CINEMA
SOMETHING YOU MAY OF MISSED! THE CRAZIES I went into the cinema with not much information on this one other than the fact I knew it was a re-make of a somewhat classic but mostly forgotten zombie horror directed by the legend, George A. Romero (Dawn Of The Dead). Back then, I guess, these kinds of films were rare but nowadays it feels like we have seen it all before; I did still see plenty of people leaping of their seats though.
Set in the small state of Iowa, local Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) discovers that the water supply is infected by radiation which has come from a military plane crashing in their local river. As soon as the water hits town, people are infected. No, they don’t turn into zombies, they turn into “crazies” so basically they slowly become crazy and start brutally murdering people. Once the town is overrun, evacuation plans immediately take place and Dutton’s wife is kept behind as the military fear she is infected. On a courageous mission, Sheriff Dutton and his deputy must battle their way back through the chaos that was once his home town to get his wife back. Olyphant is one of those overlooked actors; he’s been great in many films like A Perfect Gateway and Die Hard 4.0 where he played the main villain, but this film, in my opinion, finally gives him that opportunity to show off all his talent. The Crazies sure does push the boundaries when it comes to being rated 15 but the atmosphere is admiring and, at times, very captivating making for a suspenseful but rewarding horror. Yes this motion picture might well just give some of you nightmares but I am sure you have not had that happen since the brilliant Paranormal Activity, so this will indeed be a refreshing reminder that horrors can still be created, and audiences can still be scared.
STENCIL issue 1
Release Date: April 30th
Russell Crowe is finally back kicking ass like he did in the Gladiator/3.10 to Yuma days. Ridley Scott is again behind the directing seat, the combination of Ridley and Russell is one of a kind, somewhat similar to the Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio duo. Robin Hood tells the classic tale of an at first un known archer (Robin Hood) in King Richards Army. After his heroic acts he swiftly rises through the ranks and becomes legendary and well known throughout the united kingdom. Robin Hood stories have been around for close to a hundred years now and to be honest we don’t need any computer graphics or high budget to illustrate this plot on screen. With that in mind I really don’t know what to expect, I hope this isn’t another Gladiator as that is something we have seen before, but saying that I sure hope it is just as good as Gladiator! This film looks to be gritty, and adventurous at the same time, hold on to your seats, because Robin Hood is back.
The Road
UP IN THE AIR
Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time
Release Date: May 28th
Yes his previous character roles have witnessed the end of the world in the epic “The Day After Tomorrow” but Jake Gyllenhaal is now travelling back in time to play to the video game super star Prince Dastan. Basically the plot is identical to the video game, to stop the crazed ruler Nizam from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world, the young Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) and Prince Dastan team up to stop his evil ways. Joining this already awesome cast is Ben Kingsly who seems to be picking up some good scripts lately, after blowing us away in the mysterious Shutter Island lets hope he brings his unique craft to the table in this modern adventure. From the team that brought us the world hit Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (soon to be quadrilogy ) this looks to be just as fun and a brilliant adaptation from the game. There isn’t many games that have been adapted well into the cinema screens, Silent Hill was one of the rare few. I am hoping for a pleasant surprise and not something that turns out to be the next scorpion king, fingers crossed.
Release Date: May 10th
Where The Wild Things Are
The child that is Max always craves to acquire enjoyment in his life, he feels much wiser than the ones that confine him, and also possesses an endless imagination. After a miss out on supper the disobedient boy that is occasionally Max is appointed to go to his bed, angered by this he instead decides to runaway from home, once he hops on his boat and rows to an unknown island the night advances and his surroundings begin to energize to life. Abnormal creatures soon grasp Max into the nightfall on an enchanting and inspiring journey. Most of the population will maintain the knowledge that this is an adaptation from a children’s classic book penned by Maurice Sendak, which is just 48 pages in length. Accommodating spine tingling animation that will literally make you feel like youre there, you will find yourself impressed by what will be a treasure for generations to come
Want to know what it is like to be a Film director in this day and age ? Local talent Alun D Pughe tells us how it is done!
Alun DPughe FILM
How did you get into directing ? I got into directing, like many I suppose, completely by accident. When studying interactive design in university the lecturers got us into groups to make a short film as a team building exercise. I'd been a fan of movies all my life (as a little boy we couldn't receive TV signals where we lived in the Welsh mountains so whilst other children were watching television shows I was brought up on old movies my grandmother would record for me on video tape) but never even considered stepping behind the camera, so to speak, before. From that point onwards I was hooked. Having a background in music (I was in a band for many years before hand) I initially thought sound was where I wanted to concentrate my attention but soon fell in love with editing (which I felt shared similar elements to making music in regards to dynamics and rhythms). However my lecturers encouraged me to try directing and by the end of my degree course I'd stopped designing all together and was obsessively teaching myself all I could about story telling in the medium of film. When it came to making a living from directing I turned immediately to music video production (a medium that still makes up ninety percent of my work) and writing. An early win a few months later in the first Swansea Bay International Film Festival for one of my works gave me the confidence to continue. What does a typical day in directing either a film or music video entail ? Do you have to get up at the break of dawn ? You most certainly do! You are always battling time on productions so the earlier you start the more you can get in before you lose the light. I'm rather obsessive about preparation and planning for my shoots (I'm quite a visual director, whilst some are more skilled in other departments) so by the time I'd have turned up on set on the morning of the shoot I'd have storyboarded and listed all my shots so that my crew and I know exactly what's in store for the day ahead. It's very easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when in the midst of a shoot so this planning is essential for me. I always like to say that you can throw away the plan if something better comes along at the time but without a detailed plan there initially then you're really just counting on luck to get you through the day. A typical production day will begin just before break of dawn. I always try and get to set before anyone else so I can envisage the scenes without the pressure of a ticking clock and the many distractions that the day will bring. I stand there in the silence and imagine the whole shoot, beat by beat. The producer, AD and director of photography are usually the next crew to arrive and we'll discuss what's to be done - the AD (assistant director) will have received any last minute changes to the shot list the evening before and will have decided upon and printed out the order of the shots. If this is all good then I then take a walk with the director of photography to discuss, in depth, the camera movements and angles so he and his team can set up the lights. At about this point the actors/ musicians arrive and we get some coffee and discuss the day's plan before they go off to make up. When the shoot is complete (hopefully on time with no real issues) I review the dailies (footage from the day) if I have time before discussing with my producer the need to change the following day's schedule. I do a little paper work (good house keeping), having a drink to settle and try and get some sleep before it all starts again the next day. Production days are extremely intense, long and hard but they're also part of the best job in the world. What part of directing is the most fun, and why ? For me the greatest thrill comes just after I've called 'action' and I'm watching a scene come to life that I'd have planned weeks before in my head. To me this is true ecstasy. Which music video has been the most fun to direct and why? I absolute love making music videos so each have been excellent fun in their own way. My latest ('Reflections' by the Evolvers) involved a battle scene that we shot in the Cotswolds which was about as fun as it got though. We had actors running about with prop machine guns dressed as soldiers as explosions went off about them whilst the local police watched politely from the sides and we barbecued sausages for lunch (in the snow in January). On the other spectrum of things though some of my earlier videos have been extremely satisfying due to having to overcome problems with miniscule budgets and inadequate gear. One of my first, The StopMotion Men's 'Fake Your Death', involved us sneaking cameras into various locations, shooting what we could and hiding the gear away before we got caught. It was true guerrilla style film making and genuinely exciting (though nothing really matches the thrill of shooting a scene within a real life nuclear bunker)!
