Helena Zaba and Rachel Williams catch up with the crowd outside British Sea Power at the Academy, check out the first round of this year's IMSoc Battle of the Bands and interview Narcissists DJs.With thanks to Oceanographers and High Risby for use of their music.
Blog Page 2262
C24 gigging and clubbing roundup, part II
Justice interview
French duo Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Auge are who they say they are. They are not Daft Punk, they are not electronic music, they are not the “new French wave.” They are the “kings of useless remixes,” they love pop music, and they only collaborate with artists to see their names on the albums of people they like.The duo’s self-professed background is in mainstream pop, but they love Metaliica (“et Justice pour tous”) and Snoop and a lot of disco. “Always we like accessible stuff. I never listen to Gang of Four and uh, Joy Division or stuff like this. As kids of the 90’s, we liked really normal things” says de Rosnay. He does contend, however, that “at the end, what we do doesn’t really sound like what we used to listen to.” Their pop background does help them create what people will enjoy, “because we are simple music listeners, it helps us to make music that can speak to a larger audience.” The idea for their album title, the cross symbol, came when they saw Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album, and liked the simplicity of the prism on the cover. Religion does play an important role for them, however, with tracks like “Let There Be Light” and “Waters of Nazareth”. “We just noticed that religion and music has a link because they are two things that are able to get people together. When we were about to make our second single, we said okay, let’s make a track that can turn a club into a church for two minutes.” They are talking about Water of Nazareth, where organ music comes in about halfway through the track. “We don’t use [the cross] in a provocative way.” Who is the next big thing? Fresh talent? Their former and current tour mates Spanish Midnight Juggernauts and French rock band Fancy are two notables, as well as Scenario Rock, another French band, who they have previously collaborated with on their track DVNO. But tonight, de Rosnay was excited about their Oxford show simply because his brother and sister-in-law were in the audience.
by Pamela Takefman
The World’s Oldest Missing Page
A missing page, dated November 411, has been reunited with the oldest dated Christian text in existence.
Written by a scribe in Edessa (modern day Turkey), the text lists Christian martyrs killed in Persia. The text, known only by its catalogue code: ADD 12-150, has been held in the British library since 1840.
Scholars and historians alike were puzzled over the missing page, which was recently located underneath the floor of the Deir al-Surian monastery in Egypt.
A leading Syriac scholar from Oxford University, Dr Sebastian Brock, said “it was very exciting to identify it” and hopes that the now completed text will aid an understanding of the fifth century.
By Sophie Pitman
Liveblog: Wisconsin and Hawaii results
01:00:24 – It doesn’t get much more dynamic than this. In a little under 1 hour I will be liveblogging with comment as the results from Wisconsin and Hawaii come in. Check back then to join the fun
01:13:51 – Tonight expect the focus to be on Wisconsin with its 74 pledged and 18 unpledged delegates rather than Hawaii (20 pledged, 9 unpledged) which is after all Barack Obama’s home state. The most recent polls put Barack about 10 points clear and given that he has also significantly outspent Hillary in Wisconsin he is expected to win.
The question is by how much: should Hillary hold him to within 4 or 5 points she could claim to have stalled his momentum and be in a much better position heading into Texas and Ohio in two weeks time.
On the other hand, if Barack wins by double digits Hillary’s campaign will need big wins in both March 4th states to prevent the nomination slipping out of sight. For the Republicans John McCain is looking to wrap up the nomination having secured more key endorsements in the last week (including George Bush senior) as he attempts to convince the GOP that he is conservative enough.
01:26:08 – And if you want to get in touch just click on my name and send me an email: questions, comments, whatever. Alternatively, leave a comment below.
01:52:52 – Polls close in 7 minutes. For those of you asking I’ll be following this one with Fox News.
01:54:45 – And we join Fox News near the end of The O’Reilly Factor (which I will definitely be blogging about at some point) – he’s currently questioning whether Michelle Obama loves her country.
01:56:41 – Predictably O’Reilly’s outraged and doesn’t believe Michelle loves America. He’s interrupted though with early data from exit polls. Women voters: 49% Clinton, 51% Obama, Low income: 49% Clinton 51% Obama, Union members: 50% Clinton, 49% Obama, Seniors: 60% Clinton, 39% Obama. The analysis from the "decision room geniuses"? Clinton needs lots of seniors to turn out in order to win. You think?
02:00:55 – Polls closed. Fox News immediately calls for McCain. No call in the Democrat race.
02:02:36 – More exit poll fun. McCain’s being widely ignored by those describing themselves as ‘very conservative’ but otherwise high numbers all round.
