Skins: Series 5

The teenage BAFTA-winning show, Skins, began its fifth series on 27th January.With a brand new cast and the challenge of fulfilling the drug-infused, love-lusting, crazy-raving that began three years prior to the new series, Skins had a lot to live up to.

The show, set in Bristol, brought its viewers a variety of "cliche" characters, who unlike before are not all in the same clique of friends. Uniquely, the character of 'Franky', played by The Golden Compass (2007) actress Dakota Blue Richards, is different to other protagonists of the show before, in that she is the "outsider" - the new girl, whose efforts to fit-in are somewhat tainted from the onset, as seen from the tragic times she spent in her previous school. It appears from the first episode that the audience will witness dramatic changes and potential character growth in Franky; this is hinted at from the mysterious guy, actor Sebastian De Souza, whom she meets and calls her 'beautiful'.

Franky Fitzgerald

The plot also contains the unoriginal "Mean Girls" (2004) in Mini, the "Queen Bee", played by Freya Mavor, and her two followers. More reminiscent from the Mark Waters film, is the imitated scene where stolen pictures from Franky's laptop are spread across the school; the ultimate scandal of the bully. Personally, there are far more unique ways to demonstrate such behaviour as bullying, and predictability becomes less and less watchable.

Mini McGuinness

Nonetheless, within the first episode, the talent can be seen from the British young actors. Already, I have a slight dislike to the character of Mini, and have got a soft spot for Alexander Arnold's character, 'Rich Hardbeck', music snob and metal head.

As it is only the first episode, I do not believe Skins Series 5 should be written off just yet, as the easy-watching and appealing show always manages to bring a lot of laughs and some good fun.

I personally will look forward to the second episode!

Wicked: The Hit Musical

"The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz"

On Saturday 15th January, sitting in Row A of the Dress Circle at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre, I waited for the musical phenomenon of Wicked to begin. I had read some great reviews of the show, and everyone that I know who had seen it, had thoroughly enjoyed its spectacular performance, so obviously I had high expectations which were more than fulfilled.

Directed by Joe Mantello, the exciting plot is based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) by author Gregory Maguire. The show explores the untold tale of the "Good" Witch Glinda, played by Louise Dearman, and the "Wicked" Witch Elphaba, played by runner-up in the 2008 hit BBC television show I'd do Anything, Rachel Tucker. The musical begins with the announcement that the "Wicked Witch is Dead!", and the shocking discovery that 'Gaaaalinda' was, in fact, very good friends with green-skinned Elphaba; the show develops by depicting how the two complete opposites became friends, and their lives up until the demise of the Wicked Witch.



The climatic moment in the musical, in my opinion, is when Tucker (pictured above) and Dearman sing the most popular and well-known song from the show, Defying Gravity, which occurs just before the intermission. From this captivating and powerful performance, it is obvious that Tucker was made for this role, and in a way, was a positive thing that she did not achieve the role of 'Nancy' over Jodie Prenger two and a half years ago. The staging and scenery of the musical is escalated in this song where Tucker, dramatically, ends up floating/flying through the air. Other personal favourite songs from the show are Popular, The Wizard and I, and I'm Not That Girl.

As well as the phenomenal actresses cast to play the Witches from the fantasy-land, Lee Mead (pictured below), winner of BBC's Any Dream Will Do in 2007, played Fiyero, the love-interest of both Glinda and Elphaba.

The plot ties up all of the lose ends which the original concept, The Wizard of Oz, does not; the audience discovers how the scarecrow, lion, and tin-man, were transformed into such beings. Wicked brings an alternative story to the popular fairytale, and with the fantastic costume variety, exciting actors, and the "magic" of Oz, it is almost predetermined that the musical will continue its ongoing success for many more years to come, enthralling audiences for a long time yet.

"It's all about popular! It's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed. So it's very shrewd to be very very popular, like me!"

You Me At Six - Hold Me Down

"I've got you hanging on every word I say ... And you love the way I take your breath away".

As 2010 is quickly coming to an end, I thought it was appropriate to write a little something about one of my favourite albums of this year; Hold Me Down by You Me At Six.
I often listen to music that portrays how I feel at a specific time, as personally, I believe music has the ultimate power to get me through emotional times in my life. Hold Me Down, has helped me do just that.

Hold Me Down is the second album from British pop-punk band, You Me At Six. From the first song on the Surrey rockers' album, The Consequence, the listener is introduced to the recurring theme present underlying every song on the album; the failure of love. Whether this is a direct response to lead singer, Josh Franceschi's, own "break-up", or a reference to anyone's heartbreak, remains a mystery. However, the tenth song on the album, There's No Such Thing as Accidental Infidelity, seems to adhere to the former belief that the album is indeed a representation of Franceschi's own feelings and thoughts.

