Review: King Cannons 21/3/2012 at the Beresford, Surry Hills
 King Cannons are renowned for putting on amazing live performances, and their intimate gig upstairs at The Beresford did not disappoint. It was their last Australian performance for a few months, with the Melbourne-based six piece about to head across the Tasman then over to Europe. It’s easy to see why these guys toured with The Living End in 2011 and were recruited for the east coast Big Day Out shows this year. Their rockabilly style is infectious, and the band is effortlessly cool, decked out in black and covered in tattoos. From the thrilled die-hard fans in the front row (complete in fifties vintage dresses) to others just curious over the buzz around them, King Cannons had their audience hooked. While a lot of groups struggle to reach the quality they present on their recorded tracks, this band smashes their studio work out of the park - the talk about King Cannons being top live performers is completely justified. The pure energy they put into their gigs is something to behold - every member gives it their all, and seems to be having a seriously amazing time. Lead singer Luke Yeoward is charismatic and charms the audience, and when he announces the band’s new record is set to drop soon, the crowd is delighted. The sole female of the group, Lanae Eruera, plays up a storm on bongos - and while they might seem like an odd choice for a rock ‘n’ roll group, it really does gel well. Finishing the set with crowd-pleasers ‘Shot to Kill’, ‘Take the Rock’ and ‘Teenage Dreams’, King Cannons proved they’re definitely one to watch. If you ever get the chance to see them live, take it! Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ By Jessica Warriner
Posted on 26 Mar 2012 by Vertigo
Review: This Must Be The Place (Film)
 After watching this by-no-means-little arthouse flick, I didn’t know what to think. So I did what all “good” writers do, I went home and slept on it. Thoughts with the most clarity occur when you’re in between wakefulness and sleep. My thoughts about This Must Be The Place, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, remained unfortunately unclear. I think I liked it, but I’m not sure that’s saying much. The film, which debuted at Cannes, stars Sean Penn as the fragile and soft-spoken Cheyenne, a middle-aged ex-rockstar. I find it hard to find fault in Penn. It might have something to do with his range (from loveable stoner in ‘80s teen hit, Fast Times at Ridgemont High to gay rights activist/politician in Milk) or it may have something to do with the fact that he’s just very very very good at what he does. Sean Penn can put on a high-pitched, feminine voice, and keep it up for the entirety of a movie. Sean Penn can make a middle-aged man who still dresses like a goth (Robert Smith make-up, hairspray and all) seem like something more than a caricature. Penn makes him into a believable human being. Watching him wheel behind him either a trollery and bag, or his little suitcase, evokes sympathy in the viewer – he is quite literally pulling behind him the burden of the past 30 years. Much of the credit must be placed on screenwriters, Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello – the wit of Cheyenne is all their doing. Yes, he’s quiet, he speaks mostly in one tone (which I think is less indicative of boredom than severe depression), but he has some clever one-liners, as well as some subtle moments of great poignancy – ‘I suspect that sadness and sadness may not be compatible.’ In a quite powerful scene, Cheyenne declares loudly and emphatically that he was a musician for all the wrong reasons, and admits another source of guilt. He tells this truth about where his despondency springs from to friend and musician, David Byrne. Byrne wrote all the film’s twee music, as well as the title track. My one problem with the film was not with the plot which I think surprisingly worked – a man goes to find the ex-Nazi who persecuted his father at Auschwitz. My problem was with the lack of nuanced writing in terms of the sometimes juvenile behaviour of Cheyenne. I felt like I was being smacked over the head with the subtext (HE IS COMING OF AGE. HE IS COMING OF AGE. LATE. BUT LOOK. HE’S DOING IT) to the point that his eventual transformation seemed almost too much to bear. This Must Be The Place is not about the story. It’s about watching Sean Penn dance around like Robert Smith, it’s about the Irish and American scenery, it’s about a man who is exhausted, but not pathetic, and then reinvigorated. And I don’t mind that at all. Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½ By Hannah Story This Must Be The Place is released April 5th, 2012.