“I got into directing, like many I suppose, completely by accident.�
You have been known for working with welsh favorites Lost Prophets, how did this come about ? This was for a short film and they all kindly agreed to come do some acting for us in their spare time. The film was a noir style piece based in Pontypridd and, as they're originally from the town, came and played the movie's villains, acting along side Twin Town's Dorien Thomas. Really nice bunch of lads. You got an award of Lord Richard Attenborough's panel of judges for a short ten minute film you made, how did it feel to achieve this ? This was for a short film called Dark Static that I shot a few years back. I'd just moved to England for twelve months and didn't know anybody or have any local contacts so decided 'fuck it - i'll make something myself'. It was just before Halloween so I gave myself a deadline of two days production, three days post to get a creepy little short made to send around to my friends. I wanted to make a Eraserhead meets Poltergeist kind of thing (the German Expressionist look came before the story!) and, having no access to actors, I used my girlfriend of the time as my starlet (poor thing would work through the day in her day job then come back home to run around in her panties all night being chased by me with a camera)! We were nominated for an award in the Los Angeles Film Festival (which we didn't win) before winning a better prize from Lord Attenborough and his panel in 2009! It was an amazing feeling to win the award but also a nice message to young film makers out there that you don't need thousands of pounds to make an award winning film (Dark Static cost a total of about four quid). Your next project is a one million dollar sci fi production called "The White Room", Can you tell us how you got the budget, and where this idea started from ? The White Room is a science fiction thriller that I wrote after my first script proved to be too expensive to be made for a first time feature film director (it involved an American desert, an Eastern block city, several car chases and a finale that involved a skyscraper blowing up)! Scaling back my ambition I began writing TWR in early 2009 and by Easter it had already been optioned for production! Though I'd initially intended it to be a very low budget script, the story rather took over and began writing itself and by the time it was completed it had grown into a bit of a monster. The finalĂŠ involves a military bunker, hundreds of soldiers and a particle accelerator. Ah well. We're hoping to go into production this year and, through Masterplan Film Productions, it already looks like we have North American and Australian territories signed up for distribution. After your exclusive "The White Room" film is released, what is next in the directing world for you ? I'm always writing so I have a lot of ideas filling up notebooks all around my house but I still want to shoot my first script, The Girl the Gun & the Desert. It's a road movie with film noir and psychological thriller elements that I believe would make a fantastic cinema release. What message can you give to local film makers that wish to make it in the directing world ? Collaborate. I wouldn't be the director I am if i hadn't worked as an editor, a camera man, a musician and a writer first. The more experience you gain and contacts you make the better your chances of working in the industry are. Oh and finally make sure you and your friends support local films (Welsh and British) as the more people go to see these movies the more money will be put into making more of them. The White Room has a MySpace (www.myspace.com/whiteroom) where you can see the concept trailer that we shot to help gain distribution and funding.
Matt Vowles
“Last week I completed a foreign mix on "Iron Man II" It is so loud! - it rocks” You are a member of the C.A.S (Cinema Audio Society) what does this mean exactly ? The Cinema Audio Society sounds like a bunch of geeks getting together to talk about circuit boards but its not. Most of the best Re-Recording Mixers in the world belong to this group - it's an organization that wants to share advancements in Sound - we get together once a year for our Sound "Oscars" (In fact many of the winners have just received a real Academy Award for the same project) Can you describe what a typical day would involve working in the sound department ? I am a Supervising Re-Recording Mixer so a typical day will be firstly to ensure that the client will be receiving what they will be expecting, talking to my editorial crew to make this happen and then go to the stage and mix. When was your first major project doing sound for TV and how did you get into it ? Well, two questions really - I got into Sound Post production when I had just left college Manchester. I was studying Sound but didn't know whether to persue Music Production or Audio Post. A friend of mine had sent me a movie of his "Day of the Hunt", it was shot on 8mm. I was working in a music studio, it was a quiet day and I decided to add some FX and Foley - it came to life - I was hooked. My first major project was when Warner Bros called me up and asked if I would be interested in taking on a new series from HBO starring Gabriel Byrne and Dianne Wiest called "In Treatment". "Yes!" was the answer and it went on from there. What is the biggest show you have worked for ? Last week I completed a foreign mix on "Iron Man II" - It is so loud! - it rocks. you composed some of the music for the hit American TV series “American Idol“ , how do you go about composing music to such a programme ? I mean do you just sit down and watch the programme without sound, or is there another method ? So, completely separate from Sound Re-Recording I also score music for TV and Film. I wrote for a few years for a library - material gets used all the time on MTV and various reality and drama shows - and yes, sometimes American Idol. I have recently just finished collaborating on a Drama with another composer from Bristol, Will Slater. We have worked together for years, he is also involved in the Hooper and Silverland music projects. We'll sit down and watch the picture and hopefully score music to how the client has briefed us - Of course he is 8 hours ahead in the UK and i'm here in L.A but it works.
As well as doing sound for TV you have also done sound for major films such as “Wild Hogs� how did you get into this ? Every now and again until you are a very established Mixer certain projects come along. My last was Iron Man II but before this an probably my favourite was Cary Grants "An Affair to Remember". It was a Restoration Mix, they had restored the picture and I was remixing the track in Surround. It was a great honour to be a part of this - real cinema history - such great storytelling and the best caliber of Hollywood performances. Cary Grant was a real Hollywood legend - and from Bristol. As well as all of this, you have a band back home in Bristol called Hooper, can you tell us a bit about them and where people can find your music ? Hooper has been a long running project - we have played around the UK for years including many dates at the Fleece etc - we released a record last year called "The Observer". You can find us on CD Baby or even easier on iTunes - give it a listen! Part of Solid Recordings, my label, we have another project Silverland. We had a track placed recently on HBO's "In Treatment" (yes, it helps when you work on the show) - we will have a new record out soon - watch this space.... For local people wishing to succeed in the sound world (Doing sound for films or tv shows etc) what advice can you give them If you have a passion for it then you'll make it. It's really tough to succeed and I still have a ways to go - but I love it. Ask me what I would do every day given the choice, well this is it. I do miss being in Bristol every day though. The culture is very different here - and there isn't a pub on every corner, which is well..........wrong really.
Director Ben James meets up with Stencil Mag to discuss his latest untitled zombie film!