02:05:47 – McCain out already to speak as he grabs some primetime over in the States. He’s in Ohio readying himself for March 4th. McCain praises Huckabee who he says he has "come to admire very much" and then thanks his wife Cindy. She’s been making news for the first time this week after her comments about Michelle Obama. McCain says he will be the nominee.
Turns fire on Barack – though not by name – calling him "an eloquent but empty call for change" and pleading with voters not to "ignore the lessons of history." Big applause at McCain camp but clearly Barack is now being seen more and more as the Democrat nominee.
02:10:44 – McCain references the elections today in Pakistan where the two opposition parties won big and adds he hopes that "freedom might someday come to the people of Cuba." Namechecks Venezuela too; he’s playing the experience card here and his strength in foreign policy. In both areas he’s consistently polled higher than Barack. McCain goes on to say that, "the most important job for the next President of America is to provide security against the threat of extremist terrorists."
02:14:04 – More talk of the grave threat of terrorism before McCain moves on to the economy, a key issue in a time of foreclosures and recession fears. First votes are coming in from Wisconsin now: Barack’s on 61% to Hillary’s 38% but don’t get too excited just yet, only 523 votes have been reported.
02:16:47 – Fox News are still sticking with McCain’s speech; he’s done well to jump in early this evening and bag himself a hefty chunk of airtime. He’s clearly been reading Cherwell too, admitting "I’m not the youngest candidate."
02:18:46 – Scrap that focus on Barack, it’s Hillary’s turn to come under fire. McCain hits out at dynasty fears, "I don’t seek the presidency out of a sense of entitlement."
And now Fox News has called Wisconsin for Obama, but – as they say – it’s the lead that matters. In their exit poll it finished 55% Barack, 43% Clinton. Double digit lead would be good for Barack. However, exit polls have consistently shown higher numbers for Barack during this election. Remember New Hampshire where Barack was given a 7-point lead in the Fox exit poll and didn’t actually win the state when the night was over.
02:25:20 – Democrat exit poll breakdown: Obama has cut further into Clinton’s core support groups. Clinton won 51% to 48% amongst women but lost 2:1 amongst men. Clinton won 59% to 39% amongst seniors while Obama did well as usual amongst high earners and the youth vote. More interestingly Obama actually won amongst low-income voters, usually a key Clinton demographic (53% to 46%). In more bad news for Hillary, Obama also won as "most qualified to be commander in chief" 50% to 48%. This is pretty surprising given that this has been the backbone of Hillary’s message since she begun – she is meant to be the experienced candidate. Some Obama rhetorical magic is expected soon. No word on why some of those numbers are different from the exit poll numbers Fox News gave about 30 minutes ago.
02:31:28 – Clinton’s coming out to speak in Youngstown, Ohio. She has her new slogan on her podium "solutions for America" but no change in her recent rhetoric; you should vote for who should be the best president apparently. Clinton goes on to clarify who that is – I’ll give you a clue; she means her, not Barack – someone who relies "not just on words, but on work." "The best words in the world aren’t enough unless you match them with action." The message here is everything is a-ok. Hillary picks up on the recent story that she lent her campaign $5m and says that she’s been receiving plenty of money. The credibility of this is slightly weakened by her subsequent plug to go to her website and donate.
She’s said "commander in chief" twice already but as we’ve just seen she was not ahead on this issue today. Nevertheless she plugs away listing her foreign policy experience and declares she is ready to end "this era of cowboy democracy."
02:38:19 – Obama has come out to speak to, this time in Houston. Fox News cuts through Hillary to pick up Barack’s speech. This is slightly unusual – normally candidates wait for the other to finish speaking – however Hillary failed to reference the days events and was just delivering her standard speech.
02:39:36 – And Barack is in a packed arena – there must be at least 20,000 screaming supporters in there. It’s opening line time and he’s gone for the classic: "Houston, I think we’ve achieved lift-off here." With 8% reporting Barack leads 55% to 44%. Interestingly, the networks continue to cover Barack despite the fact he’s just going through the thanks as he seeks to remind Texans that he is patriotic and religious. Obama mentions early voting in Texas, "I want you to go ahead and start voting tomorrow." Clearly he’s keen to turn his momentum from this evening in to hard numbers. At the same time however he doesn’t want to lose his advantage in caucuses so he asks supporters to go along to those as well and persuade others. The speech proper hasn’t started yet but already there’s a "Yes, we can" chant.
02:44:52 – "The change we seek is still months and miles away." Obama talks about the election in November, but is keen not to appear presumptive: "if we’re blessed and honoured to win the nomination" – no superstitions there then.
