Mystery Jets Interview

Originally published in the Nov 2016 edition of The Hullfire.

I met with guitarists and vocalists William Rees and Blaine Harrison of the Mystery Jets before their gig on the 4th October at Welly. The Mystery Jets, originally from Eel Pie Island in London, are a stalwart of the Noughties British Indie scene, first putting out music in 2005 around the same time, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party and others were releasing their debuts. Their rise might not have been quite as astronomical but they have a dedicated fan base, and a unique story that sets them apart from your average indie rock band. Not to mention a roster of incredible songs to boot. Their latest album The Curve of The Earth is epic and experimental that could be deemed a cult classic in years to come. Over the course of nine tracks it treads heady ground lyrically and musically but still manages to come back to the family oriented and homely feel of the London band and their ethos.

What has been your experience of Hull?

Blaine: “We’ve played here a lot, stretching right back to our first tour where we played in this venue with Bloc Party in 2005. Bloctober, it [the tour] was called. We’ve played Adelphi, we’ve played Fruit.” Continue reading “Mystery Jets Interview”

Hull Comic Con

Originally published in The Hullfire.

Earlier this year I visited Hull Comic Con. Yes you read that right; Hull has its own comic convention. Whilst a far cry from the enormous American festivals, in the likes of New York and San Diego, Hull has for two years now hosted its own celebration of pop-culture. Taking place at the Hull University Union it started last year, held primarily in Asylum. However this year it went bigger, taking over all floors of the Students Union with comic and popular culture related stalls and events.

            The event, which is run by District 14 events, a Hull based company, seeks to give local fans of TV, comics, books, films and video games a place to explore and share their passions. And this truly was Hull’s own slice of nerd heaven. The event had a range of special guests and content creators who gave talks throughout the day along with a chance to meet and greet the likes of John Challis (Boycie from Fools and Horses), Kai Owen (Rhys from Torchwood) and Norman Lovett (Holly from Red Dwarf)!… Continue reading “Hull Comic Con”

Editor Column // Oct 2016: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome

Originally published in The Hullfire.

Hi, I’m Tim, the editor of this humble paper. Whether you are fresher than the duvet that your mum kindly laid out for you in your new room or your time at Uni of Hull is speeding scarily towards its end, a sincere welcome to the first issue of The Hullfire for this academic year. I hope that in your summer holidays you had a chance to relax, did something exciting, tried something new, managed to bulk up the CV or just earned some cash for the coming year. (Don’t waste it!!)

                To the Freshers: Welcome to Hull! Your A-Levels (or other qualifications) are over and whether you’re here through Clearing or if like me, Hull was your first choice (believe me we do exist!), you’re about to start one of the most exciting, fun and potentially transformative experiences of your life. I don’t know what you’ve heard about Hull but prepare to have your perceptions altered. There are a number of articles in this issue which cover just some of things that go on in Hull. Aaron our music editor gives the lowdown on the variety of music events going on over the next few weeks. The one thing I’ve found as I’ve lived here is the longer you stay the more you discover about this unique and quirky little city sitting on the Humber estuary.

                To returners: Welcome back! If you’re a second year, you might be moving into a house with some mates and discovering a whole other side of student living after the Halls experience. Hopefully you’re looking forward to your course. Or you might just be itching for your first [Welly] night-out of the year (Freshers, prepare to be amazed.) If you’re a third year like me it will be dawning on you quite how rapidly this has all come around and that degree thing? Yeah, that’s going to need a look in. Maybe you’ll stick around for a Masters but otherwise the Uni experience terminates in little over 8 months and you’re not sure you want it to stop. However there is a whole ‘year’ of Uni left and plenty to get involved with. Memories are waiting to be made; go and make them.

                As you may be aware there are a plethora of activities, sports and societies you can get involved in during your time in Hull. This paper is just one of the many ways you can add to your CV, meet people and just have fun. Throughout the year there will be an issue a month (hopefully!) with content produced by the student body. We will keep you up to date with all news relevant to the students of Hull and it will be a place where people can share opinions, write reviews of stuff they are interested in and shed light on a topic of interest. We always need writers and team members so don’t be afraid to get involved! Find us at Societies and Volunteering Fair for more info.

                  Whoever you are I certainly hope this year is one of the best of your life so far. I look forward to helming this paper throughout the year and I’m excited (and slightly scared) about what articles you’ll manage to conjure up and we end up publishing. I’ve mentioned ‘getting involved’ a few times in this article and if I had to give one piece of advice about Uni it would be just that. In the words of Shia LeBeouf or Nike, ‘Just do it’!