How did this idea come about ? The initial idea for the film was from Ben James (Director) who wanted to make a zombie film, but having no money, no equipment and just a handful of friends willing to help out needed something more to get the project off the ground. This is when Ben, (born and bred Bristolian) came up with the idea of tapping into Bristol's vast creative talent pool, getting anyone who wants to volunteer to be involved in any way they can Makeup, costume, cameramen, post production, music for the soundtrack - literally anything! Ben set up the facebook group and now has over 1800 members all offering skills and support to help make this movie happen. How big is the team working on the film so far ? Is it set to expand ? At the moment we have seven people on the main team but we are currently on the look out an Events Organiser, Casting Director & Director of Photography, so if you're interested email us! Because of the nature of the project we will always be expanding, new zombie extras joining the Facebook group daily, people with unique skills emailing Ben to offer their help every week, and we haven't even started casting yet! What new talent have you found while embarking on this project ? The response from Bristol has been insane, hundreds of people offering some seriously amazing skills and talents, including a sculptor from Bristol I met with last week who has done some impressive prosthesis work, a whole class of Media Make-up students, and literally dozens of great bands and musicians offering songs for the soundtrack to name but a few. The project is set to be packed full of a cross section of Bristol finest. Why a film about zombies ? We love zombie films and so does Bristol. We think the attraction is in the apparent hopelessness & sheer brutality of the situation. couple that with of the deep seeded human fear of death and darkness you have got to be on to a winner. Where has most the filming took place so far ? We are hoping to start filming in the late summer. We have asked the facebook group members to contribute a short written zombie attack story and these will be made into a series of viral videos that will be released before the film itself. Filming the virals is coming up soon & once that's taken care of we will be straight onto the film itself - a few planned locations are the classic Bristol landmarks - Brandon Hill, College Green and many more. When can we expect to see this hit the cinemas, or a DVD release ? 'Born of Blood' is set to be a DVD release, although for the launch we will be premiering the film in Bristol as part of the release. Will this film be similar to the low budget Zombie cult ‘Colin’ Being a low budget zombie film, we can expect comparisons to be made with 'Colin' although thanks to all the support we have gained from Bristol's talent we can afford to be more adventurous with all aspects of the film even though our budget is still small. What should viewers expect from this film ? A dark edge-of-your-seat scary zombie gore fest
ALBUM REVIEWS Alkaline Trio – This Addiction Alkaline Trio must have had their work cut out creating this album with creating their own record label and touring at the same time, and I think it shows. I have always been a fan of the trio but This Addiction just doesn’t have any songs of their previous calibre, in fact when I first listened to this album not one song jumped out and grabbed me. I’m hoping that this was just an oversight on my part and with a few more listens I won’t be able to put it down but it isn’t looking promising. There isn’t really anything wrong with any of the songs on this album, but I find myself falling into that old musical cliché and saying there is also nothing “new” whether you say from previous albums or even previous songs on this album. Being the eighth album it must be hard to keep the bands personality but sometimes change can be good right? I think I’ll just dig out From Here to Infirmary to restore a bit of faith in Alkaline Trio.
Circa Survive – Blue Sky Noise
Release date: 23.2.2010 Record label: Heart & Skull
As a first time listener to Circa Survive, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I began to listen this album but what came across instantly was that this was going to be an “experience”. From the very first song I felt Blue Sky Noise was going to capture me and not let me stop listening until the last song had ended, for the 10th time. There was some magic ingredient that made me want to put every song back on once it had ended but that only lasted until the next song began, therefore I feel I have a sort of duty to warn readers don’t start doing any work before listening to this album because you will never finish it! If Blue Sky Noise is any reflection on their previous work this month could become expensive when I next walk past my local record store. The album seems to mix power with beauty at exactly the same time, I wasn’t entirely sure that this mixture was possible until I heard Glass Arrows. I guess the singing might not be enjoyed by everyone but it definitely isn’t a minus point to me, in fact I would go as far as to say that this album wouldn’t work with any other kind of vocals.
Recommended song: Fine
Release date: 20.4.2010 Record label: Atlantic Records Recommended song: Get Out
Crime In Stereo – I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone. Crime in stereo have returned with this there fourth album bringing back there individual character with it. The group from New York have stayed true to their old form keeping the classic long island sound but adding their own uniqueness to it, with influences of hardcore punk, prog rock, grunge and even indie at times I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone is almost a perfect mash up of everything I like to hear and I cannot help but admire that they have managed to put it all together and most importantly of all, make it work. This album somehow always seems to stay fresh for me, and I have a couple of theories as to why that is. Maybe it’s the seamless progression from blistering power chords to gentle harmonies and then back again, or maybe it’s the well thought out lyrics teamed with the catchy riffs and beats. Either way this albums fast pace and technical charm teamed with raw power will keep you listening over and over again. Release date: 23.2.2010 Record label: Bridge 9 Recommended song: Drugwolf
After finisihing a European tour as well as having a session in the iconic Maida Vale Studio we discover a bit more about local legends “Graveyard Johnnys”... BAND MEMBERS Jimmy Watkins (guitar and vocals) Tom Lord (drums) Joe Grogan (upright bass and vocals) YOU JUST RECENTLY WRAPPED UP YOUR BIGGEST TOUR TO DATE THAT COVERED PARTS OF SCANDINAVIA AND EUROPE, HOW WAS THAT ? Joe : It was a huge test for us, we’ve only ever done three or four dates at a time so to be away for a whole month was a big step. It was also Jimmy's introduction to the band so we all kinda wondered how he'd cope, turned out he's a fucking road warrior like the rest of us. Concrete flows through his veins. We’re all madly in love and the van still works so we’re fucking unstoppable these days. The girls abroad are so much more fun too int they Tom? ;) Tom : yeah I love the Finnish birds. In Helsinki I was in bed with a bird and was asked what I would like so I said 2 more girls and a cheeseburger coz I was hungry and been spewing all nite before. An hour later thats what I got….another 2 birds and a burger! I ate my burger and joined the Finnish love train. Shame the boys were 200 miles away in Tampere sleeping in a garage with a roadie that can snore for Europe. Jim: Well i must admit that if I said I wasn’t apprehensive about it I’d be a liar, but as soon as we hit Finland it just felt awesome you know? to be playing music and touring around the continent just gave us a massive buzz! I also realised at this point that I can literally repell women, a handy attribute to have as a off the market kinda guy….but did manage to earn me the tag of “Quasi” Joe : Haha! The Bellssssssss!! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE GETTING ACKNOWLEDGED AT SHOWS OVER SEAS ? Joe : It’s amazing, kind of makes the world seem small when people know your songs and want to suck you off when your 3000 miles away from home, it sort of makes you feel at ease and welcome even though you’re in the middle of nowhere and off your tits. CAN YOU GIVE US A CRAZY STORY FROM THE TOUR ? Tom : There was one incident in Hamburg! Joe : Oh shit yeah Tom : We finished the show and in the audience was a bird I had previous experience with on the Reeperbahn so I thought “tidyyyyyy!” After half an hour of her time backstage she decided to neck every spirit in the room, I’m guessing to wash the taste out of her mouth. Then went mental throwing our stuff around and demanding free merchandise at the top of her lungs, really making a scene like. Anyway out of nowhere came a rather strong girl in dungerees, picked her up with one hand and literally threw her out of the venue doors into the street. The last I heard was the shrill of “graveyard johnnnnnnnyssss!!” as she flew through the air, it was fucked up. Jim: This was fucking hilarious!!! I’d been chatting to the “Pipes and Pints” guys backstage and then headed to see how the merch stand was doing!!! When I arrived I could just see these crazed woman being literally carried out screaming GRAVEYARD JOHNNYS! “One of yours Tom??” “………..” YOU HAVE GIGGED WITH VARIOUS AWESOME BANDS, WHO HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE TO PLAY WITH AND WHY ? Joe : It makes no difference to us who else is playing to be honest, as long as they’re not acting like dicks and they’re willing to have a good time then we’re happy. We’ve been lucky enough to get along with almost every band we’ve gigged with, ok there’s been a couple of bellends but rock and roll is full of them so we count ourselves lucky to have avoided (most of) them. Jim: Yeah this is true like any scene there has to be balance so with the cool cats come egotistical dicks but we’ve not seen many of them! I’m a Celtic Punk fan so to play with Pipes and Pints was a real buzz and they’re real sound guys too. FAVOURITE SONG TO PLAY LIVE ? Tom : Radar Love, I get to let loose on that one. Joe : Happy birthday! Jim: Haha I’d say Radar Love too!
WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING FEATURED IN THE MIGHTY BIG CHEESE MAGAZINE, HAS THIS BEEN A LONG TERM GOAL, OR JUST AN OPPORTUNITY THAT CAME UP ? Joe : We gave a lot of head to be in that magazine, I had coldsores for months. Jim : Strepsil? Joe : No thanks I’m driving HOW DID IT FEEL TO BE INVITED IN SESSION FOR THE RADIO 1 PUNK ROCK SHOW ? AS I'M SURE SOME OF THE OTHER BANDS ON THERE HAVE INFLUENCED YOU IN SOME OF YOUR SONGWRITING ? Joe : I’ve listened to that show for over 10 years and discovered almost every band I love today from it. The exposure the show has given us over the past year has been incredible, we are so fucking greatful for it. It was crazy being in Maida Vale and recording where nearly every legendary name in music has once recorded. We felt like rockstars that day. JOE, WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO LEARN THE DOUBLE BASS ? Joe : Because I didn’t want to get a real job and I thought it’d be amazing for smuggling drugs and weapons from other countries. SO, YOUR ALBUM IS DUE FOR RELEASE THIS SUMMER ON THE LEGENDARY GERMAN LABEL “I HATE PEOPLE RECORDS” WHAT HAS BEEN THE MAIN INFLUENCE ON THE WRITING OF THE NEW ALBUM AND CAN WE EXPECT ANY SURPRISES? Joe : It’s strange because the first EP was mostly songs that Tom, Liam and I banged together really early on before we had any clue what we wanted to achieve as a band. I thought we were gonna be a country band, Tom was convinced we were gonna play metal!! Now we feel a bit more like we’ve got a direction and that’s pretty much just to bang out some basic good time rock and roll songs about life and our experiences. Don’t expect any politics or elaborate string sections, we’re just here for the poon and free beer! Jim: I think you can expect a clever mix of Gothic Jazz and Ambient garage folk. True Story WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR GRAVEYARD JOHNNYS ? Tom : The future probably holds more trips to the clinic and hopefully more good times with my mates Joe, Jimmy and of course Divers the drunkest roadie in the world. Joe : We’re looking forward to getting the record out and touring as far and wide as we can. It’s gonna be amazing to finally hit Japan in the new year and hopefully get a new flatscreen for the van so we can watch Bad News on repeat. Jim: I’d like to sell enough records so I can have some therapy on my back. www.myspace.com/graveyardjohnnys www.facebook.com/graveyardjohnnys www.twitter.com/gyjarmy
Jon Lilygreen
From representing Cyprus in the Eurovision song contest to Jam nights in “The Fives� Lilygreen gets us up to date with his world
When and why did you start learning the guitar ? I started when I was about 15. School was a waste of time and some of my mates had guitars that I liked messing around with. It was a cool instrument and chicks liked it. My dad bought me my first electric on my 15th birthday and a little Marshall 10 watt amp which was the tits. I still have the same guitar with new sexy bits on it :) Your known for your epic cover songs, what is one of your favourite cover songs to play ? So far, it's gotta be Are Codes by Ludacris. The middle 8 of the song always makes me giggle inside. I'm anything but gangster so when I start singing 'Is it cos they like my gangster walk?', I smile a bit. But if the reggae comes out, then I'm movin' and a groovin'. Loves iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!! You recently got the assignment of representing Cyprus in the Eurovision song contest, how in the blue did this unreal request come about ? I make a living from singing and playing guitar in a few projects, like bands or session vocals, so singing someone else's material is kind of the norm. I sang on an idea that a dude from Cyprus had written, then Jon and Sylv (www.goldcd.co.uk) asked me to sing on the track for a bit of money. A month or so later, they got an email asking if I'd like to go to Cyprus for a week to sing in the Cyprus finals. We did and we won.
How have the public in Cyprus reacted to having someone from the UK represent them, have they welcomed you with open arms ?
“But if the reggae comes out, then I'm movin' and a groovin'.�
There's certainly some cool people over there who have nothing but nice things to say. That's a cool feeling when you spend 10 days over there and people recognise you are say something positive. But not everyone is happy about it. Infact, somewhere on Youtube, someone commented on how we could fail to get anywhere unless we have dancers on stage...enough said. Your a regular at the open mic night jam sessions in Chepstow's pub local "the fives", what do you love most about playing there ? It has to be the atmosphere. People like to have a monster time, party hard and sing loud. When all is said and done, you can go to Cheppo and have some fun. I made a little rhyme :) Couple of free drinks and I'm ready to rock out with Joe, Divers and Scotty Bowman. REPRESEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENT!!! Can we expect any more original material to come from you in the future, like 'Strawberry' and 'downhill' as these are great songs I'm not sure. I'm a fool for not sitting down and writing. Sometimes I'll come up with an idea, like it, play around with it, get bored, then play a song I already know by someone else. Granted, not really a way forward when it comes to writing, But there are other tunes that I've coughed up, so maybe they shall have to surface more often. How do you go about writing a song ? Sitting in my bedroom in my pants. With my guitar and laptop. It just goes from there, sometimes. I'm no good at spontaneous lyrics. I have to be in the zone. Otherwise, it sounds pants. What does the future hold I'm not too sure yet. People have said that there's only good things to come after the Eurovision, which will hopefully have my interests at heart. I just wanna keep playing and performing for people who like some nice tunes and be honest to myself. I'm not a popstar. I'm Jon. So there :)
www.myspace.com/jonlilygreen
Playing with famous acts like “The Skints” and “Sonic Boom Six” is nothing unfimilar for local band “Detached” the future indeed looks bright for these boys..
BAND MEMBERS Rhys Mence - Vocals & Guitar Owain Evans - Guitar Gethin Lock - Bass & Vocals Ben Nicholls - Trumpet & Vocals Gareth Talbot - Trombone Josh Clark - Drums YOU SEEM TO TOUR A SHED LOAD, WHAT IS IT LIKE BALANCING YOUR SOCIAL LIFE WITH YOUR TOUR ACTIVITIES ? Its not too bad, we try to tour when ever we can to be honest. Most of our touring takes place in time off University. Its weird when you come off tour and reality hits you and you feel like a zombie, thats something I think won't change. I think we have the balence between social life and tour pretty good at the moment and if anything would love to tour more! Everyone in a band has a constant battle between the two and just think you need to handle it well and get on with it to make it work. YOU HAVE BEEN SEEN PLAYING WITH BANDS LIKE SONIC BOOM SIX AND THE SKINTS AMONGST OTHERS, WHO HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE BAND TO PLAY WITH AND WHY ? Thats a really hard question to answer! We've played with alot of cool bands that really love what they do and take the time to acknowledge you which is always nice. Zebrahead are one of the only bands we've played with that approached us and asked us how we were and stuff insted of staying cooped up in their bus. I think nice bands are my favorite bands to play with haha. We recentlly played with a band from the US called Knockout when we we're on tour who we're really nice guys and we partied together and just got on well, makes all the difference. Would suck to play with your favorite band in the world and to find out they were dicks, would find it hard to still have respect for them. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO LEARN BRASS INSTRUMENTS ? Gareth (Trombone) My mum encouraged me to learn something aswell as piano. Decided on brass because it seemed the least girly out of what i was offered (woodwind or strings being the other options). I was given a trombone in school because i had long arms Ben (Trumpet) Well I started in school like most people, and was made to keep it up. So I stuck with it, I got my own trumpet just as I joined the band, and it is a piece of shit! Thats about it!