Liquid Confidence is one of the most memorable tracks on the album and won the title of "Best Single" at the Kerrang! 2010 awards. Other favourites from from the album are Underdog and Stay With Me. The former song was the first track released from Hold Me Down with the familiar pop-punk sounds as heard from bands previously, such as Fall Out Boy and Paramore, the infectious song definitely captures the essence of You Me At Six, who have been branded as the "next big thing". The latter song, a more delicate track, provides lyrics of the perplexity and hurt that love causes; a personal preference.

With catchy choruses, and undeniably strong vocals by Franceschi, You Me At Six sold-out tours in 2010 and are set to do the same in 2011, as well as supporting Blink 182 on their UK tour dates next year.
You Me At Six, in my opinion, bring a fresh edge to the pop-punk scene, which is displayed clearly from their second album Hold Me Down.

                              "This contagious chemistry is killing me".

Pendulum & Hadouken!

"Feed the fire. Break your vision. Throw your fists up. Come on with me".

On Thursday 2nd December, I attended the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham and was lucky enough to see, in my opinion, two of the most exciting bands, Pendulum and Hadouken. I had seen both live before, Pendulum once, and Hadouken three times; so, obviously I had quite high expectations. With the hopes that I would be witness to some new exhilarating songs, and get the pleasure of hearing some older and well-loved classics, I most definitely was not disappointed.

"You wanted the world. You wanted it all".

At 8:10pm, after louder growing chants from the audience of "HA-DOU-KEN!", British grindie band Hadouken (pictured above) graced the stage. They opened their forty minute set with the booming synths and building beats of Rebirth, and then to M.A.D, the first and forth song from their most current album For the Masses (2009). The band which formed in Leeds, after lead singer James Smith and Daniel 'Pilau' Rice met at Leeds University, played eight songs from their 2009 album, House is Falling, Ugly, Mic Check, Turn the Lights Out, Bombshock, and Lost, including the two opening songs just mentioned. But, intertwined within their set, Hadouken treated the buzzing audience to sneak previews of two new songs, Mecha Love and Oxygen, which will be released on their new album which is due in 2011. The audiences taster of what can be expected for new Hadouken stays true to their grime roots providing catchy lyrics and featuring lead singer, James, showing off his vocal abilities and talents by amalgamating both singing and raping their creative words, which indeed adds even more electrifying variety to the band's appeal. This can be seen from the excited roars received from the crowd after hearing both new tracks. Also, the band included in their set popular favourite That Boy, That Girl, with a force showing the audience how far they have come and the staying power that this band possess.

At 9pm, Australian electro-rock, drum and bass band, Pendulum (pictured above), began their two hour consecutive play list for the sold-out night of their tour, treating the audience to nineteen of their contagious songs. Spoiling their fans with a variety of old and new tracks, they began their set with the magical, introductory sounds of Genesis, blending into Salt in the Wounds, both tracks from the Immersion album (2010). In their set, the band treated the audience to a cover of The Progidy's Voodoo People, which appeared to be a hit with their audience who seemed familiar with the iconic track. Juxtaposed to the cover song was Witchcraft, enchantingly, their fans sung word-for-word in time with vocalist Rob Swire to the ballad-inspired lyrics at the beginning of the track, until the song broke into an outstanding, pumping beat which is unmistakably one of the catchiest tunes from their most recent album. Two highlights of the set were old favourites; Tarantula and Blood Sugar, tracks from the 2005 and 2007 re-issue of the album Hold Your Colour, both songs were absolutely electrifying, displaying to the audience just how talented Pendulum are. Every song that the band performed, vibrated throughout the entire arena, with the audience bouncing up and down in unison. Pendulum's Immersion Tour is set to hit North America in February 2011, and the band will also be the opening act for Linkin Park's A Thousand Suns Tour.

2011 is set to be spectacular for Pendulum, so "Hold your colour", and watch this space for new music coming from the band in the not too distant future.

The House of Rawkus

The House of Rawkus is a new, innovative clothing range by the band Hadouken, which is due to officially launch in 2011.

Inspired by their own clothing tastes and image, The House of Rawkus amalgamates the commonly warn symbols of the skull and carcass, with splashes of neon colour.

Skull of Rawkus designed by Lead Singer, James Smith.

What with a new album and a new clothing range set to be released, 2011 is already set to be one of the British grindie band's best years yet; Hadouken are most definitely one to watch

http://www.houseofrawkus.com/

Harry Potter: Part 1 of the Epic Finale ...

"These are dark times. There is no denying it" - The Minister for Magic.

It has been over a week since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was publicly released, but it has taken me this long to fully process the movie. As I have mentioned before, as well as a large majority, I was personally counting down the days until the imminent arrival of 'Part 1 of the Epic Finale', and it was more than worth the wait. David Yates, who has directed three out of the seven films, uses the darker dynamic shooting style that was previously selected in The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and lays the groundwork for the final chapter of the series which is released in July 2011.

