Review: Imagine Dragons Gig at Bristol O2 Academy (2nd April)

Photo credit: Billabong Design for Humanity

It's been a while since I went to a gig to see a rock band and was especially excited to find that Imagine Dragons were on tour in the UK so scooped an £11 ticket; it’s no wonder it was a sold out gig at the O2 Academy, Bristol. This Las Vegas indie rock band  are soon to be the next big thing in the charts. Their song Radioactive is currently in the top 20 of the UK pop charts (and still climbing) and their debut studio album Night Visions entering the albums chart at 2 (as of 07/04/04).

All photo credits: by Nisha Haq

I first was introduced to Imagine Dragons by my boyfriend and after listening to their Night Visions album I quickly became a fan. They played the 2nd April and being an O2 customer I was able to skip the giant queue and get close to the stage which was great. At 8pm an alternative electronica support act called The Good Natured came on to entertain the crowd however the lead singer and bassist's lacklustre performance didn't wow the audience, only made us more impatient for Imagine Dragons. All the singer projected was non-confidence, a weak and mumbled voice which resulted with many 'boos' at the end of each song.

Dan banged the drum so hard it broke!

By 9pm we were becoming impatient and eager to see the main act especially after being unimpressed with the support. So when the lights went low and a gradual strange sound echoed through our ears; the sound of crickets, drums and synths getting louder and louder we all burst with anticipation. Finally Imagine Dragons came on stage and the crowd roared with excitement (mainly teenage girls screaming). We were all fascinated by the giant Adams concert bass drum on the stage and to my surprise the lead singer, Dan, played percussion and drove emphasis on loud drums that got us all clapping along.

Adams concert bass drum

They played a range of songs most notably from their successful first studio album, Night Visions and songs from their EPs. My favourite performance was Radioactive; the crowd went wild, everyone pushing and shoving and having a great time. What I loved most was the band’s brilliant energy, especially the lead singer which we all instantly felt and bounced off from. There’s no other place to feel this kind of energy than being stuck right in the middle of the crowd soaking up the rapturous atmosphere ; it was amazing. Other great performances were It’s Time and On Top of the World plus an intimate acoustic song that really connected with the audience. The distinctive drumming really made their gig unique, unlike any other performance I have seen and that is what really drives their individual sound.

Intimate acoustic performance was lovely.

In the Night Visions album there is a song for everyone with genres crossing over from rock, indie, pop and influences of dubstep and folk penned by British producer Alex Da Kid, it’s great to see how well their album is being received in the UK. It’s one of my favourite albums this year and I look forward to what they have to offer in the future. This gig was their first in the UK leg of their Night Visions tour, it certainly was a fantastic experience and I would love to relive it again.

Night Visions Tour Dates (2012):

April 2 - Bristol, O2 Academy
April 4 - Liverpool, O2 Academy
April 6 - Glasgow, Garage
April 8 - Manchester, O2 Academy
April 9 - Birmingham, HMV Library
April 11 - London, The Forum 

Buy the Night Visions album here: Amazon.co.uk




Nisha Haq
Creative Director

Free E4 Slackers Club Film Screenings at Harbour Lights Picturehouse

Photo:  Emma Townley

I'm an avid cinema goer however I feel limited to only going on Orange Wednesday's 2-4-1 tickets as it's so costly to see a film at peak times. As a student I'm always on the hunt for freebies so when I discovered E4 Slackers Club I was excited to find they do FREE film screenings once a month at Picturehouse cinemas throughout the country. This is my forth time at Harbour Lights Picturehouse and I always enjoy my experience. Picturehouse cinemas screen many indie films as well as award winning blockbusters in a relaxed chilled out environment with a bar and comfy sofas downstairs; it truly understands the art of film in all genres so it's great having one in Southampton's Ocean Village.

Photo: https://www.facebook.com/SlackersClub

E4 Slackers Club is exclusively for students (you sign up at the Picturehouse showing your student/ NUS card and get a membership for free) and usually have screenings nationwide on Thursdays once a month. On Thursday 14th March I watched The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. I must admit I was a bit dubious as freebies tend to be a second rate or I thought it would be a pretentious art film that was all 'concept' and no meaning or narrative. But to my surprise I realized the cast starred funnymen (and woman) Steve Carrell, Jim Carrey, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, James Gandolfini, and Alan Arkin and after laughing hard at the trailer I was sold on definitely making the trip to Harbour Lights the highlight of my week and it certainly was. This film doesn't seek to be award winning, thought provoking or a giant blockbuster but a family fun film with lots of classic laughs and Steve Carrell awesomeness which is just enough for me.

