necklace : Dorothy Perkins : www.DorothyPerkins.com / Silk top : Mink Pink : HouseofFraser.co.uk/MinkPink / Skirt : ASOS : www.asos.com / Boots : Cat Footwear : www.catfootwear.com Peter wears : Cardigan : Urban Outfitters : www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk / T-shirt : Chateau Roux : www.chateauroux.co.uk / Trousers : Topman : www.topman.com / Trainers : Nike at Footlocker : www.Foot-Locker.co.uk
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Corall wears : Nocturne Shoulder Piece : TaraLacey.com / Off the shoulder playsuit : One Teaspoon : www.oneteaspoon.com.au / Shoes : stylists own
JACK COMES ALIVE
Thanks to everyone involved in the September issue party, Miss Winit, Burlesque Baby, Jenni, HOB Salons, Oonah Anderson and Teola Witorff-Lecoq and of course all of you lot for coming.
If you missed this one, get to the next Jack Comes Alive 27th October, Proud, Camden. www.whosjack.org/jack-comes-alive
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SCENE STEALER
SH*T OF THE MONTH The month started off with a barrage of strikes making getting to and from work a near on impossibility. Laura thought she was being clever by ducking off on holiday to France when the TFL strikes took place only to find out that the French transport workers had had the same idea and were striking too. After 3 cancelled flights, a change of airport, a 2 hour delay and an £80 cab journey she finally made it to her destination with full empathy for the Londoners she had left behind. The moral of the story? Striking is selfish and it costs us a lot of extra money. Secondly at last month’s Jack Comes Alive some cheeky bugger walked away with 5 pieces of art work by photographer Rhiannon Adams who shot our, Jenni does Burlesque feature for the last issue. We don’t know who it was but we’re working on gathering clues (just call us Sherlock Holmes) so if anyone knows who nicked them drop us a line on press@whos-jack.co.uk, there’s a reward in it for you if the light fingered culprit is discovered.
We’re still busting out bare legs and sandals with the dull hope that the summer is going to make a triumphant come back. And with festive cheer being at an all time low right now we don’t need a constant reminder with the barrage of Christmas adverts that seem to be taking over our TV screens and magazines, not to mention the press releases coming through - Christmas Gifts from London Dungeons anyone? At least hold out until November people. Lastly we’d like to give a special nod to the terrifyingly weird people that make their debut both inside and outside the Worlds End pub in Camden. Just a few days ago a Jack member was accosted in the street by a drunken man who insisted that he wouldn’t let go of their until marriage was agreed. On another occasion while stopping off for a quick drink a man asked us where he could ‘go for a poo’ before proceeding to unbuckle his belt and pull down his trousers. Luckily his not-so-drunk mate intervened just in time, pulling him away in the direction of the toilet.
The next shitting thing going on this month is that as of today it’s only 12 weeks and one day until Christmas and Disgusting. quite frankly, we’re not ready.
PIGEON OF THE MONTH
CH AR LIE
NAME | Charlie FAVORITE FOOD | Jambon et Fromage baguettes FAVOURITE MOVIE | Any French Arthouse option FAVOURITE DESTINATION | South of France for his weekends off DISLIKES | Delayed flights LIKES | Visiting his French cousins and getting away from his busy Trafalgar Square Home CLAIM TO FAME | Once had a no1 hit single with ‘Squawk if You’re A Pigeon’ Sent in by Jen Wilkins, London Bridge
DO YOU KNOW A PIGEON WORTHY OF THE PIGEON OF THE MONTH BOX? Make his/her day, take a snap of your favourite London pigeon and send it in to press@whos-jack.co.uk. We need a high res image along with your pigeon’s breed, age, likes and dislikes. Along with anything else of note and a hi res image.
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THE END Carry on at www.whosjack.org www.thisisjack.tv www.twitter.com/whosjackmag www.youtube.com/whosjackmag