You Are Here records3/5 The Duke Spirit have been toiling away tirelessly in the three years since the release of their moody garage-rock debut Cuts Across The Land, touring unceasingly, raising their profile in indie rock circles to the point at which the follow up is hotly anticipated, even if it is unlikely to be setting the album charts alight. Neptune shares in parts the same rough, propulsive post-punk sound of Cuts Across The Land but it’s actually these tracks that hamper the album and the thoughtful, poppier songs that present a much more appealing sonic pallet in today’s post post-punk times. ‘Dog Roses’, with its skeletal piano riff and tumbling guitars, focuses on the futility of living in the past: ‘But memories/Well they’re not real/There’s nothing there’. The sweet, boy-girl heartbreak of ‘My Sunken Treasure’, replete with backing ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ and echoing percussion, sounds remarkably like the girl groups of Phil Spector, but with enough individual flair not to sound like a weak impersonation. Unfortunately these tracks are outnumbered by more generic squally guitars and formulaic rhythms – mostly pretty forgettable. The almost title track, ‘Neptune’s Call’, is particularly uninspiring. On the positive side, there are a couple of other exceptions, most notably the bold, broody and defiant ‘This Ship Was Built To Last’ which is a highlight of the album. Starting with a ‘Dazed and Confused’ style trudge, it gradually morphs into anthemic territory, accompanied by lyrics reflecting the watery imagery of the whole album (ironic considering the album was recorded in the middle of the Californian desert.) The song ends with the full-bodied climax of wailing saxophone and dissonance. On the whole, however, Neptune remains more of a transitional record, a testing of the waters, and one that hopefully indicates less turbulent sailing in the future.

Wadham has been gripped by a row over a pub crawl where girls dressed as foxes were ‘hunted’ by boys dressed as huntsmen.

The reaction to the event by JCR Women’s Officers led to a Facebook group being set up called ‘Wadham women’s reps fuck off back to Hilda’s’, which was been subsequently taken down and its creator forced to apologise.

The event was a variation on the traditional ‘pub golf’ format, where a specified drink must be consumed at each pub on the crawl. The group of girls ‘foxes’ set off about half an hour earlier than the boy ‘huntsmen’, and then the boys attempted to ‘catch’ them, while the girls attempted to avoid capture.

The event caused controversy when it was promoted by the Entz Reps in an email to the entire college. In particular, the forfeits for a girl who was ‘caught’ were seen as offensive to women. The email read, “FORFEITS include being tied to the hunter who catches you for the entirety of the evening, and if a girl manages to stay ahead, she’ll be armed with a marker pen…”

Rob Powell and James Illingworth, who organised the pub crawl, both strenuously deny any sexist agenda. Powell said, “I just thought of it as fancy dress: when you go out, it’s much more fun to go out in fancy dress.”

Illingworth agreed. “There was no degradation of the girls: they were fully clothed, all they did was to wear fox horns and ears. There was no sexual aspect – we just had a laugh and a giggle with them,” he said.

There was, however, such concern about the event that the Women’s Officers sent out a further email, in which they stressed that the event had not been organised by Entz. “It isn’t like a bop and so please don’t feel pressured to attend if you’re worried about it or feel that it is offensive or dangerous in any way. You won’t be missing out on a college organised night out,” they wrote.

However, some felt that in doing this the Women’s Officers had acted beyond the capacity of their role. One girl who attended the event said, “I felt we were being patronised and told we were sluts and too stupid to know we were being objectified.”

In response, a Facebook group was set up, entitled, ‘Wadham women’s reps fuck off back to Hilda’s’.

It referred to the fox hunting pub crawl and also to the decision two weeks ago to give students the option to opt out of Wad Words, the College’s gossip paper. Its description read, “First Wadwords, second chasing girls rounds pubs. Jesus I’m offended to be at your college! Can u please stop complaining about everything.” The creator of the Facebook group was on Wednesday morning brought before the Warden for harassment. The Facebook group has since been taken down, and the group’s creator has been asked to write letters of apology to the two Women’s Officers.

