10 Reasons to Visit the Cinema

Okay, so going to the cinema is pretty expensive – lots of people can vouch for that. But there are plenty of reasons to justify indulging in such a trip, believe me. Below I have outlined a few points as to why forking out 20 quid or so is exactly worth your while...

Massive screens

Even you have a huge telly in your room (which your mates are all incredibly envious of), it couldn’t possibly compare to the gloriously gigantic screens available at your local cinema. And with such a vast image right there in front of you, it is blatantly obvious that you can get an even better view of R-Patz, or Mila Kunis, or whoever it is that takes your fancy.

Effective 3D

With technology these days, it seems almost anything is possible on the big screen – the graphics in animated films are breathtakingly visual and realistic, and the special effects can be simply stunning. 3-dimensional imagery makes for even more exciting and dynamic viewing, whilst really bringing the characters and story to life. What’s more, in the darkness of the auditorium, no-one can see how goofy you look in your 3D glasses – result!

Sweet treats

Where else would you eat popcorn? It would seem almost unfaithful to indulge in such a snack in any other location. And with the loudspeakers ejecting such loud sound, you can comfortably sit crunching away on a delightful bag of popcorn in a very carefree and piggish manner (except for when the quieter, sad scenes come on – probably best to avoid shovelling handfuls into your gob at that point). There’s also hotdogs, sweets, nachos, ice-cream and milkshakes available –now, I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty damn good to me!

Perfect date

Whether you’ve just met them or have been dating for a while, a trip to the cinema is an ideal date (particularly if you have a crippling fear of awkward silences!). You can snuggle up together during intense moments (or be grateful for the arm rest dividing your date, if the case may be) and get lost in a fictional world for a couple of hours.

Epic experience

I don’t really need to explain this one. Massive screen + awesome new movie = brilliant time. It’s as simple as that!

Worthwhile deals

Initially, the cinema does seem expensive. But, if you pay attention to deals and special offers, then your purse won’t take such a bashing. Check out the best offerings at your local cinema – look on the website or ask a member of staff – they will be happy to help you.

Trailer teasers

Sneaky peeks of upcoming releases? Yes please. But caution: it will only entice you into going the cinema more and more. And let’s be honest – the cinema is the only place where adverts are actually not that bad.

Escapism

Escapism makes you happy - fact. Engaging in entertainment allows you a temporary escape route from your monotonous, daily routine (no offence). Swoon over hot actors, smile at happy endings and just immerse yourself in a whole new world – cheesy, but it is true – watching films makes you forget about your worries and transports you to an exciting new place, if only for a short amount of time. And the big screen only intensifies this epic journey.

Caters to all interests

You can take your mum to see that new chick flick, go with your best friend to enjoy the latest comedy or cosy up to your partner whilst enduring the chills of a recently released horror...either way, the cinema is an enjoyable experience for anyone as it caters for so many different tastes (ballet or war, anyone?).

Timeless fun

Going to the cinema can never get boring. With films being constantly churned out, you could go once a month and it could become your new favourite past-time. Comfy seating, indulgent refreshments, brilliant movie...it’s like lazing around at home but on a bigger scale - what’s not to love about that?

By Hannah Montgomery

Jack the Giant Slayer Film Review

First Hansel and Gretel, then the Wizard of Oz, and now Jack and the Beanstalk... Anyone see a pattern forming here?!

When I first heard about ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’, admittedly, I thought to myself, ‘wow, another fairy tale being modernised? What is the deal?’ So, with an inquisitive and almost sceptical state of mind, I decided to check out this latest fairy story adaptation to uncover whether it really does work, or if the magic is kind of dying off a little now...

The plot, shock horror, isn’t far off the lines of the classic story. When 18-year-old farmhand Jack (Nicholas Hoult) unknowingly opens a gateway between our world and a formidable race of giants, he finds himself having to save plucky Princess Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) and all of humankind in an epic battle.

 Directed by Bryan Singer, this American fantasy adventure film has everything you need and expect from a family movie – a meddling bad guy, a sprinkling of romance, the odd splattering of comedy and oozings of action-packed, edge-of-your-seat moments.

