SPARKADIA.

Sparkadia

Prudence Patterson

To say I was excited is an understatement, even though I knew very little about this Australia lead band. After indulging back to my teens and listening to their songs on repeat on myspace I was ready with my lyrics revised to sing along.

Arriving early at the venue and with what should have been 90p mixers I was equipped. It all started to go wrong when we found out 90p turned into £3.40 I was not impressed, and with two supporting bands, first of which I’m sure hadn’t lost their virginity and the second a wanabe Paramore all I wanted was my Aussie studs.

They graciously took to the stage. With only a nineteen strong crowd, including the barman, to play to was going to be interesting. For them much like the beginning of my night, it started to go wrong. After their first two songs ‘Great’ and ‘Talking Like I’m falling Downstairs’ the guitarists AMP was playing up. While one of the supporting bands lent them theirs, Alex Burnett the rather dashing front man took the chance to speak to the gathering of people should I say. During a few public questions from the audience he admitted while in Australia he would get to work via crocodile. Being the optimist I am I would like to believe this is true. However I have been to Australia I’m not quite sure if the Sydney cycle paths stretch that far.

They continued much to my enjoyment with ‘Love Less Love’, ‘Too Much To Do’ and ‘Mary’. I was engrossed with every song, and I knew this because I didn’t look at my watch once to check the time, and I was able to tear myself away from my blackberry for an hour.

A personal hightlight of the night was when they performed a cover. I tend not to like bands doing covers as I feel they should be promoting their own work and not someone else’s. However when they announced they were covering Kelis, Acapella, I was in awe. Burnett showed his vocal abilities breathlessly, especially taking on a female vocal, it’s something difficult for a gent to pull off.

I’m in complete wonder of Sparkadia. I haven’t been able to stop playing their songs on repeat. When they begun ‘Hurt Me’ I instantly had a Killers vibe, and I had found it difficult to pin point what Sparkadia reminded me of. So I only hope that the UK will embrace them in the same way they did to the Hot Fuss Nevada born group.

What's Up.

My past couple of days have been up and down to say the least, thus have not blogged.

Wednesday – I headed down to Soul Cellar, a local gig venue that I had not tried out. As part of our Music Journalism course we have to review, so me and two fellow course mates, Seoana and Maisie went to see Sparkadia. Excited is an understatement, especially when it’s rumoured to do 90p mixers. This is true however after 9pm, and the half-whit of a bar man didn’t tell us this and let me pay £3.40 for a single vod coke. Fuming. But then said we could double up for a pound, which we did.

With a little more drink in us and after seeing the two supporting acts, I was ready for them. The four piece man-band which originated from Australia did not let me down. Their musical style a mixture between Mumford and Sons and The Killers. It’s safe to say I’ve fallen in LOVE.

Thursday to Friday – I headed to Portsmouth. My boyfriend Tom attends university there, and as we hadn’t seen each other since Valentines Day I couldn’t wait. I stayed Thursday and Friday night, as he had got some time off work too. He’s a barman at Yates. On the Friday we went shopping in Pompy, and did our usual thing of going to Starbucks. Maisie had always raved their Skinny Mochas, and not being much of a coffee lover, I would always opt for a hot chocolate with whipped cream. However now I’m converted, the chocolately coffee taste is difficult to resist. We then went to Strada for dinner. It was even more special because Tom did the gentlemanly thing and paid the bill. I’m always a 50/50 girl, and as we’re both students we’re both pretty strapped for cash. But as he had been paid and is now awaiting a tax rebate, he treated me.

Saturday – Returning early afternoon and having two terrible night sleeps in Toms single bed I immersed myself in my double. It was the day of the Boat Party. Two of my friends from halls last year were turning 20 and 21 so rented a boat for 250 for their friends. So an afternoon nap was needed. After two hours I awoke feeling ready, and as I was the only one in the flat the others would be turning up soon, so I got in the shower before fights broke out. Jes’s sister Annabelle, who has become a frequent visitor lately came along with her best friend Chezelle.

The boat was amazing. I didn’t realise it would actually leave the dock, and before we knew it we had hit the high seas. It was so nice to see all our friends in one place, and know that people weren’t leaving to go to another club. We were all in the same place for four hours. My highlight of the night was a balloon popping so loudly that it terrified Jes to fall to the floor. I almost got a stomach cramp from laughing so hard.