He maintains, however, that the Women’s Officers interfered unnecessarily in this case. “The event was an unofficial pub golf night and they should not have used their status to make people feel guilty about attending,” he said.

He added, “I personally disagreed with the theme of the event due to the fact that I am strongly against fox hunting. My protest was to attend the event as a ‘pub golf cowboy’ – I still had fun and made my point. In my opinion if they disagreed with the event they should have just voted with their feet and not attended.”

The Women’s Officers, Ché Ramsden and Jo Skapinker, said that the problem was not the event itself but the fact that it was advertised across the whole college. “As soon as it was advertised to the entire college, it could no longer be seen simply as ‘a fun night out between a group of friends’, and the potential risks increased. The dynamic of a night out is obviously different when it is not your friend, but a relative stranger, who you are tied to, and there is the potential for this to happen when anyone in college is free to turn up,” they said.
Hayley Elsley, one of the three Entz reps, said, “It was a bit naïve of us to send out the email without thinking about the consequences.”

Wadham SU President Leonora Sagan defended the actions of the Women’s Officers. “The women’s reps really were only doing their job, which is to represent the views held by any number of Wadham women when they are called to do so. It is their constitutional duty, and therefore would have been wrong of them not to say anything,” she said.

OUSU VP for Women Hannah Roe agreed. “Not all students will want to talk publicly about issues that upset them – so women’s officers have a welfare responsibility to be a supportive contact. by Jack Farchy, Deputy News Editor

EMI 5/5 The electro-indie band Hot Chip are back almost two years after their second album The Warning. Listening to this new endeavour Made in the Dark, it’s safe to say that it has been worth the wait. The intervening time has largely been spent touring and developing new material for the album which feels, in many cases, much more upbeat and rocky than their previous outings. Fans of their older work (and there are many out there) will not be disappointed however, as the laid back and melodic feeling of the first two albums has been retained in many tracks including ‘In the Privacy of Our Love’ and the haunting title track ‘Made in the Dark’. On the latter, Taylor’s vocals bring to mind the subtlety and classical sound of Danny Gillespie. These tracks feature subdued percussion and few instrumental lines, but make up for it with beautiful simplicity. Occupying the album’s atmospheric mid-ground are the undeniably funky ‘Wrestlers’ and ‘One Pure Thought’, which plays host to a cataclysmic collision between electronica, indie-guitar and Caribbean melodies. Of most interest, however, are the edgier tracks where Hot Chip are obviously experimenting with new sounds, to notable success. ‘Bendable Poseable’ combines synth with more traditional guitar sections and a feeling of excitement as the tightly regimented early song gives way to its discordant and anarchic climax. ‘Touch Too Much’ is, by virtue of minimal electronic distortion, as close as the band come to the mainstream but even this retains a feel that is very much Hot Chip. What is constant throughout Made in the Dark is the uncanny ability to blend frequently harsh individual layers together to form a smooth overall sound. Pulsing beats and repetitive rhythms meld beautifully with understated vocal talent to produce a hypnotic sound that induces a trance-like feeling of content. With the black cloud of fifth week looming, who could ask for more? by Chris Cooling