“Its weird when you come off tour and reality hits, you feel like a zombie
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO PLAY LIVE AND WHY ? Umm, I think at the moment my personal favorite is 'Dont Bite the Crust (And Say the Pie Ain't Tasty) because its new and just fun to play! Old songs like 'Wasted' and 'Brick by Brick' are always fun too. TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST EP We self-released our new E.P 'None the Wiser' on the 13th March 2010 in Newport Tj's. Its got 6 tracks on it that will blow your eardrums. The artwork was drawn up by a guy called Richard Minino (Horsebites), he's done stuff for the likes of Less Than Jake and Strike Anywhere so was so excited that he was going to do the E.P and think it came out awesome. We're all really proud of the E.P and hope it gets out there! You can pick it up at any of our shows or from our online shop at www.detached.bigcartel.com ALSO YOU HAD AN EP NIGHT IN THE LEGENDARY TJ's TO PROMOTE YOUR EP, HOW WAS THAT ? Ye it was amazing. We owe a huge amount to Tj's and played some of our first and best shows there. We played with people like Zebrahead, Wheatus and Bad Manners in there so its just somewhere we love! Wouldnt have felt right to have it anywhere else. We have alot of people come down and sold quite alot of E.Ps so ye think the launch night did its job! WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR DETACHED We're just gonna keep on recording, releasing, playing, touring, partying and having fun as much as we can for as long as we can! Well thats the plan anyway! We're gonna be off on tour this Summer around the UK so keep an eye out for those dates and please come along. No plans for any new recordings but im sure you'll hear about it when we do!
MUSIC
BAND MEMBER NAMES
. SO LETS START FROM THE START, HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER ?
We are Luke Beasley on Lead Vocals and Guitars, Ant Equeall on Drums and Jonathan Hood on ye ol Bass Guitar
Just playing about in crosskeys college really. We just thought we might as well make some music with all of the free time we had and to get it out to the people. We are all close mates and we just want to write and play music to party too and to play to people we have never been able to play to before. WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION IS A RATHER INTERESTING NAME, HOW DID IT COME ABOUT ?
Well the name came about two years ago before we all got together. Just like many other bands we really didnt know what to be called originally but "Weapons of mass distraction" was the first name that grabbed our attention and i suppose we wanted a name that would make us sound like sex symbols. Plus we had to get a name for our first gigs so it was pretty much a quick desicion name decision. WITH A PUMPING TRACK ON THIS MONTHS FREE CD CAN YOU TELL US IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE PLANS TO RECORD ? OR AN ALBUM/EP IN THE WORKS ? Yeah we are going into the studio as soon as possible to record our debut EP. We did a demo in November to promote our gigs and we give them out for free at every gig so hopefully people want to hear some new tunes. We hope the new EP will be released around summertime and we will have an official video to promote it so hopefully it will kick off. WHO COMES UP WITH THE MUSIC ? IS IT A GROUP EFFORT ? OR A SINGLE IDEA THAT EVOLVES We all have an input with the music where one of us comes up with a couple of riffs and i usually take them home to write lyrics too and the structure. We want to try different writing styles in the future to see what works but we are definately in our comfort zone at the moment. WITH SUCH A UNIQUE SOUND I THINK A LOT OF OUR READERS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT BANDS HAVE INSPIRED YOU ? We are all fans of Biffy Clyro who are starting to have an impact on our writing style but with all of us it can range from Counting Crowes, Arctic Monkeys, Nik Kershaw, Fall out boy and Black Sabbath so its all a bit all over the place. I guess our sound meets in the middle. SIMILAR TO MANY BANDS YOUR QUITE FOND OF TOURING, WHAT WOULD YOUR ALL TIME FAVOURITE VENUE BE TO PLAY AND WHY ? Ooooh good question. We would love to do arenas just like most bands would. There is always a ladder to climb in the music industry and theres always new goals to be made so at the moment just to play bigger venues would be pretty sweet. We are happy partying in the small intimate venues at the moment but to even pack out small venues would be pretty awsome. FINALLY, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE WOMD ? Hopefully money, girls and drugs. only joking. Well we will see what happens. We have only been together for a year and are still finding our sound but the way things are shaping up i think that its going to be an epic ride. Our new single and video will be released in July and we will be booking more gigs so keep a look out.
games FINAL FANTASY XII (PS3)
MINI REVIEWS
"Super Polished, Rollercoaster Ride!" This isn't the game I hoped from Square Enix, being a massive fan of previous open world FF games (VII, VIII & IX) XIII remain's Visually amazing, the connection between character's and story kept me playing this Super Polished, Rollercoaster Ride!. The combat system is great for introducing gamers with no previous RPG experience & I can see Square Enix making an even bigger mainstream audience in the West.
Perfect Dark Live Arcade (Xbox 360) "I have a headache, and with a head this big, that's no joke!" -Elvis
This is a game for every shooter/sci -fi fan to pick up at only 800 ms points!. 4J studios have done a great job of re-vamping Rareware's classic sequel to Goldeneye. with all new texture's and silky smooth 60fps!, no-more RC-P120's lagging the game on mulitiplayer! Now I you can get back to sticking "friends" with remote mine's yes! :D
ALAN WAKE (XBOX 360) From the maker’s of Max Payne come’s a new horror mystery game with influnces from the secret window & a nod to Resident Evil 4, you play as Alan Wake a writer who goes on holiday with his wife Alice, things soon go wrong however as you lose Alice early on in the game, much like shopping with your girlfriend. The game plays out in an episodic format. Alan Wake has a spooky atmosphere which can be recommeded to any x-files fans... If your still out there? O_o!
“Stencil talks to No Reflections just before they record their new EP”
CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU GOT TOGETHER ? Nikki: ex-members of local band “murder circuit” with nothing better to do. Tim: basically me, nikki and ben played in a death metal band before which we got bored of. we wanted to do something simple that people could just mosh to. we're well into our hardcore so thats what we decided to go with. SO YOU RECENTLY DID A SLOT AT ANGEL FEST HOW WAS IT ? Nikki: good, from what i remember. Tim: really good fun, met some rad people and moshed. check the video on our myspace. WHAT CAN READERS EXPECT FROM A NO RELECTIONS SHOW ? Nikki + Tim: mosh and bad jokes. haha CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW IT FEELS TO PLAY ON STAGE AT A LIVE SHOW ? Nikki + Tim: if it's going well then awsome, if you mess up then not so good. haha.
“personally im obsessed with music and making it, im stoked to be doing music that i really love, whether people dig it or not.”