Following Clinton’s attack on Obama’s rhetoric this week the Illinois senator turns to offer his retort. He admits that "it’s going to require more than big rallies" and "rousing speeches" to be an effective president, but adds that it needs more than "policy papers, and positions, and websites [too]." "The problem is not the lack of good ideas, but that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die." And here’s his argument – that his ability to "The problem is we haven’t had leaders who can inspire the American people to rally behind common purposes".
Obama is wearing a bracelet given to him by the mother of an American casualty in Iraq – definitely wouldn’t get that in Britain. Obama explains why he’s running, deftly hitting out at Hillary – "I don’t feel it’s owed to me" – and the mentions of the primary school essay where he wrote that he wanted to be president. He declares that he’s running because of, what Martin Luther King terms, "the fierce urgency of now. There is such a time as too late."
02:54:31 – Barack takes aim at Hillary again, declaring himself tired of the "politics of spin and PR." Earlier this week Hillary launched a number of attack ads against Obama in Wisconsin.
03:01:17 – Still with the Barack speech on Fox News. With 22% of the votes in the gap is widening for Obama – 56% to 43%.
03:08:05 – The speech continues as Obama goes through all the big policies, and some not so big ones, in a fair bit of detail. The networks appear to be showing his standard stump speech. Now Obama mentions being "commander in chief" (see below) and goes on to assert that he has the strength to make the necessary decisions: "I will not hesitate to strike against those who would do us harm." However, he adds that caution is required.
Even homeless veterans are getting into this speech: it would seem that Hillary’s attack on his rhetoric has touched a sore point and he’s packing this one with policy and positions.
03:13:10 – It’s been a feature of commentators in describing Barack’s charisma to mention his similarities to JFK and now he mentions him by name. Here it’s in reference to Barack’s policy that he will meet with enemy leaders; as JFK said "[the president] should never fear to negotiate."
03:15:35 –No change in the Wisconsin numbers with 32% reporting (56% to 43%). Still no word from Hawaii which Obama is expected to win. Obama now turns to claim his inspiration will turn to disappointment. His answer: " the only way we can bring about change in America is if we can bring new people into the process." "I want to form a working majority for change," he adds.
03:17:57 – Barack finally starts to wrap up a 40-minute speech with a mention of the audacity of hope. Now available from all good bookstores.
03:25:27 – Some quotes as Barack ends what is now a 45-minute speech. "Hope is not blind optimism…I know how difficult it will be." "We’re willing to reach for what we know in our gut is possible…It will not be easy, but at some point in our lives we all have to decide…to join together…and go about the difficult, but noble, task of remaking this nation."
"Houston, this is our moment. This is our time. And if you are willing to vote for me, if you are willing to stand with me, if you are willing to causus for me, then I truly believe we will not just win Texas, we will win this nomination, we will win this general election. You and I together will change this country and change this world."
03:27:31 – We’re back with the pundits on Fox News who don’t know what to make of the length of that speech. Barack seems to have decided to deliver almost his entire stump speech as his victory speech and, more surprisingly, the networks were willing to cover it.
03:28:29 – Well, it’s 3.30am and it&
39;s time to wrap up here. With 48% of the vote in Obama is ahead with 56% of the vote to Hillary’s 43%. Obama is now the clear frontrunner but Hillary is not quite out of it yet. Should this 13-point lead hold (or even double digits) the senator from Illinois has won big this evening and Hillary is going to need more and more delegates from Ohio and Texas.
Meanwhile, the speeches have given McCain, Clinton and Obama a chance to address recent criticism and begin to challenge each other, setting the possible narratives for the general election. Obama criticised McCain for holding the views of the past while both Clinton and McCain accused him of empty rhetoric.
I’ll be back on March 4th with a liveblog for the crucial Texas and Ohio primaries. For now though, goodnight.
Click refresh for the latest update and go here to avoid returning to the Cherwell homepage each time
India Degree Offered at Oxford
The University of Oxford is to introduce an MSc in “Contemporary India” in response to growing academic interest in the country’s cultural and economic rise.The course will be multi-disciplinary, covering anthropology, economics, politics, history, and sociology. It will last for three-terms and be taught in the School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies. Students with no background in Asian studies or social science will be able to apply for admission.By Fayyaz Muneer
College football round up : 5th week, division 2
University 1 Merton-Mansfield 3
The epic race for promotion from Division Two took a huge twist on Friday, as Merton-Mansfield travelled to Univ’s Abingdon Road ground and came away with all three points. Before kick off, the two sides were tied on 25 points, and the meeting had been billed by the press as a potential title decider. Univ desperately needed a win to keep their promotion challenge on course, while Merton knew that any kind of result would almost certainly guarantee them the Division Two crown.