here’s something odd about Oxford students and Oxford music. On the one hand, as a bunch of predominantly white, middle- class youngsters, it’s no real surprise that the student body boasts a healthy population of skinny indie kids who like nothing better than dingy pubs and live bands.
But when it comes to translating that passion into actually getting out there and sniffing out local talent, by and large there’s a disappointing apathy. And this is a shame, because we’re missing some real treasures.
Witches are one of these. A six-piece indierock outfit, boasting glockenspiel, trumpet and synths, this lot have focused their efforts on regular live appearances around Oxford, before making their first tentative steps into the big bad world of London gigging.
The band members cite influences as diverse as Sepultura, the Flaming Lips, Nirvana and Iron & Wine. Not that any of this really encapsulates their sound: as bassist Dan opines, ‘I think that’s it – we try and sound like bands and then we don’t. So, it doesn’t sound like we intend it to, but hopefully it does sound good.’
Later that night Witches treated the Purple Turtle to a downbeat but powerful set, their multi-layered instrumental parts vying for attention with forlorn lyrics that seem particularly fitting for the drizzle outside. ‘The music is its own entity,’ stresses singer Dave, ‘we’re not a lyrics-driven band’ – although Witches are not exactly lacking in lyrical prowess either.
Altogether, this is a band you should check out, and they’re by no means the only hidden gem Oxford has to offer. Dave’s advice: ‘just pick up a copy of [invaluable local music mag] Nightshift and take a chance on a gig. Because it could actually be really good.’
by Helena Zaba

Human beings have a lot of pretty disgusting tendencies that are guaranteed to turn an ordinary, relatively relaxed social situation into an embarrassing and slightly nauseating nightmare. I’m not talking about public farting, burping or even watching a mate puke their guts out on the side of the street after a few too many vodka-oranges on a Friday night. If you want to really repulse your friends, mild acquaintances, or even your date, give bad breath a try. We’ve all been there: trying to subtly manoeuvre yourself away from the culprit; holding your hands over your mouth, breathing out and having a sniff to make sure yours is ok, or edging closer to your new beau, about to go in for the kill, only to discover a new side to them you hadn’t been expecting.
Let’s face it, you don’t need to fancy someone for bad breath to be a turn off! Whoever thought that this silent but oh so deadly whiff could be so technical? There’s the ‘stale beer’, the daily curry eater, the ‘didn’t realise how garlicky that garlic bread would be’, the chain-smoker and (possibly the worst) the ‘I just haven’t bothered to brush my teeth for a few days.’ This last is inexcusable. But if there’s anything worse than being a victim of another’s halitosis, it’s the gradual sinking realisation that as you’re leaning in to talk to a friend at the crowded bar they’re subtly trying to edge away… suddenly that extra garlic pizza you ordered the night before doesn’t seem like such a bright idea. There’s only one thing for it: at least 10 pieces of gum and numerous manic scrubbings of the tongue with as much toothpaste as you can manage without gagging.
Apparently the smell of garlic doesn’t just linger in the mouth; if you’ve had enough, it actually sneaks its way out through the pores of your skin… When that’s the case, a full on shower and a vigorous, soapy scour of your entire body is the only option. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it matters not what it’ll make you late for – whatever it is will have to wait because ultimately, although bad breath that you haven’t realised is a shame, bad breath that you know about is an unforgivable sin. Trust me, whoever you were meant to be meeting will be grateful you made them wait.
– By Helen Smith

Pro-Test, an organisation that favours animal testing, claims that it has been subjected to death threats and violence in the run up to its march through Oxford tomorrow. 

The group has given a statement to the Thames Valley Police who are currently attempting to trace the sender of two emails of violent content. In a separate incident two members of the committee were approached and threatened by an individual on Cornmarket Street while promoting Pro-Test literature on a stall. 

Tom Holder, a spokesperson for Pro-Test, explained, “The police are taking both incidents seriously. We were initially sent an email, which mistakenly suggested that the UK was still involved in cosmetic testing. We sent a polite reply to this email correcting this mistake. The individual then replied, simply saying, ‘Fuck off’. Then a second reply was sent in which a more serious threat was issued. However given how easy it is to send anonymous emails we expect this incident to turn out to be a childish prank.”

The other incident on Cornmarket Street occurred when Kevin Elliot, a disabled member of Pro-Test, and a colleague were distributing leaflets from a stall in the afternoon. 

Elliot said, “We were handing out leaflets and a guy came over to us who seemed to be interested, and asked what we were doing. He suddenly started swearing at us, and threw some of our leaflets at us and gave one of us a shove. He turned to me and said, ‘Good job you’re using crutches’ and kicked over a table, which went flying.