However, the intercutting scenes of the child princess talking with her dad and young Jack chatting to his uncle (as if they were having a similar conversation), was a bit of a dry start-up. It didn’t really captivate my attention from the get-go, which I would expect, as with any film.

Key scenes for me included the twisting beanstalks rising up and crashing down forcefully, and also the moment where Elmont (Ewan McGregor) gets captured by the giants and turned into a human-sized sausage roll – no justification needed, really.

So, overall, how well does this particular traditional tale translate to the big screen? Pretty well, I would say. With enough elements of the old school story to keep it traditional (the classic beans and the hideous giants), combined with the modernity of today’s technology, the film is a perfect blend of old and new. Definitely worth a watch!

By Grace Montgomery

Drunken Disasters

During our time at university it is almost inevitable that there will be a few drunken disasters that we never forget or simply can’t remember. From sleeping in a club to slapping your best mate, the students in Brum have done it all. So I caught up with a few of these not so proud students to hear more about their messy nights.

Mala Rose, Birmingham University:

I was out with friends in Arcadian on a Saturday night, it was so cold and we were only meant to be out for a couple of drinks. Although it was cold I still chose to wear a short dress like an idiot. After a few drinks I was on top of the world, having a right old laugh. But then my friends wanted to leave, so as we walked to our car I fell over in the middle of the road. I was on my knees and they were bleeding but all I could do is laugh! I remember being in stiches from laughing so hard that I couldn’t get up. The cars were queuing up as my friends tried to drag me to the curb; my knees were horrific in the morning as well as my head!

Saf Balih, Aston University:

My fresher’s year at Aston University was a blurry one. Pretty much every night I ended up drunk and every morning very hung over. It was one night in particular that was the most embarrassing. It was my best mates 21^st birthday so we all went on a crazy bar crawl. The whole night consisted of shot after shot and downing pints like they were water. It was safe to say we were all pretty much gone at this point. The next thing I know I’m being pinned up against the wall by the birthday boy, my best mate. Turns out Id slapped for no apparent reason and tried to run away, none of which I recall. I was filled in the next day by my friends; luckily my best mate also had little recollection of the night’s events. Till this day my mates tease me about that night and gave me a new nickname, slapper Saf.

Pamala Scott, Birmingham City University:

I was on a night out with my girls and cut a long story short, an hour into the night and I was smashed! I don’t normally drink so the few drinks I did have, got to me rather quickly. For some reason I had a tantrum and decided I wanted to sleep in the club for the night. My friends and even random people in the club tried to get me out but apparently I just wasn’t having it. Eventually I had to be carried out by a bouncer and put into a taxi home. Obviously I had to be told all of this the next day; I haven’t touched a drink since!

We all love a good drink while we’re out and with endless promotions and drink offers we’re bound to have a few messy nights. Our only advice here at Student Speak, is keep safe and drink with people you trust...oh and party hard!

By Amrit Pnaiser

Cats Musical Review

Do you know what a ‘Jellicle’ cat is? Have you ever wondered how you address a cat? Or how many names they have? Well all this can be answered all in one musical, and it takes place on stage at a rubbish tip! Only in an Andrew Lloyd Webber production.

‘Cats’ is delighting audiences in Wolverhampton at the Grand Theatre, and showing them exactly why it is one of the longest running shows in the West End. With amazing choreography and many familiar tunes, combined with fantastic costumes and make up, it guarantees to be one hell of a night.

Based on T.S Elliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, telling the story of one night in the year where all the Jellicle cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where one cat is chosen to be reborn into a whole new life. The lyrics of the musical numbers tell fascinating stories about each cat on the stage, as you learn their backgrounds with catchy tunes. 

The talented cast perform with such feline mannerisms, entertaining the audiences as they prowl up and down the aisles of the theatre. A magical contribution from Joseph Poulton as Mr Mistoffeelees, the conjuring cat with magical power, along with Joanna Ampil and her heart-breaking performance of the show-stopper ‘Memory’, before gliding up to the sky, are the stars of the show.