As one might expect from a game of such importance, the opening minutes were tight and tense. The home side had an unfamiliar look about it, due to the unavailability of no less than five regular starters, but still started confidently, no doubt seeking to maintain an unbeaten home run which extended well into last season. A couple of James Gingell snapshots came close, while Chris Taylor was denied only by a last gasp block, before powering a header narrowly over the bar. Minutes later, Matt Miskimmin was only inches from getting his head to a fabulous cross from Gingell. Univ were well on top, and took a deserved lead on the half hour. Mousa Baraka cut inside from the left and waltzed into the Merton box, before sweeping the ball across the keeper and into the right-hand corner.
However, if Univ thought their first goal would cause the flood gates to open, they were very much mistaken. Much of Merton’s success this season has been based on its impressive defensive record, and the away side looked determined not to concede again. Univ led 1-0 at half time, but Merton-Mansfield were beginning to feel their way back into the match. At the break Univ were weakened further by the loss of two more important players, and the home side, which took to the field for the second half, had an inexperienced look about it. This arguably showed in the next fifteen minutes. Only a brave challenge from Jack Browning prevented an immediate Merton equaliser, but the resulting corner was powerfully headed home by midfielder Sam Williams. Just minutes later, the game was turned on its head, as a decidedly offside-looking Robbie Coleman finished coolly to put the away side in front.
Univ looked shell-shocked, and, shorn of some of their most creative players, struggled to find a response. On the hour mark, Gingell created a splendid opportunity for himself, but fired just over, and the home side looked increasingly disjointed as the half wore on. They struggled on, but looked a different side to the one which had destroyed the likes of St John’s and Trinity here earlier in the season. A Univ equaliser would have kept the title race alive, but it was the away side who scored a late third, Robbie Coleman capitalising on a defensive mix-up to claim his second of the game. Merton-Mansfield celebrated wildly on the final whistle, having inflicted on Univ a first home league defeat for nearly a year. Univ on the other hand looked devastated, and must pick themselves up quickly in order to guarantee a top three finish as soon as possible. This result has again thrown the promotion race wide open. John’s took another three points from Queens, while in-form Pembroke cruised to a 5-1 win away at Trinity. With just three weeks left of the season, we are still no closer to knowing which sides will be plying their trade in Division One next season.
Single review: Editors : Push Your Head Toward The Air
This new single by Editors is quite an unexpected choice. When you think of Editors, you think searingly huge songs which surround and almost drown you in sound. However, this new single is somewhat subtler in sound (perhaps a deliberate choice to prove that Editors are more about the music than making money, as they have recently declared).
The music is toned down; the piano and guitar are not as overpowering as in their previous singles from An End Has A Start, but nevertheless this song holds an intensity and a passion. Lead singer Tom Smith’s voice echoes out above the soft intro, but is gradually more overwhelmed by the music surrounding it. The marching drums which then enter into the mix become steadily louder and more dramatic, giving the impression that at any moment the song is going to burst out, which it inevitably does.
This song has a sadness to it, despite the fact its chorus holds an element of determined, almost desperate hope. It holds a cynicism about humanity, despairing at the inevitable march toward death; no matter how much someone loves you they can’t save you. It is truly beautiful.
by Rachel Williams
14-Year-Old Faces Rape Charges
A 14-year-old boy faces charges of rape and robbery after a 19-year-old woman was attacked in Cowley last Saturday. The boy cannot be named for legal reasons.Thames Valley Police charged the boy with two counts of rape and one count of robbery, all relating to last Saturday’s attack in a park between the John Allen Centre and Cleveland Drive in Cowley.The boy appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning for a hearing and was remanded in custody. His next scheduled court appearance will be on Wednesday.
Yes, We Can – Democracy 2.0
In fact, I don’t think I’m alone on this. In this election, for the first time in a long time, the balance in focus between a candidate as a person, and a candidate’s policies has tilted in favour of the former.
Yes, Barack is an incredibly good speaker. Yes, he’s even drawn comparisons to JFK. Yes, he has a level of charisma unseen in generations. However, I think that something else is to blame. Step up, democracy 2.0: the age of the You Tube video.
There’s an obvious emblem for this trend; a video that has received an astounding 13 million views since it was first posted online on February 2nd. Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas fame, along with a host of his celebrity mates (Scarlet Johansson, John Legend) gathered together and shot a music video with Bob Dylan’s son Jesse behind the camera putting Obama’s New Hampshire concession speech to music.