“We didn’t do anything either to provoke or to retaliate them. As he was walking away, I shouted ‘It’s going to take a lot more than that to stop us.’”

He added, “I was sort of expecting it, I think largely the animal rights lobby know they have lost the argument and only a small minority would use violence, who are upset about the idea that we exist. All we were doing was exercising free speech.

“What’s important is that we get the message out…I’m happy to face that kind of person again. What scares me is the idea of being silenced, that would be more frightening to me than facing any number of physical threats.”

There have been worries that animal rights activists might target the planned march this weekend. It is expected that hundreds of people will turn up in support of the group’s aims, which will process through Oxford from Broad Street at noon. Laurie Pycroft, the teenage founder of Pro-Test claimed that the rally is to “show that students, scientists and the public at large will not be cowed by animal extremists.”
by Natasha Vashisht

‘I’m talking about love, mate! True fucking love!’ So says Lambert unconvincingly in Pinter’s play Celebrations. The play revolves around three couples and a wedding anniversary, but as far as I can see the play doesn’t have an ounce of either love or celebration. I must confess, I did not enjoy watching Celebrations. The actors play their parts excellently and with polish,    but Pinter’s play itself is deliberately awful: full of repetitive dialogue, a smarmy script, awkward silences and cringeworthy characters. And cringe I did. This is a difficult piece of theatre to watch; how does one identify with a play which goes about destroying any sympathy between the characters? The married couples are obnoxious; they swear, they insult each other, they make dark allusions to past affairs. They are full of vulgar, pointless remarks, delivered excellently by a very well-versed cast. The sisters Prue and Julie are excellently acted by Beth Williams and Cathy Thomas. The couples celebrating an anniversary speak in a chav dialect that would challenge any Oxford student with a plummy accent. Vulgar humour frequently bubbles to the surface of the script, and the contrast between deadpan delivery of lines and hysterical laughter is often excellent. The skilled direction also rings true, with the actors bringing Pinter’s often ambiguous, difficult lines to life.However the cast sometimes overplayed their lines, creating a grotesque rather than wry take on their characters. A little too much false laughter and loudmouthed behaviour tips the couples from chavs on a night out to the Beckhams on one of their bad days. Having ripped apart any feelings of kindness or well-wishing, the couples then toast each other. The clink of glass upon glass and the ‘Cheers!’ that follows rings hollow in the audience’s ears. Despite the actors’ incredible performances and polish, this is a hollow play, which gives its audience little cause to celebrate.By Elen Griffiths

Krishna Omkar has been blocked from having his proposed changes to Union rules debated in the chamber.

Returning Officer Cameron Penny believes that the proposals, which would see the ex-Treasurer’s life ban from standing in Union elections overturned, are a deliberate attempt to modify the judgement of the tribunal which convicted him. Rule 33(c)(x) forbids the discussion of the actions of an election tribunal.

Omkar claimed that he had been threatened with ejection from the chamber if he brought his proposals up on Thursday night.

Jason Keen has been referred to a Junior Disciplinary Committee for discussing Omkar’s case with the press.

Ben Tansey and Mike Dowling were confirmed to stand in the Union elections for the Trinity term Presidency, taking place today.

Pembroke JCR has voted to scrap funding for an overseas scholarship in favour of greater funding to encourage state-school access.

The JCR Access Fund will now receive the same level of funding as the Entz Fund.

Chris Bennetts, Pembroke JCR President, said, “I’m delighted that the JCR voted so overwhelmingly to adopt the changes; widening access is such an important issue at Pembroke, and across Oxford, and I’m hopeful that the new fund will allow the JCR to make a genuine difference in this area.”

“Last term, we voted to create a new ‘access rep’ position on the JCR committee. This was part of the JCR’s emphasis on promoting the broadening of access and admissions.