Posted on 26 Mar 2012 by Vertigo
Review: Covered - Macy Gray (CD album)
 In her new album, Macy Gray pays tribute to the likes of Radiohead, Kanye West, Metallica, My Chemical Romance and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs – there are some decent covers in there, but it largely comes across as a messy jumble of tracks. Gray begins the album with covers of the Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes the Rain Again’ and Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, and they’re just plain bad. While Gray tries to compensate for it, the issue is the stripped-back synth backing tracks, which lend a distinctly karaoke sound to the songs. If these tracks had been fleshed out properly, instead of attempting a nod to acoustic intimacy, they would have benefited immensely. The record improves as it progresses, and you can’t help but wonder why the more mediocre covers were higher up the track listing. But just as Gray starts to hit her stride, the album is peppered with bizarre 30-second skits and rapping. No, I’m not kidding. Skits. With Nicole Scherzinger. The cringe worthy skits revolve around Gray trying to appeal to a new audience, and the effect is exactly the opposite. There’s also an unexplained hipster-esque interlude with ‘La La La’, which leaves you completely puzzled. These tracks add nothing to the record, and rather break up the momentum Gray gathers. AWOLNATION’s ‘Sail’ and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Maps’ are the top picks of the record, and Gray’s duet-style cover of the overplayed Colbie Caillat track ‘Bubbly’ vastly improves on the original. It’s with these songs that we see just what Covered could have been, but they’re not enough to distract you from the disappointing overall sound of the album. Rating: ★ ★ By Jessica Warriner Covered is released March 30th, 2012.
Posted on 26 Mar 2012 by Vertigo
Review: Hugo (film)
 Martin Scorsese's moving tale, Hugo, was nominated for an amazing 11 Academy Awards. Scorcese's first children's movie appears delightfully simple on the outset, but explores deeper issues such as death, grief and lost hope. Set in Paris, after the First World War has ended, we are presented with the joyful scenes of a father (played by Jude Law) imparting his knowledge to his son. Asa Butterfield plays the young Hugo who is sent to live with his uncle after the untimely death of his father. Finding himself orphaned and alone, Hugo embarks on a journey to unravel what his father has left behind. It pays homage to the great pioneers of film-making, providing us with glimpses into the very beginnings of cinema. Hugo leaves us with an inspiring message; history does not forget those who are truly great. Rating: ★ ★ ★
Posted on 16 Mar 2012 by Vertigo
Hello cyber-friend and welcome to the 2012 Vertigo website!
Vertigo is the official student magazine of the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). The magazine is run by students, for students. We are completely independent from the uni or anyone and anything else for that matter, but completely dependent on students’ to send in their work – whether that be features, satire, opinion, news, reviews, art, creative writing or interviews – Vertigo seeks to represent the amazing array of talent that UTS students have to offer and are known for. Here, you will find the things that our 44 pages of goodness couldn’t accommodate – extra reviews to help you decide what to see, read and hear; fantastic writing; random rants; art; photography and so much more. Also on the website, you can find some short bios about us editors and the media kit, which contains all the relevant information for advertisers. And most importantly, you can access all our back-issues (just in case you missed to pick it up). How to get involved or to contact us:We at Vertigo want your work! We send out reminders every three to four weeks, but we ultimately rely on YOU to send us your work so we can publish it. And then dear reader, you receive all the glory and fame and kudos that you’ve always thought you deserved. What do we publish? What’s our criterion? We publish a range of things – as long as we think it’s interesting to uni students, it doesn’t matter what genre or topic it is. But to state the obvious, we will not publish any work that discriminatory. Send your work to submissions@utsvertigo.comSend your feedback (preferably positive!) to editorial@utsvertigo.comWe hope you enjoy the magazine and the website! Thanks, The Vertigo Team
Posted on 16 Mar 2012 by Vertigo
Competition: WIN $5,000 CASH!