There was nothing to fault with the musical, and it is a phenomenal master-piece and deserves the standing ovation it receives every night. It will be in Wolverhampton until 30^th March, so grab yourself some tickets now for some purr-fect fun!

By Dayna Farrington

Cute Cake Creations

During my third year at university the work has just piled up quicker than I could ever imagine. And my way of coping has been to bake…yep my guilty pleasure is to bake naughty little treats. So I thought I’d share a quick and easy recipe for you guys to try out.

You will need the following ingredients:

150g of caster sugar

150g of butter at room temperature

150g of plain flower

2 eggs

1 tea spoon of vanilla essence

3-4 food colours

Begin by pre-heating your oven to 180C, line your baking tin using margarine and then place the cupcake cases. This recipe makes approximately 12 cupcakes.

In a bowl mix together the butter and caster sugar until it’s light and fluffy. I tend to use the electric mixer to do this, but a wooden spoon does the job just as well. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla essence.

The flour then needs to be folded in using a metal or wooden spoon. Do this until the mixture is a soft consistency dropping off the spoon. Separate the mixture into 3 or4 bowls depending on how many food colouring agents you have. Add in the colours until you are happy with the colour in each bowl.

Take your first bowl of mixture and place a small amount in each cupcake case, enough so that it covers the base of the case. Take your second colour and place on top of the first, spreading it to the edges. Be careful not to mix the colours as they will blend and you won’t get the end result. Do the same using the rest of the bowls of mixture.  Don’t fill the cases to the top as the mixture will rise in the oven, so leave enough room.

Put the tray into the oven for 15 minutes to cook. Once they are cooked, take them out and leave to cool for half an hour. You can check if they are cooked by sticking in a knife, if the knife comes out clean they are cooked. Once the cakes have cooled you can begin to decorate, if they aren’t left long enough to cool the heat from the cake will melt the icing.

 I personally use Betty Crocker’s buttercream icing to decorate my cakes, simply because it tastes so nice and it’s quick and easy to use. It costs around £2.50 from any of your standard supermarkets. You can make your own piping bag by using a small plastic bag, add in the icing, shape like a cone and cut off the end. Otherwise a knife can be used to spread the icing on top of each cupcake.

I like to add a bit of colouring to the icing just to make it more fun but you can leave it plain if you prefer. Once you have decorated your cakes you can get stuck in…to the washing up! Enjoy J

By Amrit Pnaiser

 

Sean Paul Gets Busy In Brum!

 

Sean Paul, International Grammy Award winning superstar appeared last night at Gatecrasher Birmingham for an exclusive performance.

Reggae and dancehall performer Sean Paul broke into the industry in 2002 with his chart topping album Dutty Rock which saw him collaborate with a handful of superstars.  He then went on to release more albums and singles which have remained to be dance floor anthems ever since being released.

More recently Sean Paul has received a number of awards including 2 Grammy Awards and over 3 MOBO Awards. His latest single sees a collaboration with British girls, The Saturdays.

The doors opened at 10pm and with 9 coaches arriving from different cities the crowds of people came storming in by the hundreds. Tickets were £11 for students and £16.50 for non-students; it was a surprise to see such an older crowd attending the night.  Gradually the club was full to the brim with hardly any space to move let alone dance!

Guest DJ’s such as 3Style, Silk, Fricktion and DJ Ams performed their sets pumping up the crowd whilst they awaited the performance of the Jamaican star. The songs started to become a bit repetitive and the crowd frustrated as they were teased with the occasional announcement of “Sean Paul is in the building”.

3 hours later at 2am he finally arrived. As he took to the stage the crowd went wild, holding up their phones and swaying from side to side. Hits such as; Got To Love You, She Doesn’t Mind, Get Busy and Temperature were performed and got the fans going crazy!

In total Sean Paul performed for 15 minutes max, he played a selection of his hits and the crowd seemed pleased enough. From all his jumping around and provocative dance moves, the star appeared slightly out of breath whilst singing (good job he was performing over his songs!), but it would seem he still very much had it in him. Although the waiting around and violation of personal space was a bit too much it was definitely worth the wait!