Album Review: Ellipsis // Biffy Clyro

Originally published on The Indiependent.

Biffy Clyro have reached the distinguished milestone of their seventh album and with it is the beginning of a new cycle in the band’s life. Biffy Clyro by their own admission are a band who embrace the three album cycle, in which there is a simple stylistic or thematic similarity grouping the trilogy together. The band has suggested that Ellipsis is the beginning of a ‘re-birth’, a back to basics embrace of chaos.

Frontman Simon Neil has called it ‘fight rock, pint-in-the-face rock’. This claim is certainly true of some songs and the album has a feeling of different pieces being thrown together, albeit in a good way. However the glimmer of pop on many of the tracks and the undeniable production values present suggest otherwise. At times it is unclear what direction Biffy are really trying to take with this album. Continue reading “Album Review: Ellipsis // Biffy Clyro”

TV News: HBO’s Westworld trailer released (23/6/16)

Originally published on The Indiependent.

HBO have released a teaser trailer for their upcoming Science Fiction/thriller TV series Westworld, based on the 1973 film of the same name. The trailer splices a visceral Western backdrop and gun slinging action with mysterious science fiction and androids. It will be produced by J.J. Abrams and Jonathon Nolan (Christopher’s brother) and the series will be written by Nolan and his wife Lisa Joy. Continue reading “TV News: HBO’s Westworld trailer released (23/6/16)”

TV News: Marvel’s The Punisher Netflix Series Announced (2/5/16)

Originally published on The Indiependent.

Netflix and Marvel are set to continue their unrivalled conquest of superhero television after announcing a full season of Marvel’s The Punisher. Following on from his performance in the generally well received second season of the Netflix series Marvel’s Daredevil, Jon Bernthal will reprise the role of Frank Castle AKA The Punisher. Both Jon Bernthal’s performance as the conflicted and compelling anti-hero and his character arc were the highlights of the second series and it was inevitable that Netflix would heed the call of fans clamouring for a solo run. Continue reading “TV News: Marvel’s The Punisher Netflix Series Announced (2/5/16)”

TV News: BBC One’s Dickensian Cancelled (21/4/16)

Originally posted on The Indiependent.

If you were a fan of the recent BBC One drama Dickensian and you wanted ‘some more’, then like Oliver Twist himself you will be disappointed. The big budget drama, which was inspired by Charles Dickens’s novels, has been axed after just one series. Running for 20 episodes after a successful launch on Boxing Day, it initially attracted audiences of 5 million. Continue reading “TV News: BBC One’s Dickensian Cancelled (21/4/16)”

Single Review: The Hubbards // Cold Cut

Originally published on The Indiependent.

Hull band The Hubbards have become one of the biggest bands in the area over the last couple of years and have an impressive EP already out, which has got them airplay on Radio 1 and BBC 6 music. Latest single ‘Cold Cut’ finely tunes their underrated abilities into their best song yet.

The layers of accomplished guitar work that has been present in all their music so far is also present here with a reserved, jazzy intro leading into the energetic verse and chorus. ‘Cold Cut’ is full of intricacies that could go unnoticed, as the song is so catchy and danceable (as is shown in the humorous music video).

Continue reading “Single Review: The Hubbards // Cold Cut”

50 Books (6): The Circle // Dave Eggers

Originally published on The Indiependent

Title: The Circle

Author: Dave Eggers

Outline: Mae Holland gets a lucky break and begins working at powerful tech company, the Circle. It is essentially Apple, Google and Facebook in one giant multinational organisation; in this world they have all been subsumed by the Circle. It is initially presented as the dream job and she settles into life on the elaborate and technologically advanced campus. However, as she becomes more involved, devoting more aspects of her life to her job and making a name for herself, a more sinister side to the Circle begins to arise. Its ethos is increasingly centred on the idea that privacy is a dangerous thing and Mae herself becomes one of their main disciples.

Continue reading “50 Books (6): The Circle // Dave Eggers”

Clean Cut Kid Interview

Originally published in The Hullfire.

Clean Cut Kid are a band from Liverpool with a handful of singles out that have brought them swift recognition within the indie sphere as a one of the next big things. Singles like ‘Vitamin C’ and recent release ‘Pick Me Up’ show their exciting and diverse talent, and colourful personality inherent in their music. They supported Fickle Friends on the Hull leg of their tour at Fruit on Monday 7th March. Tim and Ben from Hullfire radio show Alternative Agenda chatted to Mike and Evelyn Halls, Saul Godman and Ross Higginson of the band after their set. Continue reading “Clean Cut Kid Interview”