WHAT DOES MAKING MUSIC MEAN TO YOU ? Nikki: having a good time. Tim: Yeah man, personally im obsessed with music and making it, im stoked to be doing music that i really love, whether people dig it or not. WHO WOULD YOU LOVE TO PLAY WITH AND WHY ? Tim: anyone cool whos all about the mosh. CHEPSTOWS BMX JAM IS RETURNING FOR ITS 4th YEAR THIS YEAR, AND WE SEE YOU ARE PLAYING THE AFTER PARTY, CAN YOU TELL US ABIT ABOUT THE BMX JAM AND WHY YOU WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT ? Tim: a few mates of ours usually organise the jam. me and nikki usually get involved one way or another wether it be riding or jacking the mega-phone. haha. murder circuit played last year before we quit, it was pretty fun. the afterparty's still to be confirmed at the minute due to problems with finding a venue but we'll see what happens. AS WELL AS THE BMX JAM WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS Tim + Nikki: we're going to get our newest tracks out in the next month or so and been chatting to our boys "haunted by wolves" about sorting a split cd launch. other than that we just want to get more shows sorted and generally get ourselves about. Check www.myspace.com/noreflectionshc, we'll have a new layout, new tracks and other new tings going on in the next month
MUSIC
Tell us a bit about the members and history of Outgunned Well we’ve been writing and playing as a band now since December 2008, and a year and half on we feel like we’re starting to hit our stride. The line up is: Craig Bates on lead vocals and bass, Tom Damsell on guitars and backing vocals, Matt Damsell on guitars and Adam Rooke on drums. We’ve come from former musical backgrounds, be it previous bands or playing different instruments to that of the ones we play now. Ad and Craig have both enjoyed previous experiences with local bands Syn (Ad) and Asunda (Craig). Matt and I have been playing guitar together for six years, before that I played the violin for a few years back in school and Matt had experience with the saxophone. We all love heavy music and wanted a new project to explore the creative possibilities of writing and performing our own takes on the music we love listening to. So when the time came for Matt and I to start building a new band, it was only natural that we find players with just as much love, enthusiasm and drive for metal/rock as us in order to succeed. I’d been friends with Ad for two years at Uni and was aware of his passion and skill as a heavy drummer, as well as sharing exactly the same tastes in music. Likewise, Matt had known Craig from school, and knew he had what it takes to get the job done, having seen Craig perform as the front man in his previous band. When the time finally came for the four of us to get in a room together and play, everything just clicked right away! Outgunned Interview Tom Damsell (Guitarist) Tell us more about your music, and more specifically the title track from your brand new EP ‘Through the Eyes of Despair’ A) Well we all share core influences when it comes to bands we listen to. We all love the obvious bands like Metallica, Machine Head, Lamb of God, Trivium and Slipknot. However we also have individual broader tastes too. Everyone one of us loves heavy and fast, but we also love melodic and catchy. The way we see it, any song that sticks in your head enough to make you keep singing it, irrespective of its genre, has to be a good song! Even if it’s something you perhaps wouldn’t normally listen to. And that’s what we try to create. We love playing the heaviest stuff we can, but we always aim to create a sense of melody and catchiness too. Lyrically the songs can be about personal feelings or issues, but more often than not, they’re social commentaries on the world and its bleaker side. For example ‘Through the Eyes of Despair’ deals with fact that everyone seems to be aware of how messed up the world is and how things need to change, and yet most people never try to help or do anything about it. They moan about governments, social affairs and world suffering etc; yet they continue being selfish and living in their own worlds. Half the time we all make things worse for ourselves and all we do is blame others. Our music isn’t deliberately political or whiny, but rather it’s angry and aggressive. It often takes the perspective of the world through an outsider’s eyes, hence the name ‘Through the Eyes of Despair’. Musically the more technical and tricky to play, the better haha! It’s no fun if it’s easy!
MUSIC
“There’s so much talent around that ha
sn’t been tapped into yet”
What do you think of the current state of Metal around the local scene? It’s booming! There’s so much talent around that hasn’t been tapped into yet. Obviously you get different genres within Metal, good bands and great bands, successful bands and upand-coming bands. However, the key thing is local support from both fellow bands and audiences. Obviously times are extremely tough right now because of all the economy shit and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for venues and live bands to keep going, therefore everyone needs to encourage each other so that every band gets a fair shot at becoming successful. Plus it’s always nice to make new friends! There are some fantastic bands around at the moment, and they all deserve a listen! You should hear ‘Fell on Black Days’ from Ebbw Vale; great band, great guys! Check out our top friends list on our Myspace to hear them, as well as some of our other favourite acts! Describe a typical live show informing readers of what to expect. Loud and fast. We’ve always been a live band. Recording in the studio was fun, but at the end of the day there’s no better feeling than going out there and playing the music you love to anyone who wants to listen to it! There’s always a great energy between the four of us live, as our previous reviews state, and it’s always an excuse to vent frustrations just really exercise creative energy. We do it purely for fun and it’s amazing to go nutty with crowd! You can expect lot’s of screaming guitars, relentlessly groovy drums and a voice that will punch you in the gut, and yet you can still tap your foot quite happily. Though we prefer you to headbang! Finally, what has been the highlight for you so far? And what does the future hold for Outgunned? We’re just really excited about all we’ve achieved in a short space of time and proud that people are really starting to dig our sound and enjoy it for what it is. We’ve had some great reviews, the EP has been really well received, local radio stations have been super excited listening to us, bigger and better bands/venues are asking us to play with them and we’ve also been asked to compete in Metal 2 The Masses in May to stand a chance of playing the Bloodstock and Wacken festivals. All in all, better we could have ever hoped for with less than a year’s worth of gigging under our belts! As for the future... who knows? Obviously we’d love to get signed, as would all bands. We’re just going to keep playing show after show, really work hard and have fun doing what we do. We’ll write stronger and stronger music and hopefully make tonnes more friends. Basically just strive to push ourselves and be the best Outgunned can be. Whatever happens after that is a bonus! www.myspace.com/outgunnedband facebook: outgunned welsh-metal
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC HEADING OUR WAY Stencil catches up with american pop-punkers “Grownups� Guitarist Adam Sheets just before his band storm the UK
What can you tell us about your upcoming release "More Songs" and where can UK fans pick up a copy ? More Songs is our first record, we took a good year to write and record it. It came out exactly how we had pictured it. Anyone can pick it up from us at any of our shows in the UK from May 14-24. How excited are you to be touring the UK ? I cannot even describe how excited I am. The idea that I'm in a band that can and is touring Europe is still surreal to me. All I've wanted to do is write music and tour since the 4th grade when I saw That Thing You Do. Hopefully we stick to it longer than the Wonders though. What was it like working with producer Matt Allison It was a great experience working with Matt Allison. To be honest, he was a little intimidating at first, I mean Colossal and Alkaline Trio are PRETTY GOOD bands. But he was really helpful, understood what we wanted to do, and let our ideas drive the recording. Also his assistant, Justin Yates, was amazingly helpful, he stayed up tracking with us till the sun came up. What are the plans for the rest of this year ? (any festival appearances maybe ?) After Europe, I'm sure we'll all be interested in taking it easy for a month or so, just enjoying being home. Also, we'll be able to start work on new material. I personally am very interested in touring with our great friends Like Bats in August. Festivals? I can't imagine we would say no to any offer. What can fans expect heading to your show at The Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach on May 22nd ? At our show in Cardiff, expect an awesome time!