By Amrit Pnaiser

Student Speak Updates

Dear lovely loyal Student Speak followers,

We thought you may want an update on the progress we have been making as we have been beavering away behind the scenes trying to make the most super-cool student mag possible for you.

So, outlined below are some updates which we are supplying to provide you with an idea of what to expect from Student Speak.

* Our logo has been made – yay! And isn’t it a beauty? Thanks to the wonderfully talented web designer Luke Seager, we now have a very vibrant and cheeky brand for you all to associate yourselves with.

* We are priding our mag on being as quality and creative as possible – original content is key to our business, so expect quirky brilliance!

* Expect some pretty awesome true life stories – prepare to be inspired and entertained after reading accounts from interesting young people who we have secured interviews with.

* Our researcher found that the topics you most want to read about are: entertainment, relationships and education, so prepare to sink your teeth into a diverse range of content!

Conclusively, over the next month we will be trying our hardest to get the best content and pack it all into a glossy new pilot for you to get your mitts on.

As always, we love to hear from our magnificent fan base, so if you have any ideas or contributions for the magazine then please don’t hesitate to contact the Student Speak team! Twitter: @_StudentSpeak

Love,

Hannah, Grace, Amrit and Dayna

(The Student Speak Team)

 

Student Speak Visit Digbeth Dining Club

The Digbeth Dining Club is a new street food event/rave, with plenty of tasty grub and a well-stocked bar with a range of refreshments to wash it all down.

This foodie event was put together by local boy Jack Brabant and has been running since August bank holiday 2012. Due to its success and popular demand, the event has carried on and takes place around 3-4 times a month. So I thought I’d pop along to see what all the fuss is about and try out some tasty food!

Friday was a bit of a miserable day but this didn’t stop the food lovers of Birmingham from attending the event. Spotlight, which is where the event takes place, is a new and quirky addition to Digbeth’s colourful nightlife. I arrived at around 6 o’clock, the event itself began at half 5 and already there were around 20 people there.

I walked through a really nice bar area which had loads of seats and sofas full of people drinking and eating, the mood was warm and fun. As I walked past the DJ booth I saw the doors leading outside and what appeared to be a burger van caught my eye. But this was no ordinary van; it belonged to Diamond Dogs, a company who specialise in different types of yummy hot dogs.

I then saw two more stalls with crowds of people around them; one of the stalls was home to The Meat Shack who produced four variations of succulent beef burgers. The second stall was El Kantina, Mexican and Southern street food specialists. I managed to get a glimpse of some mouth-watering nachos that looked so tasty and colourful.

The tunes were blaring from inside the bar and once people had been fed they gathered inside for a bit of warmth and alcohol.  Music ranged from Indie, Jazz, Hip Hop and house and the setting was made up of mood lighting, industrial features and vintage furniture which created a really chilled out atmosphere, ideal for Friday night hang out.

The Digbeth Dining event is free to attend and open to anyone. They can be found at Spotlight, Lower trinity Street in Digbeth and are there most Fridays 5.30pm till late, although food is only served till around half 10 so get there a bit early and then enjoy the music and atmosphere till the early hours.

I would definitely recommend checking the dining club out, it’s a great opportunity to experience different foods and make new friends. Overall the event was really fun and the set up for next week looks just as amazing! The line-up includes: Hungry Toad, Original Patty Me, Bushmans Pizza, Baking Matilda and Waffle Speak. For more information, check out the Digbeth Dining Club page on Facebook.

By Amrit Pnaiser

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Film Review

A comedy about magicians has the potential to be massively tacky, but this film manages to depict magic without an ounce of cheese.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is about a famous magician (Steve Carell) who lets success go to his head and as a result, drives his performance partner and childhood friend Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) away.

The duo fall apart after their staple act turns dull and overdone, and their downfall is made increasingly worse when daredevil street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) arrives on the scene to steal the limelight.

Burt must salvage his career and his friendship – but to do so he must come up with fresh ideas for a riveting performance to captivate a large audience. This isn’t easy as he has to contend with the seemingly unstoppable Steve and his boisterous and shocking stunts.