Posted on 20 Oct 2011 by Vertigo
RED STATE REVIEW
Words Rory Pearson Set in middle America Red State is about three teens (Michael Angarano, Nicholas Braun, Ronnie Connell) who receive an online invitation for sex. Their invitation leads to an encounter with extreme Christian fundamentalists (Michael Parks, Melissa Leo) who kidnap them in the name of god and hide them in the local church. As the boys become the victims of the fundamentalist’s sinister agenda, ATF Agent Joseph Keenan (John Goodman) and his team, set up outside of the church in an attempt to rescue those inside. One of the most striking things about Red State is that separates it from the rest of Kevin Smith’s earlier films is that it dares not to be funny, that’s not to say it isn’t funny, really funny in parts, but that it breaks from the Kevin Smith tradition of Clerks, Dogma and Mallrats and tackles the same obsessions in a very different way and in a very successful way at that. In fact this is why Kevin Smith has such a long lasting and devoted fan-base because he has never been afraid to take risks in feature filmmaking. Smith still retains an unflinching cowboy attitude. An attitude that I guess stems from his early years of truly independent filmmaking. Red State is a personal film; it shows Smith wrestling with his obsessions, his obsession with faith, his obsession with American popular culture and his hatred of systemic stupidity. Red State is at once a teen movie, a horror film, an action movie and an allegorical satire. It is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. In this film, no one is safe, and no one is blameless. It is an unabashed scathing indictment of the two suspected, all powerful institutions that battle for dominance in America, the church v the government, the pastors v the G-men. For this very reason the film is bound to cause controversy, if it hasn’t already. But also for this very reason it will remain in my mind long after I have seen it because of all the questions that it raises. Questions about the validity of the Second Amendment and America’s obsession with guns, questions of how far people let extremism slide and how much power the American government actually wields over its people. Kevin Smith used to approach these questions with witty dialogue as his main weapon, but Red State is all action. As for the ending, (I won’t ruin it) let’s just Kevin Smith is adventurous enough in this film to actually have had me expecting the knights of apocalypse to rear their ugly heads. For me, this film is the epitome of everything that Kevin Smith has wanted to do in a film but hasn’t already. It has all the trademark elements of his previous work but takes a completely new angle, even stylistically. Seeing as though he has said he only has one more film to do before he leaves the director’s chair, I guess he just needed to make this one. Good thing he did because I think it will not just appeal to his loyal fans but a much wider audience too because it breaks from the Kevin Smith stereotype but retains enough to not alienate any of his die-hard fans. 4/5
Posted on 18 Oct 2011 by Vertigo
Eleven is the Magic Number
Gemma Wolk Danielle Lauren, creator of the 11Eleven Project, holds up her photographic contribution to the world-wide event Imagine being able to see what life is like all around the world on one day. To be able to watch how people in different places live, work and play in diverse ways. To be able to compare the luxuries you take for granted, to the poverty others are used to. This year, there is a project that plans to realise this vision and shed some light on the way we live around the world. This will be done to capture the similarities and stark contrasts between our lives on earth… and all for a good cause. The 11Eleven Project is a not-for-profit creative scheme that already has people in over 130 different countries ready to contribute. The aim is to unite people everywhere by connecting them on a single day. 11/11/11 is a date that occurs only once every hundred years, and this year, the 11Eleven Project is asking communities to come together and create a human story like never before. The exciting aspect is that you, the average citizen, are the contributor. The 11Eleven Project is encouraging us all to muster our creativity in order to help create this unique global narrative.  “University students are a powerful force – they have a drive, an energy which will get them to extend themselves for a goal or deadline – we really want to harness that energy for good – to ask University students to step up and use their passion for something meaningful,” said Danielle Lauren, Creative Director of the 11Eleven Project. On this day of 11/11/11, people everywhere are being asked to pick up a recording device and create a short film, take a photo, write a blog, compose a piece of music or record a sound as a representation of their environment. After this date, submitted works will be collated and transformed into a documentary, a photo book and an audio CD. A free screening of the finished documentary will be held globally on 21 September 2012 – UN International Day of Peace. “I always believed that artists could contribute to making the world a better place. I want them to use their passion for entertainment and storytelling to positively contribute,” said Miss Lauren.  The project has already captured the attention of Grammy award-winner Imogen Heap, Oscar-winning cinematographer Russell Boyd and Emmy award-winning Marcus Gillezeau, who will all be contributing to the production process. As Music Executive Producer, Imogen Heap will be producing the score for the final documentary. “It’s so exciting to have such talented people on board to give this project the recognition that it deserves, and act as that extra push for people to contribute to making a difference,” said Miss Lauren. Although the project may be reminiscent of previous ventures, unlike anything done before, the 11Eleven Project’s aim is to raise awareness for, and help achieve the UN’s 8 Millennium Development Goals. The entire project is not-for-profit, and the money made from the sales of the DVDs, photo books and CDs will be donated to various charities including The Hunger Project, The WWF and Save The Children. This is an opportunity to bring individuals together as a collective, disregarding race, gender and societal boundaries to celebrate the similarities and differences between our ways of life.  The 11Eleven Project is your unique chance to have your work displayed in collaboration with award winning artists from around the world... what will you contribute? How to get involved: Register online at www.11elevenproject.comRecord your story on 11/11/11 Upload your work to the website from 11/11/11 – 22/11/11 Watch your contribution become part of a global narrative
Posted on 11 Oct 2011 by Vertigo
Interview with the King
Two stars from the upcoming UTS student written and directed play, Kingies ( James Vaughan and Con Costi ) take time out to share some insight with Vertigo==  Nick Millifisen speaks with the King on business, power and making those big dreams a reality.
Nick Millifisen: So I hear you’re the King around here
King: I am
NM: You know I always loved Kings. Loved the way they rule with an iron. Fist. Always wished I could do that.
K: You better watch who you’re talking to
NM: OK let’s get to the interview. What is your favourite command to give out?
K: Well at the moment I’m working closely with a small but highly motivated team on a new project, so most of my orders at the moment are related to that
NM: I’m intrigued
K: Being a King gets tiring, so I like to mix things up. Sometimes you’ve got to open a small business or a franchise to keep the blood pumping.
NM: So that’s what you’re working on?
K: Yes. It’s called Kingy Electricals. We cover home appliances, that sort of thing. But there will be a twist.
NM: Oh right
K: That’s what we’re working on at the moment. It will be weird or something. That’s important to me. I like to mix things up. I find when you’re the King, why not? You don’t answer to anyone. So that’s good. But yeah, at the moment I’m working with a group of highly motivated individuals who are working on some ideas.
NM: OK. Sounds pretty good
K: You just wait, you haven’t seen anything.
NM: Well Kingy Electricals sounds fantastic. That’s what I think
K: Yep
NM: But you know, I can’t help thinking – and don’t get me wrong here – that if I was a King I’d probably be a little more ambitious with my goals. I mean that with all due respect of course.
K: Great question. I’m glad you raised this question, because it is a very important one; and one I am often asked. Firstly, what you said is absolutely right and that is exactly the reason I’ve decided to make the move into business. You see the criticism is sometimes made of me along the lines of “oh well sure the King is successful but where would be without the his massive taxes? He needs those peasant levies to fund all of his colourful operations.” Now, naturally, I’m the King, so when people say this to my face, or I find out who was saying it, they are sent off to my team of highly motivated lions. Yet regardless of how many critics I dismiss, the thought still nagged at me, so I decided to show these guys what I’m really about and show that I can make an honest profit without taxpayer support.
NM: A noble goal, but how did you do it?