Photo: Warner Bros http://www.theincredibleburtwonderstone.com

Synopsis from Warner Bros: 

 'Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas Strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt's growing ego. But lately the duo's greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they've grown to loathe each other. Facing cutthroat competition from guerrilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show is starting to look stale. But there's still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act—both onstage and off—if only Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place. "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" stars Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi as long-reigning headliners and one-time best friends Burt and Anton, and Olivia Wilde as their glamorous magic assistant, Jane. Alan Arkin stars as old-school illusionist Rance Holloway; James Gandolfini as casino mogul Doug Munny; and Jim Carrey as the team's number one rival, Steve Gray'

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone is being shown at the Odeon and Cineworld in Southampton. Click here for showtimes.

Next month's E4 Slacker film is 21 & Over from the writers of 'The Hangover' on Thursday 25th April, Harbour Lights Picturehouse, Ocean Village. Don't miss it!

Useful Links:

http://www.e4.com/slackers/

http://www.theincredibleburtwonderstone.com/index.html

http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Harbour_Lights/

Nisha Haq

Creative Director

Renowned Photographer Tom Hunter at Southampton Solent Uni

Tom Hunter (c) 1997

Though many young students jet off to London universities, some of us chose the idyllic coastal city, Southampton and going to Solent University: now becoming the new hub for media and fashion arts in the South. One of the treats we had was having internationally exhibited and praised fine art photographer Tom Hunter come in to talk about his work (and basically his life story) the 7th March.

There was quite a buzz from photography students and tutors and it's easy to see why. A few highlights of his career he mentioned was last month having two of his photographs collected by MOMA, one of the most influential art galleries in the world; Saatchi personally asking for his photography to be exhibited at his gallery, having the first solo photographic show at The National Gallery, winning the John Kobal Photographic Portrait Award with 'Woman Reading a Possession Order' (1997, see left) and many other notable achievements. After reading through his vast biography it's a wonder to see how he manages to make time for a two hour lecture at Southampton Solent University.

He began by talking of his not-so-glamorous beginnings: growing up in Dorset, squatting in London and how his surroundings inspired him to document what was happening around him. It was refreshing to hear Hunter admit he wasn't good with the technical side of photography at first and that as long as the concept is strong the image will come together. Though Hunter's work is regarded as fine art, his main topic has been very political (when he was a student his tutors told him that politics and art don't go together and his work would be seen with heavy criticism.) During his lecture we realized very quickly his passion for politics (and severe dislike for the Tories) by his colourful language which was entertaining at first though felt quite repetitive and off topic over the course.

Having recently discovered my new love for art history I was particularly interested to see where Hunter got his inspirations from and how he'd recreate classical art paintings from the likes of Carravagio, John Everett Millais, Nicolas Poussin, Johannes Vermeer and compose it to a modern setting. These references can be seen in his 'Living in Hell and Other Stories' book published by The National Gallery where he'd documented the life of Hackney through staged recreations from the local newspaper. (Buy here from Amazon.co.uk) I also enjoyed seeing his work exhibited alongside Eugène Delacroix's Death of Sardanapalus and with other photographer's like Jeff Wall and Sarah Jones at the 'Seduced by Art: Photography Past and Present' exhibition at The National Gallery (Oct 13 2012 - Jan 20 2013).

It was a delight to have such a renowned photographer, Tom Hunter bringing a little bit of London to Southampton and hopefully there's many more to come!

If you missed seeing Tom Hunter's work at The National Gallery you can see a solo exhibition of his work 'Public Spaces, Public Stages' (22 Feb - 25th Mar) at the Print House Gallery, London. Bootstrap Company writes: 

'Taken with a homemade large format pinhole camera, the images talk about the community spaces where the theatre of life is acted out, which make up a neighbourhood.'

P.S Here's a photo of Hunter in the lecture. Awful snap, but I was too engrossed in his lecture!

Photo Credit: Nisha Haq

Useful Links: http://www.tomhunter.org/
http://solentphoto.tumblr.com/

Nisha Haq

Creative Director

Lost & Found - Launch 11th March!

Photography & Design: Nisha Haq

New blog and magazine coming soon. 

Launch 11th March 2013!

Watch this space! 

Nisha Haq

Creative Director