It is slightly predictable in part – Burt changing his ways and getting the girl...well, that wasn’t difficult to see coming!

Additionally, it could have been enhanced by more heart-warming moments – as the kids were such good friends at the start, it would have been nice for them to have shown the strength of this friendship to a greater degree throughout, particularly when the duo reunited.

However, it did make me chuckle, and it has some pretty cool magic tricks, slight elements of violence and romance, so it makes for a varied and interesting watch.

Conclusion: On the whole, a pretty decent flick. Entertaining and quirky, but an emphasis on the rekindling of their friendship would have made for more uplifting viewing. In honesty, I think Jim Carrey makes this film, with his craziness and carefree attitude. He even manages to pull off long blonde locks!

By Hannah Montgomery

Oz the Great and Powerful Film Review

With a flying monkey, a cute living china doll and three beautiful witches, ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ is a delightful family film with appealing characters and creativity in abundance.

The prequel to the wonderfully classic ‘Wizard of Oz’ (1939), ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ imaginatively delves into life before there was a wizard to rule the vibrant Land of Oz, doing so in a captivating, enchanting, and suspenseful way.

Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is a womanising small-time circus magician from Kansas who fraudulently uses magic, but aspires to be a better man, capable of greatness. He flees Kansas in a hot air balloon after a show goes horrendously wrong, getting whisked away in a tornado and ending up in the fantastical Land of Oz, where he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).

As the inhabitants believe Oscar to be the great wizard that everyone has been expecting, he must reluctantly face the dilemmas the land is currently facing. As he uses his magic tricks and feats of illusion, Oscar soon transforms into the great wizard he wished to be, also turning into a better man than he thought he ever could be.

The scenic elements of this American fantasy adventure film are sensational, especially viewing in 3D. Stand out visual scenes include the one where Oscar is whipped up into the tornado in his hot air balloon and proceeds to make a bumpy entrance into Oz, crashing into a water rapid and plunging into a waterfall. The stunning visual effects were further exemplified with evil flying baboons, adorable river fairies and gigantic blossoming flowers.

‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ naturally takes elements that are reminiscent of the timeless ‘Wizard of Oz’ film, including munchkins, the Emerald City, and of course, the yellow brick road, but director Sam Raimi makes sure to spruce it up with a fresh and modern perspective.

So, with its exquisite graphics, lovable characters (minus Knuck/Sourpuss, who was merely annoying and seemed pointless) and interesting character relationships, ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ is a delightful family film which anyone can enjoy.

By Grace Montgomery

Silly Snaps For Comic Relief!

So, Comic Relief is fast approaching and it’s time for everyone to get funny for money. Yes, it’s the day where you must whack out your red noses and get giving to an incredibly worthwhile cause.

Here at Student Speak we tend to spend a lot of our time studying and working hard – putting in long hours and lots of hard graft for our brilliant new magazine which is due to make an appearance in a month and a half!

After a pretty hectic week of meetings and discussions regarding our exciting new product, we thought it’d be a good idea to just calm it down a bit. And what better way to reign in the stress and switch off our work modes than to get snapping pics of ourselves pulling silly faces? I mean, we can’t be professional all of the time...

Olly Murs Gig Review

Olly Murs is the artist notorious for his appearances on the X Factor in 2009, but after failing to take the crown, he’s gone on to prove that you don’t need to be the winner in a talent contest to build a successful career with a string of number one albums and singles.

Cheeky chappy Olly hit Birmingham with a bang last night, with the first of two sold out shows in the city. Revealing to the audience that he narrowly missed getting to the second capital the night before, due to being stranded in Germany due to the snow, “Good old Easy Jet!” the pop superstar proclaimed.

Opening the show with an epic performance of his new single ‘Army of Two’, the crowd immediately went into a frenzy of excitement, screaming his name, singing along and having a right old boogie in their seats. Olly soon launched into fan favourite ‘Dance with Me Tonight’, which had the audience bopping around. Olly kept them glued with his cheeky charm, gaining a delightful reaction from the crowd.