K: Well you know it was pretty straightforward. Much more so that I had imagined anyway. So until recently I’ve had hordes of these peasants living on my crown land right? They go about doing whatever they have to do to feed and clothe themselves, and pay me a fixed tax. A significant tax. So how do I go from it looking like I take their money to them looking like they take mine? I need them to depend on me, for starters. I had to make them depend on what I do one way or another. Easiest and best way to get that going was to introduced private property rights. Now, if they want to live continue living on those old plots of land, they need to actually own it, or can be pushed off by someone who does. I was the only one really who could afford to buy up significant amounts of land, so now the peasants need a cash income to pay for their housing. Just growing food or making baskets is not going cut it anymore; they have to get a paid job. But where? The only business in town is this whacky factory making appliances for Kingy Electricals. Ha Ha! “Guess I’ll get a job there,” they say to themselves. Here’s the trick, I pay them only a small amount. And I mean practically nothing. They can barely stand at the end of the week, their so hungry and tired. But the act of me paying them, no matter how small, changes things now. They can complain all they want, but at the end of the day it’s my money and my business that is providing their livelihood. See? What’s more, I’m making a profit; I’m richer than I’ve ever been. Ha ha! So you could say its win-win! I don’t even need to tax anyone anymore. What’s the point? But the trick is to give them as little as possible without letting them perish – and that’s actually more difficult than it sounds. There’s all these weird new diseases out there now. But anyway, that’s the secret in a nutshell. Just move in, make sure they need cash to live, then make sure they need your employment for their cash. You’re laughing.
NM: That’s not only genius, it’s very arousing. I like it! This could be something I’d even consider doing for real. What are your tips for people like me?
K: People like you? Ha! Well… what are your ideas? I’ll assess them
NM: Don’t have any yet…
K: I’ll tell you this, you can’t make a profit without ideas. You need those big ideas to really get things off the floor. Think about opportunities, cornering the market. Dominating it. Grabbing the market share. Monopoly, in a word. That’s my advice. It’s all about the big ideas; the big dreams.
NM: Well ladies and gents. This King is really something. Thanks for coming on our show, my lord.
K: Thank you Nick
NM: Oh an don’t forget the King has a new book out, it’s called “From Vision to Reality: Business Strategies for the Big Thinker” Available at any decent bookstore
K: Indeed. Thank you Nick.
NM: Goodnight everybody
==
Kingies will be showing at Hellen Rose Schauersberger LabOratorium, 17 Waterloo St, Surry Hills this week.
Date: September 28 - October 1
Time: 8:30
Tickets: $10/$15, purchase at the door
Posted on 25 Sep 2011 by Vertigo
Film Review:Cowboys and Aliens
Thanhtu Nguyen Jon Favreau’s ( Iron Man, Iron Man 2) Cowboys & Aliens, despite its stellar cast of Hollywood heavyweights that includes Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Sam Rockwell, and Olivia Wilde, largely disappoints. The strange blend of the Sci-Fi and Western genre makes it an intriguing mixture, delivering decent amounts of humour, action, and adventure, but fails to provide the wit and wow-factor of a good summer blockbuster, like its previous Paramount Pictures predecessor, Captain America: The First Avenger. A standout performance is given to Harrison Ford, who plays the tough-loving, no-nonsense, ball-breaking Colonel of Absolution. The veteran provided most of the much-needed laughs and was a hoot in comparison to Daniel Craig’s silent glowering and Olivia Wilde’s wide-eyed, wispy, and blank-stares. The film took itself too seriously, and I felt that the writers and the posse of Hollywood heavyweights behind it (hello Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard) could have done much more with the cast and the story than the one given to us. The film is partly enjoyable due to the constant brutality offered to moviegoers – and who doesn’t love a gore and bloodshed film fest – but it isn’t extremely noteworthy. The title of the film suggests a good, fun, summer blockbuster, but in the end it isn’t as amusing and kooky as the title suggests. It’s a somewhat entertaining film and moviegoers may enjoy it, but in all honesty, it is rather disposable and forgettable. 3 out of 5
Posted on 17 Aug 2011 by Vertigo
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