Over 2 million plays on their Myspace and a recent tour with Four Year Strong, American poppunk sensations “The Wonder Years” are just about to tour the UK, and even better than that, their coming to Newport... WHO ARE WE TALKING TO ? My name is Josh and I play bass. IS YOUR BAND NAME ACTUALLY IN REFERENCE TO THE COMEDY “THE WONDER YEARS” OR IS IT TO DO WITH SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ? I'm not really sure what show you're talking about. Our name doesn't really reference anything else, it's just a name. THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME YOU’VE BEEN TO THE UK TOURING WITH BRITAINS AWESOME PUNK ROCKERS “ALL OR NOTHING“, WHAT DO YOU GUYS LIKE ABOUT PLAYING HERE ? We actually did one of our first "real" tours in the UK with a band called Never So True and we met the All or Nothing guys on that tour and have proceeded to do two more tours and meet some other awesome bands. We like playing the UK because we have a lot of good friends there and we've felt very welcomed by promoters and the people attending our shows. AS WELL AS TOURING WITH “ALL OR NOTHING” YOU RECENTLY DID A SPLIT EP NAMED “DISTANCES” WITH THEM HOW DID THIS IDEA COME ABOUT ? The idea came up because we hadn't been able to tour, because we were all in school at the time, and we wanted to release some new music. We recorded our songs and looked for a band to do the split with us. We contacted All or Nothing because of our previous tour and developed the Distances theme because we missed our friends in the UK and so on. SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL IS BOASTING A RATHER IMPRESSIVE LINE UP THIS YEAR (YOU GUYS INCLUDED), HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ON THE BILL WITH OTHER SUCH AMAZING POP PUNK ACTS ? The line up this year is real awesome. We're excited to play in the UK with so many friends we've made touring in the states, bands like Fireworks, This Time Next Year, Set Your Goals, and Crime in Stereo. We're also very excited to see some of the bands we all grew up on like New Found Glory and Alkaline Trio. The fest should be incredible. WHATS NEXT FOR THE WONDER YEARS ? When we get back from Slam Dunk and the Enemy of Europe tour (with Four Year Strong and Fireworks) we'll be heading out on a tour with Streetlight Manifesto all summer then doing an Australian tour in September. FINALLY WHAT CAN FANS ATTENDING THE NEWPORT LE PUB HEADLINE SHOW EXPECT (May 22nd) The hottest, sweatiest, most fun le pub show we've ever had. It's one of our favorite venues in the world and we love playing there more each time.
Who came up with the name, and how excatly ? The six friends who run the festival together were sat around a table and we came up with lots of names between us, but it was 2000trees that caught our imagination. It hints at our desire to raise awareness of environmental concerns, particularly from man-made climate change. It lets people know we want our festival to be as green as possible, for which we've won the 'A Greener Festival Award' - including last year recycling 90% of waste which might just be the highest ever for a UK festival!
“2000trees is fun, friendly and affordable”
How did the idea of 2000 trees festival come about ? We were sat around a campfire at a rather large UK festival we'd been attending for the previous decade and we didn't feel it was living up to expectations. Rather than admit it was because we were getting a bit older, we painstakingly went through all the things that were not to our liking, such as being crammed in, treated like children by security, paying ever-spiralling ticket prices, being served poor quality food and a reduced choice of drinks because of corporate sponsorship... the list goes on. Then we thought about creating a better kind of festival and the conversation lasted two days - because festivals should be about having a great time with your friends, listening to great bands, relaxing and so on. The idea was born and it snowballed from there. Which act or acts if you like are you most excited about having at your festival ?
“Music has the power to change everyone's mood and lift your spirits”
Well, we've been huge fans of Frank Turner since his Million Dead days and he headlined our first festival in 2007, so it will be something special to welcome him back now he has grown massively in popularity (due to being brilliant). The bigger bands are obviously going to please the crowds, like The Subways, Bombay Bicycle Club, Metronomy and 65DaysOfStatic. But with almost 70 acts there is something for every taste and for me, the best moments are always to be had discovering a new band. Look out for local heroes Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun and Tubelord to put in sterling performances too. Which year has been your favourite so far ?
I think for the sheer exhilaration (and exhaustion) of getting through it, the first year will never be beaten for that feeling of pride that followed all the hours of hard work and stress for everyone. With four hours sleep for four days running it left us as utterly spent forces, but it brought us closer together as friends and we will be eternally grateful to everyone who helped us along the way. From an old school friend Mark who did so much to help throughout set-up and at the event, to new people who were keen to lend a hand and have become firm friends. Also, seeing everyone's smiles made it worthwhile and we stopped every single car on the way out to say 'thanks for coming' before asking for improvements we could make for year two. It was the steepest learning curve and the greatest summit to climb.
What is it you love so much about live music ? Music has the power to change everyone's mood and lift your spirits. I am in awe of the musicians and their talent for entertainment and live is the real thing - anyone can manufacture a good sound but to produce it live, on stage, in front of an audience, is fantastic. When you’re stood in a crowd with friends, staring at the stage as a spine-tinglingly amazing band perform that riff you love or sing that verse you've sung yourself a hundred times, you can forget about the daily grind. Then there’s a moment, fleeting yet satisfying, when you think quietly to yourself... ‘life doesn’t get any better than this’. Or when a band you've never heard blows you away with their brilliance. When that happens there is nothing better. What can people expect attending ? 2000trees is fun, friendly and affordable. The best new British bands almost 70 acts on three stages, plus comedy, headphone disco and campfire singalongs. A very intimate festival, so you'll get to know your neighbours and have a great time relaxing in a (hopefully!) sunny field. It is also in one of the most picturesque places in England, buried amid the Cotswolds hills, so enjoying the one mile nature trail which offers outstanding views of the rolling fields is a must - not least because it is also a great hangover cure! There's a superb range of high quality food and drink, using locally-sourced and organic produce whenever possible. Plus you'll get the chance to meet lots of fun people, as you all set up camp in the middle of the field which haas three stages in its corners. You are literally no more than 10 minutes away from any other part of the site for the whole weekend - except the nature walk! What does the future hold for the festival ? As long as our fans keep enjoying it, we'll keep making 2000trees happen. Any other details? www.twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk July 16th & 17th, 2010 Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, GLOS. GL54 4BL Headline acts: The Subways and Frank Turner Main supports: Metronomy, Bombay Bicycle Club (NME's Best New Band 2010), 65 Days of Static
Profile
Matt Damsell
Name: Age: 19 Currently: Studying a Photographic Art BA (Hons) degree at the University of Wales Newport.
I have been doing photography now for about 6 years now; I had my first digital camera at the age of 13, a small Fujifilm S3000. I used to love just taking photos of anything and everything, as I grew older I started to develop more of an eye for it, producing better and more creative imagery. I never had a photography lesson until I went to university so I was mostly self taught, although my dad used to do a lot of photography himself so I was able to gain a lot of advice from him. Now 19, I obviously have to produce a lot of my own work which is going towards my degree, but try to do as much outside work I can. I don’t restrict myself to any specific type of photography, I believe if you only allow yourself to work in one area you limit yourself and it becomes difficult to get out of it. It narrows your way of thinking - so I like to do as much different work as it can varying from live and promotional music, to fashion and portrait, business and corporate to landscapes and even photographing theatre productions. I also produce a lot of images for my own interest, which can be purely one off creative photographs. I use a Canon EOS 5D for all my digital work, however I also use a variation of traditional film-based cameras ranging from a 35mm Canon camera to a 1967 Mamiya 500TL. Also working in medium format using a Rolleicord my grandfather gave me. I have a habit of carrying around a little automatic film camera with me everywhere I go too, just photographing life and the things that happen. It’s only a cheap little camera really, I even have to hold the flash open using duct tape haha, but the outcome of the photographs is great, it proves that you don’t need a big expensive camera to be able to make good photographs.