Olly warmed the crowd up, with revealing he wanted to acquire some Brummie slang while he was here, learning certain phrases from some members of his band who were local to area. Trying out his best Brummie accent, delighting fans by shouting “How am ya!” and “Gordon Bennett!”

Donning his trademark trilby, he fired the crowd up with a wide smile, as he got more intimate with the crowd on a walkway over his audience. Moving onto a centre stage, he pleased die-hard fans, with the classic number from his first album ‘Thinking of Me’. Revealing to the crowd that Birmingham had been his favourite gig from his last tour just encouraged the crowds to scream and shout even more.

Moving back to the main stage, Olly pulled out his guitar to play an acoustic version of the ballad ‘Heart On My Sleeve’, revealing to his audience that he learnt to play guitar to attract the ladies. And attract them he did, any mention of the ladies in the crowd or the fact the heartthrob was single, drove the girls wild, with screams and shouts.  

Moving on to please the older generation of his audience, with renditions of The Clash’s ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ and The Jam’s ‘Town Called Malice’ made the LG vibrate with everyone singing along.

A quick outfit change for the finale, and Olly assured the crowd, he was going to finish the show with a bang, and that he did. Treating fans to firm favourites of ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’, ‘My Heart Skips a Beat’ and of course ‘Troublemaker’, the vocal power and presence of Olly, along with the audience, made for a powerful set and incredible atmosphere for all there.

Olly heads out to support the King of British Pop Music, Robbie Williams later this year, and is also appearing at numerous festivals across the UK. He may not hold the X Factor Crown, but he is for sure taking over the UK with his charm and music. He’s going to be heading for a bright future in the music industry.

 

By Dayna Farrington

Miranda Hart; Is It Just Me? Book Review

This book actually made me laugh out loud. It also made me smirk, titter, frown and smile. Why? Because it is actually like a sitcom IN A BOOK. And that is quite something.

To be honest, I don’t usually laugh at comedians on the telly – I am not easily amused at all. So the fact that this book actually made me chuckle proves just how smashing it really is.

If you are familiar with comedy queen klutz Miranda Hart then you will already know she is a socially awkward, burbling giant of a woman who manages to get herself in all sorts of hilarious situations.

Is It Just Me? Is a sort of guide of how not to act in specific social scenarios. Using her undoubtedly exaggerated personal experiences, Miranda discusses the ups and downs of life in a very succinct and hilarious manner.

Expect made up words, embarrassing moments and a lot of immature fun. I challenge you not to crack a smile whilst simply reading the first chapter – it really will prove quite a task!

Conclusion: Incredibly easy to follow, hugely entertaining and actually very funny. Give it a read and it will definitely add a touch of sunshine into your life with its comical anecdotes and lively humour.

By Hannah Montgomery

Brummy Band Interview!

Birmingham is the home town to mega stars such as UB40, Duran Duran and Black Sabbath. But how easy is it nowadays for bands and singers to make it in Birmingham?

I caught up with Adam Stevens, the drummer in heavy rock band, Liberty Lies. The five piece unsigned band are all from Birmingham and have just released a brand new album, titled Reflections.

Hey Adam, thanks for taking the time out to speak to us! So, there are four other members in your group, how did you guys meet?

Me and the singer, Shaun have been playing in bands since we were 14 together. We both went to school with Josh, the lead guitarist, so we have always shared the same interests. We started this band in 2008 and have just kept building it from that. We are all really good mates, but we have to be as we spend so much time together! Doing what we do, we see each other at our best and our worst, but it definitely brings everyone closer.

Are there ever any arguments or disagreements?

Yeah, all the time (laughs). We put a lot of time, energy and money into what we do and there are a lot of decisions to be made; naturally we clash a lot. We have always looked at the band as a democracy, everyone gets a say. Nothing has spiralled out of control but we do have plenty of arguments.

Have you guys ever done anything really rock ‘n’ roll like smash up your guitars and trash hotel rooms while you’ve been on tour?

I wish we had the money to be able to that, but unfortunately not! Times have really changed and venues are really strict about what goes on now compared to back in the 70’s and 80’s. We have a laugh and a good time and it can get really messy but we have never trashed anything!