“We felt it was vital that the new access rep had a budget in order to do their job effectively,” Bennetts added.

To allow for the changes the Overseas Scholar fund, which provides funding for the college to recruit an international student who otherwise would not be able to study at Oxford, has been withdrawn.
Bennetts defended the move, adding that, “I think the JCR’s money will be better spent on an access budget, which could potentially help hundreds of prospective students, rather than sustaining the overseas scholar fund which, whilst laudable, is a drain on the JCR’s resources.”

Coralie Young, the Pembroke Access Rep, said, “The college currently has quite a low state school: private school ratio, and the JCR are keen to improve this.

“The college itself has undertaken a new access initiative in Hackney, and we would hope to further this, and build up links with schools in other deprived areas.

“Plans for the money include organising school visits (sixth formers coming to Pembroke, as well as current students speaking at local schools during the holidays.)

“Pembroke is quite a small college that many people don’t really hear much about, and is therefore often over-looked by potential applicants. By visiting schools to speak, and inviting sixth formers here, we hope to be able to dispel many of the myths surrounding an Oxford application at the same time as promoting Pembroke as state-school friendly,” she continued.

James Lamming, OUSU’s Vice President  for Access and Academic Affairs, said that he supported the access drive.

He said, “Students are the best ambassadors in the University, and their efforts in publicising their experiences are vital in tackling the myths many hold about Oxford. 

“It is vital that students work in partnership with the University to best use all our resources to tackle access: it remains a problem too great for any one group to solve alone.”
by Rom Pomfret, Deputy News Editor

Remember when you were 15? (By which of course I mean remember when I was 15, and assume it was the same for everybody else) Girls were attractive but unattainable, but music offered a ready substitute. Bands were like crushes: you’d listen obsessively, day in, day out and interact with them emotionally in a way that a teenager can’t do with, like, people. And you had to be near them, pogoing like a loon in the pit at the front, drenched in sweat, but savouring every down-stroke pummelling your chest cavity. We grow up, though. Those relationship things start happening and at gigs we are to be found beside the mixing desk, earplugs in and arms folded. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to feel 15 again, be it the heady rush of a silly crush or the sweat and deafness when ‘going the front.’ And to fully appreciate British Sea Power live, the latter is almost obligatory. Only almost, as the band often combine two traits bordering on the mutually exclusive: an almost faux-naïf approach cribbed from punk; and the depth provided by an almost whimsical penchant for the literary and the historical. Hence, the incongruous sight of people moshing to a song about the Velvet Revolution. That tension is perhaps what makes their gigs so entertaining, as they walk the tightrope between pretension and populism. New album Do You like Rock Music? gets a fair workout, with all tracks bar the crystalline ‘No Need to Cry’ being aired. It takes a few songs for both band and crowd to really get going though, perhaps a consequence of drummer Wood’s injury, Brakes’ Tom White taking over kit duties. Old chestnut ‘Remember Me’ gives an inkling of what is to come and, after the pretty interlude of ‘The Great Skua’, the band launch breathlessly into a succession of fast-paced numbers. ‘Atom’, ‘How Can I Find My Way Home?’, ‘Please Stand Up’ (the only two tracks aired off the seemingly maligned Open Season), ‘A Trip Out’ and ‘No Lucifer’ race by with barely a pause. The latter seems already to have taken the status of ‘crowd favourite’, its terrace chant refrain providing the perfect opportunity for crowd interaction (those less familiar with Do You Like…? given a handy clue by the bizarrely costumed man covered in ‘Easy’ signs). The encore finally sees BSP fall off the tightrope: after a swooning ‘Carrion’, the band stomps through 10 minutes of noise and feedback. Guitarist Noble wisely decides against a long-range stage dive, instead rugby-tackling Bizarrely Costumed Man, who is now on guitar, while Yan mumbles and screams childishly into the microphone. Still, you’ve got to feel young again sometimes. by Robin Whelan