First things first, if you’re going to take photography seriously and you are using a digital camera, straight away you need to get out the habit of using it on ‘Auto’. Switch it to manual, or even ‘Aperture’ or ‘Shutter’ Priority and begin creating photographs how you want them to look. Read the user guide and learn how to control your camera. Learn how the lens aperture and shutter speeds work, and how both go hand in hand in order to gain well exposed sharp photographs. If you want to get more advanced, start looking into ISO speeds and white balancing, again this should all be in the user guide, or have a look online, there’s loads of information online, it’ll blow your mind. Here are a few examples of my work, I’ll tell you about how I did them, the techniques I used and my opinions on the best approaches for each of the different situations.
IMAGE ONE
Title: InMe live at TJ’s Newport This shot shows a metal band performing live, the whole reason behind a live gig is for interaction between the band and the fans, to create that energy and perform the music. With live photographs I feel in it essential to try and capture this energy, to give the viewer of the image the feeling that they were actually there and witness the loudness and energy of the gig. For live photographs I use a low ISO usually around 100-200, a ranging aperture from sometimes a standard f.8 to perhaps a tiny f.22 - it all really depends on the lighting. I set my shutter speed at 1.3 seconds and use an off-camera flash linked through a sync lead. The combination between the flash and slightly longer exposure produces a sharp image of the performer, however picks up all the stage lighting, giving this very busy and energetic effect. I will be honest sometimes I get a bit carried away and wave my camera around a lot to emphasize the light streams haha‌ it looks good though.
MAGE TWO Title: Fashion Wales Live Shoot Here’s a shot I did from a live fashion shoot in the middle of Newport not that long ago. It’s your typical studio set up, white background and a basic two light arrangement. Although being a fairly simple pose. I think when doing a fashion shoot it’s important to experiment with poses - try thinking outside the box and try and create interesting and different images. Experiment with angles, lighting, outfits and make-up, make the shoot fun for you and the model – things will flow so much better then. Try and compliment the model and the outfits in the photographs, this will make both look good. For me; eye contact is really important, get the model to stare deep into the camera like I did with this shot; it creates a nice relationship between the model and the image. For this photo I used a really small aperture – f.20, this ensured that the whole of the model was in focus, however it can be nice to have a small depth on field and only focus on one thing. I used 200 ISO and shot at 1/125th of a second, obviously the lights had to be set up to make sure everything was balanced.
IMAGE THREE Title: Second Severn Crossing at Night Taken at night from Black Rock in Portskewett, this landscape photo is a popular style of night photography which often used to capture images of busy cities, bridges and motorway. Using a long exposure at night makes the lights stand out really well against the dark background and glowing night sky, and even picks up the stars. When doing shots like this it is essential to use a sturdy tripod, any camera shake will lead to blurs and movement within the image. Photographing something like this gives you a really funky reflection from the water which can be really effective. It’s always nice to get as wide-angle as possible to fit loads in the shot, especially in cities and even something like a fish-eye lens works really well.
IMAGE FOUR Title: Rosso Ensemble Promo This was a slightly different promotional shoot for me, as I usually photograph rock and metal bands this was a nice opportunity to broaden my work. With promotional photographs it’s obviously necessary to promote the band, so it’s important to make sure everyone is clearly in the shot and everyone’s face can be seen. Again experiment with angles, lighting and poses to make the photos interesting, try photographing the group somewhere which is going to say something about them and their music - try and bring these characteristics out. Perhaps bring the lead singer or main person towards the front so that they stand out more or use a flash or something to highlight them. Use a small aperture to gain large depth of field; this will mean everyone’s in focus and sharp. Try and make the band look as good as possible, this was shot in natural light, which always looks good if the lighting is nice, but you can also use your flash or even studio lighting if you want to brighten things up.
So here you have it, a sneak peak into my work, my way of thinking and the techniques I use. To see more of my work, head over to my Flickr account where you can see loads of my most recent images and keep an eye out for new work going up all the time. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattdamsell/ If you are looking to have some photographs produced, whether it’s for your band, working on your modelling portfolio or photographs for your business, anything; just get in contact and we can sort something out. Email me at, mattdamsell@live.co.uk For now, all you people that are getting into photography get snapping, the more you do the better - experiment and enjoy yourself.
Internet TV....Could it be the future? Ahh the life of a student, fun, frolics and hangovers but until now not necessarily a great deal of TV. But today that changes. This post is all about internet TV and its untapped potential. As a lazy, money grabbing student I have a shed load of free time on my hands and when im not working hard or out doing the things that popular kids do I’m in my room on my computer. And while you may think this is the perfect setting for a porn addiction to flourish I’m here to show otherwise. Sure I spend a bit of time waiting for things to buffer and wearing my headphones, alone, in the dark and when people come in I can feel a bit embarrassed but I am not fapping, oh no I’m watching TV. Surprisingly really good TV . At the minute I’m admittedly only taking baby steps into the world of web TV but my short ride has been a blast. I basically stumbled across it when watching the latest episode of GTFO.TV on thestream.tv. For those of you that dont know GTFO is a E-Pop Culture show from the states that runs late on a monday night (hosted by two ex members of Epileptic Gaming (honestly best thing i have ever seen) and a pro street fighter player) that talks about everything internet with their own brand of crass American humour. After laughing my way through another class hour of content I started looking around the site that hosted the video and stumbled across all the stuff going on there. From random satire edged news to shows about a deranged doctor, with an affinity for horror films working straight out of a mausoleum, the stream.tv has it all and with the overall quality rising you can have some really good times watching the stuff they’ve got on show . However, as good as it is there is something better and it is….(drum roll please)….REVISION 3! Simply put the site rocks, all the programme’s on there are of unbelievably high quality, the writing is good, the educational stuff is good everything about is amazing. Personally my favourite show is web zeroes. This small sitcom esque buddy show has it all and it has kept me hooked through some rubbishy uni loading times and has given me hope that my own stupid ass internet idea’s (this collection of posts included) can be successful. They try everything and the path they take leads them down the dark, dark roads of addiction, to unemployment and beyond. This show is the whole package. As the information age keeps on growing internet T.V is going to be a big deal within the near future. By climbing on board now you can be riding high and proud on the bandwagon. So why not take the leap now? Test the waters…see if you like them and then dive in head first because there’s a world of untapped potential out there.
..a style guide to the season!
Flipflops £1, Earrings £1 both Primark * Hairclip £4 H&M * Bikini top £12 for 2 (one shown) Bangles £6 New Look
Top £25 Lazy Oaf
Knuckleduster £12 New Look
Sunglasses £8 Heidi Seeker
Earrings £4 Love @: New Look
Necklace £4 Primark
Bag £37 Accessorize
Mens Flip Flops £6 Peacocks
Dress £12 Generation @ New Look * Hair Clip £1 Primark * Necklace made to order from Tatty Devine
Mens Swimshorts £12 New Look
Bangles £10 Love @ New Look
Necklace £105 Tatty Devine Necklace £34.99 River Island
Mens Tee £16 Topman
Ring £8 Love @ New Look
This month we're loving... *J&S Jazzies Jewellery*
Dress £4.99 H&M * Necklace £8 New Look
Necklace £6 Love @ New Look
Based in Cardiff: Handmade & Vintage jewellery, Custom pieces & One-Offs. -Jazzies will soon be making a website,but you can buy some of Jazzies products on ebay. Just search boompa* in the community part fo ebay. Or search for them on Facebook.
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