Speaking of touring, have you ever toured with anyone amazing?

It depends on what people class as amazing. My first ever tour was with a classic rock band called Magnum. I went to see them when I was 14 with my dad in Wolverhampton. In 2009 I played the same venue supporting the band and got to bring my dad along as a member of the crew, to me that’s pretty awesome. I have also toured with Shinedown and Halestorm which are two of my favourite bands. When I explained it to my family at the time, I realised it’s not a big deal to most people, but to me it was a dream come true.

So you guys are all from the Birmingham area, how hard would you say it is to get recognised in this city?

Pretty hard. Birmingham has this ‘home of metal’ tag which is great for the city but nothing good has come out of here in the rock-scene for a long time. There are some cool venues in Birmingham, but in order to get recognised you need record labels and management companies just to wonder into the gigs, which is more likely to happen in London than Birmingham. We are lucky to have quite a strong and loyal Birmingham fan base, but it has taken us four years to get to that point. Birmingham has a lot of bands, which are all competing for similar goals. Only so many can achieve them.

Sounds like a tough business, do you ever feel like giving up?

I don’t think I could ever give up music; it has been too big a part of my life. There will always come a point when I can’t chase the dream anymore, but I don’t see that anytime soon.

What advice would you give to any singer or band in a similar position to yourself?

I think it is always important to play music you enjoy with people that you like. There is no longevity without both of those and why put your heart into something that you know won’t last? It is a cliché but practice is so important. We are lucky to own our practice room, but if you can practice at least twice a week then you will do well, but it is the only way for you to improve.

What are your plans for 2013?

Unfortunately we have recently lost a band member, but we have a huge headline gig booked at the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton on 29^th March. We plan on touring throughout the summer to anyone that will have us, so I am sure we will be around! Our brand new single is free to download, just follow the links on our Facebook: www.facebook.com/LibertyLies

Thanks for that Adam, good luck with your new single and album :)

By Amrit Pnaiser

Such Stereotypical Students!

Everyone knows that university students have a pretty bad reputation – all they do is drink, party, eat pot noodles and get totally wasted, right?

Well, if this is the perception that people are making in society, then why don’t we show them just how stereotypical we can be? (Any excuse to get glammed up and drink booze aye...)

Thank you to all of you lovely fans who have tweeted and facebooked your impressive student snaps to us – what a lively bunch you are! Of course our team got involved as well; let’s be honest, everyone has to let their hair down and have a good time every once in a while ;)

Keep your eyes peeled for any further photo montage themes we will be asking you get involved with in the near future, and in the meantime, keep doing what you students do best, aye!

A Taste Of What To Expect: Mama Film Review

You are probably wondering what to expect from Student Speak. Well, here is a little preview of what sort of content you will find in our snazzy new mag.

Written by one of our hard-working copywriters, Grace Montgomery, this is a short and snappy review of Mama, the creepy new horror film currently showing at cinemas all over town.

Give it a read and let us know what you think. Oh, and by the way – it contains spoilers!

I went into Mama with little expectations, because normally those sort of supernatural thrillers aren’t my bag; I like my horror films a bit more realistic or gory. For me, it wasn’t the spooky presence, the haunting spirit that intrigued me. No, it was the unique storyline that caught my attention. Two little children disappearing into the woods, left to fend for themselves, forced to grow up in a sinister, desolate cabin? Creepy, scary, imaginative, I liked it.

The plot, in a nutshell, is that two little girls, Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lily (Isabelle Nélisse), are left stranded in the woods after their father kills their mother, and when they are found several years later they are extremely feral and animal-like. A child psychiatrist decides that the girls’ uncle, Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his punk rock girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain) should take care of the kids, so they move into a new home, ready to begin a new life. But it soon comes to light that along with the children, something else has moved in...

For me, the scariest aspect was not, as you would expect, ‘mama’. It was in fact the girls. How they moved about when they were first discovered in the cabin, after living on a diet of cherries and moths, was chilling. It makes you think about the possibilities of what a child would be like if it were left to fend for itself in the wild. Freakishly walking on all fours, scampering around and perching on top of a fridge, staring coldly and defensively, the scene when they were found was for me, the scariest part of the film. (Like I said before, ghosts and ghouls don’t do it for me. But obviously that’s just my preference.)