It is an astonishing video: inspirational, powerful and very, very catchy. Yet for a video cutting up a political speech there is a distinct lack of substance. There is almost no talk of policy and no mention of what Barack will do if elected. Instead there is a repeated mantra, "Yes, we can," rising to a crescendo in a similar manner to a sermon delivered at an all-singing, all-dancing, American evangelical church. The song engages the emotions and takes this to deliver a slogan, "Yes, we can," repeated until it can’t be ignored or forgotten,before leaving the viewer with a final order, "Vote."
Perhaps, as has been suggested, this is preaching to the converted, and therefore policy questions have been dealt with by that pint. Certainly the video’s inspirational power is unpredecedenetd and overwhelming. The song already has iconic status. It has its own Wikipedia page and its stylish, black-and-white style has already sparked a number of spoofs attacking John McCain . In contrast, the effort of Hillary’s supporters is deeply embarassing. The ‘dynamic’ camera angles and amateur singing are painfully uncool and faintly irritating and it is not surprise that You Tube has had to disable comments after the film was exposed to mass ridicule.
But as attractive as Barack’s video is, is this what politics should be? Is the ability to inspire and unite, to bring in a new generation and to connect across party and demographic lines sufficient? Isn’t there a point where the issues have to take priority, where substance has to overtake style?
I confessed at the beginning that I am a Barack supporter in a big way. I am a fan of this video too because I’ve watched the debates, I’ve read the candidates websites, and I know where they all sit on policy. However, the age of You Tube – of instant uploads and user-generated content – has led to the growth of a cult of charisma which threatens to hide the key ideas underneath. Yes, Barack’s inspirational ability is crucial and hugely important, and yes, his ability to draw support across party lines will allow him to get much more done in office than Hillary’s attack-dog style, but there is also a point where voters have to be careful not to switch off reasoned thought.
You Tube is clearly a powerful tool, but it is also a dangerous one which threatens to change the very roots on which democratic elections were first established. Presidential elections shouldn’t simply be a popularity contest. We can’t discount charisma and its many benefits, but we can’t make it the sole criteria either. And given that this trend is user-generated, a demand for the retention of the place of policy must be user-generated too. So please, back Obama. But don’t do it just because a group of celebrities made video. In the age of democracy 2.0, don’t allow ideas to get trampled underfoot.
Book Review: The House at Midnight, by Lucie Whitehouse
Lucie Whitehouse’s debut novel, The House at Midnight, is certainly written with the commercial market in mind, but beneath the lengthy descriptions and clichés which threaten to saturate the pages, a gripping storyline emerges which dramatises the complications of leaving youth and accepting adulthood.
The novel revolves around a tight-knit group of Oxford graduates, one of whom, Lucas, has inherited ‘a Cotswold stone-pilestone’ from his uncle who recently committed suicide. The group gathers at the house for New Year’s Eve where the narrator, Jo, immediately senses something sinister and oppressive about the atmosphere of the grand house. Predictably, the house, and the economic inequality it introduces, unbalances the social dynamic, and there follows a series of relationships, affairs and heart-breaks which lead to the dissolution of the group.
The opening line of the novel, ‘Even now, I can remember the first time I saw the house as clearly as if there were a video of it playing in my head’ should prepare the reader for the lack of subtlety that afflicts the book. The apolitical characters lack depth and are accordingly hard to warm to. Characterisations: ‘We hated sports, especially the team varieties, and loved indie music, which we listened to all the time’ and ‘Lucas, wearing a black corduroy jacket that gave him an air of the Left Bank’ do nothing to elevate the characters above social stereotypes. The indulgence of abundant glaring classical allusion, insertions of Ancient Greek proverbs such as ‘μεγαν αγαν – nothing in excess’ and superfluously detailed page-long descriptions of classical paintings, suggest that Whitehouse has not wholly left her Oxford days behind. With the book centered around an impressive house and a small group of friends from an elite university, it seeks association with The Great Gatsby or Bridsehead Revisited, but transparent references such as ‘the wind might have been blowing across Oxfordshire but Long Island Sound and Jay Gatsby might have stepped away just a moment before’ refuse the refinement of such established classics.
Although hardly an intellectual tour de force, the dramas which the group endures make for an exciting page-turner as Whitehouse imbues familiar Oxbridge aspirations with a Gothic doom. Jo’s disillusionment at the frustration of her unfulfilled ambitions lends the novel a personal poignancy, realising some of the fears that haunt the average undergraduate. The gang’s lust, obsession, ambition and sheer desperation suck the reader into the mysterious melodrama. It’s probably worth a read as an escapist distraction from the less grandiose realities of the average coffee and ink stained Oxford experience.
by Francesca Angelini
The House at Midnight was published in January by Bloomsbury, £12.99 (hardback)