This is the first film in the series where the infamous trio, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger, are not inhabited in the safety of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, or under the watchful eye of Albus Dumbledore, who was murdered at the end of the previous film. Instead, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, are let lose among the chaotic streets of London, and other far off places, in order to flee from the evil wrath of Lord Voldemort, whose main purpose is to kill The Boy Who Lived. This harshness of their loneliness is emphasised in the scene where Hermione erases the thoughts of her muggle-parents of any memories they have ever had of her.

Bringing back the familiar faces of Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, and Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, among many others, there are new additions to the cast; Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour, and Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood. It cannot go unnoticed that there is the return of the unforgettable house-elves Kreacher and Dobby, who are essential in the plot of part 1. All of the cast play the characters magnificently entwined within a plot full of darkness; at a time when the dark forces command and are taking over the wizarding world.

Personally, in the film, I believe that Helena Bonham Carter (pictured above) excelled as the dangerous and sadistic death eater, Bellatrix Lestrange. When reading the novels from Rowling's description, and before the films were even released, in my imagination Carter was the epitome of Bellatrix; thus, the casting of this character, in my opinion, is perfect. She has an air of mystery about her; she is endearing, yet frightful; she knows what she wants, and she will fight for it. Regardless of the fact that she has a keen obsession with The Dark Lord and is a member of the dark side, Carter as Bellatrix still manages to captivate.

I do not want to ruin the plot or give away too much of the most fantastic film that I have seen in 2010, so therefore, I strongly advice everyone to see the film for themselves in order to understand just how spectacular this movie actually is. Personally, I feel that this film is undeniably the most dramatic, horrifying, and captivating of the series yet, and indeed stays true to Rowling's original words as much as possible. With epic flying-battle scenes, new magic that has not been demonstrated before, and a few teary-moments too; Yates certain leaves the audience thirsty for more with a cliff-hanger like no other.
Now, is the heart-wrenching wait for the final part of the film, where the battle commences, and finally, there will only be one wizard left.
Will Harry manage to find, and destroy, all of the Horcruxes?
Who will survive?
Who will be the last one standing, the The Chosen One, or The Dark Lord?

I cannot wait to see how Yates transforms Rowling's mesmerising words onto the big screen, in July 2011!

Downton Abbey

"There is something intriguing about a group of people living in close proximity and yet with such different expectations" - Julian Fellows.

ITV1 have truly excelled themselves with the new period drama 'Downton Abbey' which previewed in October. The series writer Julian Fellows does not disappoint with the gripping tale of an aristocratic family on the verge of dramatic change. Of course, the presence of conniving servants, sisters battling for male attention, the numerous lies and deception, a secret murder, and not forgetting Dame Maggie Smith's performance as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (similar to her role in 'Gosford Park'), and the leading all-star cast, all play a part in the success of the show. What other factors are missing in the costume drama? A reliable and effective plot which keeps the audience captivated? ... This is certainly what Fellows provides, and more.

Set in 1912, the series focuses around the Crawley family and the drama that occurs within their lives. In historical context, at this time, England was on the very brink of enormous change, which is the underlying message interwoven within the plot. Amendments are being made to old traditions, namely women's rights, and the comfort of Edwardian aristocracy is about to be shaken.



Lady Sybill Crawley (pictured above), played by Jessica Brown Findlay, is personally one of my favourite characters in the series. Sybill, one of the three daughters of the Earl of Grantham, played by Hugh Bonneville, is a woman searching for more and relishes the imminent change that is about to effect society. Although, she is one of the Ladies of the house, she helps one of her servants on her voyage to a better life by acquiring a better job as a secretary. Her feisty, charismatic charm and the aspects of feminism that she displays, is something that I myself admire; a strong woman who ultimately believes that her abilities are endless.

The final episode of 'Downton Abbey' takes an essential pivot when, the Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) slips on a bar of soap which had slyly been placed next to her bath by her maid, O'Brien. The Countess was pregnant with a boy who would become the heir, and in turn, briefly threatened Matthew Crawley's fortune. Matthew came to Downton Abbey as a suitor for Lady Mary, so that this opulent fortune would stay within the family. Surely, due to the Countess losing her baby in the tragic soap-slip, the viewers would get the ending of perfection they hoped for with a beautiful Edwardian wedding, the matrimony of Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley?. Of course not! Fellows as unpredictable as ever, turns the tables with Matthew withdrawing his proposal of marriage.

The finale episode of 'Downton Abbey' personally left me wanting to know more and having numerous unanswered questions. Will Lady Edith and Sir Anthony Strallan end up married? Will Lady Mary's murderous secret be revealed to her father, the Earl of Grantham? Will Anne and John Bates finally be together? ... And, what is in store for the inhabitants of Downton Abbey next?
I cannot wait for the premiere of the second series, Fellows' costume drama has no doubt been one of my favourite television shows of 2010.
Second series filming is said to be taking place in March 2011 ... The mystery awaits.

"In these moments, you can always find an Italian who isn't too picky".