Produced by Guillermo del Toro, the film does explore what I thought was an interesting angle- the children adapting to the real world after having been deprived of it for so many years. This was a creative idea, and quite unusual for horror films to look at such a social aspect. If only this was touched upon a bit more, it would have been even creepier.

Taking a different spin on the usual ‘child haunted by a presence’ by bringing in a maternal link, (which meant the children initially wanted to be with mama rather than being scared of her) was different and interesting. It was also good to watch Annabel begin to connect with the kids, although it was reasonably obvious from the start that her disdain towards looking after them would soon turn to affection.

Unfortunately, the film does delve into the clichés you tend to get with these supernatural thrillers. The spirit ‘mama’ belongs to a mental asylum patient who was separated from her child in the 1800s, who went on to commit suicide, then seeking Victoria and Lily as her substitute children. And as for venturing into the dark forest to the abandoned cabin on your own, Mr Psychiatrist, well, you were asking for it really, weren’t you?

With a fairly predictable ending (Lily choosing to stay with ‘Mama’ rather than Annabel, Lucas and Victoria), combined with the aggrieved mother who is a mental patient escapee, the film did lack a bit of originality at times.

However, despite the bog standard conventional supernatural features (yawn), the film was enjoyable nevertheless, with good acting, suspense invoked throughout and a captivating storyline.

By Grace Montgomery

Meet The Team (Part 2)

So, you are probably wondering who the other two aspiring journalists are behind the up-and-coming magazine, Student Speak.

Well, ponder no more – as here is where you can meet the other half of our conscientious team dedicated to making a snazzy new publication just for YOU...

Copywriter: Amrit Pnaiser

Interests: “My name is Amrit and my passion is writing! I love writing features about issues and topics that are relevant to my age group, my community, my interests and the list goes on! I love to have fun and make people laugh and I try and express this through my journalism. I’m always looking for ways to be creative and challenge myself, being a journalist there are endless opportunities to do so.”

Aspirations: “In 5 years I see myself in a glamorous office in London or New York working for a top magazine or radio company. I hope to travel and spread my words of wisdom across the globe. I feel as though I have a lot to say and I would love to change people’s lives or help them using journalism.”

Aims for Student Speak: “I love my home city Birmingham and I love being a student. Currently there doesn’t seem to be a publication for the students of Birmingham and I think we are in need of one! I want to make our magazine fun, quirky and a must have. There are loads of amazing hidden beauties in Birmingham, from clubs and music to food and art, and our magazine will let the students of Birmingham know about all these cool places. My aim is to make it different, eye catching and exciting, and a magazine that you just won’t want to put down!”

Copywriter and Social Media Supervisor: Dayna Farrington

Interests: “I’m Dayna, and my interests are writing, fashion, music, television and film and networking. I have always had a passion for writing from a young age, and this has continued to grow over the years, especially through my studies. I enjoy attending events and networking with other media professionals to interact with the rest of the media industry. Throughout my studies and work experience in the field, where I have opportunities to interact with other journalists, have my writing published and conduct interviews with newsworthy people, one which included an actor from Emmerdale!”

Aspirations: “My main aspiration currently is to get as much work published as I possibly can to boost my portfolio, and create contacts within publications throughout the West Midlands. In the future I hope to become a respected journalist within the industry, working for a respected and widely-read publication, whether it be a newspaper or a magazine. If I could combine my writing with my passions and interests that would be a dream come true.”

Aims for Student Speak: “In my opinion, there are not enough magazines dedicated to JUST students around much now days, especially not in Birmingham. There’s the odd few, and some created by the main Universities themselves, but they aren’t promoted enough, and the readership lags. For me, creating a publication that can bring the four main universities of Birmingham together as a whole, which provides the students with interesting and original content dedicated just to them, with the students themselves being able to interact with us, and give opinions and ideas towards the magazine would be fantastic.”