At 1.30am the boat returned to shore and we all staggered off, some drunk, some with sea legs. Our apartment is only over the road so along with some friends came back to the flat. The options next were to go to JUNK where we would have free entry and then the boys house for an after party. However once we came back and decided to order food we were ready to sleep. I’m an avid sleeper, and in all contexts, night time sleep, afternoon nap, morning nap, mid evening nap, I love them all, so my bed was waiting after a packed couple of days.

Black Swan

For my Magazine and Markets module we had to write a review on a new book, film and album. With the raving reviews and countless nominations i wrote about Black Swan. So here's a little self publishing....

Black Swan

Prudence Patterson

Facebook and Twitter pushed me to the cinema to cast my own opinion on something so popular. Black Swan, now nominated for countless Baftas, Oscars and already claiming victory at the Golden Globes, I thought I should head on down to my local Cineworld.

Once entering my moderately packed cinema, popcorn in hand, I was pulled into a dark Swan Lake story.

Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Nina Sayers, an up and coming Ballerina within her dance company, is thrilling yet disturbing at times, Sayers gets chosen as the Principle Dancer to play Queen Swan. Her natural character as vulnerable White Swan is evident in her natural persona; the story develops as she tries to discover the seductive and powerful Black Swan.

Vincent Cassel plays the manipulative dance director who’s in danger of becoming a failure and chooses Nina and Swan Lake to lift the production company. His negativity towards Nina’s lack of Black Swan causes her to embody the story of Swan Lake into her own life.

The gripping, yet eye covering actions that Nina undergoes to become Black Swan are horrifying, and at times confusing, but like all good stories it comes together in the end and the climax is worth the wait.

My idea of it was that it was going to be a pretty ballerina film, with a few pirouettes and a nice ending. From being a dancer before, I didn’t realise so much blood would be used. There where scenes where I had to look away as director Darren Aronofsky created his dark twist.

Acknowledgment should be given to Barbara Hershey as the could been seen ‘pushy mother’ who gave up her chance of dance to have Nina. Her fearfulness for Nina is shown, and you almost feel for her as we try to understand what is happening to her little girl. The introduction of Mila Kunis who plays fellow dancer and newbie to the company, Lily, triggers the ‘wild child’ in Portman with some lesbian action that pushes the boundaries. I was aware there would be some kissing, but not to this extent.

For me I’m almost still undecided. It’s hard to enjoy a story when something is so fear-provoking. Maybe that’s what Aronosky’s task was, to make us fall in love, and then like a rug, rip it out from underneath us.

Portman is stunning, and deserves all the accolade she is receiving, and she is supported well from her cast members. Darren captured her life brilliantly, but the camera was a little shaky, like a hand held moving around in the thick of it. But would I watch it again? Maybe when it comes out on DVD so I can pause when I get too frightened. 

Travelling Triumph

LONDON HEATHROW TO NEW ZEALAND


New Zealand is not what i expected. Landscape views, hiking and skydives.It's safe to say it wasn't a very 'me' place. I only booked to go with STA because my travel agent said i wouldn't want to spend four months in Australia doing my route. So i opted to pay the extra and go, for something different. And boy was it different.
I had never seen anything to beautiful. It's split into North and South Island. Four Million people live in NZ, one million in Auckland (North Island and Capital) alone, only another one million live on the very secluded South Island, which makes it even more beautiful and untouched. 
It also lead me to my boyfriend Tom. Little did we know with our universities planned he would be going to Portsmouth to study Geography, and being a Croyden LAD still not too far from home. This picture is my favourite of all time. It's the Cook Mountains behind and i took it oh-so-quickly before we had to depart for Christchurch.
NZ is a magical place and as much as i love it, i'm not sure if i would be able to return. The experience and the people that i met were incredible, i'm not sure going the second time around, it would be able to live up to my high expectations.

Welcome Wagon...

Well Heyy.
This is my very first post, and probably one of many, as i feel like Facebook and Twitter i'll become addicted at updating and uploading what's going on with me.
I'm in my second semester of my second year, currently swamped in work, but then what student isn't. I find my mind slipping away, planning my travelling trip which i'll be taking after university. I went for five months before uni and itching to get back out there.
I live with two other girls Ema, a shy scouse, but once she's had a drink becomes unrulely, and Jes with one 's' a prim and proper girly from Walton-On-Thames, Surrey. We live in what could be seen as a non-student life appartment, it is a beaut, and i hit the jackpot with the en-suit room.